Excellence is one of NEOMA’s principal values. Yet how it is defined can vary from one country to another. We decided to embark on a ‘world tour’ with our students and members of the teaching body who have spent time in the prestigious Schools and Universities of the world. Here’s our second chat with student Marianne Bories.

Passion and Commitment. “I have always wanted to go to the United States, and after two intense years of preparatory class, I came to NEOMA and did everything I could to join an exchange programme, and I went to John Carroll University in Florida. When I arrived in the United States, I discovered another way of looking at excellence. Over there, it’s not just academic success that matters, but the ability to put your all into what you like, whatever it might be. A student might be excellent in finance, but also in sport, or music, or in their involvement in societies. What matters is your personal commitment, your passion, and your willingness to get involved. In France, you learn the theory first, then you apply it. In the United States, it’s the other way round. You experiment before you’ve even attended the course. That makes you use your initiative and think for yourself. You’re encouraged to try things out, to make mistakes and start all over again.

Recognition. What made the greatest impression on me was the culture of encouragement. For the first time ever, I received a letter of congratulations from the university for my results. That type of recognition is non-existent in France, but it gives you confidence and motivates you to keep going. Now my view of excellence involves giving the best of myself in whatever I undertake, daring to get out of my comfort zone, learning all the time, but also putting failure into perspective. Excellence is not just a matter of performance or pressure but it is also based on a balance between high standards, pleasure, confidence and recognition, which makes you want to keep progressing.”