Student experience blogs

Earning a Bachelor of Sustainability and Financial Management (BSFM) degree not only arms you with essential knowledge and skills but also unlocks unique career opportunities.

Hi! I’m Jaiden, an upper-year student in the Sustainability and Financial Management Program (SFM). When I first applied to SFM in grade 12, I was super excited, but a bit nervous. It was a brand-new program, and although I knew I would love my classes, I wondered how potential employers might react to this new degree offering.

Our team was comprised of two Master of Accounting (MAcc) students who completed all their co-op terms in audit and a fourth-year Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) student who only completed one of his co-op terms in a tax-related role. With a limited background in tax, we all felt underqualified heading into the case competition since we knew we would be competing against peers with much more relevant tax experience. Although our success in the competition was down to our own research, collaboration, and presentation efforts, we would like to give a special mention to our professor, Julie Robson. Professor Robson reached out to us initially and encouraged all of our team members to compete. Without this nudge from her, it is unlikely that we would’ve signed up and achieved this successful win. Tax is definitely one of those areas that can be intimidating, even to accounting professionals, and so sometimes all that’s needed is a little encouragement!

We are a team of Accounting and Financial Management students from the University of Waterloo who had the opportunity to participate in this exciting Eclipse Case Competition open for undergraduate students across Ontario. Our team, consisting of Mohammad, Robert, Bryce, and Nathan, had an incredible time at the competition, and we’re excited to share our experience with you.

The Lang Tax Conference was an amazing opportunity for our team to combine creativity and research skills in a tax policy-based setting! This was our second year participating in the competition, so we had an idea of what to expect, but it was the first time we were able to prepare for the case and attend the conference in-person.

Our team (from left to right: Anshul, Baldwyn, and Rebecca) recently had the opportunity to compete in the Young Tax Professionals (YTP) Case Competition on June 16, 2023. We had a great experience where we got to use the tax knowledge, research abilities and presentation skills that we have learned from our undergraduate and master’s programs.

The 10th edition of the School of Accounting and Finance’s (SAF) Investment Research Challenge (IRC) brought anticipation and excitement. As a team of students who enjoy pitch competitions, we knew we had to try our best during the competition if we were to win the top prize. After weeks of preparation and a day of competing, we were incredibly happy to hear that we won first place!

After competing in several case competitions together, our team decided that the SAF Strategy Competition was an amazing opportunity for us to apply our skills at home in Hagey Hall.

For this year’s competition, we were tasked with developing creative strategies to help Tesla stay ahead in the electric vehicle (EV) market. With such an ambitious ask, our team took advantage of the room for creative freedom and presented a three-pronged strategy to tackle this challenge: addressing current issues in Tesla’s customer journey, launching a new brand to compete with lower-cost EVs, and establishing a strategic partnership with a rideshare company to drive further product awareness.

As first-year students in our 1B term, all with diverse backgrounds and experiences, we came together to take on the Schulich Accounting Society (SAS) Pathways Case Competition. 

In early March, School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) students Mahek, Puneet, Daniel and I competed in the final round of the National Investment Banking Conference (NIBC) in Vancouver. I participated in the conference because I believed it would offer a glimpse into what a career in investment banking would be like.

Going to conferences is one of the best ways to keep track of your evolution as a PhD student. The first conference you ever go to will probably be a little (a lot) overwhelming: conferences provide a lot of new experiences.

My top do’s and don’ts for networking

A Journey of Learning and Collaboration

Participating in a case competition is an incredible opportunity to challenge oneself and learn from talented peers. That's precisely what myself and my colleagues, Pratham, Katherine, and Chloe, experienced when we competed in the ACHIEVE Case Competition in January. 

The Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.) is one of the oldest case competitions in Canada and is known for its complex yet integrative cases. This year, we had the pleasure of competing in the accounting stream.

As previous analysts on the Student Venture Fund and AFM 433: Business Strategy, enthusiasts, we had always been interested in analyzing companies and thinking of strategic possibilities for them. This drew us to the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.), where we became finalists in the business policy event.

In January, we participated in the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.) in the ethics stream. I.C.B.C. is one of the most academically rigorous undergraduate case competitions in the world, and this was our experience participating in the competition.  

Learning to understand the “WHYs” and exploring career prospects

“You’ve got to look at the incentives!” - My professor Adam Vitalis always stresses. 

How we won "The Broker," stock pitch competition.

As fourth-year students, me and my teammates, Josh and Natasha, are always looking for opportunities to expand our horizons while giving back to the community. Which is why when we first heard about the St.

A very big thank you to everyone who came to enjoy chilli, a candy bar, midterm survival kits, and tons of board games at Games and Sweets Night. It was a pleasure to see you all having so much fun! A special thanks to CFM Program Manager Kim Tremblay as well. 

The event began with a delicious dinner of chilli and warm bread rolls catered by Jacqueline’s Catering. The bread rolls were a hit for sure! 

If you have ever been unsure of what course to take, then you aren’t alone! At first, I was unsure about what courses to enroll in, but I decided to go for the Internal Audit course (SAF 415), as I had no prior knowledge of the subject, and I wanted to learn about audit from a new perspective.

Our team was interested in trying something new, stepping into the world of finance, and were drawn to an event that raised money for healthcare. We were a bit worried since we came from accounting-focused career paths, but we were all excited to explore and learn more. 

In early December, I had the chance to participate in the finals for the Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge hosted by the University of Arizona, and it’s something I encourage every student to sign up for next year. It served as a great chance to hone my Excel skills, network with top financial modelers in university and abroad, not to mention I was able to escape the snow for a few days

You know that feeling you get when you’re about to embark on a new journey and you’re super nervous? That voice in the back of your head is telling you that something will go wrong? When it came to my first day of orientation at the University of Waterloo, I decided to stop listening to it.  

This summer was my first time experiencing university in person. Along with the adjustment period, I feel like I learned a lot about student life, how to study effectively, and the importance of balance.

Join me as I run from the Optometry building to Renison University College in 10 minutes. Let this be a cautionary tale to not bite off more than you can chew.

The transition from high school to university is a big one, mainly because of the vast differences between the two. Below are some key differences to watch out for!

Through many events and one-on-one conversations, I have been able to meet several alumni to pick their brains about their former experiences.

Gurkomal, a second-year Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) student, had the opportunity to attend the Women in Accounting and Finance 10^th Anniversary event and connect with speakers who offered her motivating advice as successful women leaders. This networking event was the most inspiring one she’s attended yet.

Hi, my name is Gurkomal, and I am a second-year student studying Accounting and Financial Management at the School of Accounting and Finance.

Networking can be a scary experience, and you might be putting a lot of pressure on yourself because you think you need it to find a job or to advance your career. The truth is you can approach networking in a fun and lighthearted way to get the most out of it. Here are my three tips that I found made networking more enjoyable:

Networking can seem scary, especially since we can’t hide behind our screens anymore. Online or not, networking can be made easy with a little preparation. Here are my top four tips and tricks for making long-lasting connections when networking!   

As soon as I accepted my offer for the Sustainability and Financial Management program at the University of Waterloo, I realized that I had one more big choice to make. 

Since I live in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, it made sense to stay at home (after all, I had my whole room set up just the way I like it, and the pandemic meant that my couch and I were very good friends). 

September is a month of change and new beginnings where students across the world commence a new chapter of their life together at their respective universities. As Warriors, we are lucky enough to call the University of Waterloo our home. Specifically, as an Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) student, I get to call the School of Accounting and Finance my home.

Several thousand students along with their families attended the in-person Ontario Universities Fair (OUF) this year. They visited the booths of various renowned universities and collected information to help them make probably one of the biggest decisions of their lives, a decision that will influence their career and in a broader sense, the person they become.

As a current undergrad student at the University of Waterloo who was in the same place a few years ago, I couldn’t help but see a reflection of myself in these students. 

The Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF) was held in-person for the first time in three years. Students, families, and guests came to the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) to meet representatives from universities across the province.

Accounting and Finance Orientation Week (AFOW) will be held in person this Fall with three days of exciting events!

AFOW is a student organization that plans additional opportunities for you to meet and connect with others in the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF). AFOW aims to help incoming first-year students start their university experience off right, which is why we have organized an exciting three days of events planned for you from September 11-15, 2022. 

From classroom to competition

We encourage all students to participate in SAF’s Investment Research Challenge next year as it gives students a unique experience to hone a skill set that can be very useful in their future career path.

Lessons gained from competing in the SAF Investment Research Challenge.

The Young Tax Professionals (YTP) program offers students with an interest in a career in taxation the opportunity to closely interact with faculty, alumni, and other full-time tax professionals.

AFM student uses goal setting to make the most of UWaterloo career

Waterloo is a place for everyone. No matter where you come from, you will always find a place where you belong.

Life as a University of Waterloo student can have its fair share of ups and downs, but as a former upper-year mentor, I am here to tell you—take a deep breath and hang on.

We share our takeaways from winning third place in the Young Tax Professionals (YTP) Case Competition.

Our SAF student team solved a real-world business problem related to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy.

The School of Accounting and Finance caught up with Laura, a current Equestrian Club member and Master of Accounting (MAcc) student to learn more about the Equestrian Club and its impact.

Did you know that the University of Waterloo has an Equestrian Club?

"You are never a perfect rider, you always have something to learn, no matter how talented or experienced you are.” – Delaney, AFM student

When I saw the opportunity to be an upper-year mentor this term with the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF), I knew I had to take it.

My name is Linda, and I am a third-year Math/CPA student. Today, I’m here to talk about the importance of work-life balance while at university. It is sooo much more fun when you spend time with friends outside of schoolwork, and you can have memorable experiences with friends on campus or elsewhere when travelling together.