Connecting the Classroom to the World

My international coursework at UF has helped me place personal experiences within a broader context. Living in another country gives me firsthand opportunities to notice differences, but courses give me frameworks for asking why those differences exist and how they connect to business, economics, and the environment.

International Business connects directly to my interest in marketing and global strategy. It has encouraged me to consider the context surrounding a business decision, including the market and the environment in which an organization operates. For me, this connects to the questions we explored during AMA’s international marketing event: What changes when a company enters a different country? What needs to be understood before a familiar strategy can be applied?

Global and Regional Economics adds another perspective. As an Economics and Marketing student, I am interested in how broader conditions shape opportunities and decisions. Thinking about economies at global and regional levels helps me look beyond individual consumers or companies. It encourages me to consider how the circumstances surrounding a market can influence what people need and what businesses can offer.

Intro to Environmental Science broadens that perspective further. Environmental issues invite us to think about consequences that extend beyond one organization or location. Including this course in my global learning journey matters because international understanding is not limited to culture and business. It also involves recognizing shared challenges and the connections between people, resources, and the places where they live.

Together, these courses help me approach global issues through more than one lens. A marketing question may also involve economic conditions. An international opportunity may also raise environmental questions. Looking at those connections encourages me to avoid treating a decision as isolated from its wider context.

The coursework also gives me a way to examine my experiences outside the classroom. My work promoting study abroad programs, conversations at campus events, and experience living between Brazil and the United States all raise questions that connect to my education.

I want to carry this approach into my career: understand the audience, investigate the context, and recognize that business decisions have wider effects. These courses are helping me develop that habit and giving me questions to keep exploring.