Alyssa Moledina is an HBA3 who worked as a Summer Associate at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She was 1 of 2 speakers representing the consulting industry at our Careers in Business workshop. Our VP of Communications, Michael Yuan, got the chance to speak with her about her experiences and advice for aspiring consultants. Thanks Alyssa for speaking at Careers in Business and agreeing to do this interview.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Michael: You’re obviously someone who’s experienced a lot of success in consulting by landing a position at BCG, one of the top firms in the industry. What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps? How can they stand out from all the other aspiring consultants?

Alyssa: I definitely think that’s a good question. Looking at the consulting industry right now, it’s very difficult to get a summer internship or even a full-time position. But the one thing I would tell people is to not do things specifically to get a job in consulting. Do things you’re passionate about or genuinely interested in. I think a lot of times people try to cater their experiences to a specific firm, and they aren’t really sure what they want. It’s easier to do things that you love and find a firm to fit that. Ultimately, you don’t want to be constantly editing yourself as you enter the working world. You want the firm to fit who you are. Be yourself and try to get involved in things you actually enjoy, as opposed to things you think will help land you a job.

What would you say is the most important trait that’s gotten you to where you are today? Can you give a story to illustrate this?

I think the most important trait would be my personality, my light-heartedness. I make really bad jokes sometimes – I laugh at them too, which makes it even worse! I think that when people are looking to hire you, they want to make sure first and foremost that they can handle being in a room with you; that they can handle sitting on an airplane with you. They want to make sure they can get along with your personality and enjoy spending time with you. I think those traits are really important to show.

The first real job I had – I got because I was at an info session; I was by far the youngest person there, but I happened to be talking to the recruiting director of London Life. I made a bad joke about how much I hated working in retail, because that was the only job I had up to that point. He goes: “Me too, I used to work in a gas station, and it was awful!” He was selling chocolate bars at a convenience store, and we ended up talking about that for a good 15 minutes. We just got along, and he realized that I was someone he could have a casual conversation with; that I wasn’t going to grill him on his company, his position, what he did, or beg for a job. Being real and down-to-earth is something I think I’ve definitely tried to carry with me as I’ve gone through recruiting.

And that’s part of the cultural fit you were mentioning earlier, right?

Exactly.

What drives you? What are you passionate about?

I would say I’m very passionate about education. I’m always trying to educate myself further. I’m always trying to find something new and interesting that I don’t know a lot about, take that, and say: “Look, I’m going to become the master of this.” With consulting, that really makes sense. Every time we start a new project, we’re in a new industry or working in a different practice. So, it’s a good opportunity for me to learn about a lot of different things.

In terms of applying this to a broader scale, I definitely want to work on providing education to people in developing countries at some point in my life. It’s something that I’ve done a bit of while in Ivey. We have the Ivey LEADER project, which is something that a lot of PBSN alumni have done. You travel abroad for 3 weeks and apply your Ivey education in an impactful way. We use the case method to teach the basics of business, with a focus on entrepreneurship. For people in developing countries, entrepreneurship is really important. So providing them with the tools they need to successfully launch their business really puts them ahead in their country.

It’s really interesting how consultants are well-known to be problem solvers, and one of the problems you want to tackle is outside the world of business. Related to education, would you agree that the most important lessons are learned outside the classroom?

I would absolutely agree. A lot of people say we go to school and learn things that may or may not necessarily be applicable to a job. But the act of going to school teaches you things in and of itself. For example, working with someone else on a group project for a class – that’s a learning experience. Maybe what I learned for that project through research isn’t the most important thing, but it’s about learning how to work with that other person. It’s about learning how to present, how to hold your own opinion, and how to be confident in voicing your opinion. I think those are the useful skills that come from the classroom, but aren’t necessarily taught in the classroom.

As a follow-up, BCG is known for attracting some of the brightest minds in the world. Do you feel that being surrounded by these people push you to grow even while you’re out of school?

They definitely push me to think differently. They push me to be better in really interesting ways. The people at BCG are all very interesting and accomplished in their own right. While I was there over the summer, a girl who had her desk next to mine came in one day and told me she started her own business. She has a full-time job as a consultant and now she’s starting her own business; she’s balancing all these things in her life. I think that’s the great thing about BCG. People are so unique and do all these cool and crazy things. Those are the kinds of things that push me and motivate me to do things outside of work, and not let my job define me.

Matt Ting is an HBA2 who worked as a Business Analyst at Silver Lake Partners, and will be starting full time at Evercore upon graduation. He is also the Co-President of the Western Investment Club (WIC). Matt represented the finance industry at our Careers in Business workshop. Our President, Carolyn Tang, got the chance to speak with Matt about his experiences and advice for aspiring bankers. Thanks Matt for speaking at Careers in Business and agreeing to do this interview.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Carolyn: What would you say is the most important trait that's gotten you to where you are today? Can you give a story to illustrate this?

Matt: I would say that the most important trait for me is hard work. I think there's a lot of illusion over how people get to where they are, but the thing that binds everyone is the time and effort they put in.

Here’s a story to illustrate that: Recruiting at Ivey is a very stressful time. Putting the hours in then is pretty important for securing a good job. During that period, you have to juggle a lot of things: exams, reaching out to people, attending info sessions; I did a lot of extra-curriculars as well. I think if it weren't for the sheer hard-work and effort, I wouldn't really have succeeded in the fashion that I have.

Finance is arguably the most popular industry among business students. You're someone who's obviously experienced success by getting a position at Silver Lake Partners and Evercore. What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps? How can they set themselves apart from all the others?

Aside from the fundamental hard work, something you really need to do is reach out to people. The business community - it's big, but a lot of people are willing to help. Reach out to people in positions where you’d like to eventually be.

Here's an example for that: As people are doing recruiting and thinking about who they want to hire, they'll always try to put the familiar names first. I think that getting a mentor in particular is something that can really help you. Personally, I still keep contact with a lot of people that I met when I was in 1st and 2nd year, and I reach out to them when I need to make decisions for my career. I would say it's really important to reach out, have a strong network, and build your reputation.

How would you start building your network if you didn't know where to begin?

I think getting involved in clubs is the easiest way to do that. Naturally, the leaders in clubs are usually older students. Talking to them is a good way to start. I even think reaching out to people randomly is acceptable. People understand that the environment of business can be challenging. They recognize that they were in similar positions before. Often, they're willing to help.

Finance can be intimidating. The intense competition, long hours, and high expectations can deter some people. A new perception towards finance following the financial crisis and the rise of Silicon Valley hasn’t helped. Can you speak on this? What advice can you give students who may be intimidated?

It can be true. Finance is a pretty competitive industry. The first thing you should do is make sure that it's what you want to do. Going to workshops like Careers in Business is certainly helpful. So is talking to people in the industry. I think you definitely have to be passionate enough to make sure you can put in the hours.

With regards to advice to students who may be intimidated: It's hard to say, "Don't be intimidated," but you have to realize that everyone in this industry is a real person who goes through the same struggles as you. There's no singular path to success or a destination. Develop a thicker skin and realize that things tend to get better after you put in the hours. Build a close group of friends with similar motivations and interests. That's how you survive.

Which network has helped you persevere?

It may be obvious, but WIC has helped me a lot. Everyone there is very similar in terms of what they want to do. I've developed a lot of mentors during my time there. I’d encourage anyone reading this to do the same. It doesn't necessarily matter which club it is, as long as you can find people that you can relate to and rely on.

Your industry is well known for its incredibly tough hours and high expectations. What motivates you every day to persevere and succeed?

I think the first half of what drives me is the idea that I want to maximize my potential and experience everything I possibly can. I feel I’ve had a relatively fortunate path in terms of how I was raised and the opportunities I’ve been presented with. I want to make the most out of that, so I strive to achieve all the opportunities I’ve been given. The second half is innate competitiveness. If you harness it in the right way, your inner competitiveness can really motivate you. So for me, the idea of opportunity and competitiveness really drives me.

Would you agree that the most important lessons are learned outside the classroom?

Yes, for sure. I think it’s especially true because you can take so many electives in first and second year. Maybe “lessons” is a relatively broad word to use here, but regarding financial concepts and technical skills, I learned most of that outside the classroom at extra-curriculars. And of course, there are the more intangible lessons you'd learn from being with people and working on the job. I think that, although school provides a good platform to get to places, you don't really learn the most about things until you've actually done them yourself.

Jenny Wang is an HBA2 who worked last summer as an Associate at PwC. She represented the accounting industry at our Careers in Business workshop. Our VP of Projects, Vedant Suri, got the chance to speak with her about her experiences and advice for aspiring accountants. Thanks Jenny for speaking at Careers in Business and agreeing to do this interview.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Vedant: What would you say is the most important trait that's gotten you to where you are today? 

Jenny: I would say it's been giving 120% in whatever you promise to do. The reason for that is there are a lot of little things in life that people tend to ignore. But, if you're really passionate about something, make sure you do it well. Because that's what builds your personal brand. It builds your credibility and it builds your reputation. And that’s what carries forward with you. It portrays you as someone who's capable and reliable, and that's what your future network will know you for. Then, opportunities will come to you.

Obviously you're someone who's experienced success in accounting by landing a position at PwC, one of the Big 4 firms in the industry.  What advice would you give someone who wishes to follow in your footsteps? 

Try to find something that distinguishes you from the rest of the population. When I was 16, I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t know how to break into the corporate world. I decided to start my own business: I got a $3000 government grant to teach children piano, which covered a lot of my start-up costs. At that time, I just wanted to earn some money while doing something that was cool. I ended up making $8000-$9000 over the year, which was pretty good for someone who was 16!

I think the experience taught me a lot about starting a business, and even more beyond that. It's about selling yourself to potential parents of children who want to learn piano. It also put me in a better position when I was applying for Ivey, or even interviewing for PwC. They saw that I had experience with entrepreneurship at such a young age. It shows that you have that drive to step outside the box, challenge yourself, and do something that no one else has done before. So I think my advice would be: Try to not follow the path that everyone takes. Because it's really tough to compete in a route that everyone wants to go to. How do you distinguish yourself? Try to go around the other way. Have more experiences.

I've worked in a bank before. I've worked in a smaller accounting firm, which was very different from a public accounting firm. I've started my own business, I've done lifeguarding, and I've been a tutor for Business 2257. There have been a lot of experiences that I've gained that have made me realize the type of person I am. I think that's really helped.

Accounting is often mislabelled as a “boring” profession. But some of the most successful CFOs and sports executives have backgrounds in accounting. How can you help debunk that myth? Do you have any encouraging words for students who are considering a career in accounting?

I think the accounting industry has changed a lot over the past couple years. The reason behind that is, first of all, because of globalization, and secondly because of technology. So a lot of what we did in the past that used to be very boring - physically tallying the numbers - can now be done on Excel. At PwC, we actually outsourced a lot of these tasks. We have a team in India who does all that. What we do is analyze that in order to make managerial decisions.

I think that the industry is definitely changing. It's less mundane than in the past. But at the end of the day, in every job you have to start off with the fundamentals - even in finance or consulting. You're not going to be making decisions or recommendations on the first day of the job. It takes a while for you to learn before getting to that managerial position. I think accounting is an industry where the expertise you gain can be carried and leveraged in different areas.

 Earning a Chartered Accountant (CA) or similar certification can be a challenging process. What drives you to persevere and succeed?

Knowing what you want to do early really helps. I decided early on, based on my personality and careers tests, that I would be a good fit for accounting. At that time, I started focusing on my accounting courses. I started to slowly build my accounting knowledge from Grade 10. Now, I have a pretty good understanding of the industry. And I'm still learning additional information on top of that. Once you reach a certain point in an industry, you begin to understand how it works. And it gets a lot easier. Everything you learn on top of that actually becomes very interesting.

So a lot of people say accounting is boring. That's the beginning. When you start off, trust me, it's very boring. But after a certain point, the learning curve is gone. You finish it, and say, "This is actually making a lot of sense now."

My advice would be: If you know early that you want to do accounting, get the CPA courses over with ASAP. Once you start at your firm, the firm will pay for your training and your courses. Ivey does a really good job of giving you that bundle of CPA courses. Then you exit Ivey, work for a year, write the exam, qualify, work for another year and a half, and earn your designation. Then you do whatever you want!

Christal Wang is an HBA2 who worked this past summer as a Marketing Intern at L’Oreal Paris Marketing, and will be starting full-time at Bain & Co. upon graduation. She represented the marketing industry at our Careers in Business event. Our VP of Careers, Samantha Wu, had the chance to speak with her about her advice for aspiring marketers and her future plans in consulting. Thanks Christal for speaking at Careers in Business and agreeing to do this interview.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Samantha: You’re obviously someone who’s experienced success in the marketing industry, as seen by your summer position at L’Oreal. What advice would you give to aspiring marketers who want to follow in your footsteps? What can they do to help their chances of landing a marketing internship?

Christal: I spoke about this earlier in the presentation: You need the analytical strength. But it’s also about thinking outside the box and taking initiative. I used to think I was really out-there and different, but when I went to L’Oreal – and this happened at Ivey too – everybody’s so out-there and there’s something unique about each person. Everyone has something different about them that makes them stand out.

One guy I worked with just had this knack for hair. He knew all about hair colour, the lusciousness of hair, and so on. So he catches onto soft skills really easily. For him, that’s what drove him forward. For me, what drove me forward was my ability to work with numbers. I think it’s important to know yourself well, and know what skills you can bring to the table.

At Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) firms, like I said in my presentation, there is a spot for everyone. If you like marketing and are passionate about some aspect of it, you can definitely get a job there. You just have to identify and really sell that one strength of yours – or two, or however many it is.

What would you say is the most important trait that’s gotten you to where you are today? Can you give a story to illustrate this?

I would say it’s my curiosity. The story I want to give is my case interview – I finished the interview, and they asked me if I had any questions for them. What I did was I flipped it around and said: “I want to know what actually ended up happening in this case. What did you do, and how did you solve it?” It made the interviewer go through the whole case with me. I ended up staying there twice the time I was supposed to. I thought for sure that I wouldn’t get the job, but I genuinely just wanted to know what happened in the case.

I ended up getting a final round interview. I think I really showed that I wanted to know what happened in that business and how things actually work, instead of just answering the question or memorizing the framework. I think curiosity really helps in the business world – especially in consulting – because you need to want to know how something works. It’s not like school where you can just memorize something and regurgitate it.

You’re studying abroad next semester in Germany as an exchange student. How important would you say aspects unrelated to your career, such as travelling and experiencing new cultures, are? How strongly do you believe in the work-life balance?

I actually have a really strong stance on this. I don’t think work life balance is the word I would like to use. When you think of work, you have to think of things that complement your life. And when you think about your life, you have to find things that complement your work. For example, I choose consulting because I can experience different industries and cultures, and travel. These constitute the “life” portion for most people. Also on the life side, Germany is going to teach me how to interact with different people. It’s really interesting because the main partner I’m going to be working with at Bain is German. So my semester abroad will help with that.

It’s really about drawing parallels between work and life. I think if you keep trying to split them out and keep them separate, you’re going to be worse off. Everything you do has to be something you enjoy; it has to push you forward. I would call that your life. Your work should go into your life.

That’s really interesting. For people who aren’t very familiar with the Ivey exchange program, can you talk about what it is, and how you got involved with it?

The exchange program is available in the second semester of your fourth year. Ivey has a lot of partner schools. I think it ranges from Spain to Australia to everywhere in Europe. I think Singapore and Beijing are involved as well. You’re pretty much guaranteed a spot, but you’re not guaranteed your first choice.  My first choice was actually ESADE in Spain, and I didn’t get it.

Ivey helps bring those partnerships together, and you get to spend a whole semester abroad and experience a new culture. The great thing about it is it’s right before your graduation. At the end of HBA2, everybody usually does this trip around Asia or Europe. So they can all visit me there and I won’t even have to move!

You mentioned in your presentation that you’ve experienced almost every professional field of business (accounting, finance, marketing, and consulting). Is there a reason why you’re choosing to work at Bain & Co. and in consulting full-time? Is that your final destination, or is that another path along your professional career?

I think it’s a natural progression for me because I worked in different locations, different functions, and different industries. When it really cracked down to it, I thought: “This time, it isn’t just for one summer. I need to make a decision that’s going to hold for at least 2-3 years.” I was considering where I could do things I was already doing. I didn’t want to start something completely new, because I wouldn’t know if I’d like it.

The point of university is to experiment with things. Experimenting with each industry, what I found was that I really liked the newness and steep learning curve at the beginning of everything. Being able to switch industries and locations all the time is exciting. Consulting was able to give me every aspect of what I was looking for – including the opportunity to travel.

And – I’m not going to downplay this – obviously, consulting gives me the opportunity to go anywhere afterwards if I don’t decide to stay in the industry. So, not only does it keep all my doors open, but it’s also a perfect fit to the natural progression of where I came from.

Just a follow-up question, because I’m so curious: What does the long-term look like for you?

I actually tell people this in interviews, and they always laugh. After consulting, I’m going to start a restaurant chain with my husband! I don’t know what I’m going to sell yet. It might be Asian food. Basically, what I want is something that my husband and I can share. Most people believe in that work-life balance that we talked about earlier. But, as I said, I think they should be meshed together in order for you to be happy. You should enjoy your work, and it should be part of your life. Not in the sense that you’re working all day, but it should be integrated into your life.

I’m pretty entrepreneurial in the way that I think. So I believe that eventually, after learning from consulting how a business works, what problems arise, and how to diagnose those problems, I can move forward and start my own business. And then eventually give it to my kids!

Last Thursday, we kicked off our 3-part Career Series with the Interview Workshop. We’d like to thank Professor David Sharp for attending and holding mock interviews. They were valuable, entertaining, and, most of all, insightful. You can see the best clips from the mock interviews in the video above. We’ve summarized the most important takeaways here:

Do Your Research Interviews can strike fear into the hearts of the best of us, and a big reason is because we don’t know what to expect. However, we do have the power to control one thing, and that is the research and preparation we do beforehand.

Apart from impressing Professor Sharp – who teaches MBA accounting courses at Ivey – with her interest in accounting, Anisha also stood out for doing her research. At 0:42, she explains how she knows she’ll have to complete a four year degree and complete her exams before becoming certified as an accountant. Anisha was able to respond confidently to the question because of her prior research. On top of that, she was able to show that she was genuinely interested in becoming an accountant. Employers want to see passion and dedication, and doing your research is the easiest way to demonstrate it. Because of the high competition for the best experiences, you can bet that every candidate who receives an interview will do their research. So be sure to do yours!

Reference Your Existing Experiences Students, especially first year students, often don’t have industry experiences to refer to. Anisha demonstrates how to effectively handle this challenge. Professor Sharp throws her a curveball at 1:09 by asking if she’s had any industry experience in accounting. As a first year student, the answer is obviously no. But instead of getting thrown off, Anisha references her existing extracurricular involvement in accounting. She mentions her DECA accomplishments in high school. She turns what could have been an embarrassing moment into an opportunity to talk about competing on the international level. Recruiters will understand that you don’t have industry experience as a student. However, you can impress by referring to related extracurricular activities. This shows initiative, interest in the field, and potential to grow. For an undergrad,these can be just as important as experience.

Allow the Interviewer to Get to Know You Starting at 2:35, Prabhnoor makes sure he’ll stand out to Professor Sharp by talking about his background in BC. Within just a few minutes of conversation, Prof. Sharp learns that Prabhnoor is the first in his family to leave the province. The personal connection helps Professor Sharp better understand why Prabhnoor wants to come to Ivey. Interviewers will hold several interviews per day. Eventually, the answers they hear start repeating. Mentioning something unique will help you stand out and connect on a more human level. Being genuine not only gives your interviewer a better understanding of your personal motivations, but also allows them to see that they can enjoy working with you.   Avoid

Negativity in the Interview Starting at 2:45, Professor Sharp tries to bait Prabhnoor into talking negatively about Sauder, a competing business school to Ivey. Prabhnoor doesn’t fall for it. Instead, he talks positively about the BC school and simply explains why he prefers Ivey’s case method. Professor Sharp stresses that you should never speak negatively in an interview. Regardless if it’s a former employer or a competitor, speaking negatively about someone in an interview looks very unprofessional. Your interviewer will feel uncomfortable imagining what you’ll say about them when you’re interviewing for your next job. Instead, try Prabhnoor’s approach. He explains why Sauder isn’t the right fit for him,but he still believes that it’s a great business school. This demonstrates maturity and professionalism.

How to Handle Tough Questions Professor Sharp threw some tough questions at Qitang and Jordan. He asks Qitang if she’s had experience with people who are hard to work with at 4:30. It’s a difficult question, but as Professor Sharp mentions, it’s also a fair one to expect in an interview. Like we mentioned earlier, the one thing you have control over in an interview is your preparation. Professor Sharp advises that preparing for tough questions like these will help you answer smoothly and with confidence. You can use a difficult question as an opportunity to demonstrate your poise and ability to think on your feet.

How to Handle Your Nerves The competition for your dream job will be stiff. If you’ve made it to the interviews, it can be very stressful convincing your interviewer in 20 minutes that you’re the best candidate. How do you handle your nerves? Professor Sharp says that practice is crucial. Being a professor at Ivey, he references the business school’s strong support system. The career management staff will provide you with the necessary practice to develop your interviewing skills. Such a strong support system can be found not only at Ivey, but at Western as a whole. Resources like the Interview Workshop, the Student Success Centre, and many others also form a strong support system. You won’t have trouble finding opportunities to practice and conquer your interview nerves!

Don’t forget the first thing we mentioned in this article: You may not predict what happens in an interview or which tough questions get asked, but the one thing you have control over is your preparation. Set yourself up well for the interview by doing your research and refining your interviewing skills. Use difficult situations as opportunities to impress with your poise. Best of luck in your future interviews!

The inaugural edition of the Career Report was created to provide you with a helpful resource as you begin searching for a valuable experience this summer. We thank the continued involvement of our alumni for making the creation of this report possible. They have shared their past summer placements and advice with you to help you in your own search for a summer opportunity. Using our alumni’s responses, you can see what opportunities are possible for students like yourself this summer, and what may be possible for in a few years’ time.

Here is your copy of PBSN’s 2014 Career Report. We hope you find this resource helpful as you begin the search for a valuable summer experience. All the best.

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We sat down with Justin F., Cynthia, Justin T., and Aaron – the winners of PBSN’s 2013 Case Competition – to see if they could share advice for this year’s competitors. Last year’s competition featured a case with Bitmaker Labs, asking competitors to create a solution to close the gender gap in computer science. We’d like to thank all 4 tea0m members for agreeing to chat with us. Below is the transcribed interview, edited for clarity.

Can you guys walk us through your thought process as you went through the case last year? How did you go about tackling it?

Justin T.: We approached it by coming up with a creative solution first. After that, you have to back up your claims with facts and see if your argument was correct.

Justin F.: The key here is that you only have 4 hours to go from scratch to a complete presentation. Organization is important. You have to know what you have to get done, and get it done. We first identified the problem, and the areas that were causing that problem. In last year’s case, we learned that a lot of women can feel isolated in the computer science department. We focused on how to tackle this issue, and strung ideas together to create the essence of our presentation.

Cynthia: For me, it was an issue I had heard about. It was an issue I could potentially relate to, which made it easier to think about it from a personal perspective. I think it’s very important to put your personal touch into a solution, or else all the presentations will look very similar.

Because of that, we wanted to take a bit of a unique, creative approach. I feel like that showed in our PowerPoint. We wanted to not only show our ideas to the audience, but also prove that they would visually appealing.

We remember your PowerPoint last year was very visually appealing. At the same time, you guys clearly had strong analysis to support your pitch. Would you recommend this year’s competitors to find teammates with different strengths, and not necessarily people that they’re friends with?

Cynthia: Absolutely. I actually didn’t meet the 2 Justins until the day of the competition. Although I think it’s important to find people who you know you’ll work well with, it’s also important to know that those people might not necessarily be your friends. Try to find people who have different strengths – and even weakness – than you, because you want to balance each other out.

Can you guys think of a time when it was frustrating for you last year? Were there any low points?

Justin F.: Not eating started to get to me. The competition was definitely a time crunch. Towards the end, when we were planning on heading back, we still needed to make last minute changes. Before we went in to present, we were busy rehearsing our lines. The timing was one of the biggest challenges.

Cynthia: For me, it was memorizing my points while not appearing like I was reciting my lines. We had very little time to make the presentation sound natural, because you do have to spend time making sure the solution is well-prepared. You definitely have to plan out your time so you have room to do everything you need to.

Justin F.: It’s important to make sure the entire team arrives at a collective consensus. We had to make sure we all knew the idea we were trying to sell, and that we were on the same page. When we went out to pitch the idea, our enthusiasm for our collective solution showed.

Aaron: I believe there was a time when we were over-analyzing the case and not focusing on the problem itself. While it’s good to do a strong analysis on the material provided, time is definitely against you. You need to move forward to come up with a solution.

You can’t get caught up in analysis paralysis, right?

Definitely.

You were announced as one of the top 3 teams last year, and eventually as the winning team. Can you talk about the experience of presenting your solution before representatives from Bitmaker Labs? What was it like to have the chance to have your ideas implemented by the company?

Justin F.: I always remember walking into the competition the morning of, and thinking: “It would be really funny if we won today.” I went in with that mentality, and so it was fantastic when everything unfolded. I actually recently visited the website of Bitmaker Labs and saw one of our suggestions implemented. One of our recommendations was to feature more women on their website to encourage more females to join computer science, and they did exactly that. It was really cool to see your ideas come to life.

Cynthia: When we were announced as one of the top 3 teams, I was really excited. I looked around at all the people in the room at the time, and I was just excited to share our ideas with them. I also really enjoyed the chance to answer questions that the Bitmaker Labs judges asked us, because it was great to hear their opinions on what we came up with in the short span of 4 hours.

Justin T.: It was a valuable experience reading about the people in the case, and then seeing their reactions to our suggestions when we pitched it to them in the final round. It was cool to hear them say, “Hey, this is an idea that we’ve been thinking about too.”

Aaron: “When we were announced, I was more focused on ensuring I remembered all my lines! It was important to not hype up our presentation too much, and focus instead on explaining our ideas objectively.

You guys were all in first year when you won the 2013 Case Competition. When you looked around in the room, I’m sure you saw a lot of older students. The 2014 Case Competition might be the first competition for many of the participants. Do you have any advice for the younger competitors this year?

 Cynthia: I’d say that age is really just a number. I feel like everyone is able to create great ideas and present effectively. If they’re willing to sign up and compete in extracurricular case competitions like these, then they must have the drive and initiative to come up with really great ideas.

Justin F.: I definitely agree with Cynthia. Age is just a number. Maybe some of the older students will go into this competition feeling more confident because they have more experience, but that’s almost an advantage for you, if you’re a younger student, because you really have the drive to do well.

Justin T.: I would encourage younger competitors to be confident. The guys who are feeling the most confident about case competitions might be reusing what they've been taught in school. You have the chance to introduce some new, creative ideas. I don't think age or experience is going to be a problem. It's simply about being creative.

Aaron:  Going into the competition, I was actually not too worried because of the fact that we were in first year. We didn't have anything to lose, so we just gave it our best. Actually, I think that this year will be tougher for us with higher expectations going in!

On that topic, you guys are defending your titles in the 2014 Case Competition. What would you say to this year's competitors?

Cynthia: We're honestly so excited to compete against the participants this year. We've had a lot of people approach us for advice, and what we say is: "What worked for us might not work for you." Don't necessarily follow in our footsteps just because we did well last year. It's a different case, in a different year, with different people. We look forward to seeing what people come up with.

Justin T.: We love competition!

Professor David Sharp joined us earlier in the year to host our Interview Workshop. We couldn’t give up the chance to switch roles and interview him! Our VP Communications, Michael Yuan, had the opportunity to sit down with him for a quick chat.

Professor Sharp studied at Oxford, MIT, and is currently an Associate Professor at Ivey Business School. He has an incredible collection of experiences and stories, which we asked him to share with Western students. We hope you enjoy hearing from Professor Sharp! Here are the highlights from his chat with Michael:

Can you give us a quick timeline of how you got to where you are today? (0:10)

What are your thoughts on the Ivey case method? (2:22)

Can you talk a little more about your research? Why are you interested in business ethics, and what are you currently working on? (5:00)

Do you have an interesting interview story yourself that you’d like to share? (7:15)

Our VP Student Affairs, Srijamya Raghuvanshi, had the chance to grab coffee with Kaiz Alarakiya in the first of our Grab a Coffee With series. Kaiz is completing his dual degree in HBA and Chemical Engineering. He was the Co-President of the Ivey Consulting Club and will be returning to Mckinsey & Company full time. Hope you enjoy hearing from Kaiz! Here are the highlights of his chat with Srijamya:
What was your biggest fear coming into first year? (0:46)

If you could give any advice to 18 year-old Kaiz, what would it be? (2:47)

What has particularly shaped your Ivey experience as a whole? (3:42)

How did you feel about the transition from Western to Ivey? (5:48)

You’ve had some incredible experiences throughout your time at Western and Ivey. How did you set yourself apart from others? (7:05)

Our 2015 look book is here! This year PBSN tries to offer more than just business and academic insight. We also hope to give fashion advice to our members by showcasing some of what we consider to be the most trendy outfits. Watch our rock star volunteers model to display everything from casual to professional attire.

Brought to you by the student affairs portfolio.

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The 2016 lookbook features Westerns best dressed students. This is the second year that this publication has been running and it is brought to you by the student affairs portfolio.

Matt Ting is an HBA2 who worked as a Business Analyst at Silver Lake Partners, and will be starting full time at Evercore upon graduation. He is also the Co-President of the Western Investment Club (WIC). Matt represented the finance industry at our Careers in Business workshop. Our President, Carolyn Tang, got the chance to speak with Matt about his experiences and advice for aspiring bankers. Thanks Matt for speaking at Careers in Business and agreeing to do this interview.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Carolyn: What would you say is the most important trait that’s gotten you to where you are today? Can you give a story to illustrate this?

Matt: I would say that the most important trait for me is hard work. I think there’s a lot of illusion over how people get to where they are, but the thing that binds everyone is the time and effort they put in.

Here’s a story to illustrate that: Recruiting at Ivey is a very stressful time. Putting the hours in then is pretty important for securing a good job. During that period, you have to juggle a lot of things: exams, reaching out to people, attending info sessions; I did a lot of extra-curriculars as well. I think if it weren’t for the sheer hard-work and effort, I wouldn’t really have succeeded in the fashion that I have.

Finance is arguably the most popular industry among business students. You’re someone who’s obviously experienced success by getting a position at Silver Lake Partners and Evercore. What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps? How can they set themselves apart from all the others?

Aside from the fundamental hard work, something you really need to do is reach out to people. The business community – it’s big, but a lot of people are willing to help. Reach out to people in positions where you’d like to eventually be.

Here’s an example for that: As people are doing recruiting and thinking about who they want to hire, they’ll always try to put the familiar names first. I think that getting a mentor in particular is something that can really help you. Personally, I still keep contact with a lot of people that I met when I was in 1st and 2nd year, and I reach out to them when I need to make decisions for my career. I would say it’s really important to reach out, have a strong network, and build your reputation.

How would you start building your network if you didn’t know where to begin?

I think getting involved in clubs is the easiest way to do that. Naturally, the leaders in clubs are usually older students. Talking to them is a good way to start. I even think reaching out to people randomly is acceptable. People understand that the environment of business can be challenging. They recognize that they were in similar positions before. Often, they’re willing to help.

Finance can be intimidating. The intense competition, long hours, and high expectations can deter some people. A new perception towards finance following the financial crisis and the rise of Silicon Valley hasn’t helped. Can you speak on this? What advice can you give students who may be intimidated?

It can be true. Finance is a pretty competitive industry. The first thing you should do is make sure that it’s what you want to do. Going to workshops like Careers in Business is certainly helpful. So is talking to people in the industry. I think you definitely have to be passionate enough to make sure you can put in the hours.

With regards to advice to students who may be intimidated: It’s hard to say, “Don’t be intimidated,” but you have to realize that everyone in this industry is a real person who goes through the same struggles as you. There’s no singular path to success or a destination. Develop a thicker skin and realize that things tend to get better after you put in the hours. Build a close group of friends with similar motivations and interests. That’s how you survive.

Which network has helped you persevere?

It may be obvious, but WIC has helped me a lot. Everyone there is very similar in terms of what they want to do. I’ve developed a lot of mentors during my time there. I’d encourage anyone reading this to do the same. It doesn’t necessarily matter which club it is, as long as you can find people that you can relate to and rely on.

Your industry is well known for its incredibly tough hours and high expectations. What motivates you every day to persevere and succeed?

I think the first half of what drives me is the idea that I want to maximize my potential and experience everything I possibly can. I feel I’ve had a relatively fortunate path in terms of how I was raised and the opportunities I’ve been presented with. I want to make the most out of that, so I strive to achieve all the opportunities I’ve been given. The second half is innate competitiveness. If you harness it in the right way, your inner competitiveness can really motivate you. So for me, the idea of opportunity and competitiveness really drives me.

Would you agree that the most important lessons are learned outside the classroom?

Yes, for sure. I think it’s especially true because you can take so many electives in first and second year. Maybe “lessons” is a relatively broad word to use here, but regarding financial concepts and technical skills, I learned most of that outside the classroom at extra-curriculars. And of course, there are the more intangible lessons you’d learn from being with people and working on the job. I think that, although school provides a good platform to get to places, you don’t really learn the most about things until you’ve actually done them yourself.

Jenny Wang is an HBA2 who worked last summer as an Associate at PwC. She represented the accounting industry at our Careers in Business workshop. Our VP of Projects, Vedant Suri, got the chance to speak with her about her experiences and advice for aspiring accountants. Thanks Jenny for speaking at Careers in Business and agreeing to do this interview.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Vedant: What would you say is the most important trait that’s gotten you to where you are today? 

Jenny: I would say it’s been giving 120% in whatever you promise to do. The reason for that is there are a lot of little things in life that people tend to ignore. But, if you’re really passionate about something, make sure you do it well. Because that’s what builds your personal brand. It builds your credibility and it builds your reputation. And that’s what carries forward with you. It portrays you as someone who’s capable and reliable, and that’s what your future network will know you for. Then, opportunities will come to you.

Obviously you’re someone who’s experienced success in accounting by landing a position at PwC, one of the Big 4 firms in the industry.  What advice would you give someone who wishes to follow in your footsteps? 

Try to find something that distinguishes you from the rest of the population. When I was 16, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t know how to break into the corporate world. I decided to start my own business: I got a $3000 government grant to teach children piano, which covered a lot of my start-up costs. At that time, I just wanted to earn some money while doing something that was cool. I ended up making $8000-$9000 over the year, which was pretty good for someone who was 16!

I think the experience taught me a lot about starting a business, and even more beyond that. It’s about selling yourself to potential parents of children who want to learn piano. It also put me in a better position when I was applying for Ivey, or even interviewing for PwC. They saw that I had experience with entrepreneurship at such a young age. It shows that you have that drive to step outside the box, challenge yourself, and do something that no one else has done before. So I think my advice would be: Try to not follow the path that everyone takes. Because it’s really tough to compete in a route that everyone wants to go to. How do you distinguish yourself? Try to go around the other way. Have more experiences.

I’ve worked in a bank before. I’ve worked in a smaller accounting firm, which was very different from a public accounting firm. I’ve started my own business, I’ve done lifeguarding, and I’ve been a tutor for Business 2257. There have been a lot of experiences that I’ve gained that have made me realize the type of person I am. I think that’s really helped.

Accounting is often mislabelled as a “boring” profession. But some of the most successful CFOs and sports executives have backgrounds in accounting. How can you help debunk that myth? Do you have any encouraging words for students who are considering a career in accounting?

I think the accounting industry has changed a lot over the past couple years. The reason behind that is, first of all, because of globalization, and secondly because of technology. So a lot of what we did in the past that used to be very boring – physically tallying the numbers – can now be done on Excel. At PwC, we actually outsourced a lot of these tasks. We have a team in India who does all that. What we do is analyze that in order to make managerial decisions.

I think that the industry is definitely changing. It’s less mundane than in the past. But at the end of the day, in every job you have to start off with the fundamentals – even in finance or consulting. You’re not going to be making decisions or recommendations on the first day of the job. It takes a while for you to learn before getting to that managerial position. I think accounting is an industry where the expertise you gain can be carried and leveraged in different areas.

 Earning a Chartered Accountant (CA) or similar certification can be a challenging process. What drives you to persevere and succeed?

Knowing what you want to do early really helps. I decided early on, based on my personality and careers tests, that I would be a good fit for accounting. At that time, I started focusing on my accounting courses. I started to slowly build my accounting knowledge from Grade 10. Now, I have a pretty good understanding of the industry. And I’m still learning additional information on top of that. Once you reach a certain point in an industry, you begin to understand how it works. And it gets a lot easier. Everything you learn on top of that actually becomes very interesting.

So a lot of people say accounting is boring. That’s the beginning. When you start off, trust me, it’s very boring. But after a certain point, the learning curve is gone. You finish it, and say, “This is actually making a lot of sense now.”

My advice would be: If you know early that you want to do accounting, get the CPA courses over with ASAP. Once you start at your firm, the firm will pay for your training and your courses. Ivey does a really good job of giving you that bundle of CPA courses. Then you exit Ivey, work for a year, write the exam, qualify, work for another year and a half, and earn your designation. Then you do whatever you want!

Christal Wang is an HBA2 who worked this past summer as a Marketing Intern at L’Oreal Paris Marketing, and will be starting full-time at Bain & Co. upon graduation. She represented the marketing industry at our Careers in Business event. Our VP of Careers, Samantha Wu, had the chance to speak with her about her advice for aspiring marketers and her future plans in consulting. Thanks Christal for speaking at Careers in Business and agreeing to do this interview.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Samantha: You’re obviously someone who’s experienced success in the marketing industry, as seen by your summer position at L’Oreal. What advice would you give to aspiring marketers who want to follow in your footsteps? What can they do to help their chances of landing a marketing internship?

Christal: I spoke about this earlier in the presentation: You need the analytical strength. But it’s also about thinking outside the box and taking initiative. I used to think I was really out-there and different, but when I went to L’Oreal – and this happened at Ivey too – everybody’s so out-there and there’s something unique about each person. Everyone has something different about them that makes them stand out.

One guy I worked with just had this knack for hair. He knew all about hair colour, the lusciousness of hair, and so on. So he catches onto soft skills really easily. For him, that’s what drove him forward. For me, what drove me forward was my ability to work with numbers. I think it’s important to know yourself well, and know what skills you can bring to the table.

At Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) firms, like I said in my presentation, there is a spot for everyone. If you like marketing and are passionate about some aspect of it, you can definitely get a job there. You just have to identify and really sell that one strength of yours – or two, or however many it is.

What would you say is the most important trait that’s gotten you to where you are today? Can you give a story to illustrate this?

I would say it’s my curiosity. The story I want to give is my case interview – I finished the interview, and they asked me if I had any questions for them. What I did was I flipped it around and said: “I want to know what actually ended up happening in this case. What did you do, and how did you solve it?” It made the interviewer go through the whole case with me. I ended up staying there twice the time I was supposed to. I thought for sure that I wouldn’t get the job, but I genuinely just wanted to know what happened in the case.

I ended up getting a final round interview. I think I really showed that I wanted to know what happened in that business and how things actually work, instead of just answering the question or memorizing the framework. I think curiosity really helps in the business world – especially in consulting – because you need to want to know how something works. It’s not like school where you can just memorize something and regurgitate it.

You’re studying abroad next semester in Germany as an exchange student. How important would you say aspects unrelated to your career, such as travelling and experiencing new cultures, are? How strongly do you believe in the work-life balance?

I actually have a really strong stance on this. I don’t think work life balance is the word I would like to use. When you think of work, you have to think of things that complement your life. And when you think about your life, you have to find things that complement your work. For example, I choose consulting because I can experience different industries and cultures, and travel. These constitute the “life” portion for most people. Also on the life side, Germany is going to teach me how to interact with different people. It’s really interesting because the main partner I’m going to be working with at Bain is German. So my semester abroad will help with that.

It’s really about drawing parallels between work and life. I think if you keep trying to split them out and keep them separate, you’re going to be worse off. Everything you do has to be something you enjoy; it has to push you forward. I would call that your life. Your work should go into your life.

That’s really interesting. For people who aren’t very familiar with the Ivey exchange program, can you talk about what it is, and how you got involved with it?

The exchange program is available in the second semester of your fourth year. Ivey has a lot of partner schools. I think it ranges from Spain to Australia to everywhere in Europe. I think Singapore and Beijing are involved as well. You’re pretty much guaranteed a spot, but you’re not guaranteed your first choice.  My first choice was actually ESADE in Spain, and I didn’t get it.

Ivey helps bring those partnerships together, and you get to spend a whole semester abroad and experience a new culture. The great thing about it is it’s right before your graduation. At the end of HBA2, everybody usually does this trip around Asia or Europe. So they can all visit me there and I won’t even have to move!

You mentioned in your presentation that you’ve experienced almost every professional field of business (accounting, finance, marketing, and consulting). Is there a reason why you’re choosing to work at Bain & Co. and in consulting full-time? Is that your final destination, or is that another path along your professional career?

I think it’s a natural progression for me because I worked in different locations, different functions, and different industries. When it really cracked down to it, I thought: “This time, it isn’t just for one summer. I need to make a decision that’s going to hold for at least 2-3 years.” I was considering where I could do things I was already doing. I didn’t want to start something completely new, because I wouldn’t know if I’d like it.

The point of university is to experiment with things. Experimenting with each industry, what I found was that I really liked the newness and steep learning curve at the beginning of everything. Being able to switch industries and locations all the time is exciting. Consulting was able to give me every aspect of what I was looking for – including the opportunity to travel.

And – I’m not going to downplay this – obviously, consulting gives me the opportunity to go anywhere afterwards if I don’t decide to stay in the industry. So, not only does it keep all my doors open, but it’s also a perfect fit to the natural progression of where I came from.

Just a follow-up question, because I’m so curious: What does the long-term look like for you?

I actually tell people this in interviews, and they always laugh. After consulting, I’m going to start a restaurant chain with my husband! I don’t know what I’m going to sell yet. It might be Asian food. Basically, what I want is something that my husband and I can share. Most people believe in that work-life balance that we talked about earlier. But, as I said, I think they should be meshed together in order for you to be happy. You should enjoy your work, and it should be part of your life. Not in the sense that you’re working all day, but it should be integrated into your life.

I’m pretty entrepreneurial in the way that I think. So I believe that eventually, after learning from consulting how a business works, what problems arise, and how to diagnose those problems, I can move forward and start my own business. And then eventually give it to my kids!

You’re about to make your first decision on what your university life is gonna look like. Anxious, confused, and bombarded with way too many choices, all while wondering how reading Goldilocks can be a course in university… we’ve been there. The PBSN VP team is here to break it all down for you. From our personal experiences, our insider tricks to the #TaylorLibraryorDie life, to the course-picking best practices, we’ll give you a run-down on (almost) everything you need to know.

Victor

Module: Political Science

Courses taken:

• Political Science 1020
• Business 1220
• Math 1225
• Computer Science 1026
• Microeconomics 1021
• Macroeconomics 1022
• Scholar’s Electives
• French 1910

Favourite course: Business 1220

Why?

Business 1220 uses the Ivey Case Method, and in my opinion, this made the class more engaging, entertaining, and frankly educational than any of my other lecture-based courses. Analyzing a real-world business problem, proposing solutions, and then learning what the business actually did ensured that there was never a dull moment in class. If you’re thinking of going on to study at Ivey, I would definitely recommend this course – it’s not a must, but it will show you what the average class at Ivey will look like!

At the beginning of the year, you were set on pursuing Economics. In the middle of September though, you decided to go with Poli Sci instead – what convinced you?

I came to Western thinking of doing a dual degree between Economics and Ivey, but after learning about the requirements for a career in consulting, I realized that it would be more beneficial to just go for my HBA! With that in my mind, I wanted to make sure that I enjoyed what I studied in my first two years. After seeing the class structure of Economics compared to Political Science, I immediately knew that the more interactive, tutorial-based Poli Sci course was just a better fit for me. I made the switch, and haven’t looked back since!

Tony

Module: First Year General Engineering

Courses taken:

• Linear Algebra with Numerical Analysis for Engineers – APPLMATH 1411
• Applied Math for Engineers 1 – APPLMATH 1413
• Chemistry – CHEM 1302
• Microecon – ECONOMIC 1021
• Macroecon – ECONOMIC 1022
• Properties of Materials – ES 1021
• Engineering Statics – ES 1022Y
• Programming Fundamentals for Engineers – ES 1036A
• Introductory Engineering Design and Innovation Studio – ES 1050
• Physics I – 1401
• Physics II – 1402

Favourite course: Introductory Engineering Design and Innovation Studio – ES 1050

Why?

While many engineers might disagree with my choice, I have to say that Engineering Design was one of my favorite courses I’ve taken this year, definitely a different type of course compared to the other more numerical and analytical heavy courses that we engineers are usually accustomed. Its project based curriculum allowed for many fun and creative moments, truly letting the creative spirit of engineering fly freely while the presentations and reports, while at times tedious, allowed for exposure to some essential communication skills. While many of the courses are taught with focus on a specific subject, Engineering Design specifically flies against that concept and tries to draw together every course you take, filling in the nooks and crannies of what the engineering discipline is and what engineers do.

Engineering has a notoriously tough workload – you guys get around 30 hours of class time, whereas the rest of us average around 20. How do you handle it?

I was talking to the Professor Bartlett, the Associate Dean of Engineering, and he had a great quote (which I will try to paraphrase), “Engineering is mainly a test of your time management abilities”. As the year went on, that phrase became more and more true. It is a very challenging program that requires you to balance your extra curriculars, social life and a large academic workload. But you probably already know that. Or think that you have great time management skills already. So let me give you something a bit more concrete. Go study in the Undergraduate Engineering Society (UES) lounge in the Spencer Engineering building (SEB). Seriously, go do it! You might find it intimidating at first with all the upper years hanging around but go introduce yourself and say hi! They won’t bite, I promise. It’s not only a great space to study and chill with friends, you’ll meet a lot of upper years that will give you great advice on courses, professors and tips. Engineering is a team sport and while it is possible to complete the courses on your own, it’ll be a whole lot easier with the advice and knowledge of upper years.

Fina

Module: Computer Science

Courses taken:

• Business – BUSINESS1220E
• Computer Science – COMPSCI1026
• Computer Science – COMPSCI1027
• Information Systems and Design – COMPSCI1032
• Intro to Multimedia and Communications – COMPSCI1033
• Calculus – CALC1000
• Calculus – CALC1301
• Principle of Microeconomics – ECONOMIC 1021A
• Principle of Macroeconomics – ECONOMIC 1022B

Favourite course: Calc 1301

Why?

Because math is interesting when you have a lit teacher and my teacher was lit (shoutout to Kapulkin). Class was fun, and the material was not too hard but also not too easy so it was in an enjoyable middle ground and I liked that.

You took quite a few computer science courses this semester – could you tell us a bit about what typically goes down in a computer science lab?

For Computer Science courses that deal with coding (like 1026 and 1027), you’re given a task to complete and you have to fill in the code to perform that task. Sometimes the computer will check if it’s correct or not for you, and other times the TAs will come check it themselves. The TAs are very helpful during the labs and you are more than welcome to ask them for help.

For Computer Science 1033, which dealt with multimedia (like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, and Audacity), you are provided with a set of detailed instructions for each lab that walk you through exactly what to do step-by-step. The best way to learn is by doing, and so these instructions are very helpful in teaching you how to use each of the applications, because you get to play around with the software.

Katie

Module: Psychology + Scholar’s Electives

Courses taken:

• Introduction to Linguistics – ANTHRO1027
• Business – BUSINESS1220E
• Python – COMPSCI1026
• Microeconomics – ECON1021
• Macroeconomics – ECON1022
• French – FRENCH1910
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology – PSYCH2660
• Scholars’ Electives Seminar – SCHOLARS1100
• Intro to Statistics – STATS1024

Favourite Course: Business 1220

Why?

Totally loved the relevance of the cases we did in class – a lot of the businesses were brands we interacted with or have heard of in the news, and each case gave me insight into a new industry (whether it was food, transportation, or military apparel manufacturing.) I also really enjoyed the interactivity of each session and learning from my peers through discussion rather than a dictated lecture!

Most Business 1220 classes are structured into three 1-hour sessions, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. You, however, took the night class section that occurs once a week for 3 hours – what was your experience like with that unconventional choice?

In 1220, you learn through case studies, and being in night class meant that I could completely prepare for a case and then cover it from start to finish in one class, giving me a more immersive experience than the day class students. It also meant that I didn’t have to worry about 1220 every other day of the week. The night class is generally more chill, which also means that there are more opportunities to participate (which is key since participation is 10% of your grade). That being said, there are also several disadvantages. Although there is a 10-15 minute break halfway during the class, some people found it difficult to stay concentrated and engaged for 3 hours. There’s also a greater learning curve with night class, because you don’t get the luxury of slowly being introduced to a new topic over a span of shorter, more frequent classes – everything sort of gets thrown at you during one evening session. The decision really depends on your learning style, but if you’re a night owl and can learn quickly, I’d definitely recommend the 1220 evening course!

Andro

Module: Consumer Behaviour – MOS

Courses taken:

• CompSci 1033 – Intro to Multimedia and Communications
• MATH 1228 – Methods of Finite Math
• MATH 1229 – Methods of Matrix Algebra
• MOS 1021 – Intro to Consumer Behaviour and HR
• MOS 1023 – Intro to Accounting and Finance
• MUSIC 1122 – Fundamentals of Music Theory
• PSYCH 1000 – Intro to Psych
• SOC 1020 – Intro to Sociology

My fave course: SOC 1020

Why?

While I got annihilated with Luton’s exams, I think SOC 1020 was one of the only courses that made going to lectures something to look forward to. It is undeniably hard, but truth be told, I learned so much about my own thoughts on society- it’s one of the only few courses that aren’t “pump and dump” (aka: learn, repeat long enough for the exam, then forget). I think university is ultimately about challenging your existing thought patterns, and while some of these courses may not give you the best grades, I think you can’t really call yourself a university student until you take a course that is outside your comfort zone.

We all know that as a foodie from Vancouver, Andro knows the best spots to hit up for a yummy meal. What are your favourite spots to grab a bite in between your classes?

Usually I make an effort to go to a nearby res for food. While food at UCC is convenient, it is unreasonably pricey (because you can’t apply your res-discount), and the food doesn’t change. Stick around long enough, and you’ll find yourself having tried every single thing available in UCC. With res, you always get variations, especially when you jump around, and it’s a lot more friendly on your meal plan. It’s also nice to have an excuse to make some friends in every residence Ontario Hall and Delaware Hall has some of the best res food in my opinion. That aside, I’m always game for some Bento Sushi Udon… it’s one of the only fixes to my lack of Asian food!!

Grant

Module: Accounting – BMOS

Courses I took:

• Business 1220E
• Microeconomics 1021
• Macroeconomics 1022
• MOS 1021
• MOS 1023
• Political Science 1020E
• Math 1229
• Math 1225

My fave course: Political Science 1020E

Why?

In all honesty, I hated polisci in first semester. It was a bunch of history, and I wasn’t interested. However, the course does a complete 180° in second semester, and spends more time focusing on current events. I think this course is great because you get a chance to see two different “sides” to political science in first and second semester, so you can decide what you’d like to pursue in later years. Plus, it’s a mix of both essays and multiple choice, which can help to stabilize your mark if you’re better/worse at either of those.

Sometimes, you have classes back to back, from one end of the campus to the other. As the tallest guy on our team, how feasible was it for you to make the trek?

As somebody who is 6’4″, I find I’m able to book it from one side of campus to the other in about 14 minutes… However, I don’t recommend this approach. What I did was have my first two classes of the day back-to-back (they were about a 2 minute walk from each other), and then a 1 hour break for lunch, and then my last class. Obviously classes won’t always work out this way, but sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of a break to eat! At the same time, watch out for “wasted” time if you have uneven breaks in your schedule – having a number of 90 minute breaks makes it hard to get any work done during them because just as you find a spot in the library, you have to go to your next class.

Andrew

Module: English & Global Studies (Huron)

Courses I took:

• Business – Business 1220E
• Microeconomics 1021
• Macroeconomics 1022
• Children’s Literature 2033E
• Poetics 2230
• CGS1021, 1022, 1023

My fave course: Poetics 2230G

Why?

I had a great professor who was incredibly engaging.     

I found the course to be one that had great content just like a lot of my others, but having Dr. Pero just made it an amazing experience. I’m purposefully choosing courses based on the fact that he’s teaching them this coming year!

You took a pretty good blend of Huron and Main campus courses this year – what were some differences that you noticed between them?

Main campus courses tend to have less help from professors. I find that at Huron and other affiliates there’s no “escape” from getting to know your teacher. Everyone knows eachother and it’s really weird if you don’t participate in class. For that reason, I like to get to know my professors (no matter the campus) really well, as I find that it makes it a lot easier to enjoy the classes themselves. At an affiliate, you are able to take main campus courses unless they are offered at your campus, in which case you are required to take them there, and the same goes coming from main campus to an affiliate college. I love being at an affiliate, but main campus courses are just as engaging!

Edwina

Module: Economics

Courses I took:

• Intro to Business – BUSINESS1220E
• Information Systems and Design – COMPSCI1032
• Intro to Stats – STATS1024
• Introductory Psychology – PSYCH1000
• Calculus I – CALC1000
• Calculus II – CALC1301
• Principles of Microeconomics – ECONOMIC 1021
• Principles of Macroeconomics – ECONOMIC 1022

My fave course: Psych 1000

Why?

Psych 1000 with Dr. Mike was really engaging! The curriculum was relevant, allowed for self reflection, and was well-balanced between the biological and behavioral aspects of psychology. It was a huge class (800 ish kids) and the lecture hall would almost always be packed; something about Dr. Mike’s delivery of the material made you want to come everytime.The occasional interactive example of the phenomenon being taught was also always fun to take part in!

Eddie always has exam time under control. What are some of your tips on studying during #examszn? Do you have any prime study spots to suggest?

Exams: You truly don’t get a break during the week of a midterm; you still have classes to go to, quizzes to take, and extracurricular events to attend/organize. That’s why it is so important to start studying early! Lay out your exam and homework schedule and stick to it, and concentrate on the sections that you struggle with the most. In my opinion, the best way to study for midterms is to DO PRACTICE/PREVIOUS EXAMS. Usually, your professor will upload at least one onto OWL. If not, you can ask your peers and older students for their past exams/test banks. The previous exams are oftentimes very comparable (sometimes questions are even repeated!).

Study Spots: Both Taylor and Weldon Library are great places to study; there’s a lot of space and you can always find silent zones! However, both libraries close before midnight. For late night grinds, check out the UCC. The Mustang Lounge and empty classrooms in the basement are great for group projects. There’s also a cubicle section on the third floor, the “Fireplace” Lounge on the second floor. Also, take a look around the buildings you have classes in as there’s usually tables in random nooks on upper floors. These hidden gems are usually quiet, unoccupied, and feel more personal.

Katherine

Module: Psychology + Scholar’s Electives

Courses I took:

• Business – BUSINESS1220E
• French – FRENCH1910
• Computer Science – COMPSCI1026
• Intro to Stats – STATS1024
• Business Ethics – PHIL2074
• Scholar’s Electives Seminar – SCHOLARS1100
• Intro to Psychology – PSYCH1000
• Calculus – CALC1000

My fave course: French 1910

Why?

French has always been one of my interests in high school, and I was really happy to continue the journey in university. I found it to be much more engaging than high school – I was immersed in the language four times a week in a very tight-knit class, I had an awesome prof, and it felt pretty awesome to be able to understand the teacher when she’s talking fully in another language!

You took IB in high school and had the option of taking some transfer credits – how did you make your decision?

I was eligible for transfer credits in Econ, English, and Bio, and I decided to take them all! It helped me fill out my “breadth” requirements pretty easily (Western requires you take all courses in diff subject areas in order to graduate), so I didn’t have to worry about that at all. Also, I thought that university, and especially first year, was a time for me to take courses in subjects that I may not pursue in the future, but would like to learn about. So, taking those transfer credits really gave me more elective space and let me explore stuff I would never have elsewhere, like philosophy in business ethics and coding Python! But, there are also some pretty compelling arguments for retaking those courses – not everything in those university courses were necessarily covered in AP/IB, so it could set you up with a better foundation for higher level courses, and it could help you get a higher GPA! Like so many other decisions regarding university, it all comes down for personal preference – and I think that’s totally a blessing.

Final Thoughts

On June 11, you get to start enrolling in your courses. But, you’re not “locking in” your courses by any means on that day – you can switch everything around, provided that there is space in the class, right up until classes begin (which means you can play with second semester classes until January!)!

Have fun. First year is the best time to take risks and enroll in some challenging or even wacky courses you never thought you would try. Who knows, you might even fall in love with it! Don’t let the thought of keeping up a GPA deter you from taking the courses you love – work hard, and do you.

Resources That Will Bless Your Life

What do all these acronyms mean? Here’s your resource hub: http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2016/pg1327.html

Know your prerequisites so you know you’re on the right track: http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2016/pg161.html

Check out all the courses available to you (click through all the categories – you never know what gem you dig up): http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2016/pg882.html

Play around with your courses: https://www.timetablegenerator.io

Then, lock in your courses here: https://student.uwo.ca/psp/heprdweb/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UWO_WISG.WSA_STDNT_CENTER.GBL&languageCd=ENG

Networking can seem daunting at first – our palms sweat and we forget what our own names are. The truth is: networking is really just one person saying to another “Hey stranger! Let’s not be strangers!” (except in a non-creepy way of course). It’s easier than you think and it shouldn’t resemble a complicated math equation – rather, it should be a walk in the park. So, let’s go take a stroll right now and we’ll help you nail your first networking encounter.

1.     Acing the First Impression  

We all know how much a first impression counts. Often, someone’s first impression of you begins before you even open your mouth: your outer appearance, body language, and facial expressions speak volumes. If no explicit dress code is stated, make sure you understand the occasion and atmosphere. Is the venue fancy or casual? Are the attendees students or professionals? These questions will you give you clues on how to dress your part. Food is often a part of networking – if you know you’ll be munching, try to avoid strong flavours like garlic, or be sure to carry some gum or mints so you can quickly pop them in your mouth. Stick your name tag to the right side of your body so it will be visible when you lean in to shake hands. And finally, smile! It’s the smallest thing that could make the biggest difference in making yourself look approachable, like you actually want to be here.

2.     The Approach

You’ve adjusted your collar, cleared your throat, and classily spritzed some breath freshener in your mouth – you know you look dashing. But everyone around you seems to be in groups chatting already, what do you do? Resist your instincts and don’t barge in – it may end up awkward, and you probably won’t get as many touch points anyway. Instead, look for those who are idle, or conversations wit
h gaps of silence. Star
t with a firm handshake and introduce your name. And just like that, you’ve successfully made your first connection.

3.     Letting It Flow

Believe it or not, there are more commonalities between you and a stranger than you may think.  Things like, what brought them to the same event as you, whether you’re from the same city, how they liked the food, how they found out about this event, same types of clothing, common hairstyle… they are all instant ice breakers. Similarities are an easy starting point that can help you make your conversation take its course. Avoid controversial topics that could offend another or overstep boundaries. After all, it’s the first conversation, not a debate. Read their body language – if they tense up at a certain topic, ease into another interest. In the end it’s a conversation between two people, try to listen and talk equally, and let it all flow.

4.     Eye Contact

We’ve heard about having eye contact ever since the beginning of class presentations. Eye contact is a simple gesture that genuinely shows you’re interested and attentively listening. Looking at anything but the other person or fidgeting will show that you’re distracted and disinterested. If you’re speaking with numerous people in a circle, be sure to make eye contact with everyone – it deepens your connection in a non-verbal way, and makes you more approachable and friendly. In a sense, eye contact is a sign of respect and whomever you meet would want to feel as if you actually care about what they’re talking about.

5.     Don’t You Forget About Me

You’ve made your first impression, had a little chat, and decide to wrap things up. Offer your business card or ask for theirs to keep in touch. Or, simply ask if you could add them in LinkedIn. After the chat, it’s customary to follow up and thank them for chatting. You could even set up a time to meet and chat more over coffee.  At the end of the day, a 5-minute conversation may be forgotten, but a relationship built one-on-one will be remembered.

6.     Relax…

All those fancy ties and heels, combined with the title of “networking” can be daunting, but it’s really not as serious as you may think. Relax, breathe, and have a little fun! Be your genuine self, and your authenticity will seep through your words and actions.  You know who you are, better than any other person in this world, so why sell something that is not you in the first place?

It’s important to go to that first networking session, shake that first hand, and ask for that first business card. We can’t guarantee it will be smooth-sailing, but who’s a charmer on their first try anyway? With more and more practice, we promise you’ll be a champ.