In Real Business Experience, I did not just learn about the business world and what it will be like in the future, but I experienced it. I was able to learn through hands on experience and not just through a book and a teacher. This class taught me how to work in the real business world and it began to prepare me for the real world. I can now take everything I learn about the business world and apply it when I get my internship. This course really is “Real Life, Real Business…” And Real Money. –Abigail Bath
When I went through my FBE class I thought that it was helpful, but everything we did was very much done by the book. I thought that RBE was a lot more helpful and useful because we related everything to real life. Our teams got to actually carry out what we had on paper, and see if everything would go as planned. What I learned is that even though a plan or financials might look good on paper they may not necessarily work out as planned. In real life there is a lot of change, and in the business world if you cannot adapt the changes around you will get left behind. I think that the book “Who Moved My Cheese” really helped me see what kind of person I am, and what kind of person I needed to be. –Margo Graff
The RBE course has taught me so much about “Real Life, Real Business” in a way I have never learned before. Dealing with real business experiences, and not just something from a textbook, I learned how important it is to be able to adapt to change and come out stronger. I value now more than ever the importance of having a strong support system to work with and be there to help along the way. I gained confidence in my ability to speak in front of a crowd and communicate individually with others. This course has taught me first hand that even though every situation might not always go according to plan; every situation provides an experience to be learned from. –Molly Manus
RBE has not only helped me develop professional skills that will assist me in my future career, but it has also allowed me to grow as an individual. As a college student with absolutely no prior experience of running my own business, it was hard for me to believe starting a business was actually an obtainable goal. Soon enough, I found an interesting business concept that I was passionate about and six other team members who felt the same way. Communication is key, and good communication skills can be difficult between two people, but even more so between seven members of a group. After completing our pitch and getting approved by the panel, our whole team felt a great sense of accomplishment. It was a rewarding experience for all of us after spending an entire semester working to put our business plan together. I remember on the first day of class hearing that we will get out of RBE what we put into the class. I found this to be true as I reflect back upon my experience in the class. My RBE experience has given me the opportunity to see a glimpse of what I am capable in the future. –Anne Shelton
Although this class has helped me cultivate in various aspects including personally, scholastically and professionally, the common theme within the three was overall growth. I was able to accomplish this development despite the challenges that came of constantly being in a group setting. This challenge made both a stronger leader and team member. Not only did I learn a lot about my character and passion for business, I was also able to make some positive changes which will help me further thrive in the business world. –Doris Almaraz
This course was also very useful in that it allowed me to see every side of running a business. With my goal in life being to open my own gymnastics center someday, this really helped me understand just how much work it would require. Out of all the assignments we had to cover, the two biggest ones had to be the proof of concept and the presentation to the funding board. This put me as close to the real world as I could get from going out and selling my business’s product to customers and coming back and reporting our sales, to making a pitch to a funding board as to why they should approve a loan for us. These both proved very stressful moments in the semester, but to me they also proved to be my team’s biggest accomplishments. The proof of concept really helped me deal with things such as change, unfortunate circumstances, failure, and success, whereas presenting to the board helped deal with how to look and sound professional and not show nervousness while presenting a very important pitch. This course kept me very busy during the semester, but all the time put in was worth it. –Kendra Jones
The motto for the College of Business for Butler University is, “Real Life, Real Business.” The Real Business Experience class has exhibited this motto in every way possible. In this class, we have had to use skills that we will be using when we graduate and get careers. Butler University entrusts us it’s money because they believe in our success not only as students, but also as professionals. This semester we have been challenged with many problems, as well as being rewarded with success and lessons that will help us grow. –Emily Prellwitz