Business Administration at York University
Brandon (Year 2)
brandonluong6@gmail.com
@brandonluong__
What did you wish you knew before going to your university? What made you choose this institution over all others? What are advantages and disadvantages of your institution or campus? List any advice for incoming first-year students about your university.
The largest factor for me personally was the relatively quick commute; York is close enough for me to take public transit everyday, which saves me from having to live on residence. Just residence money alone over 4 years would add up to a large sum of money, which I am glad to be saving. After very little research, I also quickly found out that Schulich was a renowned school and held in high regard, which would definitely be an asset when looking for a job post grad, or even looking for summer or internship opportunities.York also has one of the largest campuses in Canada, offering a wide range of amenities.
What did you wish you knew before choosing your specific program? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your program? List any advice for incoming first-year students about your program of study.
In all honesty, business was definitely not on the forefront of my mind, and was more of a backup plan in case I changed my mind about my other preferred program. Regardless, going into my first year, I felt that I knew relatively less about business than the other students in my program.
Despite all this, Schulich offers many opportunities for networking, as well as a wide variety of clubs for experiencing the different areas that business has to offer; clubs may even host events open to all students, such as case competitions. With all this in mind, I definitely regret not taking the opportunity to join a club, meet some professionals with real world job experience, or even attend a case comp, which would have given me exposure and familiarity and only help me feel more comfortable with what business has to offer.
What was your favourite university experience?
For me, Frosh was definitely the highlight of my first year. It was an incredible week and was a great opportunity for meeting your first group of friends, familiarizing yourself with some upper years who can help you out throughout the year, and see the vibe that York and Schulich has to offer, provided that you put in the effort to put yourself out there. It also gives you the opportunity to sort of learn your way around the University, since York's campus is actually really big and takes a bit to find your way around.
What was your least favourite university experience?
Definitely leaving all my work and studying for exams to the last minute was my worst experience at Schulich. Obviously, it was something that was my own fault and was an issue that was easily avoidable if I just had a better work ethic and was more mindful with my time. I still strongly believe that the amount of work required to be put in to do well is very reasonable.
What is the hardest part about your program and what were the steps that you took to overcome any difficulties?
I don't believe the program itself is very challenging, provided that you actually put in an adequate amount of effort (something that I didn't do enough of). Some specific courses to look out for is MGMT1000 (Intro to business) since it's a course revolved around group work, so it can be a bit of a wild card; and MGMT1050 (business analytics) which may require the most work and seemed to have messed up the most people.
If you were able to take electives, what was your favourite elective? If you were not able to take electives, what was your favourite course and why?
Definitely accounting (Both ACTG2010 and ACTG2011); it was one of the subjects that I actually felt like I understood, and the professors seemed to be very passionate about both accounting and our education. This made the course more fun and informative than the other lectures.
Additional Comments
Schulich is known for not having any co-op placements; however, that's not to say that there aren't any good opportunities for internships or summer placements. York provides many opportunities for job fairs, where students are frequently getting hired. Additionally, Schulich offers many networking opportunities to expand your connections which can even net you a position that you otherwise wouldn't have been able to find. There are also many chances for you to work on your resumes and interview skills through workshops and whatnot.