Video - Valerie Pouget

MBA student testimonial

Video of Valerie Pouget at the MBA Residential School in Brussels, 2011.

Text Version

Q1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m French. I work in the hospitality industry. I move quite a lot and presently; I’m working in Strasbourg, East of France.

Q2. Why did you choose to do an MBA with The Open University Business School?

I decided to choose The Open University for several reasons. The first one was flexibility. Because I move quite often – cities, countries – I could be sure to continue the studies, even if I had to move again. So flexibility was really important. Cost as well. I believe it’s the right price, and also the fact that it’s through Internet, so it’s really convenient whenever you work. You’re on holiday, well, you can still study, so really good.

Q3. How is it going?

I really enjoy it and I’m really happy, at this stage of my career, to go back to university, because it’s fantastic to learn again. When you are in operations, you don’t have time to think. You just have pressure to hand out things and no time. Doing an MBA, you have time to think, to reflect - this is an important word - on what you are doing and how you could make it better. So I’m really enjoying it.

Q4. They call it distance learning. Is it at a distance?

You’d like to meet the other students more often. What is good is you have a forum where you can share your thoughts at any time of the day, so flexibility again. You have Day School, where you can meet the other students, and so it’s good. It’s a mixed ... you don’t meet them so often that it would be too difficult to attend, so I think it’s a good mix.

Q5. Early days but would you recommend it to others?

Oh, definitely, definitely. The other part which I really like is, of course, learning new things, but also meeting people – meeting people with working experience and sharing this experience. When we’re talking about theory, it’s fine. You refresh your memory and you think, oh, yes, I’ve done this at work, but when you discuss it with other people, they have a different story to tell you and it also makes sense and it’s then opened your mind to new opportunities and this is what I think I learn as much from books, to meeting other students and talking about the course.