ClickNSmart Team

I am writing this article due to many demands from our dear blog readers and also friends of mine who are business majors both undergraduate and graduate students. I I’d like to share my educational background with you all. I am currently an MBA student with a 4.0 GPA concentrating in Finance and Marketing at California State University Long Beach. Is it difficult to get a 4.0 GPA in the top business school? I believe not, in fact any student can get a 4.0 GPA given he/ she follows the right strategy. In this article, I want to share the strategy on how to get a 4.0 GPA in top business schools.

1) Always attends lectures, listens attentively and also participates in the class discussion
If you’re like me, a student with an average IQ, then try not to miss any lecture. In class, you should listen to professors attentively and engage in class discussion

2) Don’t just read the textbook! Try to relate the textbook concepts to real business world events/ experiences
As business students, you need to constantly read Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Bloomberg (for Finance majors), and other business periodicals. This way, you can relate any concepts you learn from textbook or from class lectures to real business events that are going on real-time.

3) Work in groups to solve case study/ homework and to prepare for exams
Business students, unlike other majors, should work in groups to discuss any case studies or to study for exams. In the real business world, managers usually work in teams to solve company problems, so you better get used to work in groups. In addition, working in groups enables you to see other people’s point-of-view/ approach to problem solving that can help expand your knowledge.

So, the good thing is that there are only 3 things-to-do that can help you achieve that dream GPA (4.0). Having a 4.0 GPA in top business school opens up many career opportunities once you graduate. In addition, during your college year, you can potentially receive many scholarships. During my stay in the MBA program at California State University Long Beach, I have received numerous scholarships, which sum up to $10,000. Not only I am able to use this scholarship to pay for my college tuition, but I can also be a full time student without needing to work part-time to earn extra money. Good Luck and Be Confident that you can also achieve the same success.

Written by ClickNSmart Team

4 STAR* refer to students who get many 4.0 GPA’s. I always wonder what’s on the mind of these amazing students, what moves them, and of course some study tips from them will be nice. So I want to make some interview with them. Next is Mr. Jefery Kusnadi, my best friend and a writer for this blog (we don’t make this up, honest).

Jefery Kusnadi is attended UCLA for his undergraduate where he graduated with highest honor in Applied Mathematics/Phyics. He is now attending California State University Long Beach to earn his Master in Business Administration (M.B.A). By now (4/26/2010), he receives 4.0 G.P.A during his first year MBA having taken an average of 6 courses per semester. He is a recipient of a Phoenix scholarship (USD 4000) two years in a row in 2009 and 2010 and also he is currently representing CSULB MBA team to compete in the International Business Strategy Competition in San Diego on April 2009.

Me: Please tell us a little more about yourself Jefery

JK: As an international student from Indonesia, I grew up and attended schools up to senior High School in Indonesia. As a kid I was never like studying, in fact the only 2 subjects that I “studied” are mathematics and physics; I spent most of my time in the field playing basketball. Basketball was my life and my childhood dream was to get into UCLA and played on their basketball team. Well, only part of this comes true, which is getting into UCLA part, but the other one goes unfulfilled.

Me: What do you found so different between the system here and Indonesia?

JK: In Indonesia, you learn how to look at a subject from the textbook and to take lots of exams. During my times, there were shortages of qualified teachers. In fact, even in the physical education, my teacher was trying to teach us play basketball, but turns out he called me to teach “practical” basketball in the field instead; however I travelled back to Indonesia one and half year ago, the education system is much better now. In America, one thing I notice is that you need to “learn by doing” meaning that the instructor/ professors often challenge us to think “outside the box” not only based on the textbook; therefore, the learning process comes not from the exams, but by actually “working” in the projects.

Me: From your scholarship and GPA, I think you’ve done it really well so far. What do you think is the key of your success?

JK: Thank you, but I would not consider myself as being successful yet. But if there’s anything to share, I would advise “Don’t worry making a mistake. Be persistent in pursuing your goal.” Most of the time, I learned a lesson the hard way (making lots of mistakes). Some people are afraid of failure and making a mistake, but this is part of the learning process and success in life.  Other thing is that “Try to do more than you have done today.” If you always do more, then you will make an efficient use of your time. I always study more than my instructor assigned me to do, for example: in my international business class, we were assigned to state the challenges of doing business internationally; I was not only searching on the possible challenges, but also go ahead and apply my findings into a specific country, Indonesia, and find out whether foreign companies doing business in Indonesia are actually facing these challenges.

Me: It is easier said than done though, how do you manage your time?

JK: Right now, I am in the middle of these activities: doing research in Marketing “What role does Second Life, Facebook, MySpace and other social media play in building a company’s brand”, preparing for the international business competition, and also starting up a company. I mean it’s a tough thing to do all at once; however, somehow by cutting most of my leisure times and allocate these times for work, I can still manage to make progress in all these activities.

Me:  Tell me more about the International Business Competition that you are involved currently? How proud are you having to represent your school in this event?

JK: Well, to tell you the truth, I am nervous about this competition. Last year, our school won the second place in the competition. The competition is a simulation game competition, in which more than 40 business schools from the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Europe, Saudi Arabia, India and other countries are participating. Each time is assigned to manage a company that operates in both United States and one of the foreign operations (Asia, Latin America, or Eastern Europe). The winning criteria is judged based on the quarterly managerial decisions and how profitably the company is at the end of the game.

Me: Is there any study tips you’d like to share to other students, in particular since you have studied both science and business?

JK: When you work on homework, try to do it yourself first, before you look up other student’s answer for comparison. Go to office hours and ask lots of questions for clarification when you have done reading textbooks and lecture notes; you never know if you missed any concept unless you ask questions to your professors, TA’s and classmates. Try to get together for group study after you do your individual study; this works very well for me since group study requires us teaching each other in the group and the best way to test whether you know the material is by teaching others.

Me: Now, what advise would you give to students interested in getting their MBA?

JK: Ask yourself, “What Good an MBA will do for you?” If you can not answer this question, then I would suggest that after finishing your undergraduate, go find a job to work in any field you’re interested in, doesn’t have to be related to business. In fact, almost 45% of my classmates in MBA, like me, do not have any business background at all. In an MBA, you will find most of the teachings are more relevant when you have some sort of full time work experiences; this way you can better relate the business lessons to what you have done or are currently doing. Also, an MBA is not a guarantee for success; after all, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Richard Branson of Virgin, Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google, and many successful entrepreneurs do not have an MBA degree. So before you commit yourself into expensive tuition, you better know what you can get out of an MBA education.

Me: Just out of curiosity, do you have a girlfriend?

JK: haha.. (he chuckles) I am actually in a relationship with a girl, whom I met at UCLA. We have been dating almost 2 year now. She gives me lots of motivation and comforts when times get tough.

Me:Thanks for you time to share with us Jefery.

JK: “You’re welcome. I am glad to be able to share my experience to others.”

That is all everyone, a glimpse of Jefery Kusnadi, our second 4.*, a very hard working students with many achievements but yet he keeps a low profile.

I hope you like the tips and I hope his stories inspire you. What did you guys think? Which part of the interview ‘touched’ you? Is there some questions that are unanswered? Ask me, I’ll ask Jefery when I met his again later. There is no login required to leave a comment

Written by ClickNSmart Team

4.* refer to students who get many 4.0 GPA’s. I always wonder what’s on the mind of these amazing students, what moves them, and of course some study tips from them will be nice. So I want to make some interview with them. My first 4.* is my good friend, Julia Chin.

Julia Chin is an international student taking her 1st and 2nd year in Green River Community College with perfect 4.0 GPA. She then transfer to UCLA and is on her 4th year now majoring in Biology. By now (10/19/2008), she still consistently get A’s except for 1 class only. She’s also a recepient of a full scholarship from Saudi Arabia for her Senior Year. That’s at least $27000 !!

Me: Please tell us a little more about yourself Julia

J: As an international student, I grew up in Malaysia, studied in China, and I will be going to Saudi Arabia for my graduate studies. As bizarre as it seems, living in all these countries gave me the skills to mold quickly into different environments, especially to adapt quickly into the academic discipline in different countries.

Me: mold quickly huh, what do you found so different between the system here and China?

J: In China, you learn how to look at a subject from pure theoretical aspects, you are trained to solve numerical problems and to take tons of exams. Though the process is monotonous, at the end, you become a good test-taker. While in US, the expectations shifts to a more holistic evaluation. i.e. You need to explore outside curriculum to build your resume

Me: and from your scholarship and GPA, I think you’ve done it really well so far. What do you think is the key of your academic success?

J: “ok, I don’t really consider myself ’success’. [me] err… [/me] But if there’s anything to share, I guess it is to always know what your priorities are at a given period of time. Especially in the US, you can be bombarded by so many opportunities at once. With your priority in mind, you would always have to devote some chunk of time to fulfill your priority task first, no matter what.”

Me: It is easier said than done though, what is the hardest time for you to stick to your priorities?

J: “The hardest time would be that I am committed to too many tasks at one time. I took research + 19 units + hospital volunteer + tutoring job. I couldn’t handle all the commitments, I got sick (physically), and felt depressed because I didn’t do well for each and every one of my tasks. ”

Me: How did you handle it and how did it go?

J: “It is good that someone stepped out to tell me to drop one of my job. Sometimes talking to advisors, mentors or even professors can do a lot good. Though you would think that they are extra busy and you shouldn’t bother them to increase their work load, they are actually quite happy to hear from you and point you to a direction that you yourself are not able to figure out alone. After I dropped my teaching job, things start to get better. Of course as a consequence, I have to withdraw from a scholarship award that is associated with my teaching.”

Me:  [note] Sacrificing the least important thing is necessary [/note] ic ic. well, I’m glad you made that decision too Julia, you take too much. (2 jobs, 1 research, 4 class!). OK, let’s continue.. is there any study tips you’d like to share to other students especially those in Biology majors?

J: “the key is your professor, because there’s where you get your grades from…It would be best if you know what your professor is looking for in exams. I use the book to complement with my lecture slides. It would be best if you can do all the readings (which can be very time-consuming). If time is not permitted, I will at least find the figures on the powerpoint lectures, trace them back to the textbook, and read the figure captions. In this way, you get a fuller picture of the lecture materials.”

Me: So professor is KING and lecture + book in case of emergency. Thanks for the tip Julia. Now, what will you say to a new student?

J: “Starting in a new environment can be challenging, but never forget the excitement part of the explorations too. If you are a quiet person in the past, now that you are in a brand new school, why not take this chance for a change? Take advantage of all the opportunities and re-union activities at the school. From there you will find friends, supports, resources and know who to turn to in A-Z situations. I know people who only interact with 5-6 friends in their entire two-year at the US. That really defeat the purpose of you coming here”

Me: That is why you have many friends here right. Thanks for you time to share with us Julia.

J: “You’re welcome. OK back to study again”

Me: Oh yeah… me too… after I post this article :p

That is all everyone, a glimpse of Julia Chin, our first 4.*, a very hard working students with many achievements but yet she remained humble. When she’s free (rarely), she’s a really nice friend to hang out with too.

I hope you like the tips and I hope her stories inspire you. What did you guys think? Which part of the interview ‘touched’ you? Is there some questions that are unanswered? Ask me, I’ll ask Julia when I met her again later. There is no login required to leave a comment

~ Soma, Founder of ClickNSmart Inc