My Best University Experience

In January of this year, I had the privilege of travelling to Winnipeg, Manitoba, with three of my classmates. We entered into the Asper School of Business Business and Accounting Students Case Competition and Conference (BASC). It was a three day conference that involved travel, networking, fun events (including a gala and wine and cheese social), and of course a two-round competition.

Our team wrote our cases in our hotel room, and if I remember correctly, we had two hours to read, write, and prepare our case for presentation. We re-configured our entire room just so we had room to spread out, write, and prepare our case. We were so elated to advance to the second round, where we had to complete a case (a different one, of course) again the next day. This case was a bit different – we had to present in front of all the other contestants and the judges. It was nerve-wracking but exhilarating.

Going to this competition made me realize just how much we learned at Lakehead. It also taught us what great friends we had made. When we were finished our presentation, other students even approached us to say what a great job we had done. We met some great people and made connections with people all across Canada that we still maintain today! Between dinners and dancing and networking, the entire competition was a blast. I wish I could go back with those same people and do it all over again, even if the competition was a little nerve wracking!

My teammates and I were sent to this competition with all expenses paid. As members of the Lakehead University Accounting Club, we raised money through bake sales and donations, and the Business department covered the rest of the entrance fee, hotel, and flight. Another testament to how great being in a small school is. We got to travel, make friends, and show Canada what Lakehead business students have to offer!

After the two-round competition and a lot of networking, the gala was at the evening of our final night in Winnipeg. Safe to say we were amazed and elated when it was announced that our team had won first place! We received a trophy, prize money to share between ourselves, and a lot of hugs. I think the highlight of that entire trip was when we walked off that stage and did a group hug. It was a testament to the fact that we were a team in every sense of the word – we worked hard, and we had a blast. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to compete with, a better University to represent, and a greater experience. Even if we hadn’t won (that was just the icing on the cake, I suppose!) it still would have been a phenomenal experience.

Lakehead University sends its students every year to a variety of competitions – engineering and business are the most prominent, I think. We almost always do well, and some of these competitions are even international! It is so exciting to be able to have this experience as a student, and it truly was the highlight of my university experience!

If you want to read the official article, you can find it at this link!
If you want to learn more about the competition we attended, information for the 2017 competition can be found here.

I can’t wait to see what Lakehead students will be up to next!

How To Run a Small Business & Go To University

Let’s face it… University can be rough and stressful. It can also be very expensive.

A few years ago when I first started my nursing degree I started to paint. I started off by painting little welcome signs and birdhouses, mainly for my family and some enjoyment. Little did I know that one program change later and four years, I would have made my artwork into a little business! Not only it is a great stress relief now, but it’s also helping me to save up some money!

One thing that I learned from running my own small business is that the Thunder Bay community is that they are very supportive. No matter what you are selling, if you stick a post in one of our local Buy And Sell Facebook groups, or on kijiji, you’re bound to find a lot of people interested in your product! For almost three years I sold my paintings, welcome signs, and eventually dreamcatchers on Facebook groups. I did custom orders and sizes all while I was a full time University student!

Here are my tips to you if you are looking to start a small business in Thunder Bay, and be a university student at the same time:

• make yourself a Facebook, Instagram and/or LinkedIn page and spread it. Put posters up on the bulletin boards at the University, and post your link all over social media. We are a small community and the market isn’t so saturated here, so you’re bound to find someone who is interested!
• manage your time wisely. Sometimes I would be up until 4am working on a paper after finishing up a custom order that was due to be picked up the next day.
• look into local events. If you’re selling handmade or home business items, you can sell at the hundreds of craft shows and markets we have every year (especially around Christmas). I’ll be doing a craft yard sale soon, and I’m super excited!
• build your client base. Be friendly, kind, courteous. Good customer service goes a long way.
• open up an online shop if you have the means and the inventory. About a year and a half ago I started my own Etsy shop and it’s been taking off! You’ll need to make sure you have enough inventory and be able to figure out your shipping, but it’s really not that hard. Bonus tip: the University bookstore sells stamps and shipping supplies. When I’m in a pinch, they are my go-to! Local post offices can also give you a hand.
• chat it up with people in your classes or on campus. Do you make jewelry, do nail art, or sell bath bombs? Flaunt them around campus (or at least smell nice). People are bound to ask. Make sure you keep some business cards (or even printed pieces of thick paper) with your contact information on it. You can all put your business cards up at local businesses with bulletin boards downtown.
• If you want to get super serious, try taking a few business classes – accounting and marketing could be super helpful if you want to grow. There is an entrepreneurship class that is also offered by our Business faculty!

In the end, being a small business owner and a University student is tough. It’s a lot of work but for me, I’m doing what I love – so it’s well worth it! A lot of people don’t understand that they can make a business work in such a small city. What they don’t realize is that there are so many resources here, and because we are small, our markets aren’t so saturated. Honestly, it doesn’t hurt to try. So get your name out there, do what you love, and make good money while still getting your education!

 

Where I’ve Been!

Hey there everyone… long time no see! I tend to drop off a bit here and there, and after leaving my job at the Lakehead University Undergraduate Recruitment office (I graduated!), I stopped writing in this blog.

However, recent changes in my life – and a whole new slew of visitors to this blog – have pushed me to update you guys on what’s been going on.

I graduated from Lakehead University this June with my Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree, with a concentration in Accounting. My last semester was probably one of the greatest I’ve ever had; great friends, amazing professors, and of course the end being near. I was blessed to have been awarded the Dean’s Scholar Award for the Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree, indicating that I graduated at the top of my class. Considering all the long nights and study sessions I endured, this was an awesome accomplishment. I was so happy to stand beside all my fellow students on that stage and finally say “we did it!”. Such intelligent, friendly, bubbly, and amazing people I got to meet along this journey. Grad was an amazing experience… they even gave out yellow and blue donuts (Persians, from a previous blog post!) after the ceremony.

Wolfie was with us for all four (or in my case, five!) years.

They always say that life really changes when you step off that stage, and those are wise words. My peers are all working full time jobs now, some of them are buying houses, and a few are even having kids. It’s an exciting and changing time, that’s for sure! Unfortunately, the full time job I mentioned in my previous blog post didn’t work out… at no fault of my new employer, of course, but more because of a personal limitation of my own. I’m hoping to chat about this topic a little more in an upcoming blog post. A lot of individuals have been finding my blog when looking for mental health resources or stories, and I really want to show my experience at Lakehead University through another blog post or more. I have been very hard on myself, and mental illness has unfortunately really gotten me down.

Luckily, I have a new plan. After I switched out of nursing (if you want to hear more about my switch from nursing to business, it’s in an earlier blog post), I learned that things don’t always take the path that we intend. Five years ago I wanted to be a pediatric nurse; now I’m an accountant. Luckily because of that experience I’m a bit better at adapting at changing circumstances and most of all, reaching out for help.

In my most acute mental illness phase, I ended up going to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center and seeking out counselling. Though Lakehead University offers great counselling services right on campus (literally right beside the dorms!), my situation was a little more acute. With the help from a psychiatrist, my counselor, and my professor, things have been looking up. Words can’t even describe how lucky I feel to have graduated from, and made connections within, my University. One of my phenomenal professors suggested that I pursue the Masters of Science degree program at Lakehead. Involving 1-year of full time studies and a full research project, the prospect was both daunting and exciting. I have decided to pursue this path, and believe that it will help me to not only advance my career, but my own personal happiness. I will be concentrating in both business (accounting) with bits of education in the mix.

This is a big change in my path and my life, but I am grateful to have this amazing opportunity. Going forward, however, I know I need to give myself some advice. I spent most of my university life worrying, having panic attacks, and losing sleep over single percents on exams and even small quizzes. Here are a few tips I’m giving myself going forward, and if you’ve found that mental health has stopped you from enjoying your post-secondary life, they might be able to help you, too!

1. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Marks aren’t everything. Sure, some employers will look at them when deciding who to hire, but if you’re great at an interview or even just have a great resume overall, marks probably won’t be a make it or break it. Take it from me – no grade is worth your mental health!
2. Take breaks. Do something you love. I love to paint and craft. When I get overwhelmed or anxious, I revert to that.
3. Don’t overstress. Trust me when I say you don’t need to re-read that paper for the tenth time. One spelling mistake that may or may not be in there isn’t worth staying up until 2am. Also, give yourself some slack in group projects; these can be stressful because you have to worry about group dynamics and getting a good grade. Try not to control the whole thing. You’ll burn yourself out.
4. Have a good support system. Whether it by on-campus (Student Health and Counselling) or off-campus (hospital and outreach programs) nurses and counsellors, your own family, friends, or even your pet, have something or someone you can talk to about your troubles. I know there is a bit of a stigma out there about counselling (I even didn’t like the idea at the start), the help I have received has been phenomenal.
5. Take care of yourself. Whether that makes taking a shower when you’ve been curled in your dorm room for the entire weekend, or getting a healthy (but yummy!) snack from local cafes or our own cafeteria (salad bar, anyone?!), take care of your body. It will nurse your mind.
6. Money isn’t everything. We think grades = job = money = happiness. I’ve learned (the hard way) that happiness is the start of all. Flip, move, and change that equation. Start there, and you’ll never be led astray.

I am so elated to have started this new leg of my journey at Lakehead. I honestly didn’t even consider going anywhere else for my Masters degree; I have such great mentors and supports here in Thunder Bay, and the research opportunities here are unending. If you are interested in discovering more about Lakehead University’s Masters programs, click here. If you have any further questions about these programs, please contact Lakehead’s Graduate Studies department at gstudent@lakeheadu.ca!