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- Category: Student Voices
If you’re a Commerce student or a student at the University of Ottawa, at some point, you are likely to have heard about JDCC (Jeux du Commerce Central).
Some of your friends have probably mentioned how much fun they had at the sports games, competitions, or dance ceremony on their JDCC trip.
But, what is JDCC?
Jeux Du Commerce Central (JDCC) is a regional business case competition where students from business schools across Canada compete to win. JDCC is organized by the Canadian Association of Business Schools (CABS), a parent organization that works with the business student associations at each Canadian business school.
At these competitions, member schools of CABS select students at their prospective schools to coordinate a delegation. At JDCC, the Telfer School of Management competes alongside 11 other Ontarian schools including Lazaridis School of Business and Economis from Wilfrid Laurier University, Lang School of Business and Economis from the University of Guelph, Sprott School of Business from Carleton University, and more. Every year, one of these member schools hosts the competition, allowing competing students to visit campuses across Canada. Students can compete in either the academics, sports, or social categories.
How the Competiton Works
In the academic competitions, every school sends a team of three students to compete against others in specific business categories such as marketing, accounting, strategy, human resources, entrepreneurship, and more. To compete, the teams of three have three hours to conduct a case resolution, which they then present to a panel of judges. The presentation component is 20 minutes, and the question period is another 15 minutes.
When all teams have presented, the judges (usually acquired through sponsorship) decide which schools will place first, second, and third for each category. During the awards ceremony, CABS announces the winners for each category, and also gives out individual and full-delegation awards.
In the sports competitions, teams of eight compete in an assortment of sports such as basketball and spikeball. In these competitions, points are awarded to delegates for performance and for delegations whose non-sport delegates watch the game and cheer on their fellow teammates.
In the social competitions, teams of four participate in random challenges at different points in the day. These challenges include improvisation, dances, debates, surprise case resolutions, and more. In these challenges, points are awarded for enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and quality of makeshift costumes.
This competition takes place annually in January over four days. The last two locations were the University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario), and Brock University (St. Catharines, Ontario). At the last competition, Telfer brought a team of 46 students, and won three podium awards: Human Resources, Debate, and Wildcard.
VIP cards are individual recognition awards that are awarded to the best presenters. The recipients of these cards are often selected by the judges, and those who possess a VIP card participate in an exclusive networking event.
Outside of competitions, schools also participate in other recreational activities such as social events and dances.
At the Telfer School of Management, the JDCC delegation is organized by the Telfer Competitions Committee (TCCT). TCCT recruits the students, facilitates practices and coaching, and orders merchandise for the team. TCCT also hosts the annual Telfer Internal Case Competition, which is a good opportunity to search for new Telfer JDCC academic members into our regional competitions.
If you are interested in developing your presentation skills, making new friends, and competing to win, JDCC is an opportunity you do not want to miss!
Read more about how Telfer performed at the last JDCC here.
Ask me questions on my experience here.
- Category: Student Voices
The University of Ottawa is known for being the largest bilingual university in the world. Telfer’s French Immersion program will provide you with countless opportunities. My journey at Telfer in the French Immersion stream provided me with an experience like no other.
The first reason to study in the French Immersion program at Telfer is due to the various scholarships that are offered. Secondly, there are a variety of unique courses offered in the French Immersion stream. Lastly, studying in Telfer’s French Immersion program unlocks doors to future employment opportunities worldwide.
Scholarships and contests
Imagine getting paid to study! Not only do you get to expand your French knowledge through the French Immersion program, but you also can receive scholarships of $1,000 yearly. This scholarship is provided to all who fulfill the minimum requirements. Furthermore, the University of Ottawa hosts various contests to encourage high school students to participate, who have the chance to win a scholarship to study inFrench Immersion. In Grade 10, I had the opportunity to enter the French Immersion Video Clip competition “Comment le français a changé ma vie” hosted by the University of Ottawa. I was fortunate enough to rank second place in Canada and was awarded an $8,000 scholarship. This scholarship influenced my decision to enter the French Immersion Bachelor of Commerce/Juris Doctor program. I am very proud to be bilingual. Below is a flashback of my Grade 10 award-winning video clip!
Unique Courses
A second advantage of being in the French Immersion stream is the opportunity to take an additional course which compliments a mandatory ADM (business) course. Students who are registered in a mandatory ADM course may opt to take a corresponding French course to assist them in building strong French language skills. This additional French Immersion course provides 3 credits which count as an out-of-faculty elective. This is a great way for Telfer students to complete some elective courses while improving their French language skills.
Future career opportunities
The third benefit of studying in the French Immersion stream at Telfer is the various future career opportunities available to students. The National Capital Region provides an abundance of employment possibilities with the Government of Canada. Potential employers often seek students with French language skills. Students who are fluent in French are more marketable and have endless career options. Fluency in the French language also offers the possibility to work worldwide and build business connections around the globe.
Summary
Investing in the French Immersion Program at Telfer is a valuable asset which inspires endless possibilities for students. Pursuing studies in the French language presents students with various alternatives in today’s business world. Engaging in French language learning brings numerous advantages such as various bursary options, unique courses selection, and lastly, students will make themselves more attractive to potential employers. Now that you've learned the benefits of studying in the French Immersion stream, take the next step to better your career and join the French Immersion program at Telfer. Canada is a bilingual country, so why not pave your path to success by strengthening your French language education?
- Category: Student Voices
Whether you are planning for Intopia or looking for information on how to work better with a team online, this blog should be more than helpful. Originally, I was going to write a blog about how to survive Intopia Online. My team did a great job, and we finished in 1st place as a wholesalers team. In March 2020, Sam Sutherland wrote 7 Tips and Tricks to Winning the Intopia Business Simulation, so considering how recent and similar it would be to mine, I instead wrote about the online Intopia experience and how you can use that to your advantage.
Before we move on from the topic of how to do well within Intopia, I would like to add in four more tips that should be considered but are not covered within Sam’s blog;
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When you have extra cash laying around, invest it within Home Office securities.
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Know your inventory and how much you can sell. Do note that some numbers vary and seem to come from a distribution, so follow what you learned in your statistics class and take a sample size of more than 5 (our team ended with 30 samples every few periods).
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Do not get a line of credit, it can break teams easily.
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Green production really helps when you need to stand out amongst the other teams.
1. How to Prepare Your Team
Similar to a well-oiled machine, your team should also be able to work smoothly. Although, breaking that initial barrier and becoming comfortable with each other can be difficult, try to discreetly create a few icebreakers to make the meetings more organic, comfortable, and fun. Meetings happened at least once a week thanks to the group discussions during every class.
Talking to each other and asking questions such as how our week is going, or asking if something interesting has happened since seeing them last breaks down the professional barrier and allows everyone to feel relaxed. You have more than six weeks to get to know your team, and you’ll be spending countless hours under high-stress, and with little sleep, but also having a great time.
As you get to know everyone, you’ll start to understand their strengths, interests, and weaknesses. With this knowledge, you should be able to break people into groups; we had one person for Management (inventory included), one person for Marketing, and three people for Finance and Accounting. To be honest, our team was built around this distribution of work. We then loosely set up seconds-in-command and thirds-in-command for Marketing and Management. "Loosely" as in they should know how things work and are able to answer questions when the expert is busy or away. This splits up the amount of work when one section has a higher demand and even more importantly allows everyone to know what the other sections are able to do and are doing. It is forced communication, but in a smooth, organized way and less stressful way.
2. How to Work as a Team Online
Within the trials, we practiced as many key elements from Intopia that we could. The trials are where your team learns how to work together like the gears within a machine, for online Intopia simulation. Soon your team members will find where another cog might be needed and do their best to fill in there. As more questions are answered, your team becomes more comfortable, the cogs turn smoothly, and you’ll find yourself similar to a well-oiled machine with little bits of sand that the oil will eventually get rid of.
As for the other things that we worked on, we constantly changed and updated the Excel sheets to work more efficiently so that each team member could read what was needed, highlight expected demand, easily find needed information and more.
We made sure that each of us were familiar with more than one “job”, or needed role in the simulation. We tried out different theories, some that worked better than others. When we worked together, it was always on mini-teams so that we can find what is need, and we can freely communicate as if we were in-person. In other words, we video called each other as much as possible, to the extent of more than 28 hours between all 9 periods of the Online Intopia Simulation.
Anytime you are doing something for such a long time, it is possible that the team is bound to make some mistakes. If you can, fix them as soon as possible, and next, tell your team. In video calls, you can tell your team while you find and fix the mistake, and if you can’t fix it, share this with your team. They can sometimes adjust for the mistake or find ways to soften the negative effects on the team as a whole.
Lastly, mistakes are made, and miscommunication can occur. For instance, believing that you built two more sales offices for the last period at the end of the game, ordering for that amount, and finding out that this is not the case, and now your team has an excess of $300,000 of each product, the team can find out where the extra product will likely be sold above the expected amount within minutes of the deadline, of course securing your team first place.
In addition, you are likely to end a call tired and knowing that in 6-8 hours you’re going to have to wake up and continue with the work and video call, but morale is key. Try your best to get along with your team, because if your team is discouraged or feeling down, they are also likely stressed. We always tried to break up the work with downtime, laughs, and jokes. This can also allow the mind to unravel and ease tensions.
When the going gets tough, call your professor. Our professor worked wonders by giving us confidence with our own plan and easing tensions. Lastly, have all your meals planned in advance so you can eat quickly, if needed.
3. How to Build Relationships and Secure Better Deals with Other Teams
One of the biggest qualities that our team was very proud of ourselves for was for being ethical and fair to the other teams. This goes a long way in such a short simulation. Phone calls and video calls work wonders as well; you are able to secure a deal with another team much faster, and, at least for us, make more favourable deals than the ones we text or email to the other teams. Calls can also add a sense of urgency to the deal, as they are under more pressure to respond. Silence is good sometimes to help add pressure to the other team, so you can use that to your advantage as well. If you can keep up, use it. In addition, teams with a bigger network are more likely to perform better.
I hope that this blog helps your team work well together for the Online Intopia simulation. Even if you don’t have the Intopia simulation just yet, hopefully it was helpful in provide ideas for maintaining your teams’ relationship. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me on LinkedIn.
Here are some additional resources for working online:
- Category: Student Voices
Is the Telfer CO-OP program for you? If so, what company should you work for? What type of job should you get? What should you do to make the most out of your work experience?
Although there is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions, what you choose to answer could have a big impact on your future. As a result, making decisions related to your work experience in business studies can be very overwhelming and stressful.
As a marketing student entering my third CO-OP term, I have had to answer all of these questions three times. Each time, being unsure what to do, I sought out help from friends, the CO-OP office, my parents, and others who have taken or are currently in the CO-OP program. With the help of these experiences and advice from others, I have been able to put together a list of six do’s and don’ts that have helped me, and can also help you make the right decisions when it comes to the Telfer CO-OP program.
1. Do apply to the CO-OP program
Getting meaningful work experience while completing your business studies is not always easy, especially when you consider that most students have very few things that they can put on their resume. Considering the uOttawa CO-OP program’s 97% placement rate in 2018, taking part in the program provides you with a very good chance of finding a placement in your field. A placement would not only help you pay the bills, but also help to set you apart in the competitive world of business. Are you still not convinced the CO-OP program at Telfer is for you? Check out this blog outlining even more reasons why Telfer students should apply to the CO-OP program.
2. Don’t be afraid to try something new
When it comes to trying new things and figuring out what you want to do in the future, there is no better time to do so then while you’re in CO-OP. With most CO-OP schedules in Telfer consisting of four work terms that last 4 months each, you have the luxury to experiment without having to make the same commitments that you would with typical jobs outside of CO-OP. The worst that can happen is that you realize a certain placement is not for you. In this case, you can move on quickly as the work term is short, and you still have 3 more terms left to find the right fit for you. On the other hand, while trying new things, you could discover an amazing job that previously you may not have considered. To add to this, from my experience, I have never met anyone who has not benefitted from any of their work terms. Therefore, if you want to try something new in CO-OP, just do it!
3. Do take advantage of the Telfer Career Centre and CO-OP services
Both the Career Centre at Telfer and the CO-OP office provide several services and workshops that help to give you an edge when applying to placements. They offer help for resume building, interview skills training, tips for how to dress to impress, career advice, and much more. Even if you think your resume or skills are pretty good, it never hurts to get a second opinion. I personally have used their services to refine my resume and for help on picking a placement. Taking advantage of these services could mean the difference between getting your first placement choice instead of your second.
4. Don’t apply to everything
Applying to everything could either mean you likely end up with way too many interviews or you get placed in a position you aren’t too interested in. As a result, you could miss out on a second-round placement that you potentially may have preferred. I get it, not knowing whether you will get a placement is stressful and striking a balance between applying to too many places versus too little can be very difficult, especially the first time around. However, before applying to everything, take a deep breath and consider the following: the CO-OP office has a 97% placement rating (the odds are in your favour); so if you don’t get placed in the first round there is always a second-round, and the CO-OP office is there to help you through the process.
5. Do consider multiple opinions
When you are making decisions and trying to answer the questions listed at the beginning of this blog, it is important to consider multiple points-of-view, and take everything with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, there are people that swear working in the government is the best while others swear by working in start-ups or large companies. There are multiple opinions out there, but there is no solution that fits all. When making decisions, keep other opinions and experiences in mind, compare them to your own career goals and don’t be afraid to test an idea out.
6. Don’t forget to make the most out of your work experience
Whether you end up with a great CO-OP experience or you’re unlucky and pick something that wasn’t exactly what you were looking for, you should always try to make the best out of your situation. Take advantage of every opportunity presented, and if you don’t feel the opportunities are there, create your own. The CO-OP office helps you find a placement, but it is up to you to learn new skills, take on new challenges, and make your mark.
All in all, when it comes to decisions related to your work experience in business, it can get stressful. However, if you take your time and take advantage of the resources, opportunities, and advice available to you, your Telfer CO-OP experience will go well!
- Category: Student Voices
In our last year of high school, at just 17 or 18 years old, we have big decisions to make that could definitely change our lives. It's hard to weigh all of our options and really trust that we will make the best decisions for our future. For myself, there were many reasons why I could have chosen to study elsewhere. Ultimately, there were even more reasons that drew me to study business law in Canada at the University of Ottawa. To simplify your own research on universities, here are the 7 reasons why I chose business law at uOttawa.
1. Has anyone heard of Telfer?
The Telfer School of Management is one of the best business schools in Canada, and provides a great atmosphere for the students' transition from high school to university. Telfer has a variety of clubs specific for its students that allow you to really get invested in the specific types of business you are interested in. I got involved with the Telfer Law Society, which hosts activities and conferences with lawyers to get a sense of the business world and open students to networking opportunities. Also, Telfer 101 Week is a great way to make new friendships that will last you throughout university, and the group work assigned in class allows you to socialize as well as really broaden your horizons. This was perfect for a student like me coming from out of town!
2. Finding a Unique Program
There are very few schools that offer this program, not only in Canada, but in the entire world. Once you graduate, you will receive a Bachelor of Commerce at the Telfer School of Management AND a Juris Doctor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. After completing your first two years of commerce at Telfer while maintaining your grades, you will then law school in third year. If you realize that you prefer the business portion after your first two years, then you can simply opt-out of the J.D. portion and continue your studies in a business option whether it is in finance, accounting, marketing or another option.
3. 6 years vs. 7 years
Most students complete a four-year Bachelor degree before starting their studies in law, which means that they will need to complete seven years of post-secondary education. However, this program allows you to save a year by completing both degrees in the span of 6 years. This may not seem like much at the time, but right now I just finished my 4th year, and I am so thankful that I only have two years left! The time and stress that you can save by not having to take that one extra year of school is definitely worth it.
4. Being bilingual is an asset
The BCom/JD program at uOttawa is a French program available entirely in French or in French immersion. About 20% of the Canadian population speaks French and about 30% of uOttawa students speak French. That being said, having the ability to practice both business and law in French and in English enables you to apply to a diverse pool of job opportunities after graduating. Just because it is a French program, it doesn't actually mean you need to take 100% of your classes in French. You only need to take 60% of your classes in French in this program. I actually took a few classes in English in both law and business to be able to understand the different notions and terminology in both languages.
5. The heart of Ottawa
If you've never been to the University of Ottawa campus, I definitely recommend coming to the next available Open House! You will instantly fall in love with the uOttawa campus location. Being at the centre of the city allows students to have easy access to Centretown for different government job opportunities, to the ByWard Market which is great for food lovers like me, and to Sandy Hill which is a residential neighbourhood that offers plenty of living arrangements for students. Everything is within walking distance which is great if you have no knowledge about Ottawa before moving there for school, just like me!
6. No LSAT needed
Say goodbye to LSAT memes because a huge advantage of studying business law in Canada at the University of Ottawa is not having to write an LSAT. This had a big impact on my decision to choose uOttawa because I knew that if I chose to study my Bachelor elsewhere, I would have to take my LSAT in order to get into law school. For those that don't know what the LSAT is, it's the standardized law school admission test where your logical skills are graded, and the score you receive will be evaluated in your admission application to law schools. Not having to do this obviously saves a lot of time and stress!
7. Law in the Capital of Canada?
Ottawa - the home of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal government of Canada - is an astonishing place to study law. Big names have passed through the halls of the Fauteux building, and it is not uncommon to see guest speaker events or panels with an interesting array of lawyers, judges and political figures. The uOttawa Faculty of Law offers programs in Common Law and Civil Law. After completing my BCom/JD, I could add an extra year to my degree in order to practice Civil Law. This is a great advantage of studying business law at uOttawa because many countries operate under civil law, and so I would have access to a broader job market when completing my studies.
These are my 7 reasons for choosing to study at the University of Ottawa. Hopefully, they can help you to establish if the BCom/JD program is right for you. If you have any questions about this program, feel free to reach out to me.
Otherwise, there is plenty of useful information about the program itself and the course sequence that is available from the Telfer website, as well as the Common Law website.
- Category: Student Voices
Like many high school students in Quebec, I believed that my post-secondary education should start at cégep. In order to be well supported in this decision, I met with my school's guidance counsellor. I then discovered another interesting, possible and advantageous option: going directly to the University of Ottawa.
Choosing the right program
I learned from the uOttawa programs brochure that I could apply to more than 30 different programs in the faculties of arts, engineering, management, science and social sciences. For most of these programs, an average of 84% or higher is required. To calculate the average, the university uses the top five marks in selected courses at the Secondary V level, including the prerequisite courses for the respective program in question.
After researching and discussing this with my family, I decided to take a program from the Telfer School of Management: the Bachelor of Commerce/Juris Doctor (J.D./BCom). This program allows me to obtain two degrees within six years of university studies, in the two areas that interest me the most, management and law.
Making the Transition Successful
If you decide to make the leap from high school in Quebec to the University of Ottawa, here are three tips that will help you:
1. Manage your time well
It is important, from the outset, to develop good study and time management techniques. Several resources are available to you early in your first-year to help you develop these skills. Make the most of it!
2. Take advantage of the mentoring program
I strongly encourage you to participate in the various activities organized by your faculty and, above all, to get involved. For example, at the Telfer School of Management, all students in first-year are paired with a mentor. This is a great service where a mentor will always be available to guide you and to organize activities and workshops specifically for you and other first-year students!
3. Make connections
From the first week, even though it may seem intimidating, try to speak with your professors. I strongly recommend that you take advantage of their office hours and take an interest in their classes to develop a real connection with them. The professor will be happy to see your involvement and, who knows, maybe they can write you a letter of recommendation!
As for your classmates, you'll spend four years with them and develop friendships with some of them. Take an interest in them from the first week, and they will do the same for you. You'll be able to broaden your network of friends.
An advantageous choice
There are many advantages to being a student at the University of Ottawa:
1. Graduate faster
By removing cégep from your schooling if you are coming from Quebec, you can accelerate entry into the workplace by two years. This is appealing and impressive in the eyes of many employers.
2. Study in the field you are passionate about
If you are motivated, committed and want to develop your knowledge, the university will certainly satisfy your thirst for learning! In addition, at the end of your university studies, you'll obtain an internationally recognized diploma that will allow you to have a successful and prosperous career in the field you're passionate about.
3. Take advantage of an automatic scholarship
As soon as you are admitted with an average of 84% or higher, you will receive an automatic admission scholarship based on your average from high school. This scholarship varies from $1,000 to $4,000 depending on your average. Following this, the university also awards merit scholarships based on your performance in university.
4. Study in the language of your choice
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual university. Therefore, you are able to take courses and submit assignments in the official language of your choice (English or French) throughout the bachelor's degree program. You can combine English and French classes in your schedule, or simply choose to study entirely in one language.
5. Experience efficient service
The application process was very clear and easy to access through the uOttawa website. On several occasions, I contacted the liaison office, which has a representative dedicated to answering questions from Secondary V students in Quebec, a service that was very helpful to me.
An Important Decision
The direct transition from high school to the University of Ottawa was an enriching experience that allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, and to meet new people with similar interests to mine. I am now in my third-year of university, and I can say that I am a proud Gee-Gee who loves her program!
That being said, choosing a university is a big and serious decision, so I encourage you to get informed and discuss it with your guidance counselor and your family. It has helped me tremendously in making an informed choice that meets my needs. The University of Ottawa is a dynamic, bilingual university full of resources and services that will certainly enrich your post-secondary experience!
- Category: Student Voices
After high school in the Greater Toronto Area, I chose to attend the Telfer School of Management here in Ottawa. Now, I am a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student specializing in Business Technology Management and Marketing. As a student in the Greater Toronto Area, in Markham, there were plenty of schools to pick from in central Ontario.
At the Telfer School, one of the things I value most is the sense of community, and, I didn't realize just how strong it would be. The community here recognizes high-achieving students and supports them by continuing to engage them, whereas friends from other schools feel like a number in a system.
I am so glad with the choice I made, but how did I end up at uOttawa studying business?
Simply, three reasons contributed to why I chose to leave the comfort of my home and venture off to our nation’s capital:
1. Experiencing a New City
Initially, when applying to programs and schools, my heart was set on a science program, and ideally somewhere far from home, like schools in the U.K. or in British Columbia. After more research, I realized that science programs outside of Ontario were too expensive to be feasible, so I pivoted my focus to more cost-effective options for schooling in Ontario.
So then the question became, where exactly in Ontario should I go, knowing that I didn’t want to stay at home?
2. Recommendations from Friends, Teachers, and Coaches
One of my friends who was my role model, was accepted to Ivy league schools like Stanford and Wharton, but he ended up choosing to attend the Telfer School. He told me about Telfer’s BCom program, and that the school was located in a medium-sized city with plenty of employment opportunities, and he very much vouched for the affordable cost.
At this point, Telfer was on my radar.
After asking a few friends, family members, and teachers for their opinion in this pivotal moment in my life, the key takeaway I received from those whom I asked, was that business was more suited for my personality. Business also felt like a safer option for me, since in science, academic performance is everything. Only the top 3% would actually surpass the bottleneck and make it into medical school.
Although I was confident in my academic performance with a strong average, I learned that business takes into consideration more of the values I had to offer. In business, it's never just marks, it's your network as a business individual, it's your extra-curricular involvement that demonstrates leadership skills, and it's your motivation to achieve more.
At the time being, I had already taken two accounting courses and a course on financial securities. In addition, I was an executive on several community organizations and president for an in-house organization at my school.
From all of these experiences, I had refined skills in marketing, relationship management, photography, videography, graphic design, and entrepreneurship. Taking all of these into consideration, going into science would mean I would receive no return on these investments, but if I went into business, at least half of these commitments would be deemed fruitful. At this point, I was sure I wanted to go into business, and uOttawa’s Telfer School of Management was one of the top choices.
3. Affordability and Benefits
To find a school that was in a different city, yet affordable was not easy. I sat through a few podcasts and read a few articles, and realized it's not the school that makes your career, but what you, as an individual, choose to do to make your career.
The University of Ottawa was affordable and the program was competitive. I was sold at this point, until my friend also brought up the bilingualism presence in Ottawa. He explained how I could be learning business in the next four years, but I could also be learning a new language just based on the environment alone.
When it finally came to the choice, uOttawa was my pick because it was in a different city, it was affordable, I could learn French, and because someone I respected vouched for it.
When I started looking into Ottawa more, I looked at the student life and that was a key selling point. I knew the Enactus team was very good, and that I had access to case competitions because of the school’s participation in events by both RÉFAEC and CABS.
At the end of the day, I believe I made the best choice, and interestingly enough, it was not one that I had initially seen coming. Business ended up being the best program for me, Ottawa is an incredible city with such a personality, and the relationships I’ve built within Telfer have made my university experience more grand. After many reflections with my hometown friends, I am glad to call uOttawa my team.
Throughout my studies, I have improved on my resume through workshops with the Telfer Career Centre, I have sparked an interest in consulting from the Profession of Management Consulting Program, and more importantly, the Telfer clubs have allowed me to make some of my closest friends I have today. I am fortunate enough to be studying at, working with, and working for a community where everyone is communal striving.
If you are reading this right now, and you are like me, indecisive, multi-faceted, and have no clue what to do in the next 5 years, I would say business is a good place to start. If you want to have all of the experience I have had, the first step is to click accept on your OUAC uOttawa acceptance to Telfer for the BCom program.
- Category: Student Voices
I will walk you through the exact study tips that I used to earn thousands of dollars in scholarships at Telfer.
If you make the Dean’s List at Telfer, our school will pay you $1,000 per semester that you complete. There are only two things you need to be to get on our Dean’s List.
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You need to be organized
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You need to be efficient
To serve you best, I have broken this blog down into two sections.
Section A: I will give you the best organization tips so you can be efficient.
Section B: I will give you the best efficiency tips to help you get scholarships.
SECTION A: ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY TIPS
Study Tip #1: Organization is Paramount
Let’s get the ultimate advice out there first; this is the most important of any study tips I could offer. Getting yourself organized is over half of the battle. Sure, you can get by without preparation, but no one ever excelled at anything worthwhile by simply showing up. Remember that for everything you wish to excel at in life.
Study Tip #2: Know Your Course Deliverables (A.K.A. What You Need to Complete to Pass the Course)
If you only accomplish one thing in your first week of the semester, it’s most important that you download and read your course outlines. Take a look at how your professors will be grading you. When are your deliverables due? How much is each deliverable worth? Time is limited. Spend your time according to the weight of the deliverable.
Study Tip #3: Write Down Your Deliverable Due Dates Somewhere You Regularly Look
Now that you know what you have to do and when you have to do it, write it down somewhere that you check on a regular basis. I prefer to see my entire semester at a glance. I created a basic Excel spreadsheet with all of my important due dates and project weights. Here is an example of what that might look like:
Study Tip #4: Set Your Own Deadlines to Minimize Your Future Stress Load
Just because the course outline says it’s due November 5th, doesn’t mean you should be finishing it at 11:00 p.m. on November 5th. It’s the beginning of the semester right now. You’ve planned your semester like a boss, and you know exactly what you need to deliver and when to deliver it. For example, if you see that you have two midterms and an assignment due on the same weekend, you should finish your assignment weeks ahead of time. Doing so will allow you to focus that week preparing for your midterm exams.
Study Tip #5: Set Goals and Plan Your Time Accordingly
Every Sunday, you should write down all of your goals for what you would like to accomplish for the week ahead. What due dates are coming up? Set an expectation of what you will complete on each day of the week. Your expectations will change, so you should update tomorrow’s objectives every night to ensure you can achieve your weekly goals.
Study Tip #6: Create a Facebook Group and Invite Your Classmates
The worst feeling in university is feeling alone – like you’re the only one that has been battling with question 5-C for the last 3 hours…this is avoidable. I wrote an article on How to Start a Conversation in 4 Steps on my personal blog. Here’s a perfect way to break the ice and get to know your classmates. “Hey! What’s your name? I’m starting a Facebook group for our class where we can all help each other with challenging problems. Would you like me to add you? You can add your friends too.” Boom… just like that, you have your first friend in the class!
SECTION B: EFFICIENCY STUDY TIPS
Study Tip #7: Pay Attention to How Your Professor Allocates Time in Class
If your professor spends a significant amount of time on one chapter or sub-section of a chapter, it’s usually not a coincidence. It’s because it’s more important. You should focus more time on those components when preparing for your exams.
Study Tip #8: Find Old Midterm/Final Exams A.S.A.P.
The best thing you can do is (ethically) get your hands on some old exams to see what past students were tested on. In my experience, a significant number of exams I’ve written have been similar to past exams. These old exams may help you distinguish early in the semester the content that is nice to know versus the content that you need to know.
Study Tip #9: Create Practice Exams Based on Your Estimations
Create a practice exam with all of the questions that you estimate will be on the real exam. What types of questions did they ask on the past exams you found? What format does the course outline say the exam will follow? What has your professor spent a lot of time discussing in class? These are the types of questions you can use to form your own mock exam. Don’t be afraid to ask your professor what’s on the exam as they may provide tips. Build this exam throughout the semester. This way you can focus on understanding the answers during the exam-study period.
Study Tip #10: Create an Ever-Growing Cheat Sheet
Even if the exam doesn’t permit a cheat sheet, this will immensely help you shape your practice exams as per study tip #9. Record what you find to be essential information on this sheet. What are the key formulas? What are the steps needed to solve challenging problems? What are the key definitions you need to memorize? These are perfect items to put on your cheat sheet.
Study Tip #11: Choose PowerPoint Slides Over Detailed Textbook Reading
I have wasted countless hours reading the textbook. Depending on the course, it is not always an efficient use of your time. The PowerPoints provided by your professor cover the majority of the content you need to know for your exams. For most classes, you should still buy a copy of the textbook though. Use the textbook and Google search to fill in any blanks that the PowerPoint doesn’t cover.
Study Tip #12: You Get Twice the Value from Class if You Work Through the Slides Beforehand
Professors usually post slide content before each lecture. Work through this content before class to stimulate great questions and gain more value from attending each lecture. You’ll gain a better grasp on what’s going on and you will receive a deeper, more memorable learning experience.
Study Tip #13: Write Down Your Micro-Goals
When you’re studying it often requires you to search for answers online. As we all know, it’s very easy to get sidetracked on the Internet and forget what you came for in the first place. Every time you turn to the Internet for an answer, write down the question you’re trying to solve. Keep the question written out on a piece of paper in front of you. Ask yourself every 10 minutes or so if what you’re doing is related to what you’re trying to find. If not, then get back to work. If it is, cross your question off your list when you find the answer.
Study Tip #14: Your Focus Has Capacity
This is my most favourite tip from all of my study tips that you need to understand. Your brain is only capable of letting you focus for a fixed amount of time before you lose efficiency. Let’s call that time 40 minutes. Let’s say you just started studying and your brain is fresh. If you spend your first 15 minutes looking at videos online, then you only have 25 minutes of quality focus left before losing efficiency.
Study Tip #15: Study in Intervals and Don’t Sit for Too Long
These study tips go hand-in-hand, so I included them together. You’ll be amazed at how much longer you can be productive if you take more frequent, shorter breaks. Work for 30-40 minutes (depends on your preference), and then take a 5-10-minute break. Building on Tip #14, it’s important that you get up and move around during your break. Do some squats, wall pushups, or anything to get your blood flowing. Staring at your phone is not a good way to take a break because it still requires focus, and you aren’t giving your brain a chance to refresh.
Study Tip #16: Track Your Time
Just because you’re sitting at a work desk on your work computer does not mean you’re doing quality work. There are lots of great time tracker apps available, but all you need is the stopwatch on your phone and a piece of paper. Start the timer when you start working. When you’re done, record the time you focused. Start the timer for your break and record that number too when you’re done. Do this all day and add up the amount of time you spent being productive versus slacking. I guarantee this will hold you more accountable!
Study Tip #17: Ditch Your Cell Phone and Any Other Distractions While Studying
Have you heard of the “flow state”? The flow state is also known as “being in the zone”. To achieve this state of mind, you need to rid yourself of any potential distractions and completely immerse yourself in what you’re focused on. After staying immersed for a short period of time, you will forget your surroundings and only see what your focus allows you to. The flow state can be difficult to achieve and impossible with continuous disruptions. Ensure you put your cell phone out of sight and preferably on silent mode if possible. Every time your phone goes off, it will disrupt your flow state and you will need to restart the process.
Study Tip #18: Maintain of Positive State of Mind
Are you fully present with your task at hand? If your mind is preoccupied with negative emotions, it will hinder your ability to focus and hit your goals. Check out my other article on 3 Proven Steps to Instantly Get Out of a Bad Mood to maintain a positive mindset at the worst of times.
Study Tip #19: Engage as Many Senses as Possible
I saved one of my best study tips for last to reward your commitment to making it this far. The more senses you engage in your learning experience, the more likely you will remember it later. Ideally, you should find a way to read, write, hear, say, feel, taste, teach, and apply what you’re learning. Of course, that’s not viable in most instances, so absorb the knowledge in as many forms as it makes sense to.
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of my extensive list of study tips that I used during my time at Telfer. I believe in you that you have the discipline and the will to use these tips! I’m convinced that when you do, you will receive thousands in scholarships and skyrocket your GPA!
If you’re interested in learning about emotional intelligence, communicating more effectively, or improving your mindset, hop over to my personal blog at jdsterne.com.
Best of luck in your studies and see you there!
- Category: Student Voices
Need a break from studying on campus? Want a new, fresh environment to study in? Searching for either a good latté, snack, lunch or even a healthy smoothie while you’re at it? Look no further.
Here are the 9 best places to study in Ottawa, perfect to get your workflow on. Let’s get started.
Happy Goat Coffee Co.
229 Rideau St, 317 Wilbrod St, 326 Elgin St, 1091 Bank St, 35 Laurel St, 145 Main St.Photos from: https://www.facebook.com/HappyGoatCoffee/photos/rideaucumberland-our-new-cafe-is-now-open-on-229-rideau-street-were-very-excited/2199349310088007/
You can always count on Happy Goat Coffee Co. for a cozy spot when you need to get a good study grind on. Not only are there several locations across Ottawa, but two of them are right near campus, for those who are looking for a nice café nearby that is easy to get to. It can get pretty loud and busy at times, so make sure to bring your headphones, and listen to some of your favourite study music to concentrate; my favorites are rain sounds, café jazz and tropical house.
The Ministry of Coffee
274 Elgin St, 18 Beechwood Ave, 200 Tremblay Rd, 1013 Wellington St. W
Photos from: https://www.instagram.com/theministryofcoffee/?hl=en
The Ministry of Coffee is one of the best cafés I’ve been to in Ottawa. Not only is it great for an aesthetic picture or Instagram post, but they have some of the highest quality coffee and drinks I’ve had. They also have a Nutella latté… which we both know you deserve.
Eve Café
50 Rideau St. (Rideau Centre)
Photo from: http://brookemolly.weebly.com/blog/coffee-with-a-view
This café is extremely lowkey and is the perfect quiet and chill spot for either a solo study session or with friends. It has windows all around with natural sunlight and an absolutely incredible view of Downtown Ottawa. This tiny café is hidden on the fourth floor of Simons in the Rideau Centre, and they have really friendly staff. The only downside is they don’t have electrical plugs, so just be sure to charge your laptop and phone before going.
Bridgehead
50 Rideau St, 224 Dalhousie St, 265 Laurier Ave W, 96 Sparks St, 109 Bank St, and more
Photos from: https://www.bridgehead.ca/pages/366-bank-st-at-gilmour-st and https://www.instagram.com/bridgeheadcoffee/?hl=en
Bridgehead is a fair trade, locally-based coffee chain here in Ottawa. They have about 20 locations across Ottawa, and they have delicious drinks and bites. I can always count on Bridgehead for a great study vibe and an exquisite chai latte and energy bite to get my study groove on.
The National Arts Centre
1 Elgin St.Want a place to study other than at a café or campus? The National Arts Centre has got you covered. They have a public space open from 6:00 a.m. to midnight with free Wi-Fi, located in the heart of downtown. You can feel free to make yourself at home and use your device in the open areas, for when you need a long study grind. They also have a café inside if you’d like some caffeine or a bite to eat.
Lollo Salads
60 George St.
Photos from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BvzuKU3lMzB/, https://www.instagram.com/lollosalads/?hl=en
Lollo Salads recently opened and has quickly become one of my go-to spots to study. Located in the Byward Market, this comfy café has fantastic salads and a great ambiance. This spot is also great to take a break from campus and grab a healthy lunch with a friend.
Jackson Café
10 Daly Ave.
Photo from: https://westofmaindesign.com/pages/bar-jackson-jackson-cafe-2
This fancy café is located in the Ottawa Art Gallery, right across from the Desmarais building. Jackson Café hits all the notes for quality, service and atmosphere and will not disappoint, trust me. Want to treat yourself to a fancy café with good vibes right near campus for a midday study session? This one’s for you.
Ottawa Public Library
377 Rideau St, 120 Metcalfe St, 1049 Bank St, and more
If you’re looking for a very quiet place to study to really focus, the Ottawa Public Library is the place to go. They have free wifi and various locations across the city, this is a solid choice.
Pure Kitchen
340 Elgin St, 345A Preston St, 357 Richmond Rd, 499 Terry Fox Dr
Photos from: https://www.instagram.com/purekitchenottawa/
We both know you could use a break from getting an iced cappuccino and studying at the noisy CRX Tim Hortons to get yourself a healthy smoothie instead. Pure Kitchen is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant with healthy and comfort food. They have incredible smoothies, juices and health elixir shots. I recommend going to the Elgin location and going to the bar section of the restaurant for a quiet spot to study. I go here when I have some readings to get done and need a health boost. Oh, and they play really good music.
These are some of my favourite study spots, and I hope one of them becomes yours too. Now that you know the nine best places to study in Ottawa, check out these spots and get your study groove on!
- Category: Student Voices
As defined by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada), “cooperative education (CO-OP) are work terms which provide paid experience in a workplace setting related to the student’s field of study”. With a placement rate of 97%, the CO-OP office at the University of Ottawa offers a wide range of work experience with thousands of employers inside and outside of Canada to thousands of students.
I have had the opportunity to experience three work terms as a CO-OP student at the Telfer School of Management. I can confidently say that the experience has been beyond what I had ever hoped for.
CO-OP is the greatest way not only to smoothen your way from school to work, gain the knowledge and experience you need, determine what career option works best for you, enhance your network and get a competitive edge when entering the workforce, but it is also a great opportunity to make money you can invest later, or put towards your student loans.
Here are the reasons why I feel that being a CO-OP student can ease your transition into the workforce after graduating.
1.Obtain Knowledge and Experience in your Field of Study
CO-OP at Telfer is a great way to gain up to 16 months of experience in your field of study.
As a Telfer student, these work terms will enable you to:
- Practice what you learn in classes
- Increase your skill set
- Set learning, performance and leadership development objectives at the start of your term, which your employer and the CO-OP office will mentor and guide you to achieve throughout your placement;
- Get a glimpse at the different career options available to you in the market,
- Experience several types of organizations (governmental, private sector, NGO, etc.); and
- Determine which career path inspires and fits you the most.
2. Enhance Your Network and Build Meaningful Relationships
Some of the employers that Telfer students get to work with include, but are not limited to, the Government of Canada, Nokia, Fintrac, The Growcer, and PwC.
By doing CO-OP at Telfer, you will get the opportunity to:
- Engage with inspiring people in your field of study; and
- Connect with mentors and advisors from different backgrounds, and learn from their experiences.
These valuable connections will help you later during your job search through referrals. If you get a referral from an employee to a position you have applied for, your chances of getting an interview are 50%, and your chances of getting hired are 20%. Without a referral, your chances are narrowed to only 3% for getting an interview, and 1.2% for getting hired.
3. Gain a Competitive Edge and Differentiate Yourself from Others
If you want to give your future employer a great reason as to why they should hire you, then CO-OP is the answer. Even for entry-level positions nowadays, employers require that job seekers have at least a few months of experience within their industry.
CO-OP at Telfer also gives you the opportunity to:
- Get more than a year worth of full-time experience in your field of study by the end of your bachelor program;
- Discover different part-time opportunities you can choose to enlarge your horizons; and further exposure to the workforce.
4. Acquire Valuable Paid Work Experience
Either if it is to pay off your student loans, pay for your study terms, or even save money that you can later invest in your own business, the CO-OP option at Telfer will give you the chance to do all of this. You will be gaining the exposure you need, and developing yourself both on a personal and professional level. CO-OP employers are required to pay students at least the minimum wage during their work terms, however, salaries for Telfer students could go as high as $30 an hour, which adds up to over $15,000 for your four-month work term, and $60,000 in total for your four work terms.
All in all, I can tell you from personal experience, during each one of my CO-OP work terms, that each of my supervisors went out of their way to help me achieve my learning, performance, and leadership objectives. I have had the chance to get out of my comfort zone, help organize a TEDx event, learn coding, make connections that helped me get other co-op opportunities, practice my public-speaking skills, work for the Government of Canada, which as an international student never seemed possible, but most importantly, do what I love most: Human Resources Management.
If you haven’t already applied to CO-OP, then this is your chance to do it. If you already are a CO-OP student, then make the best out of your work terms, and share the best advice an employer has given you.
- Category: Student Voices
Choosing which university to attend can be a daunting experience. For some, it may be as simple as looking at university rankings and choosing what is best academically. For others, proximity to home and cost may be a deciding factor. After choosing to attend the Telfer School of Management, I found that there was so much more about Telfer that could have gone into my decision making, beyond Telfer being recognized as a top business school worldwide.
During my four-year degree at the Telfer School of Management, there were 7 reasons that stood out for me as to what made the Telfer experience so unique and rewarding.
Here’s what I’ve come to value as the top 7 reasons to go to Telfer:
1. High Value of the Degree
As a high school student at the time, while researching the various possible universities to attend, one of the first things I personally looked at is what will it cost me financially, and what is the value of a degree from each university in question.
The Telfer School of Management is in the top 1% of business schools worldwide based on completing three levels of accreditation. This worldwide reputation of excellence was a very important factor in consideration if I would go to Telfer. In addition to this, Telfer also offers reasonable tuition for the value you receive from a degree at a top university. This combination for me meant that Telfer had the best value for the monetary cost, the “best bang for your buck” if you will.
2. Location, Location, Location
Telfer is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Ottawa. You get the feel of being in a big city, but without all of the commotion and noise (and price) that you find at other big city universities. What’s nice about being located downtown is that everything is in close proximity to you. Whether it’s museums, historical sites like Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal, grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, nightlife and just about everything you can think of, it’s all within a 10 to 15 minute walk if you go to Telfer.
3. Co-op Program
Ottawa has a reputation for being a government city, and I will not dispute that reputation. However, Ottawa also has an ever-growing private sector that provides a lot of different job opportunities. What is nice about doing the co-op program at Telfer is that it’s really easy to apply to different jobs and you can pick and choose from the public sector or the private sector to get a feel for what you would like in a future career. The job I had throughout university was through the co-op program, which is a job I never would have gotten without co-op and making the decision to go to Telfer.
4. French Immersion
Although I personally did not choose to be part of the French Immersion program, I do, however, know a lot of people who did, and I was able to speak with them about their experiences. French immersion at Telfer provides students with the opportunity to complete a portion of their courses in French. If you are an anglophone and you would like to strengthen your French, or if you are a francophone and you would like to strengthen your English, then you have the unique opportunity of attending one of few universities to have a French immersion program at Telfer. You also receive a $1,000 scholarship just for being in the French immersion program!
5. Collaboration
At Telfer you get the opportunity to work with a lot of different people from all sorts of backgrounds and learn from them. If you go to Telfer, approximately 20% of the students are international, and in my own experience, I had the opportunity to work with students from Germany, India, China, South Korea, Kenya, and more. Having such a diverse community allows you to make new friends and connections in so many different places. I can honestly say that all of my group projects at Telfer have been a positive experience.
6. Unique Projects
During my experience at Telfer I had the opportunity to participate in many unique class projects that I never expected. The fourth-year Strategic Management course at Telfer runs something called the Intopia Business Simulation, where students immerse themselves in an action-filled weekend running their own company by negotiating, making decisions, and trying to maximize their bottom line and, ultimately, win the competition. Intopia is recognized as a top business strategy simulation, and Telfer is one of the only schools that offers it.
As well, students are able to gain real world experience by working with companies as part of class projects. For myself, I had the opportunity to work with Badminton Canada and the Canadian Museum of Nature to help develop marketing campaigns and promotional strategies. This experience was not only self-rewarding, but it was also excellent to include on a resume and it’s all part of your program at Telfer.
7. Career Centre
The Telfer Career Centre offers various workshops for students such as how to build a resume, do well in an interview, and many more types of workshops. As well, you can speak with career advisors who can help set you on the path to your goal. Having a resource that is committed to both your personal and career development is very helpful as you enter the workplace.
The Career Centre also holds a variety of networking events at Telfer. The networking events attract an array of companies that you can speak with and in turn make connections that can turn into potential job opportunities. Also, the networking events and the aforementioned workshops go hand-in-hand if you go to Telfer by allowing you to apply the knowledge you learned in these workshops at these networking events.
- Category: Student Voices
Paying for university… what comes to mind? Maybe it’s your parents who generously support you, or maybe it’s OSAP payments, or even a bank loan. Generally, the associations are not particularly positive. For me, they happen to be.
When it comes to university education, parents and students are often concerned about the cost. University is more expensive than college and students graduating high school often wonder if the benefits are worth it. As a fourth-year graduating student from the Telfer School of Management, today I am here to tell you that you can afford it all on your own, even without OSAP, and what benefits come of it.
Working Part-Time
So, here is what I did. When I had just turned seventeen and was in Grade 11, I started working at McDonald’s in my hometown. I would work afternoons after school, Saturday mornings and sometimes overnight, working about 15 hours a week. Honestly, it was really fun to be around many of my high school friends who also worked there, and I got free food. It also taught me how to deal with any kind of customer; those that yelled at me for not having drink trays and ketchup packets, and also those that were really sweet and patiently waited for their fresh pot of coffee. I actually wrote an entire blog post about working at McDonald’s and how it prepared me for the real world here. I definitely would recommend it to any student in high school. I even worked there when I moved to Ottawa for school and also in the summer after my first year, working full-time when I lived at home. Working at McDonald’s both part-time through high school and university, then full-time during the summer allowed me to save up enough money to pay for the first two years of my university education.
Getting Scholarships
To this day, I haven’t applied for OSAP. Starting from first-year, I started applying for scholarships as well as working. I got good grades because I wanted more scholarships and because I care about school (and have a crippling fear of failure), and I got involved since I heard it’s a good thing to do. I was one of the founding members of the Women in Management Network, a Career Centre ambassador, and then the Business Dinner Project Manager on TECDE (The Entrepreneurs’ Club). Both good grades and involvement in the school are great for receiving scholarships. I would get a couple per school year, which would cover most of the semester, and were immensely helpful. It’s easy to apply on uOzone and although they take a while to be reviewed, it’s very worth it. There are also many scholarships in the community that take a bit more research to find and complete since some require essays, but committing a week of time for scholarships and for them to pay off with thousands of dollars is a very good investment. I am a business student, so you can trust me!
Investing
Okay, so you know how I said I didn’t get OSAP and all of that. In my fourth year, I *accidentally* got them to pay my tuition because I forgot to check the “don’t need a loan” box on my grant application and they automatically paid for it. Since I had the money in my bank account for that semester already, I invested it into a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) with my bank and once I receive that money at the end of the year and pay off OSAP, at least I will have made interest too. I am not saying you should do this, but that’s what I did to remedy my situation since there was no way to cancel the OSAP payment of my tuition immediately. Remember to check that box if you don’t want the loan! Do apply for the grant though.
Why I Pay for University Myself
If your parents are willing to pay for your tuition, that’s great. But I actually found it extremely rewarding to pay for my own education because it made me appreciate it more. When I considered skipping class (and obviously never have…), I always thought about how much that class was costing me. It motivated me to keep going even when school got really tough because I know I am investing in my future (hopefully). It’s also nice to be independent and know I don’t have any real debt. So my only real advice to you is to work. I know it’s basic and obvious, but honestly, it’s really the only thing you can do, especially if you are on your own. And if you are worried about working part-time while studying, let me tell you, it’s totally possible. I wouldn’t even know what to do with my time if I was studying full-time and not working. Obviously, everyone has different learning styles and you might need the extra time, that’s understandable. I found it better for my time management to be busy, work, and study so I had clear windows when I would have to get things done, and less opportunity for procrastination (still do it though). Plus living on your own and being independent is kind of cool. You can eat cake for dinner and no one can tell you otherwise!
How Do I Pay for University?
In conclusion, I paid for my entire university education through working part- and full-time, receiving scholarships, and investing. It made me a better person and continues to do so. I learned how to balance a lot of things on my plate, get good grades, and still find time for relaxing, having fun, and having a social life. If I can do it, you can absolutely do it too.
Instagram: @sonyagankina
- Category: Student Voices
Occurring each semester, the Intopia Business Simulation allows for Strategic Management (ADM4311) students to compete in a simulated marketplace with two specified products. Teams must make hundreds of decisions which require expertise in accounting, finance, marketing, and management. The goal of this blog is to provide you with some helpful tips and tricks to help you in both your preparation for the simulation and your strategy during the game.
PREPARATION
1. Read the Manual & Watch ALL of the Preparation Videos
This may seem self-explanatory, but the best teams have a very deep understanding of how the simulation works, as well as how their decisions will impact their outputs each period. The manual details how different numbers on your balance sheet and income statement are calculated, which becomes extremely important when you begin calculating your cash flows each period.
2. Treat the Practice Round Like the Real Game
There are two different ways to approach what the simulation calls the “Market Trials” (A fancy way to say practice round). The first is to try as many different strategies as possible to see what your team may excel at, and to learn about all parts of the game. The second is to decide what your team’s real strategy is, and to use the Market Trials as practice for the actual simulation. Both approaches are valid, but no matter which one you choose, it is important to take the trials seriously. You should meet with your team before every decision, as you would during the simulation, and try to finish near the top of the leaderboard. Having a good reputation heading into the game can help your team secure loans and long-term contracts as teams are more confident in your ability to be profitable.
THE REAL GAME
3. Make Relationships Early
One of the most important tips to winning the Intopia Business Simulation has to do with how you interact with other teams. Whichever strategy you decide on, you are going to need to work with all different types of companies (teams). Having contracts signed for multiple periods not only eases your team’s stress, but also puts you in a much better position for the later periods as you start needing to either buy or sell more inventory due to increases in production capacity and demand.
4. Think About Leveraging Your Position to Start the Game
This strategy doesn’t necessarily apply to all company types, but if you are a producer looking to expand your operations as fast as possible, taking out a loan from another team to start the game can be a great idea. My team was an X producer that had the capital to build 4 plants in period 1. We decided to leverage ourselves, allowing us to build a fifth plant which gave us more inventory than all other X producers for a large portion of the game. In the Intopia Business Simulation, aggressive teams are rewarded as all teams are profitable, for the most part. Therefore, the teams that expand the quickest get a leg up on the competition strictly due to their higher inventory volume.
5. Start Paying Dividends as Early as Possible
The majority of your grade for the Intopia component of ADM4311 comes from your “Value Added” compared to other teams within your chosen strategy. Paying dividends directly increases your “Value Added”, and it can lead to money being reinvested into your company. You should become profitable by period 4, which is when you should begin repatriating your earnings from your areas of operation in order to pay dividends. This is another key tip to winning Intopia, and you should be paying higher dividends each period until you reach the maximum amount ($99,999,999). However, be sure you never decrease your dividends paid from period to period as it can lead to a lack of confidence from your shareholders.
6. Know your Numbers
This goes back to your preparation, but it is super important that you understand exactly how your cash flows work. Once you have a solid grasp on how much cash you have each period, you can start planning ahead to build plants or sales offices. Your team should have detailed spreadsheets that calculate your break-even point, projected cash flows and projected earnings, among other things. Receiving outputs each period that match your projections not only eases your stress, but also puts you in a great position for the upcoming rounds.
7. Be Aware of Tax Implications
Different Areas have different tax rates, and moving money around can help limit the amount of earnings you lose to taxes. Also, it can be beneficial to determine how you sell inventory based on tax rates (higher priced products get sold in areas with lower tax rates), in order to send more income to retained earnings each period.
I hope this blog helps you in completing, and hopefully winning, the Intopia Business Simulation. If you have any other questions feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
- Category: Student Voices
Deciding whether or not to attend a business school can be a challenging decision for high school graduates or business enthusiasts who aspire to start a business of their own. Given the many popular stories of college dropouts who later emerged to become business tycoons, decision-making becomes even more difficult.
So, you may be asking yourself, should I attend business school before starting my own business?
I can confidently say that business school did indeed help me start my own business.
In 2019, after years of freelancing and consultation, I founded a digital marketing agency named myMarketing.io. It is an Ottawa-based company focused on providing startups, small and medium-sized businesses with high-quality digital marketing at an affordable price.
The business was started during my studies. Today, six months later, myMarketing is a team of three individuals providing services to multiple clients. Although other factors played a role in the success of the company, such as professional experience, a strong network, and sufficient resources, attending business school was undoubtedly very useful.
Here are the top 10 ways business school helped me start my business:
1. Vast Connection and Networking
The greatest benefit of attending a business school is its vast and connected networks. In the context of running a business, networking is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to determining your business’ success. In some cases, the difference between a successful and failed business can be determined by a single valuable connection.
Attending business school allows you to build a network and make connections with like-minded people who have similar business interests. These connections can be a gateway to lucrative business opportunities for your future business. Having these connections is a valuable asset that belongs to you for the rest of your career. It might be difficult to imagine, but the connections you make in university may turn into your future client, partner, co-worker, mentor or investor.
Here’s a simple example from when I started my own business. When I began looking for employees for my newly launched company, the first people that came to mind were my university connections. Since I already knew them and had worked with them in the past, I was able to hire people that were the best fit for my business.
No matter which industry you are in, having quality employees is essential for your business growth. Investing your time in network building helps you identify qualified candidates. It is a very effective method to learn about their skills required to do the job as well.
2. Valuable Co-op Experience
Another benefit of enrollment in a business school is the opportunity to experience a co-op program. In this co-op program, a company hires students temporarily through schools. It is a mutually beneficial agreement between the student, employer and educational institute.
Students participating in co-op placements from business schools gain valuable, hands-on experience. While it is important to study and attend classes, the co-op program immensely helps you to expand your professional skills. It allows you to ‘put your foot in the door’ and begin your career in your field of study.
My co-op experience helped me learn about my interests, develop skills in my field and, most importantly, make valuable business connections.
Discovering my interest: My experience in co-op allowed me to expand my passion in my field and discover which areas were of interest to me and which weren’t. It also gave me the opportunity to test my own strengths and weaknesses and excel in certain areas of my field.
Developing my skills: Business school courses concentrate on the theoretical aspect of business, but lack practical business teaching. Fortunately, co-op provided practical experience that allowed me to develop my skills and start my business.
Expanding my network: My co-op experience played a crucial role in guiding my professional career. The connections I made during my co-op placements are still very relevant to my career today. Some connections have become my co-workers, others are my clients, and others are business promoters.
Whether you realize it or not, a co-op program that provides you with professional experience in your field is very important for your career.
3. General Business Know-How
Many startups fail due to the founder’s lack of basic professional knowledge. This is where a business school can make a big difference. They give students the opportunity to understand the basic functioning of a startup and give an overview of each major business field.
As an entrepreneur, you may be in charge of many aspects of your company. Due to this, it is essential to understand the basics of each business field such as managing finances, monitoring operations, marketing your products and many other general administrative tasks. Business graduates are much more likely to successfully manage these operations than those who have no theoretical background.
It is unquestionable that the general business knowledge I gained during my studies has been of extreme value when starting my company. Though I was always most interested in marketing, studying business allowed me to become knowledgeable in essential day-to-day activities for my business.
4. Communication and Presentation Skills
For business owners, communication can be a major key to success. From conducting meetings to public speaking, strong communication and presentation skills are very important. The better you become at communicating, the greater the chances that your message will influence the target audience.
During your studies in business, you will be exposed to several communication practices such as public speaking, formal presentations, networking, and so on. For people that are not experienced or comfortable communicating or presenting, attending business school gives them the much-needed practice to improve these skills.
During my studies, I presented dozens of times and communicated professionally with hundreds of people. This has helped me improve my communication skills and my body language, but most importantly, it has helped me boost my confidence. As a business owner, I am required to present to small groups and speak to other business professionals on a daily basis. I can confidently say that I would not be nearly as comfortable and knowledgeable in public speaking as I am now if it weren’t for my business classes.
5. Inspiration and Guidance
Attending a business school played a major role in inspiring and guiding me to launch my business. During your time in business school, you get to know many professors and classmates who can become a big source of inspiration for your professional development.
Guidance from mentors and encouragement from peers can act as a strong catalyst in an entrepreneur’s life. They are people that can teach you valuable lessons and provide you with insight on the rights and wrongs of running your own business.
During my studies, many students and professors have inspired me to bring me where I am today. From professors who had become successful business owners to students with side businesses, I can confidently say that these people have had an impact on my business.
6. Extracurricular Activities
A business school lets you explore more than just educational knowledge. It allows you to discover other areas of interest by participating in extracurricular activities beyond the classroom. These activities help you create more connections, develop new skills and give you more professional experience.
By joining university clubs, you work alongside other students to fulfill a common goal. You learn to manage responsibility, work in groups and develop many other important skills that prove to be useful when running your own business.
At my university, I was a part of the Telfer Marketing Association. In this club, I worked on different projects and made truly great connections. Apart from participating in activities at Telfer, I took part in different competitions that allowed me to gain business experience and improve my overall professional performance.
7. Access to Resources
Most business schools offer additional support both during and after your graduation. The foundation of a successful business is its valuable resources, and a business school gives access to many of these to its students. From finding suitable mentors to opportunities for funding, a university gives you access to resources that might otherwise be difficult to attain.
In order to launch and grow a business, funding is important. Fortunately, business schools give you access to various grants and funding opportunities. Many business schools have a special fund for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as strong networks which provide opportunities for you to pitch your business ideas to investors. For example, to foster and support entrepreneurship, the University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub has a four-month pre-accelerator program named Startup Garage. The mission of this program is to provide young entrepreneurs with the right mentorship, environment and funding to launch a new venture.
Business school also gives you access to experienced entrepreneurs and mentors. In entrepreneurship, experience is considered to be one of the most important assets. Finding the right mentor to help you guide your business is one of the best ways of gaining experience. They can provide you with the knowledge you need to improve business decisions and increase your chances of business success.
During my studies, the University of Ottawa gave me access to valuable resources like a strong network, mentors, databases and so on. These resources will be an asset to my business for years to come. I have already been able to profit from the resources offered at university, and I plan to continue capitalizing on them to grow my business.
8. Teamwork and Leadership Skills
Becoming an adept leader is not easy; it takes experience, knowledge and a series of important traits. However, the one thing that will help anyone improve their leadership skills is practice. In business school, students have the opportunity to practice these skills when participating in team projects and presentations. Having the opportunity to work in many different groups during your studies allows you to develop and sharpen your overall leadership skills.
Apart from academics, involvement in extracurricular activities can help you to develop leadership skills and improve teamwork abilities. Managing the day-to-day activities of your university clubs and working with teammates to achieve a common goal is an excellent way of developing your leadership capabilities.
During my time in business school, I participated in many activities that required teamwork. The valuable teamwork and leadership lessons I learned through academics, the co-op program, and extracurricular activities have become valuable skills for my career. These are skills that I use daily when managing my business and that are invaluable to my business’ success.
9. Work on your Business
For students who have recently started or would like to start a business during their studies, business school may offer them the opportunity to work on their business as assignments. Many classes may have project mandates that are relevant to your business and for which you will be able to implement in your business. This can be a great opportunity as it allows the student to receive relevant feedback from their professors and apply theoretical learnings to their business.
During my studies, some of my classes were able to contribute to what I was trying to build. For example, some of the services my company offers were thought of during my "New Venture Creation" class. I also had school projects that allowed me to work on launching my business. For example, the myMarketing.io website was designed during a project in my "Digital Marketing Technolgies" class.
10. Enhanced Credibility
It is undeniable that a business school degree helps strengthen the credibility of your business. As you already know, a degree helps candidates find a job, but what you may not realize is that a degree will also help a business owner attract prospects, clients, investors and partners to their business.
For business success, credibility is paramount; it is linked to client acquisition, investor trust, supplier confidence, business reputation and much more. A student that succeeds to build a strong reputation during their time in business school is likely to have much more success in their business ventures.
Throughout my time at university, I worked hard to try to stand out in each of my classes. My hard work allowed me to complete my program with one of the highest grades at Telfer. By doing this, I was able to prove myself as a credible connection to those in my network. The credibility I earned during my time in business school will be an asset to me for the rest of my career. Above all, the degree that I will receive at graduation will certify my credibility as a professional and the credibility of my business.
My Final Thoughts
After all, business school played a great role in starting my own digital marketing company. Today, with so many competitors in the industry, I consider my experience in business school a very valuable asset to my business.
I am thankful for having invested valuable time and effort in my university studies. They have truly paid off and will undoubtedly benefit my career and myMarketing.io for years to come.
- Category: Student Voices
Choosing a university may seem like an easy task – those who have gone through the process know that it can be extremely difficult. Choosing a school based on academics is important, but you should consider non-academic factors in your decision as well. This ensures you choose a school that best suits your personality and lifestyle.
Since choosing a university is such an important decision, you must take time to do your research and compare the options. Luckily, I have made a checklist to give you advice on how to choose a university. While researching, remember to consider not just your short-term (first-year) needs, but also consider the long-term (second, third and fourth-year) goals.
1. Research the Program
The most important thing when choosing a university is the program. After narrowing down your program, it is important to compare between different universities. For example, the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa offers a different course sequence in their Bachelor of Commerce program than the University of Guelph. Along with this, you must consider the internship opportunities that schools may offer you, and whether a co-op option is available, if that is something you are interested in. Ensuring that you are educated on the differences between your program of choice across all of the universities you are considering is crucial in your decision-making process.
2. Use the University Rankings to Guide You
After you research the program, it is important to educate yourself on the reputation of the universities you have shortlisted. To do this, you first need to choose the factors that are the most important to you. Whether it is based on its national reputation, student life or extracurriculars, the Build Your Own Ranking tool by Maclean’s is the best way to compare university rankings.
3. Research About the Lifestyle
Another important factor to consider when choosing a university is the lifestyle. This includes extracurriculars such as sports, clubs and activities offered on campus. For some students, these extracurriculars shape their university experience. If this is you, it is extremely important to research this topic before deciding. Most universities have a page dedicated to the extracurriculars offered on their campus. The lifestyle also includes the “vibe” of the off-campus life. Accessing information regarding the off-campus life can be difficult. The best way to get accurate information on this topic is to consult a friend or someone who you may be connected with who attends or has attended the university.
4. Research the Campus and the Facilities/Resources Offered
The campus “feel” is something that is extremely important as you are going to be spending the next, at least, four years there. The first thing you should do is decide if you want to attend a university with a small campus feel, or a larger university. Once you have decided, you should conduct research on each campus. Your research should include the buildings (especially the one specific to your faculty) along with facilities such as gyms, libraries, residences, food services, and more. Along with this, it is important to familiarize yourself with the resources offered on campus. This includes counselling services, academic help services, health services, and many others.
All of this may seem overwhelming, but familiarizing yourself with the campus will aid you in making the right decision for you. The best way to gain research first-hand is to experience the campus and go on a tour held by the university. If you are unable to do this, then make sure you research thoroughly. Many universities even offer virtual campus tours as well!
5. Research the City Where the University is Located
Once you choose a university, you will be living in that city for at least four years, so it’s important to inform yourself about what the city offers! Yes, this includes things to do with friends, such as places to eat. Although, it also includes necessities such as grocery stores, public transit, and other important services. Consider what your needs are, and evaluate if the city meets your needs. Two websites that may help with your research are TripAdvisor and Yelp.
6. Research Scholarships and Bursaries Offered by Your Top Choices
Securing financial assistance for post secondary can be time consuming, so start your research early. Read six tips to winning scholarships – it's worth your time. There are several available paths where funding may be available, those include grants, bursaries and student loans to name a few. Generally speaking, grants and bursaries do not need to be paid back as long as you satisfy the requirements for those awards. Student loans do need to be paid back. Financial aid tools for Canadian students can be found at the Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid; this source includes provincially-funded aid programs. Scholarships Canada is a searchable database of thousands of scholarships, prizes and bursaries for students entering their first year of post-secondary studies in Canada.
Choosing a university is extremely overwhelming and can be difficult. By researching everything on my checklist above, you will be informed enough when it comes time to decide. Taking all of these factors into account, I have no doubt that you will find the university that best suits you.
Now that you have read this post, I expect you will begin your research with a little more guidance than before. If you don’t know where to start, I suggest you begin by consulting the Maclean’s Education Hub where you can find an array of information regarding academics, money, student living, and rankings.
- Category: Student Voices
Hobbies are an excellent way to spend your spare time and unwind from a day of classes and studying. Spending time doing a hobby you enjoy can improve mental health and lower stress levels.
The following hobbies will encourage you to get out of your regular routine and focus on something outside of school for a few hours. These activities can be done alone, with a friend or with a group. All of these hobbies are opportunities to learn new skills, to simply relieve stress, or to help you to discover a new passion!
1. Learn to make pottery at Hintonburg Pottery
Take a one time workshop or sign up for a series of classes. Hintonburg Pottery has a wide selection of classes for beginners where you can create a beautiful piece of pottery to bring home! One time workshops start at $75.
2. Take an art class at the City of Ottawa
Interested in drama, music, dance, painting, drawing and pretty much any other form of art? The City of Ottawa has a course for you. Learn a new skill and get to know people in your community! Courses range from $24 and up to fit any budget.
3. Take a woodworking class at Ottawa City Woodshop
The Ottawa City Woodshop offers a wide variety of courses for all skill levels. Learn to build anything from a toboggan to a coffee table. Courses start at $150, but provide invaluable lessons and a beautiful product to bring home. Also, if you enjoy woodworking you can build your own creations at the shop by getting a monthly membership.
4. Paint ceramics at The Mud Oven
Choose from a huge selection of premade figurines, mugs, vases and pots and get creative. Paint to your heart's desire and pick up your glazed and fired item a week later. Ceramics start at $17 a piece.
5. Learn to rock climb at Coyote Rock Gym
Coyote Rock Gym was Ottawa’s first rock climbing gym. It has five dedicated bouldering areas, which make it a great place to learn the basics. A basic intro lesson for first time climbers is free, and for just $40 you can get a two-hour lesson that covers basic climbing techniques, climbing terminology and more.
6. Learn to Box at Beaver Boxing
Beaver Boxing Club is one of the most affordable sports memberships you will find in Ottawa. It is a not-for-profit organization with incredible student membership fees. Drop in for a technical boxing class for just $12, or join for a month for $42.22 with their student discount.
7. Take a yoga class at Elevate Yoga
Drop in for an Elevate Yoga class for $20 plus a 20% student discount. Elevate offers classes for all skill levels which makes it a great place to learn. Also, Elevate offers a volunteer program where you can work for 3.5 hours per week in exchange for unlimited yoga classes. This is a great opportunity for students on a low budget.
8. Taking a cooking class at La Bottega Nicastro
Do you love Italian food? La Bottega Nicastro has a large variety of cooking and wine classes to choose from. Learn about food from different regions of Italy and enjoy a three course meal after. Their experiences start at $60.
9. Offer your time with Volunteer Ottawa
Giving back to your community can be extremely rewarding. Volunteering is an excellent way to get out of your routine, meet new people and help out those in need. Find a cause that speaks to you!
10. Teach yourself a new skill online
Taking classes might not be in everyone’s budget. Thanks to the Internet, there are thousands of online resources regarding any hobby you might be interested in. Here are a few you can check out for inspiration:
As you can see, there are endless opportunities when it comes to finding a hobby. Hobbies offer you a time to be creative and de-stress during the stressful school semester. I hope this article helped inspire you and if it did, be sure to share it with your friends! For more content regarding things to do in Ottawa visit https://www.rebeccastiletto.com/.
- Category: Student Voices
As a fourth-year BCom Marketing student, I never could have imagined that the end of my semester would be suddenly shifted from in-person lectures to online learning. While the adjustment was at first stressful, it is certainly necessary so that we can all practice social distancing.
After two full weeks of this “distance learning” thing, I think I’ve finally got a handle on balancing productivity and self-care by trying to stick to a productive schedule. Here’s how my days of studying at home are going:
9:00 a.m.
I try not to sleep past 9:00 a.m. in the mornings in order to avoid that groggy feeling. I start off with a few stretches to some of my favourite tunes. Then, I usually make tea and oatmeal for breakfast.9:45 a.m.
This is my 15-minute window to scroll through social media, text friends and family, and just relax before starting a day of studying. I’ll also go through my playlists to decide the type of music I want to listen to throughout the day. The right type of music will help you focus and stay motivated. I highly recommend Spotify’s Brain Food playlist that’s specifically designed for studies.10:00 a.m.
Once I open up my laptop, the first thing I do is check-in with my teammates on various group projects. It’s important to stay updated on everyone’s progress to help the team feel supported, and stay on track to meet deadlines. One of my groups recently started using Google Hangouts, which is a great tool for group video calls and screen sharing.11:00 a.m.
Depending on my priorities, I’ll usually take the late-morning to work on assignments like my Business Ethics essay or watch online lectures. Yesterday, I learned about paid advertising in the online lecture for my Digital Marketing class!
1:00 p.m.:
After a couple hours of studying, it’s lunch time - be sure to eat something nutritious and rich with vitamins to strengthen your health. Sometimes I check out EatingWell’s website for hundreds of quick and easy healthy recipes. I try to make lunch even more fun by scheduling video lunch dates with friends and co-workers so that you can eat and chat together, virtually, to avoid feeling lonely or isolated.
2:00 p.m.:
I’ll take the next 3 hours to be as productive as possible, knowing that after 5:00 p.m., I start to get distracted easily. Being productive doesn’t mean non-stop work though. I try to take 10-minute breaks after every hour of work to breathe, move around, or step outside. I love using the short guided meditations from the non-profit, Smiling Mind app, which has hundreds of meditation programs for free.5:30 p.m.:
Depending on upcoming deadlines, I might need to do more work into the evening, but I am always sure to go on a walk in my neighbourhood before sunset. Whether you go on your own with music, while chatting on the phone with friends, or with family, the fresh air is sure to brighten your spirit and clear your mind.For the rest of the evening, I try to connect with my friends and family over video calls, plan my schedule for the next day, and watch some TV, of course. Netflix Party is an awesome extension so that you can watch Netflix “with” your friends, from anywhere in the world.
Regardless of what your distance learning routine is, the important thing is that you have a routine that will help you feel normal and stay organized during the remaining of this unprecedented semester. Your schedule should include time to connect with your loved ones and with yourself so that you can maximize your study sessions and ace the rest of the semester. Even if you stray from your schedule, it’s alright - simply try to refocus when you catch yourself getting distracted, and don’t add too much pressure on yourself. The University of Ottawa and the Telfer School are here to support you through this crazy time.
You can schedule phone appointments with our Career Centre on Career Launch, contact the Co-op office at
- Category: Student Voices
Written By: Alexander Campbell, Telfer MBA Candidate
From January 3rd to 6th, a group of 17 talented MBA students from the Telfer School of Management travelled to Hamilton, Ontario to compete in the 2020 MBA Games. The MBA Games is one of the largest student-run competitions in Canada, where delegates come together from across Canada to compete in three areas: Academics, Athletics and Spirit.
In Academics, our “Wildcard” case competition team took on a case about Corporate Social Responsibility and advanced to the finals, placing them in the top four among all MBA programs across the country. The team was comprised of Candyce Yue Sun, Jason Tsang and Matt Gibbons. We also fielded teams in the Finance, Marketing and Strategy categories.
Wildcard Team
In Academics, our “Wildcard” case competition team took on a case about Corporate Social Responsibility and advanced to the finals, placing them in the top four among all MBA programs across the country. The team was comprised of Candyce Yue Sun, Jason Tsang and Matt Gibbons. We also fielded teams in the Finance, Marketing and Strategy categories.
In Athletics, our volleyball team played four hard-fought games but did not advance past the round-robin. Our basketball team notched a victory against the Haskayne School of Business (Calgary) but also was not able to advance.
In Spirit, we rocked some impressive dance moves at the opening ceremonies, found a creative way to crack an egg with our Rube Goldberg Machine, and came within a second of knocking the host, DeGroote School of Business, out of the Minute-to-Win-It competition.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the team was able to raise a total of $870 for the MBA Games’ charitable partner, Empowerment Squared, an organization that empowers youth to realize their potential and achieve their dreams through mentorship, access to post-secondary education, information literacy, and sports and recreation.
All the team’s successes over the weekend were made possible by generous contributions from our sponsors: The Telfer School of Management, QMR Consulting, and Welch LLP.
- Category: Student Voices
Written by Alex Dalcourt, fourth-year Telfer Bachelor of Commerce student
I almost missed my first class of the semester...I caught a cold and have dark circles under my eyes. So why do I still have an unwavering smile? All of this is a welcomed sacrifice, since I had the privilege of spending the first weekend of the new year in Montréal at the Jeux Du Commerce competition alongside 82 fellow Telfer students. The slogan for this edition of the games was: #expérienceJDC—and wow, it was quite an experience!
I was part of the Debate team, and though we did not win (we lost in the quarter-finals), I am nonetheless proud of our performance. We held weekly practices since the start of the academic year, and we all improved tremendously under the supervision of our extraordinary coach.
As well, the other Telfer teams that I saw present (Marketing, Entrepreneurship and the Surprise case) were all terrific. It is clear that the entire Telfer JDC team learned many practical concepts that will be useful throughout our professional careers.
Memories Worth Much More than a Trophy
“So Alex,” friends ask me, “why was this weekend such a success, if you didn’t win?” It’s simple: because I have memories that are worth much more than a trophy. (Yes, the trophy would have been a nice bonus, but regardless...).
This academic competition is a powerful catalyst for building friendships with other Telfer students during bus trips, meals, galas, while waiting in hotel rooms, through the lack of sleep, and the jokes that are only funny because of sleep deprivation, and so on. I came out of this weekend with 81 new friends whom I will have the pleasure of seeing during and between classes in the Desmarais Building. I also came back with songs like Sam Hunt’s “House Party” stuck in my head because it was played non-stop on the bus, as well as with increased knowledge of horoscopes thanks to my new friend, and with a better idea of where various Québec universities are located in the famous Belle Province.
The atmosphere surrounding this competition promotes mutual support and collegiality among participating universities; it gave me a unique opportunity to connect with people from across Eastern Canada—whether they were from the University of Moncton, the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University, and Université Laval. I had the privilege of spending time with them during the many hours we spent in isolation, playing Werewolf Hangman, and card games.
A Competition, After All
I will always remember the debates my team and I had—after all, this competition had an academic goal!
The topics were sometimes a little obscure—for example, the debate on the Canada–United States Safe Third Country Agreement, where we did not have Internet access to find out its specific content. However, all in all, we did rather well, and I’m very proud of that. As a result of the critical analysis skills and general knowledge we gained during our practices, we were ready to tackle almost any case that could have been thrown at us with a fresh mind and strong team spirit.
In short, this impressive competition (with 1,300 participants and organized by students) was a genuine success, in my opinion, both for my team and for the entire delegation. So, am I tired? Definitely! But am I happy to have participated in the 2020 Jeux du Commerce? That's for sure. Fatigue will dissipate, but the memories of this #experience will last forever.
About the Author:
Name: Alex Dalcourt
Email address:
LinkedIn
Instagram: @alex.dalcourt
Born in Hearst, Ontario, Alex Dalcourt is a 4th year student at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa in the Bachelor of Commerce and Juris Doctor program. He currently works as a mentor at the Telfer School and as a tutor at the University's Faculty of Law. In addition, he was co-president of the 16th edition of Place à la Jeunesse, an academic competition managed at the Telfer School.
- Category: Latest News
On May 9, 2015 candidates from the Class of 2016 travelled to Silicon Valley as a part of Telfer Executive MBA's Innovation and Entrpreneurship Trip and Consulting Project.
Over the duration of the week, the teams of candidates will finalize their findings and will submit their final recommendations to their San Jose-based start-up client. The objective of the report is to address a business problem as well as to understand the challenges and opportunities of doing business in a highly innovative environment.
In addition, candidates will also visit several of the world's leading technology companies, attend private executive briefings with senior Silicon Valley leaders and see first-hand previews of the future technology and innovation. Technology companies on the agenda for this year include IBM, AVAYA Inc., Stanford University, Rocketspace, Google, Aruba Networks, and US Market Access Centre.
Teams will be contributing to a daily blog which will be featured on the Telfer Executive MBA webpage as well as the Ottawa Business Journal.
Anticipation for the trip
Published on Monday, May 14, 2015 by Salim Charabati, Telfer Executive MBA candidate
The return of Silicon Valley North?
Published on Tuesday, May 15, 2015 by Deepali Bhatt, Telfer Executive MBA candidate
Lessons learned on day one
Published on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 by Taylor Bildstein, Telfer Executive MBA candidate
Touring IBM and more
Published on Thursday, May 21, 2015 by Mathieu Leduc, Telfer Executive MBA candidate
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Student Voices
The following article was written by a member of our student community. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Telfer School of Management. For more information or to flag inappropriate content, please