My first year studying by the TEAM ACADEMY method
What are the only TEAM ACADEMY studies available in Lithuania? What do students, who study business management and marketing in a completely different way than usual, say about it? Saulė Malinauskaitė, who graduated from her first year in June, shares her story of how she came to our college from medical sciences in Sweden and what she found there.
Saulė Malinauskaitė
It all started in Sweden. I’ve lived there with my family since I was a little girl, so naturally I wanted to study there. When I finished high school, my family had to move back to Lithuania. I decided to stay alone in Sweden because I had already enrolled to study medicine. One week of studies was enough to make me think about returning to Lithuania. My dad decided to help and started looking for the right studies for me. He found a programme that met all my needs and requirements. It was business management and marketing using the TEAM ACADEMY method.
I was immediately attracted to this study programme because of its uniqueness, in particular because:
- learning through an internship with a team to set up your own business in the first year of your studies;
- applying the knowledge gained in lectures to real projects;
- individual personality traits are highlighted and used in a targeted way to achieve a result;
- there is an opportunity to earn money during your studies;
- few lectures and lots of practice.
All of the above items are uploaded to the Vilnius Business College website. I only had to read them to send my application immediately. To be honest, the TEAM ACADEMY method of studying is so beautifully described that I didn’t believe it could become a reality.
When I joined, I was in for a second surprise: the beautiful text on the website was true. The first six months were quite challenging. Working in a team is fun and full of different experiences, but not always easy. I had to learn how to work in a team and adapt to the Lithuanian education system, which is radically different from Sweden. Setting up a company together with other team members is not so easy. We often had to compromise on various issues and problems, but with the help of teachers and coaches we managed to overcome all obstacles. We had a lot of practice, which encourages us to develop our skills, to take more interest and to go deeper into the business field.
I never thought I would study business management and marketing. My vision for the future was in a completely different field and country. After the first year of my studies, I know that I would not change a single decision that has led me to this TEAM ACADEMY study.
