Work hard, analyze data harder!
Hello, I am Iliriana Asani, a finance major student at Millikin University, inspired to be a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). It is a sunny Tuesday afternoon in November at Millikin University, and I am collecting information from students and professors on their daily routine at MU. There’s no typical day here, but one thing is for sure: students maximize every opportunity they have.
Julia Zmucki, a Finance major student, is sharing her routine with me. For a sense of what daily life is like at MU, Julia gives a great description. HINT: There is data involved. For Zmucki, the experience has been great because she is currently studying to be in the financial investing industry. She is among the outstanding undergraduates named to the Dean’s List at MU for the spring 2021 semester.
Keeping in mind that Julia is a senior, she describes her routine as follows: On normal days, she gets up by 6:30 am, gets ready and starts her internship where she organizes a lot of data and information. “I organize commission statements, reconcile them, import the data and write of the checks to be reviewed by higher management,” Julia explained. At 1 pm she instructs Markets and Institutions class, in which she teaches about day-to-day financial institutions, agencies, the Fed etc. She claims that some finance students involve in creating presentations for different companies, regarding their financial statements and cash flows. Hint: financial calculations. Also, she engages in projects and events. When asked about what she does outside of school activities, Julia said that she tries to be active by working out. Besides, Julia is also a team member of the Tabor Student Advisory Council’ Supplement Instructor. “I do homework and study for my future exams, there is always something to learn”, said Zmucki. This is a repetitive cycle for her, or any other students who might be dedicated to college as much as Julia is.
“All that I am doing in the school is giving me the opportunity to work with what I could be working with in the future,” Zmucki said.
Assistant Professor of Finance
Tabor School of Business
I also had a chat with Dr. Marquette, Assistant Professor of Finance at MU, regarding a day in the life of a finance student, who shared some important advice about finance majors.
Dr. Marquette teaches most of the finance classes, therefore we spend a lot of time learning together. When asked what is expected from finance students, he responded: “Study! Keep up with their classwork. I think they should treat their college career as a full-time job”. From this, we can understand that students are expected to be on top of the game, spending 40+ hours per week over schoolwork. Keeping this in mind, the finance professor said that it is good for students to engage in industry-related extracurriculars. Most students work, which cuts the time that they could spend outside school activities. He encourages students to spend time studying, watching for current economic conditions and engaging/networking more. Dr. Marquette gives a very important advice to his students:
“Network. It is never too early to network and build contacts, both high and low, from professionals in the fields.”
A student’s life is filled with a lot of challenges, sacrifices, anxiety, stress, passion, but most importantly hope. We all work towards our goals, no matter what major we choose. One way might be harder than another, but at the end of the day, there is no substitute for hard work.