As my journey as an undergraduate student at Hult comes to an end, I was faced with a very important decision in regards to my final Capstone. If you are not familiar with this concept, let me briefly explain it to you. In your final year at Hult, you are asked to choose a Capstone Project, which is meant to be the culmination of your undergraduate experience.
Options include participation in the Hult Founder’s Lab, doing the Hult Business Challenge, undertaking an internship, or writing a senior thesis. These four options are designed so that every student is able to find the perfect fit for their interests and future aspirations.
Choosing the right capstone for me
In my case, there were many things that I had to take into consideration when it came to what I would choose. For instance, I needed to consider where I wanted to pursue my graduate education. Certain countries or programs only consider students for graduate degrees if they have a diploma awarded with a capstone thesis.
For me, schools in Switzerland are at the top of my list for graduate school, because that’s where I plan on practicing. I’m working to switch into corporate law for my graduate studies, and the best schools look more favorably upon a written thesis.
There was also the family factor. Coming from a more traditional European education system, my family believes in a written thesis as a final project—nothing more nothing less. So, with all this in mind, I decided to throw myself into the deep and complicated mission that is writing a thesis.
“I decided to throw myself into the deep and complicated mission that is writing a thesis.”
Getting started on my thesis and getting support
At first, I thought: “It can’t be that hard, I love writing!”
Well, let me tell you this: it is a lot more complicated than it appeared. First, you actually need to come up with the question. Then, you have to come up with a hypothesis to answer said question. And finally, you have to prove the said hypothesis.
Because I am a finance major, I had to choose something related to my field of study. Luckily, you don’t have to go through the process alone. Hult offers a 10-week seminar to help you prepare and start the writing process.
Advice to future students
What I will say is: this is definitely not for everybody.
Sometimes, I’m quite envious of the engagement, interaction, and excitement—but not the stress—that come with the other Capstone options. Although what I am doing is extremely interesting, it can be a pretty lonely task to take on.
My advice would be to start thinking about what you want to do before your final year. Or, at the very least, have a general idea, so it’s not sprung on you at the last minute.
And once you do choose, even though it might seem hard, enjoy it! Enjoy the good and the bad, the stress, and the procrastination, because for some of us, this is the last academic experience we get before heading out to the “real” world.
“Start thinking about what you want to do before your final year. And once you choose, enjoy it!”
Hult offers a range of highly skills-focused and employability-driven business school programs including a range of MBA options and a comprehensive one year Masters in International Business. To find out more, take a look at our blog How can an MBA help entrepreneurs? Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.
