Farewell to our current blog team
27th July 2021
As the academic year has come to an end and all our students look forward to a well earned summer rest, it is time to say farewell to our current Accounting and Finance Blog team. James, Jess, Sam and Santeeno have done a fabulous job writing a variety of interesting posts demonstrating what life is like as a student studying our course as well as demonstrating all the wonderful knowledge they have learnt. As they head to graduation, we wish them all the best in their future career or further study paths. Here are a few words from each of them on their time at the University of Gloucestershire:
James Ayling
My time at university has been a life-changing experience, giving me many learning curves both socially and academically of which have developed my character far more than I ever expected. For me personally, the Advanced Taxation Module taught excellently by Natasha and the Financial Economics module taught by Sri have stood out to me, but more-so I am especially fond of the Financial Planning module at Level 5 and the Wealth Management module at Level 6, both of which being very similar to one another. These modules have given me an interesting and fascinating introduction to the industry of financial planning and it has been genuinely fun working out solutions and thinking in-depth about people’s hypothetical financial situations. It is because of these modules and the inspirational and friendly teachings of Clair Vincent that I’ve decided to pursue Financial Planning as a career. The university has given us an opportunity to study and sit the exam of R01, the first unit of the CII’s Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning for financial planners, and kindly paid for it as well; I’m not sure if or how many other universities offer this. As a result, this has given me a much-appreciated boost into the industry which should look excellent on my CV and one of the prime take-aways of my experience here.
Jess Morgan
I was apprehensive about joining university as a mature student, dropping my career in the transport industry to learn and work towards gaining qualifications related to finance. However, this was completely the right decision and has placed me on a more fulfilling path. The modules that I enjoyed most were Financial Planning, Wealth Management and Financial Economics as we were tasked with creating a portfolio and how best to diversify between assets. Being a member of the accounting and finance blog team allowed me to further my knowledge and understanding of concepts using real world examples. Working alongside the other members to research current issues in the industry has been an enjoyable experience.
I have enjoyed my three years so much that I will be staying on at the university to complete my master’s degree in financial technology in September.
Sam Cooper
I have thoroughly enjoyed my three years at university, even with the effects of the pandemic. When looking back on my time at university, I can say I am proud of what I have accomplished. Living away from home has provided me with essential life skills, and I have been able to meet a fantastic group of people. My favourite modules that I have studied include data analysis, integrated project management, business strategy, and wealth management. I am interested in management accounting and the modules I have studied have allowed me to work towards a CIMA qualification. Wealth management was a particular favourite of mine because we learnt about important financial terms such as pensions and tax. I have enjoyed being a member of the blog team. It has been a fun experience; researching different topics and writing about them. It has been beneficial for my CV and I have been able to talk about the blog in job interviews.
Santeeno Black
My time at university will always be one to remember. University was always one of my goals in life I wanted to complete, so writing this post at this time when I have finally finished, I now look back and I am proud of myself. I enjoyed the responsibility of living away from home and adapting to a new environment and learning the ways of life around Gloucestershire. All the modules I did over the three years have set me up with important life skills that I will continue to transfer throughout the rest of my career. My tax module was my favourite, tax is something we will encounter in our life, so I enjoyed all the rules, application and planning that is involved with this module. Taking part in writing the blog was fun, I enjoyed working with the team even over the time of the pandemic. The team was different individuals with different interest in Accounting and Finance and it was a good opportunity to learn from each other. I was not a member of any of the societies while at university but the blog made up for that and it was time well spent together.
Thank you for reading,
The Accounting and Finance Blog Team
We are now looking to recruit new members to the blog team ahead of the new academic year! If you are a student at the university and studying Accounting and Finance or Accounting and Business Management and would like the opportunity to write for us then please get in touch, nhawkins3@glos.ac.uk.