Student Experience

Presenting research virtually, taking online classes, and staying connected to SAF faculty – a student’s account of the last few weeks in the PhD Accounting program.

"With a month left to go in the winter term of my first year in the PhD Accounting program, we were told to pack up our offices and prepare to not be back on campus for a while… little did I know that I was about to experience one of the most challenging yet reflective times of my life."

During my COVID-19 home quarantine I have had some time to reflect on my first year of university. Below are the three most important things that I learned:

In order to be ready to take on new challenges and opportunities I must develop myself as a professional. This means stepping out of my comfort zone, building and maintaining a strong support system and sharpening my technical and durable skills. Stepping out of my comfort zone began when I was deciding which university to attend.

It can be a daunting task to go up and talk to strangers. In the field of Accounting and Finance we are put in situations where we are constantly talking to employers and building our network. In my opinion I enjoy networking because I see it as an opportunity to meet friends and create relationships. My advice for networking is be to try and be unique and have a normal conversation.

_{In high school, I was always really attracted to computer science and finance, and I have always wanted the opportunity to develop my own programs, applications, and games. Hence why I decided to join the Computing and Financial Management (CFM) program at University of Waterloo. Since transitioning from high school to university, I have definitely learnt some valuable lessons:}

Student Venture Fund

Graced by Feridun in class

Last year in review

Six new companies

Many thousands of dollars

What will he think now?

Industry events

Conferences and partnerships

What will he think now?

Cross-faculty work

A primary consideration for most high school students contemplating post-secondary education is the name of the institution or program and the associated brand and post-graduation career opportunities. Reflecting on my four years in the math/CPA program, my recommendation to those students would be to also consider the supplementary learning opportunities because they will provide a more well-rounded university experience.

In my 1A term, people often asked me, “Why biotech/CPA?” My preferred response would have been: “Because wearing both lab coats and suits is really cool.”

But what I usually responded with was, “Because having both science and business backgrounds will allow me to develop and contribute a unique perspective.” Stating this really didn’t help me realize the true meaning.

Now, as a 4B student, I realize that developing a unique perspective means being open-minded, having the courage to follow your curiosity, and connecting seemingly unrelated things.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a SAF hosted professional development conference called Launch Your Career.

I’d summarize Launch Your Career as: “a big ol’ introduction to some really key points of life and not just the business world.” Sure, there were speakers who talked about everything in the context of a “business setting”, but, if I’m being honest, I was surprised at how little the language was focused on something like a corporate setting. I basically just spent hours learning tips and tricks to succeed in life in general, and even got the opportunity to do some networking – which was one of the topics of discussion – with the speakers!