An Exchange Students Thoughts

by Camilla Wengholm (Singapore/Sweden)

I think I have had a very different journey compared to my classmates in the Technological Entrepreneurship class at SMU. One of the popular reasons or motives for applying for exchange studies anywhere in Asia is to get to know the business culture and how thing work here. I had the opportunity to not only get an insight into Singaporean business thinking and culture, I got too see it from its first seed in an entrepreneurial environment.

Entrepreneurship has always interested and inspired me. In Sweden I have been in different competitions and classes on this topic, although many of them was exercised in a more virtual way.

By comparing how the entrepreneurial profession is perceived in the different parts of the world, I have found that there is some variation but prominently a lot of similarities. These similarities could have to do with globalization and such but I have always had a different idea. I can see a strong similarity in the people I have met that come from an entrepreneurial background. They posses certain characteristics that make them stand out from the crowd; a hunger for something else than a regular 9-5 job. They are courageous, driven and vivid.

So, in my participation in this class I might have seen a bit reserved, which is pretty unusual for me on other occasions. I have been focusing on observing my classmates to be able to bring home valuable lessons on how things are handled with here, in what line of thoughts things are discussed and so on. Of course I have learnt a great bunch as well. When I entered this class I was not prepared to actually start a business, but I realized that there is no better way to learn the profession of an entrepreneur. Similar to leadership, theoretical studies is not what actually improves your skills in start-ups or management – practice is, regardless if this experience is obtained by failure or fortune.

I have had a wonderful time in this class and learn a lot of things about start-ups, about my classmate, professor and non the least – about myself.