Marie Thenon

Country of origin: France

Event coordinator at Lancaster Brewery

Why did you choose to study at LUMS?
After doing my final undergraduate year abroad at Lancaster University (I’m from France), I decided to do a Master in Management which would help me reach my professional goals. I loved Lancaster University, and I was aware of the quality of teaching and of the help and support provided in LUMS, and thought this would be the best environment for me to study in for another year.

What was the best thing about your course?
I loved how many different areas of management it covers. It gave me such a wide but in-depth insight into aspects of business that I was barely aware existed. I also enjoyed being surrounded by people from different nationalities and backgrounds, who all had different experiences at University or at work. I have made some great friends that I know I will see again after the course finishes.

Describe your time at LUMS in three words:
Learning, support, careers.

What are your best memories of your time at Lancaster (course, social, work experience…)?
I absolutely loved Roses this year! The weather was beautiful, so many people came to watch; it was such a great weekend with no worries for anything but winning – which, when it did happen, made it that much better. I really enjoyed my course this year but it was very time-consuming and stressful at times, and it felt great to escape it all for a few days and spend some time with friends.

What impact did scholarships/funding have on your degree experience?
I could not have done my degree if it wasn’t for scholarships. Coming from France, where Uni is free, it was a massive decision in the first place to come study here. I could not have afforded my programme if I hadn’t obtained scholarships and I am so grateful to LUMS for having them available for students in my situation.

Which parts of your Lancaster experience were the best preparation for your job?
The fact that my classes were 9am-5pm every day gave me a good rhythm and got me used to office hours, which is definitely a plus. The structure of my programme was also very helpful: I had exams or deadlines every three to four weeks. This helped me get used to and deal with stress as it was constant, and helped me learn to work better under pressure. Obviously, this all meant that I had to manage my time efficiently and to multi-task, which are both skills that will be necessary in any professional career.

What impact has your Lancaster experience had on your career?

The careers support offered by LUMS was incredible for us this year. We had a career advisor specifically for our course – Martine – who was always so helpful and supportive, whatever our plans for the future were. In a master programme like mine, where people want to go in every possible direction in their professional life, it was a real challenge for the careers team to be able to provide tailored support to all of us – but they managed it so well.