It never gets easier, you get better.
It’s no secret that college students are extremely busy. Between classes, tests and homework, students must have proper time management habits in order to balance it all. Not to mention that the social aspect of college life full of extracurricular activities, clubs and spending time with friends leaves students with even more to juggle. I interviewed Kentina Ishimwe to get an insight of a day in her life.
Kentina Ishimwe is finance major, she came to the U.S. in Spring 2020 to pursue a higher education, and since then, she has found passion in learning about the ways of the world and herself included. when asked what a day in her life looks like she said during school the year, her day resembles the typical day of most college students.
Her day is characterized by classes, studying, or completing work whenever she can. she also works which, tends to make her day a little bit longer. When all these activities are done, she allows herself to rest. She also works on campus as an Admission student worker/ tour guide, a peer tutor for IS 120, a custodian student worker and a residence academic peer mentor in Blackburn 2. She says it can seem like a lot of work, but it is all about being organized. Besides work, she is part of the Women in Business Organization (WIB), the African Student Organization (ASO), and the International Student Organization (ISO). Her advice to other finance students is to make sure that you know what you are in for. If given an opportunity, you should strive to do an internship or be a part of a business to make sure that Finance is what you want to do. I say this because, in my opinion, what we do in class is theory-based so, that can take you only so far. If you have experience in your field of studies, you have an advantage.
I also got the chance to talk to interview Dr. Michael Osei. He is an Assistant Professor of Financial Economics at Tabor School of Business, Millikin University. My teaching responsibilities include Financial Management, Investment, International Finance, and Principles of Macroeconomics and Microeconomics.
What inspired you to have a career in business?
Finance is the most important aspect of a business. Finance is an important part of everyday life and financial literacy can be the difference between poverty and a great life well-lived. The importance of financial literacy and smart financial decision-making cannot be overemphasized. Finance and Economics are both included in the so-called FAME subjects (Finance, Accounting, Management, and Economics). I wanted to be a professor of financial economics, in part, to help students understand the economic world that they live in and the basic financial skills necessary to make the decisions that will support a healthy and financially secure future.
Do you have any advice or motto to give to a finance student?
The world of finance is vast, has a greater job mobility and higher growth rate than most business careers. Financial literacy is also very important in today’s society and a major in finance will help you make financially responsible decisions. So welcome to the world of finance! Remember, every decision in life involves a tradeoff so if you have made the decision to be in school and to pursue a major in Finance then make it count; give it your best shot no matter how challenging it may be! Choose excellence and do not settle for mediocrity or resort to excuses. No matter your background, believe you can for “if you can believe, all things are possible to [the one] who believes”. See each day as a gift and always make the most out of it!
written by
Kellia Urujeni
A Day in the Life at Millikin: Finance Major
The Tabor School of business always calls forth the most motivated students to achieve their dreams. Drew Detmers is no exception to this rule. Playing both baseball and being a full-time student takes a toll on both the mind and body. Drew has been able to do both and excel in the process. I decided to ask him about his daily routine to best understand how he can keep himself composed when faced with never-ending tasks to complete in a day.
Drew mentioned that most of his work is done in the morning. Sometimes over breakfast, he will check how his investments are doing, then heads off to his team lift around 7:00 AM. For the next hour or so, this morning lift helps him get ready for his day. “Although the lift itself can be rough, a cold shower and a smoothie after will almost always get me awake and ready for my classes.” Once done with his lift and a quick visit to his apartment, Drew sets off for his classes.
The next few hours of Drew’s day are spent in class. He takes a variety of different courses, from accounting to communication. After his courses, he heads home to his apartment and takes a mental break. “Sometimes, depending on what I am doing later, I will cook my meal based around the rest of my day. Carbs for team practices, or something simple like a burrito to get my protein in.” He will then use this fuel to “reset” and get himself ready for the second half of his day.
After a few hours of mental and physical rest, he heads to the field. Drew, being a baseball player, has many different things he chooses to work on. More than often though, this is playing catch. “Going through my pregame routine and getting a feel for my mechanics has become a big part of my day. It helps me get my mind off life for a bit and flip the switch from being in school.” After his time at the ballfield, Drew will head to his apartment and shower.
The rest of his day comprises of homework, dinner, and watching some television. “I usually try to get my homework done as soon as possible once my day is over. I don’t like the idea of responsibilities hanging out in the wind that I could forget about.” Drew will almost always fit his dinner in sometime during the homework process, whenever he thinks he needs a mental break. Once done with all his responsibilities for the day, TV shows like Breaking Bad or Outer Banks help him finish his day off.
Upon being asked for advice for those entering the Finance world, Drew wants those considering knowing how important understanding finance is for the real world. That finance can be a skill outside of work. It can impact your everyday life as an adult.
“Financial literacy is one of the most valuable life skills. Understanding these concepts is not just good for your job. It applies to the future you want to create for yourself.” -Drew Detmers
Another important figure when inspecting the Tabor School of Business at Millikin University is Shailesh Patel. A former CFO turned professor now teaching accounting, Patel has all the skills needed to give students the best information in his classes. Patel and I have built up a relationship over the past few years, as I have been in both of his accounting classes so far. After class one day, I brought to him three questions. These were his responses.
“What do you like most about teaching here?”
Patel mentions how the smaller-sized classrooms allows him to engage more with his students and have meaningful conversations. He smiles about a conversation we shared about Bitcoin one afternoon. “At a big school, I would never have those simple talks.”
“How does being a CFO impact your teaching style?”
Patel points out how accounting is very different internally from company to company, and that he can bring his own stories to better explain some things we are currently learning. He goes on to mention how he “joined a company and spent months trying to find where millions of dollars were going” due to the company’s accounting statements.
“What advice would you give students entering Finance and the School of Business?”
Immediately Patel mentions the passion needed to be in this profession. “There are a lot of late nights the higher up you go.” He then goes on to highlight the work you put in is what you get out. That you need to make it all count.
Crunching the Numbers of Life
Charly Warlow
Goal driven accounting major with dreams of opening my own firm. Athlete, teammate, family oriented, and crazy about my dogs!
The business world can be a very complex world to pursue as a student. Accounting specifically might be considered tricky for some and may even deter students from the major. This major requires a lot of organization, calculation, and determination. With the help of your classmates and professors, you can guide yourself in the right direction to be successful.
“Every decision in life involves a tradeoff so if you have made the decision to be in school then make it count; give it your best shot no matter how challenging it may be! See each day as a gift and always make the most out of it!”
-Michael Osei
Michael Osei is a professor in The Tabor School of Business at Millikin University, teaching financial and economic based classes. Michael stresses the importance of relying on others in your major and asking for help. He says, “Reach out to your professors or classmates if you need help with the class materials.” He is a firm believer in people being there to help you if you have questions.
Micheal also believes in making the most out of every day and believing in yourself. He lives by the quote, “if you can believe, all things are possible to [the one] who believes.” This quote is especially true for an accounting major, as sometimes you might feel like giving up but you have to remember that all things are possible. As a student of Michaels, I have been able to learn, ask questions, and be pushed to be the best student I can be, while always believing in myself.
“Advice I have for other people would be to stay on top of things and use your resources. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others for help.”
-Elyce Knudsen
Accounting major, Elyce Knudsen, is a sophomore at Millikin University. As well as being a dedicated accounting student, Elyce is starting her second season on the women’s basketball team. Elyce spends her time on campus, in the classroom and on the basketball court.
Elyce enjoys routine and structure which is huge when balancing school and athletics. She says, “at the start of the week I like to write down important due dates and cross them off as I go.” She doesn’t like to look too far ahead as it can sometimes stress her out. By planning her week ahead of time, she knows exactly what has to be done on what day.
Elyce goes to class every day and then spends her time working on homework or studying. During the afternoons/evenings she spends hours practicing or playing basketball. To wrap up her day, Elyce makes sure that she got everything done for the day and takes some time for herself/friends.
Elyce knows what it takes in order to be successful both in the classroom and athletically. When juggling both school and basketball, Elyce tries to manage her time effectively. During season she gets very busy and has to work really hard to get everything done on time.
She prioritizes her accounting/business specific classes over her non major courses, as these are the classes that she enjoys the most. Elyce says, “I try to make sure I’m on top of things, if I’m missing class because of a game.” Elyce’s dedication and ability to thrive in routine and structure is the driving force behind her success both academically and athletically.
Cyber Survival Guide
My name is Kierra Turner, and I am currently a Junior Cybersecurity major. Along with my academics I am also apart of some organizations on campus. The major is constantly changing to stay ahead of challenges that are could be a problem later on. I had the chance to talk to one of my professors whose name is Ed Weber. During my interview with Professor Weber we discussed what drew him into Cybersecurity, why he became a professor and also some tips and advice for success in both the major and the career.
What inspired him was his first job at Mercantile Bank where he was doing his regular daily job when an unencrypted file had been chosen at random for review. In the file were passwords which were written in plain text. Seeing this made him realize that even if your role isn’t security, you still have to deal with security. One of the biggest challenges Weber said was making sure that all that you do is on the ethical side. He also stated that he believed that someone could be in Cybersecurity and not have strong technical skills which can be the challenge for some. “Don’t get frustrated about not knowing” is some of the advice that Weber gave for students in not only the Cybersecurity majors but for most MIS majors as well. He went on to explain how in our industry its constantly changing and to not get discouraged from the change.
When asked about tips on how to succeed in our future careers he emphasized the balance needed. In this field there need to be a balance between the technical skills as well as the interpersonal skills. He went on to explain the misconnection that is usually given with the two and highlights the fact that even the best needs to present their ideas, as well as relaying crucial details and information. To wrap up his interview I inquired about what it was that made him want to go into teaching. He explained that after an extensive number of positions he was offered an opportunity to teach as an adjunct. During helping guide his class into doing it the correct way he realized this was what he was supposed to be doing, helping people.
I was able to interview an undergraduate Cybersecurity major whose name is Matthew Ranney. I asked Matthew how he would describe a day in his life with the major that he is in. He described it as challenging having to keep up with the numerous changes faced in Cybersecurity along with attending classes and going over the needed material. He explained that some classes were better than others with providing the sort of material where Cybersecurity came into play. He also explained how he would give roughly 10-20 hours a week on the material outside of class. I also got the chance to ask what advice would he give to others in our major on how to succeed. In which he replied “Find sources that help keep you informed on cybersecurity. This can house a lot of different topics, like cryptocurrency, data breaches, and how a company does and IT audit. Also learning about all the different methods of hacking makes the topic a lot more interesting. Keeping that motivation and understanding the topical reasons for getting into this field keeps one relevant to the field.”.
Majoring in Accounting: Not the Yawn-Fest You Think It Is.
Author: Brandon Streaty
A full-time accounting student and part-time cat dad who spends too much time playing video games.
When I first mention that I am majoring in accounting to a new acquaintance, I am typically met by a mundane response. It’s not the “Oh, how fun!” or the “That is so cool!” response, but rather the “Really? I wouldn’t think of you doing that” or the awkward, trying to be respectful type of smile accompanying a “That’s Interesting..” line.
I can’t fault people for thinking that way as accounting is not for everyone, but there is a stigma around business being a boring area of study. Yes, accounting includes lots of numbers and calculations, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the people pursuing the degree are all about business and cannot enjoy the fun things in life.
I was able to talk to Joe Beardsley, a classmate of mine, about a typical day in his life while majoring in accounting. Alongside attending the Tabor School of Business, he also plays on the Millikin Men’s Basketball team.
He explained how it is important to him to balance his schoolwork along with his busy basketball schedule. “Finding a good balance can be difficult, but determination is key” Joe says.
Joe starts his days with his usual business classes such as managerial accounting, where he has to prepare financial statements and compute components that go into budgeting. He then progresses through his other business classes, such as economics.
After his classes, he typically takes the time he has to work on assignments that are due soon. He explains that he “takes any opportunity to get work done.” But, his student athlete status also plays a major role in his everyday life. When not working on schoolwork, Joe is either hitting the gym or at basketball practice. Basketball has been something he has been passionate about since his high school days, so continuing his time in basketball is important. After his time in class, working on schoolwork, and at basketball practice, just like a majority of college students, he enjoys hanging out with his roommates and friends here at Millikin.
I also had the opportunity to talk to one of my accounting professors, Shailesh Patel, about his first-hand experience in the accounting world, as well as teaching it here at Millikin. Dr. Patel has worked at multinational companies and has experience as a Chief Financial Officer. He enjoys applying performance learning strategies in his teaching and helping his students prepare for practical accounting skills. Dr. Patel has not only found success in the field of accounting, but also in his teaching career.
I asked Dr. Patel if he believed there was a stigma around the accounting profession. He believes that although accounting is a “critical profession” that requires “dedication and organization,” not everything comes down to just spreadsheets and numbers. Dr. Patel enjoys his own leisure activities, such as hiking and following the latest developments in the business world. “Focus and perseverance is the key to success in the accounting profession” Patel says. He advises that students find their optimal work-life balance, as success will not come with unfocused work.
There are so only so many hours in the day
Nick White, Millikin University
In this blog post, we talked with Millikin student athlete Nick White about his major in Sports Management. He talks about how it is to combine wrestling with a sports management major.
Nick showed me his schedule, and he told me that he has classes at 9 am, 10 am, 1 pm, and 2 pm throughout the whole week. He has practice at 3:45 but goes in earlier to lift everyday as well. In between all of this he tries to get homework done and get something eaten so he has energy for the day. He likes to play video games and watch movies when he is not doing these things.
One thing that Nick wishes he could change is his schedule for his classes throughout the week. He said that he wishes that he did not have classes before 10 am because then he would have more time to work out in the morning. He also said he wished there was more time in the day for him to get all his things done.
Nick also said that he does not feel like there’s enough time in the day with classes, practice, and lifting. He said that he catches himself feeling overwhelmed some days just trying to go to class on time, practice for a couple hours every day, and finding time to do homework. Having a social life adds into this too. Nick said that he barely has time to just chill out and hangout with his friends because he is either doing homework or having something with wrestling going on.
His advice for other students in this major is to get to class on time and to manage your time. Nick says that he struggles some days to show up to his classes on time and that this is one thing he is trying to improve on.
Dr. Joel Blanco, Professor at Millikin University
I also interviewed professor Blanco on this topic too. He said that one skill that someone should have if they are in this field is communication. He also that the sport and recreation field is one that involves working with people, both as coworkers but also as customers. Being able to communicate well both verbally and in written form is essential in this type of work. If you can’t communicate well then you might not be able to carry a steady job within this major.
Professor Blanco also talked about what he thought the biggest challenges are in this major. He said safety and risk management are the hardest challenges in this major. He said that anyone who works in this field soon finds that participants in your programs often behave in a reckless manner that can put their own safety and others at jeopardy. Conducting programs in a safe manner, but are also enjoyable, is a challenge anyone in the field will encounter. I think his advice that he has given will help students with this major and I hope they really listen to what he is saying because it will help them do better in the major.
Thanks for reading my blog post. My name is Whitney Smith.
Everything Numbers: Day In The Life Of An Accounting Student
Written by: Elyce Knudsen
Determined full-time accounting student who plays a little basketball on the side. A future accountant who enjoys sports, coffee, and naps!
Accounting is a major that may scare a lot of people and it did to me because of the numbers and how many you have to keep track of. The major of accounting takes a lot of patience, focus, and determination. Although this seems frightening for most like myself, my professors and fellow classmates have guided me to success in my classes.
I had the opportunity to speak with an accounting professor of mine at Millikin, Dr. Shailesh Patel. As we know, accounting involves a lot of numbers and Dr. Patel stresses how important it is to stay focused. He says “you are looking at numbers, but you are also looking at the history of your company. It can be challenging because you are looking at the history of a company strictly through numbers.” Dr. Patel has had the opportunity of being a CFO of a company prior to instructing accounting courses at Millikin. Dr. Patel says, “I base a lot of my lectures on my personal experience and stress topics that I know my students will come in contact with one day.” As a student of Dr. Patel, I have been able to learn from real-life scenarios in the accounting world.
“Go for it and stay determined if you truly want to pursue accounting. Accounting is a very interesting and rewarding major.”
Dr. Shailesh Patel, Millikin University
Charly Warlow, a student as well as an athlete at Millikin, understands what it takes to be successful as an accounting major while juggling softball. I had the opportunity to catch up with Charly about her daily schedule as a student-athlete here at Millikin. Charly keeps busy with offseason and preseason workouts for softball as well as her school work. Charly is really big on staying organized and says, “I really enjoy writing the stuff down that I need to get done and being able to cross it off at the end of the day.” Charly starts her day out with classes. After class, she takes time to study or work on homework. At night, she usually has softball for at least two hours. At the end of the day, she takes time for herself and makes sure she checked everything off her list for the day.
Charly has a strong passion for accounting and has already gotten a headstart in the workforce as a manager/bookkeeper for her family’s business as well as an accounting intern for Hardesty Heating and Cooling. Each and every day Charly tries to put her accounting courses before her other courses and spends more time on those classes than the others. “The accounting courses are the courses I enjoy the most and giving more of my focus to those classes is very important to me,” says Charly.
“Stay on top of your main focuses and reach out to those who you know can help you. Use your resources!”
Charly Warlow, Millikin University
A day in a Digital Media Marketing student life.
My name is Gaelle K. Kinja, a junior student majoring in Digital Media Marketing at Millikin University. I have a problem-solving proficiency that allows me to work well in teams while demonstrating a strong sense of leadership and responsibility. Moreover, with my curious and open-mind tendencies, I am interested in learning more about the people and exploring the world around me by serving them to the best of my abilities when it comes to the online marketing field.
“Stay focused and enjoy the process!”
In wanting to know how a normal day of school looks like for a Digital Media Marketing student, I spent some time discussing it with a fellow student from my major. Her name is Stephie Morene Niyomwungere. She is 22 years old, a junior student majoring in digital media marketing, and has a certificate in project management at Millikin University. As we were discussing, Stephie told me that: “Her schedule is not always the same. There are days whereby she must wake up earlier and others where she can sleep in. It all depends on her classes schedule as well as her on-campus job.”Speaking of her different on-campus responsibilities and activities, Stephie works as a Residential Academic Peer Mentor based in Blackburn Hall, a Tabor School of Business Club (officer), and a Social Media Specialist at Tabor School of Business dean’s office. She is also a Women in Business Organization (marketing committee member) and an African Student Association member. Besides the time spent in classes and at work, Stephie said: “she enjoys hanging out at Starbucks or Einstein Bagels with my friends and classmates where they can have some coffee or sandwiches together.” As we were wrapping up our discussion, I asked Stephie to give a piece of advice to other students from the tabor school of business she said that: I would advise them to get involved in the school of business clubs like the Women in Business Organization or the newest club named Tabor School of Business. Stephie added that attending events organized by the Tabor could be a great way to mingle with other students, staff, and alumni while exploring opportunities and getting business connections. “Doing more than what you are required to do will be another way to nurture your various skills, Stephie concluded.”
I also got the opportunity to talk to the professor of my People and performance class. I asked her to give me a picture of what her daily routine may be. She is called Dr. Janet Kirby, a full-time faculty since Fall 2019 and the head of the Organizational Leadership Behavior at Millikin. For Dr. Kirby, normal daily activities include class preparation, meetings as well as advising sessions, but “I enjoy all my teaching sessions, mentioned Dr. Kirby enthusiastically.” As a person aspiring to pursue my career in almost the same field as Dr. Kirby, I asked her to give some advice to business students she said: “students should maintain a good balance of quantitative and qualitative skills, by doing more than their major focal point, reading business news to be aware of what is happening in the business world, she summed it all up saying keep learning!”
School & Personal Life: Business Student
Chad Kelton
Hi, my name is Chad Kelton, and I am a business student studying Digital media marketing at Millikin University. My day starts off with me waking up at 8:00am and taking cold shower. I then go to my class from 9:30-10:45, after I get out of class I head to the UC and get food from the café. I then have my next class at 12:30-1:45, once I get back to my apartment, I do homework or whatever I have planned for the day. Once I eat dinner and have all the things done, I need to do, I then watch movies or learn about other things I’m interested in.
Professor Janet Kirby
Janet Kirby is an Assistant teacher at Millikin University and works in the business department. Before receiving the job for Millikin, Janet Kirby had a long successful career working for the state Government. She ended up working at Millikin because one of her friends needed help teaching. She started her job in the fall of 2019 and have helped the business department succeed and has brought a lot of different skills to the business department.
A typical day for Janet Kirby would be being on campus for a couple days or attending meetings on other days. When she is not on campus teaching class or attending different meetings, she is preparing her teaching lessons, grading hw/tests, or working on other projects.
When you don’t see Janet Kirby in class or on campus, she be working in her yard or taking care of her goat or chicken. Janet Kirby lives on 2 acres of land that takes a lot to handle but she loves it. Luckily her kids and grandbabies live close, so she a
I love to work in my yard and do projects in my house. I live in the country and have 2 acres to take care of and that includes dogs, a goat and a chicken. My kids and grandchildren all live close so I get to spend time with them too. I feel very blessed by my work at Millikin and at home.
I asked Janet Kirby if she were to give any student advice after they were to graduate from Millikin and this was her response,” I would tell them to think outside the box, to make sure you understand the business world and not just your field. To never stop learning because you never know when an opportunity could appear.” Also, a quote she loves is, “to ask yourself, what do I have control over and what do I not have control over.”
Luke Kelton
I sat down with Luke Kelton and he is a student at Millikin University studying Human Resources. What a day looks like for Luke is he would wake up at 7:30am and take a cold shower. After he would mediate, he says that’s the most important thing to do during his day because it gets his mind and body ready for the day. He then would go from class 9:30-1:00 depending on the day. He then makes his own lunch and gets all his HW done for the day. Something he also makes sure he does is get free time to chill and do whatever he wants to do. Luke takes pride in being a student at Millikin and he enjoys being a part of the Big Blue family.
When Luke isn’t studying or going to class, he likes to game in his free time. It’s a hobby for him where he can clear his mind and do something he loves. He picked it up at a young age and fell in love with them. He is able to compete and make money from this hobby. Which helps him pay for school, food, and anything he wants.
A quote Luke has always implemented in his life is,” ONE DAY YOU WILL WAKE UP & THERE WON’T BE ANY MORE TIME TO DO THE THINGS YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED. DO IT NOW.”