Over the last two years, I have met at least one student from each degree offered at IE. Their opinions about their degrees and other degrees couldn’t be more different. Studying International Relations, I can assure you that we learn more than just politics and history, just like my Law roommate assures me that her degree is not just debating.
We can’t help ourselves but stereotype since we have different perceptions of our degree and others.
I have gathered some students from various degrees studying in Segovia and asked them a few questions to see their perception of other degrees and their own.
Which IE degree do you think has the worst connotations?
Bachelor in Economics (BIE) student: That would be BBA. I’ve heard of many lazy people who rely on luck to pass exams and that BBA was an easy enough course for them to have a degree. This creates an unhealthy class dynamic because some people study and have a good work ethic.
Also, I think that BBA isn’t always associated with positive connotations. According to worldwide course rankings, it is not one of the most challenging degrees, but many people who study it claim otherwise.
Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) student: I am not sure, honestly. But I know that in most cases, it’s the dual-degree ones. That probably has to do with the fact that you have more subjects and a more significant workload. Obviously, the reward is two bachelors at the end of the five years.
For example, my roommate studies BBA and Data Analysis, and I heard him complaining about the number of assignments and projects he has to do. But overall, if he chose this more challenging path, I’m sure he will be rewarded in the end.
Bachelor in International Relations (BIR) student: BBA students have the worst reputation for being ‘Finance Bros’ or having the easiest classes.
Bachelor in Communication and Digital Media (BCDM) student: BBA.
Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences (BBSS) student: Business Administration as a degree has the worst connotation. One usually hears that it’s not an academically demanding degree compared to others. It’s assumed that the degree offers more leisure time for other hobbies because of its supposed lack of academic rigor. I believe this is mainly due to the negative stereotype that society has set for the degree.
This generalization only leads to biases and do not contemplate the strong repertoire of skills that a Business degree can provide, which are salient to the corporate world.
Bachelor in Design (BID) student: Probably BBA. It has the vibe of the ‘Crypto Bro’ who goes partying daily.
Then, I separated them into two groups: those with more traditional degrees and closer to business, like BBA, BIR, and Economics, and then more creative degrees, per se, like Design, BBS, and Communications.
How do you perceive degrees like BCDM, BBSS, and Architecture?
BIE student: Communications is one of the easiest degrees in this uni, and Architecture the hardest. I’m basing myself on the courses that people studying these degrees take and the activities they have to carry out. For instance, some classes in Architecture are tough and time-consuming, and I often see them sleep-deprived. For Communications, I feel their workload is not that much compared to other degrees. Also, I’m guessing that their tasks require time but don’t require as much effort and concentration.
I wouldn’t know where to rank BBSS, but I know it’s a challenging degree. Many people think it’s the same as psychology and can pass as an “easy” degree, but I perceive it as a way harder version of psychology.
BBA student: I don’t have a clear opinion about them. I have to be honest. I don’t know many people in those courses, so I don’t have a detailed picture of them. I believe they are very interesting (especially Architecture) and that it is a good thing. IE also has opportunities for people not looking for a course that is not directly connected to economics. But overall, I do not have enough data to go into more detail about them.
BIR student: Communications students are super artsy and creative. Talking to Behavioral Sciences students seems like therapy sometimes- they like getting deep. Architecture students are never home and are always in the studio. I hope they are doing okay.
How do you perceive degrees like Economics, Business, and International Relations?
BCDM student: They are very intelligent and read a lot.
BBS student: Those degrees are academically challenging and engaging in their way. Each has a value that is hard to compare under the same scale, much more so when they are all so unique. They entail different skills and intellectual capacities that target different people and preferences. As far as I am concerned, it all comes down to priorities and personality when one must pick one over the other.
BID student: Econ is a mixed bag. Most are nerdy, but in a good way, but they’re either in-your-face about economics, or you would need to find out they study econ.
As for business, the standard BBA guy attire is either (1) khaki pants, white/blue shirt, moccasins, and a North Face gilet, or (2) a tracksuit. They could use a bit more variety of clothing, considering they constitute the largest group in our university.
BIR: They are why the average IE student speaks at least three languages. Honestly, I would love to know more about what they learn. Go MUN!
And finally, the question that I was most curious to read the answers to.
How do you feel about your degree?
BIE student: Economics is one of the most balanced degrees. It is both a math-based and essay-based course, which helps with improving flexibility.
According to opinions about econ from people who don’t study econ, this characteristic is often thought of as one of the main reasons why this degree is hard, and the theory rarely matches reality. The challenges faced by Economics students aren’t necessarily these; instead, they are the amount of effort required and the critical amount of workload.
Also, it is a valuable degree, as it builds solid skills for future careers and focuses on applying concepts to real-life scenarios. Also, although the degree is tough, it still allows for a pretty good work-life balance and space for many more activities.
BBA student: I study BBA, and I like the course. However, sometimes I think we don’t get through all the details of some topics, so I may research to learn more about those on my own. But overall I think the course gives an excellent all-around view of all business related subjects which is what a course named Business Administration suggests.
BIR student: I am doing BIR, and the students are unafraid to speak up about controversial topics. They are more open-minded, but you never want to discuss politics with them.
BCDM student: I think they underestimate us, like, “Communications people don’t do anything,” according to everyone. However, that is a lie, we do things, but they are more creative.
BBSS student: I feel content with choosing Behavior and Social Sciences as a degree. It offers a multidisciplinary approach to understanding human behavior, enabling students to develop various personal and professional skills across different fields.
The career opportunities it provides are numerous, including Human Resources, Marketing, Consulting, and Behavioral Economics, among many others. I believe that this degree has contributed to my personal growth and understanding of different perspectives. Its applicability in my day-to-day life never stops astonishing me.
Yet, people unaware of what the degree encompasses tend to underestimate its value and relevance. Spreading knowledge and awareness about it could help unravel people’s misconceptions.
BID student: We are people who will not stop complaining about assignments or showing said assignments to their non-BID friends. We are people with the weirdest fashion sense on campus (we make it work, though). We will walk around campus carrying the weirdest things (a shopping cart, a chair, and two open umbrellas). Product design is challenging.
We can see that everyone has quite different opinions regarding what they think about their degree and what others think.
Hearing what students think about other degrees, including mine, was a little scary and fun. Let’s not forget that despite imagining it, we will never know for sure what a day looks like for a student from a degree utterly different from our own.
Stereotypes aside, it’s clear that each is difficult inside its frame.
Check out all the undergraduate degrees IE University offers here!
