My name is Brandon Stein and I am about to graduate with a degree in bachelors in interdisciplinary studies in business and communications from Arizona State University. The BIS degree is different from any other degree offered on campus. It is the idea of combining two minors to equal one major. I chose the concentrations of business and communications and have gladly learned the in and outs of the business world while maintaining a connection with communication.
            I chose to do a BIS major because of the option to study two things at once instead of concentrating on just one. I think the idea is brilliant and I would not change my major for anyone. I chose business and communications because that’s what I find most exciting. I chose the business side because business is a passion of mine and something I would love to do some day. Everything you do in this world centers around business, so I figured if I could get a business degree, what better way to start my life after college. I chose communications because communications is everywhere. You are communicating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Every time you talk to anyone, whether it be ordering food or buying something in a store you are always using your communication skills. I thought communication would be a good major for me where I could work on my own personal communication skills and expand my knowledge.

There are so many different things I picked up in each of my two concentration areas. In my business concentration I learned that every business wants to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. Improving your efficiency is saving money, while improving your effectiveness if saving time. Together Efficiency and effectiveness are almost one in the same. Same time and you will save money; save money and you will save time. Another key concept I learned in my business concentration is the idea of supply chain management. Supply Chain Management is a proven business strategy that has gained wide acceptance in recent years due to increasing customer demands for quality, delivery, and speed. Increased speeds of communicating grouped with cost reduction and more interdependent suppliers, have made supply chain one of the key concepts in business.

            One of the most important and useful concepts I picked up in my communication concentration is the idea of group-think. Group-think is the idea of thinking as a unit when working with other people. You put the groups’ needs over your individual needs in order to accomplish a common goal. Group-think is a widely used concept and I know I have benefited from the concept. Another theory or concept I have learned in my communication concentration is the expectancy value theory. This theory directly correlates behavior as a function of the expectancies one has and the value of the goal toward which one is working. Expectancy value theory hold the importance that people are naturally goal oriented. Classes are set up this way. If you do good work, you will earn a good grade. Many businesses alike are set up with incentive packages. If you complete “this” you will get “this.”  

            My core BIS classes have taught me different things than my concentrations but are just as helpful in the real world. First I learned what exactly it meant to be an interdisciplinary and about interdisciplinary in history. Being interdisciplinary means being good at two different areas of life, sometime having to do with each other, and sometimes having nothing to do with each other. I am an interdisciplinary because I have learned how to integrate my communication concentration with my business concentrations. I have learned how to integrate both of these concentrations in everything I do. In the real world being an interdisciplinary has its benefits, and I enjoy having leg up on the competition because I am an Interdisciplinary. Another key concept I learned in my core BIS classes was how to think. Not necessarily how to think but how to direct your thinking into a certain type of thinking. I learned about four types of thinking and realized I use all four on a daily basis but now I was able to direct my thinking for better outcomes.  I really enjoyed synthesis thinking. I liked thinking outside the box and thinking in ways I have never thought to think before.