I have always liked Accounting and Finance, and Loughborough has a highly ranked and triple-accredited Business School. I was also attracted by the opportunity to play competitive cricket alongside my studies, and that made Loughborough University the ideal place.
I thought when I came to university, I would become an accountant afterwards, but that is not the case anymore. I want to get into banking now. What I liked about my course is that, although predominantly accounting-based, I still got exposure to the finance side of things.
In final year, you’ll have a couple of compulsory accounting modules, but the rest is up to you to choose to tailor your degree. I’ve been able to study a wide range of finance topics, including derivatives, options pricing, financial statements analysis, valuation, portfolio management strategies, and corporate finance. What I appreciated most about those modules is how hands-on they were and their real-life applicability to trading and investing.
During my time at university, I joined the Finance and Investment Society in my first and second years, before becoming a Consumer Goods Analyst at the Student Managed Fund. I was also part of the men’s cricket club, and we won our division.
I did apply for placements, but I was quite limited in terms of what I was interested in doing, so I decided to take the Year in Enterprise instead. I got great support from programme leads Amanda Berry and Dale Barass, who were there every step of the way.
I spent the year building a financial education business (HuliaAngélique, now Calcaire Research), aiming to improve general financial literacy. It allowed me to build something I am passionate about and gave me the freedom and flexibility to experience what it’s like to be a business owner and entrepreneur.
In my business, I focus on financial and valuation modelling (business, equity, and company valuation). I also write on more personal finance topics, like budgeting, saving, debt and debt management. In recognition of my entrepreneurial excellence, I was awarded the Loughborough Business School Dean’s Award for Enterprise. I also got the chance to complete a finance certificate; I am a certified Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA®).
The teaching quality has been exceptional, and the lecturers go out of their way to make us feel like family. They will often stop by and ask how you are doing and how your coursework and studies are going, even if it is not related to their module.
The lecturers expand on the fundamentals, and they also show you what you can experience in your future job: a proper mix of theory and practice. Advanced Skills for Study, Placement and Employment gave me a firm understanding of what is important to employers and what they look for, and how I can adapt and put myself in positions to get exposure to opportunities that build my resume.
Once I graduate, I want to get into banking, investment management, equity research, or private equity. The year in enterprise solidified that for me, as I was teetering between accounting and finance, but learning about financial modelling and valuation gave me a newfound love for a different side of finance.