A graduate shares her university experiences
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most popular degrees among Thai students, but not many can get into the top US universities. Nantharat Sriwattanangkoon (Kapau) is a Thai student who got accepted by the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Chicago’s Northwestern University. Kapau has shared her experiences in her book, Master of Barely Anything.
Back in 2015, Kapau was a business consultant who was laid off because the company’s Bangkok office shut down. She found a new job, travelled abroad, released her first book, The Lucky Lay Off and then applied to study for her MBA.
After graduating from Kellogg last year, Kapau is now working in Chicago and will return to Bangkok at the end of this year.
S Weekly chatted with the 30-year-old writer about her experience at Kellogg.
How did you improve your English?
Kapau: My parents have been sending me to study English or Chinese in Singapore and China every summer since I was 9 years old. When I was in high school, I was an exchange student in the US but my English wasn’t good. I had to look almost every word up in a dictionary.
Why did you decide to study an MBA?
Kapau: I’m interested in business, but not sure which specific field I should choose. Business administration relates to any field. The most important skill I wanted to learn was how to work with and manage other people.
You were accepted by three universities. Why did you choose Kellogg?
Kapau: I knew many people who graduated from Kellogg, including my former colleagues and boss. They really cared for their subordinates and coached them well. I wondered how Kellogg taught them to be like that.
Which part of the application was most difficult to prepare?
Kapau: The application essays. One was about how to handle a problem. I wrote about the time after I was laid off. I rewrote the essay about 30 times and asked many people to check it.
Did you have a hard time adapting to Kellogg?
Kapau: Yes. Americans don’t feel embarrassed when they give wrong answers, and they learn from their mistakes. I felt humiliated if I made a mistake. It took me a year to realise that I was at Kellogg to learn. I then dared put my hands up to say I didn’t understand and ask for help from instructors and classmates.
Should students join university clubs?
Kapau: It’s up to you, but I wanted to have a great network of people. To participate in a club was good for me. I was in the Asian Management Association and made great friends there.
What did you gain from Kellogg?
Kapau: Firstly, everything that I went through made me more confident. I found I could cope with unexpected situations and know how to negotiate and manage people. And secondly, I made great friends.
What impressed you most about Kellogg?
Kapau: My friends from Kellogg really cared about me. In the business world, we have no idea who is sincere. But Kellogg students choose relationships over their own benefits.
Why did you believe that?
Kapau: When we were looking for jobs, we were competitors because we wanted similar jobs, but my friends tutored me and told me the questions after they were in interviews. They believe our relationships are more important than the jobs.
What can readers expect from Master of Barely Anything?
Kapau: After reading the book, readers can imagine how studying an MBA can be. The book also covers classmates, school clubs and the atmosphere in class.
