Student Voices
- 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.