I can't believe my year at WMG is coming to an end. It's been full of new experiences, writing, challenges and most importantly loads of new friends. One of the things I value the most is that my learning from the modules have helped me consolidate my business idea. Plus, all the support from WMG and the University for starting a new business. For me, it all started with my dissertation, but now it is closer to a reality thanks to the guidance of some of the professors at WMG, my classmates, my supervisor and Warwick Enterprise.

As an international student, I discovered that there are a Start-up visa scheme and a Graduate Accelerator Programme that we can apply to create our business in the UK. I found out about it thanks to my course leader and then started preparing my business idea for it. I found help by telling my lecturers about the idea and even my personal tutor about it and she referred me to researchers and athletes at the university, as my business is offering an automated coach for endurance athletes. There are modules about entrepreneurship that if you are not doing Innovation and Entrepreneurship, you can take as electives. These are called Business Model Generation and Establishing a New Business. They were incredible to figure out what it was required to build my future business.

Thanks to that, I found a business partner and we secured funding to test the idea from Warwick Enterprise. That money is helping us test a simple version of what we want to build with real customers, and it's getting us closer to making it a reality. I must admit, this year has been a real roller coaster: writing PMAs, doing my dissertation, testing the business idea, pitching it and having a social life, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

This is my advice if you are starting your journey as a WMG student. Please do not think it twice if you have a business idea, talk about it with your classmates, with your supervisor and lecturers. They are more than willing to help you and point out the strengths and weaknesses of it, so you can learn and improve it. Take advantage of the Warwick Enterprise team and their support. It's not only funding what you will be looking for, but also guidance and mentorship.

All the best for the new students and farewell to my fellow WMG classmates!TEST