Previous Strategies
In addressing the challenges I was facing at the midpoint of the semester I believe that the strategies I established for myself were essential in guaranteeing the completion of my Business 306 class. On the issue of integrating concepts together I believe I improved as I took the time during class discussions to write notes on what concepts applied to real life examples. When applying the concepts to projects like the Final Marketing Plan and the Marketing Concepts blog posts, I found that I was able to look back on my notes and be reminded of the class discussions. When facing challenges with our iProjector marketing plan I suggested that my group members and I relate back to Apple as much as possible to get a real life example. When i was assigned the financials in our analysis I found that looking at past Apple financial statements was extremely helpful. Finally, when addressing the issues with group work I suggested that instead of people becoming hostile in disagreements, we come together to form a consensus that the group agrees on. After completing this semester I have decided that my group did not fully grasp this strategy and feelings were often a little hurt when it came time to decide who was right.
New Challenges
In addition to the challenges that i experienced in the first half of the semester, new challenges arose for me personally, as well as in my group environment. One of the most challenging concepts for me wrap my head around was the concept of Entering a Foreign Market, because it is such an extensive process. Before taking this class I was obliviously to the extensive measures that must be taken by a company in order to be accepted into a foreign market. As a person who has never visited another country, the idea of running a business in a different country is difficult to understand. Through a marketing presentation related to Starbucks (one of my favorite companies) entering a foreign market and a management presentation related to Disney’s foreign venture with EuroDisney in Paris, I was able to get a diverse collection of information that allowed me to understand the concept better.
With the ever growing presence of group and team projects in the College of Business, problems in groups arose throughout the entire semester. One of the main problems faced in our group was the approach that was taken to completing work. With a culmination of five different opinions, work styles, and writing styles, creating a cohesive paper proved to be challenging. One person’s idea of understanding a concept can be confusing for the rest of the group. When it came to evaluating iProjector’s market trends and market growth aspect we ran into some basic issues that related to misinterpretation of fundamentals.
New Strategies
When it comes to applying new strategies to my challenges, I believe there is always going to be struggles when it comes to group work. Forming a group with multiple means the conflict and disagreements are inevitable as every individual is different and unique. A strategy I hope to implement in the future is the strategy of making conflict a positive tool to learn from rather than become annoyed from. A strategy I will implement to better understand and grasp concepts comes from another class I took this semester, Business 300S. In one class discussion we discussed the importance of Intellectual Curiosity and expanding your knowledge by doing research in your down time. Implementing this solution to my problems will make concepts easier to understand as well as make me a more well-rounded individual.
My Learning Style
During the Fall 2013 semester I became very aware of my own individual learning style as I was forced to work in many group projects. The Fall 2013 semester was a very stressful one for me because I was enrolled in all highly intensive upper division business classes that required an extensive amount of work both in and out of class. Due to this fact i was forced to fine tune my learning style and identify what works for me. Throughout the semester I took note of the attention that I devote to in class lectures and discussions. Although I do not speak up much, I am an observer and really benefitted from paying close attention in class. Doing so then made homework and work outside of class easier. I am a person who has a very good memory and takes notes like it is her religion which also aided my learning style this semester. Overall, I would say that the fall 2013 was my most impactful semester at CSUMB so far as I feel that I gained useful information that I can apply to everyday life in every one of my classes.
Marketing Portfolio 
