Successful business students are leaders and listeners who understand how to take textbook information and apply it to real-life scenarios. They are opportunistic and entrepreneurial in nature, looking for ways to get ahead that have not been tried before.
Communication skills are critical as students must be able to discern and relay information in order to manage projects and maintain professional relationships. Computer skills have also become necessary. At a minimum, students create typed documents and spreadsheets, send email, and conduct research on the Internet.
According to Dr. Trevor Johnson, dean of the Business School Lausanne of Switzerland, business school is considered a practical education because it teaches students how to make decisions and follow through. Business involves analytical tasks as well as critical thinking and social skills. Students in business school are required to take core classes in such subjects as accounting, economics and statistics. These courses require working with numbers and problem solving. Students also learn how to better communicate through writing skills and formal presentations.
Students must look the part in business school. Those who dress in business attire and exhibit good hygiene will stand out to professors and potential employers as being serious about success. Professionalism is critical in business school. Potential employers often attend school functions, award banquets, scholarship events and student organization meetings. Students have ample opportunities before beginning a job search to meet professionals within their chosen field and explore career ideas.
The business world is cutthroat and some students think they will be most successful if they take charge of every project, inundate professors with ideas and opinions, and monopolize class time with trivial questions. These students do not realize that success in business involves teamwork, networking and mutual respect. Students who refuse to work well with others or feel entitled to good grades will be humbled on assignments that require peer grading or a professor's subjective opinion.
In relation to other disciplines, business students will notice a large emphasis placed on individual success. Business students are expected to be self-motivated and driven by ideas of personal gain. This is similar to the attitude that business school graduates will experience in the workforce. While it is important for students to understand how to work in teams and cooperate with others, the majority of attributes that students need to succeed in business school center around personal accountability, leadership and determination.