Studying abroad in London as an undergraduate student was always something Haneefah Jones wanted to pursue, and, over the summer, Jones was able to do so in the same area of London where her mom studied theater decades earlier.
“My mom studied abroad there when she was in college, so I wanted to see what it was like,” said Jones, a second-year, accounting major at Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management. “The area I was in had a bunch of theaters and some of them she performed at or watched shows at when she was there, so that was really cool.”
Through the Case Western Reserve Office of Education Abroad, Jones signed up to take a three-week intro to finance course at the London School of Economics and Political Science, which covered topics such as stocks, bonds, portfolio theory and firm valuation.
Each day consisted of a three-hour lecture, followed by an hour and a half of participating class time, where students were able to work on practice problems together and ask more in-depth questions about topics covered in the lecture. The course had a total of two exams.
“The course was intense, but I definitely learned a lot,” she said. “It’s important to put yourself out there and challenge yourself because you might surprise yourself.”
Beyond learning about finance, Jones said she gained a better understanding of different cultures from around the world, as many of the students in her course were international students as well.
“I was able to learn more about what their career process looks like compared to ours, which was really interesting,” she said.
While in London, Jones made sure to visit popular attractions, such as Big Ben, and as a regular tea drinker, she couldn’t leave London without sipping on a cup of London tea.
“I didn’t realize tea could get better,” Jones said with a laugh.
As a second-year student, Jones said she would definitely consider studying abroad again while at Case Western Reserve.
For any student considering it, she suggested, “Go to the Office of Education Abroad and look at the opportunities they’re providing and don’t let financials get in the way because there are a lot of scholarships you can take advantage of.”
On campus, Jones is the treasurer of the Henna Art Collective and a member of the Muslim Student Association.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in accounting, Jones is hoping to pursue a master’s degree and said she might do so through the Integrated Master of Accountancy program at Weatherhead.
“I really like the professors at Weatherhead,” Jones said. “They’re really supportive, understanding and extremely helpful.”