University of St Andrews students win University Business Challenge
We are delighted to announce that a team of St Andrews students have won the prestigious University Business Challenge (UBC). Here are their reflections on their experience.
From spontaneous sign‑up to national winners: Our University Business Challenge experience
Taking part in the University Business Challenge (UBC) turned out to be one of the most intense, rewarding, and memorable experiences at St Andrews. What started as a fairly spontaneous decision became a journey that tested our resilience, built our confidence, and ultimately saw us named national winners.
Why did you sign up for UBC?
For most of us, signing up to UBC was driven by curiosity rather than a long-term plan. At the start of the academic year, many of us were saying yes to opportunities, trying to get involved, and easing the transition into university life. The UBC email sounded interesting, practical, and different from anything we had done before.
Some team members saw the opportunity to work with others as a brilliant way to gain different perspectives, to understand different ways of approaching problems (how a maths student approaches a problem opposed to a languages student) and learning how to benefit from diverse teams.
How would you describe the competition?
UBC is a business simulation where teams act as senior managers of a virtual company. You make decisions on pricing, marketing, staffing, operations, and investment, responding to market news and time pressure. The aim is to maximise performance and profit, but the competition also tests teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking.
In round 1 this is all done online and requires a few hours a week to review and make decisions as a team.
In round 2 and the final it is a one-day, in-person event and tested not just decision making but required creativity, presentation skills, problem solving and more.
There were more decisions than you would think. But it has been great at building our skills, particularly working well under pressure.
How would you describe the competitive element?
The competitiveness increases significantly in the later rounds. When you are competing in person against other universities, the pressure becomes very real. Seeing other teams working next to you changes how you think and make decisions, pushing you to stay focused and perform at your best. It was a really interesting experience and we enjoyed the competitiveness.
What was your favourite thing about taking part?
There were many highlights: developing strong Excel and data-analysis skills, working as a team under pressure, pitching ideas confidently, travelling for the finals, and meeting students from other universities. Many of us particularly enjoyed pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones during presentations.
Was there anything that surprised you?
The biggest surprise was how resilient we became. On more than one occasion, we genuinely thought we had been eliminated. Instead of giving up, we regrouped, focused on what we could control, and pushed forward. Overcoming those setbacks and ultimately winning was an unexpected and powerful learning experience.
What did you gain from the experience?
We gained resilience, decision-making skills under pressure, commercial awareness, technical skills such as Excel, and confidence in communication and teamwork. The experience also made concepts like networking feel less intimidating and more manageable.
What are your next steps?
UBC encouraged many of us to explore further competitions, entrepreneurship opportunities, and career pathways we may not have considered previously. The skills we developed are useful regardless of whether we pursue careers directly in business.
Would you encourage other students to sign up?
Absolutely. UBC is challenging, intense, and incredibly rewarding. Even without winning, the learning, personal growth, and teamwork make it worthwhile.
What advice would you give to other students?
Be prepared to commit time and effort, especially at the start. Work with a team who share that commitment. Expect setbacks and learn from them rather than being discouraged. Use tools like Excel early, focus on understanding the simulation, and don’t overthink it. Most importantly, stay resilient and enjoy the experience.
Interested?
If you are interested in UBC we encourage you to look out for opportunities during your academic journey.
Regularly check competitions and other opportunities and social media. Keep up to date and make sure you apply in plenty of time. Your School or any Sports or Societies you are involved in may know about other opportunities. We also encourage you to explore opportunities yourself, as we are not aware of every opportunity.
Experiential Learning is an incredible tool to help you build experience and develop invaluable soft skills. Giving you examples of your strengths and things to talk about in applications and interviews. Also, they can just be fun.