Course Spotlight - MG103: Consumer Behaviour: Behavioural Fundamentals for Marketing and Management

We sat down with Ipek, who took MG103: Consumer Behaviour: Behavioural Fundamentals for Marketing and Management in 2023, to hear about her experience of the course. 

 

Why did you decide to attend LSE Summer School?

I decided to attend LSE Summer School upon my cousin’s suggestion - when he was a university student, he attended Summer School and mentioned how much he enjoyed the overall experience. LSE was everything I was looking for - the best thing about LSE is that it is in central London. At my home university most students do Erasmus, which allows them to study abroad for a term/semester. However since I am studying Industrial Engineering and doing two minors, I did not have a lot of options and flexibility for international institutions I could study at. Studying abroad has been a goal of mine since high school, so I decided to study abroad at Summer School so I could still have an international experience. LSE was my number one choice because it is a very well-known institution, which has a great reputation among all universities and companies globally. Additionally, I wanted to spend summertime in central London with people from all around the world while I received an excellent education and a great addition to my resume.

Why did you choose MG103?

When I was searching for the possible courses to apply for at LSE Summer School, MG103 caught my attention immediately. Among all the other departments Summer School had, the Department of Management was a better fit to my major and subject I want to pursue my master’s in. I am planning to pursue a career in consulting, so the fact that MG103 covers materials from areas such as management, marketing, and psychology all in one was very fitting. Understanding the effect of fundamental theories of psychology and marketing on choices we make as customers was really eye opening.

Tell us about an average day as a student on MG103.

During the month that I spent in London last summer, I wanted to learn everything I could from MG103 and pass the course with a high grade, but my main goal was to discover the city as much as I can. A typical day for me would start by having breakfast at home - I stayed with my cousin during Summer School. Then I would take the Tube to get to campus. I attended the lecture in the morning or the evening, depending on the day - I carefully followed the content and took notes during the class. Since the course material is quite intense, I did not want it to pile up and cause me stress when exam time came. I attended every lecture so that I would be better placed to really enjoy my time in the city of London. MG103 course had seminars as well, which I really liked. As the content of the course is heavy, the seminars allowed me to really understand different theories, approaches, and interpretations of consumer behaviour through discussions in small groups. In a typical school day, I'd attend the lectures and seminars, then for the rest of the day I mostly explored the city. As the exam approached, I spent 3 to 4 hours daily studying my notes.

What was your favourite part of MG103?

I loved MG103 because it consists of subjects like management, marketing, and psychology all together. It was a very well-structured course, and all the materials presented by the lecturer were very informative and enjoyable to think on. Since it is a consumer behaviour course, I have realised many things about myself as a consumer as I have learned different theories in class. It was very interesting to see how all the theories that were taught are very commonly seen in our lives.

What advice would you give to students considering MG103?

My number one piece of advice is to attend the lectures. It was sometimes hard to convince myself to attend the lectures and seminars every day, rather than spending all the time with my new friends, walking around London. But, since it is a three week Summer School course, there are a lot of things to learn in a limited time. There were all sorts of articles, videos and research findings discussed in the lectures, so to get the most out of the course, attending the lectures was a must for me. Attending the lectures also saved me so much time revising later on, as I already had notes and had absorbed much of the information in the classes.

What are your short-term professional goals, and how does MG103 contribute to these goals?

I am planning on pursuing a career in consulting and I believe consumer behaviour knowledge is very crucial for a professional life in consulting. Taking this course at LSE was very important as well because it is taught at a high standard and is an institution which is known and valued globally. Therefore, having this course in my resume will hopefully be effective on my applications for internships and jobs in the short-term.

Was meeting and talking to other students on your course easy?

Meeting new people is very easy at LSE. I believe one of the main objectives of the students attending Summer School is meeting new people and enlarging their network, therefore most of the people are open to having conversations and hanging out over the lunch breaks. In MG103, my discussion class had 16 students in total, and almost everything that we did in the discussion hours was collaborative work such as research and presentations. The assignments of the course not only required us to work as groups in seminars, but it required us to get together as a group after classes which really strengthened our bonds as friends as well.

What would be your top tip for future Summer School students?

My top tip for Summer School students would be to explore London as much as you can - it is a very beautiful city! It is one of the most popular cities in Europe and has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions. Since it is cosmopolitan city, there are many people from different cultures and it was amazing to try different cuisines. My personal favourite places to visit in London were the parks and food markets. Apart from common touristic activities, my top memory is the Blur concert I went to at Wembley Stadium – I’d suggest checking out the concerts, theatres, musicals, and sports events on offer this summer and buy tickets before you go.

How did you find the course and teaching experience at LSE?

I really enjoyed the course and the teaching experience I had at LSE. MG103 was a great fit to my personal interests, and it was very well taught. I loved that in each lecture, rather than listening to a monologue from the lecturer, we were presented with real life cases, research articles and videos. It allowed the students to actively participate through sharing our ideas and freely having discussions as a class.

Did you feel supported by your lecturers?

I felt supported by the lecturers, and my seminar teacher especially was very involved. She was always open to help us, in or outside the class hours. I enjoyed how she fostered respectful learning and discussion environments in the class, and answered every question I had about the course in detail. For the day that I was sick and unable to attend the class, she provided me the materials I had missed over email.