Why do people love bubble tea so much that they would tattoo the drink onto their bodies? What led to the rise of TikTok within the younger generation?

With the insightful recruiting sessions, passionate professors, and thought-provoking courses at UT, I’ve been able to explore questions such as these through my marketing major and educational psychology (EDP) minor.

Ultimately, my academic goals are tied with my professional goals. I want to understand consumer behavior and be able to apply it in business. As a result, I decided to major in marketing and minor in EDP. Through my marketing classes, I learned that companies first need to be empathetic with the customer to form loyal consumer relationships. I acquired the skills needed to bring customer insights into business settings through methods like consumer research and analysis.

The initial reason why I majored in marketing was due to my attraction towards comprehending how people think and being able to apply these insights to help businesses build stronger relations with their consumers. However, my classes and professors have taught me that companies today need marketing to even survive in vigorously competitive industries. Thus, marketing is no longer considered as an enhancement – it plays an irreplaceable role in firms’ foundations. Marketing is powerful and is essential; it builds awareness, creates loyalty, allows for creativity, informs educationally, and other critical functions.

My interest in human psychology lead me to enlist in EDP courses where I was able to reflect on myself. In my Human Sexuality course, Professor Brownstein challenged us to question our beliefs on relationships. Each class, he asked about our opinions on a topic and would follow up every question with a new one. This laddering of questions revealed new perspectives and the underlying reasons for why each of us act the way that we do. Through my EDP courses, I have ultimately gained a better understanding of myself and my relationships with others.