Samuel WANG

Samuel WANG – China – MSc Marketing Management & Communication

Where do you come from?

I’m from Shanghai, China. Shanghai is the biggest city by population in China. It’s not the capital, but every local citizen is proud and happy to live in this magnificent and bright city. People and tourists from around the world usually compare Shanghai to New York, London or Tokyo. That’s because it’s really modern and cosmopolitan and you have tons of things on your to-do list.
I graduated from ‘Shanghai International Studies University’, majoring in ‘’English literature” in 2004. With almost 10 years work experience in aviation and hospitality industry, I’m an ‘expert’ in terms of travel arrangements, airline ticket handling, hotel reservation, visa application and etc.

What is your favorite food? Music group? Favorite Hobbies?

I don’t picture myself as a ‘gourmet’. I mean food is food, as long as it’s properly cooked, I like it. I’m Chinese, so I do love Chinese Food, especially my mom’s amazing culinary craftsmanship. But I do have cravings for ‘DESSERT’ from time to time.
I love travelling, experiencing different cultures and meeting different people from different backgrounds. Travelling enriches my perception and vision. It opens my eyes to become the person who I am now. That’s my biggest passion in life.
I’m also a music lover, can’t live without it.

What studies have you already done, and what exact programme are you doing at TBS?

I’m a master student in Marketing at TBS. Why Marketing? Because it’s what I have been doing for the past 7 years, I think I have gained some hand-on experience, and with the solid enhancement of academic knowledge from TBS, I wish I have a better opportunity in my future career path.

Why did you choose TBS over other schools? Are you happy with your choice?

Honestly, I wasn’t so sure at the first 2 weeks. Everything seemed so hard, bank account, telephone, school registration. I was not prepared to handle all the problems at the same time without being able to communicate EFFECTIVELY. I’d like to give my suggestion to all the English track students, LEARN FRENCH. No excuses. You will thank yourself for the effort or compromise.
But after I settled down and made some friends, it just gets better and better. I can tell that TBS made great efforts to help international students study and live. I’m really looking forward to the “buddy” project.

How has your integration into TBS gone? How do you feel after your first few weeks at TBS? Are there any services/support which helped you? Any difficulties you have experienced?

It was really hard with so many paper documents, procedures and not being able to communicate in French. But I was lucky to have friends around who are incredibly nice and always ready to help me out.

Any events in Toulouse you particularly enjoyed?

‘Journées du Patrimoine ‘ was an amazing event for France that it’s a pity that we don’t have something like that in China. I found out the museums are full of kids whose parents are keen to spend time learning together with their kids.

So far, what do you appreciate about Toulouse: the people, the town, the School etc.?

I appreciate the pace of living here. Back at home, Shanghai is so much more dramatic and busier than here. I took some time to slow down my pace at the very beginning, now I understand the saying ‘slow is the new fast’.

Can you give us a small anecdote concerning your time so far at TBS?

One of interesting things I discovered is that most of the restaurants don’t open in the afternoon until 7pm. What happened to the people who get hungry? And don’t they want to make more money?

What advice would you give to a future incoming international student?

1. You have to speak basic French, you will enjoy your study and life here more
2. Proactively make local friends. People is one of biggest subjects to learn in life. If you can work and cope with different people, you’re halfway to your success. Be the special charm in your groups.

What are your plans for the future?

For my career, I definitely prefer to do what I love doing: Sales and Marketing. After graduation, I’d love to spend 1 year working in France or Europe, I believe it’ll be a great experience for me. The companies in China will value overseas working experience as it’s really a ‘’plus’’ that their employees know how to adapt to cooperating with people from different international cultural backgrounds.