Diya enjoys ABE's flexibility and varied syllabus. She plans to progress onto a Masters and gain work experience before becoming an entrepreneur. Here's her story:
"I was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. I am the third generation in Kenya. My great grandparents came from India. I stay with my dad, mum, and grandmother. My grandmother has been a great inspiration to me, and my family has always supported me through my choices and guided me to make decisions that are best for me. I was previously at the Aga Khan Academy, where I completed the PYP and MYP program (IB Curriculum) and then decided to pursue a business diploma.
The business field has always inspired me and discussions with my dad, who is in sales and marketing, I found a great connection with this. As I was weighing my options, I came across the ABE course and liked the fact that it covered a variety of disciplines across multiple departments like HR, finance and marketing. It would give me a great foundation with various options to major in going forward.
Being able to study ABE at my own pace gave me time to complete a diploma and balance it out with other activities. Over this year, I have become an active member in the student body in college (Oshwal College Students Association), completed a forex trading course and began piano and driving classes too. The study guide provides extra guidance on the units, and it really helps me further understand each topic as examples are provided.
The ABE diploma is getting more and more recognised and the number of students holding it has been rapidly increasing in Kenya. Many students find the ABE programme suitable for them in terms of time, cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and recognition. It attracts more new students each semester. For those working, they have the option to study in the evenings which is great for career development.
After completing Level 5, I plan to pursue the BA (Hons) Business Administration programme affiliated with the University of Hertfordshire (UK) and hope to get a job to gain some experience and build on my skills outside of class. I wish to continue onto a Masters degree.
The best thing about studying with ABE is that it is very flexible. The study guide ensures that all the content is covered. I personally like the fact that the course covers topics in various areas in business such as HR, Finance, Marketing amongst others which provides me with an insight into what I may want to major in later. Talking about flexibility, it allows students to take as many units as they want to and gives them a chance to live a balanced life with the option to undertake extra-curricular activities.
The ABE course is theory-based but teaches application. The assignments encourage students to think critically and find solutions based on the company and context. This is a great way to prepare students for real-life where solving problems are not always based on a book but about contextualising the options and implementing the best one. ABE has also taught me how to cover vast information within a word limit. It is easy to write tonnes of pages but it taught me how to prioritise information and structure it in a way that a reader gets all key points.
For study success, I believe that understanding a concept in-depth really makes exams easier, not cramming it a day before exams. Everyone has different ways of studying, personally writing notes helps me understand it better. Others may choose to watch videos or summarise key points.
As I complete my Level 5 Diploma and begin my degree, I would like to also begin building my skills in sales and marketing. I hope to go for further education abroad to complete a Masters degree and use this time to also get work experience by having a day job. Once I have built on my skills and become financially stable with a diversified income portfolio, I would like to start my own company one day.
I have ideas, but I realise that the business environment is constantly changing and years from now the situation and opportunities rising may be completely different and these new opportunities could be the reason for major successes which is why I have kept an open mind."