BSc Accounting student, Lida Koutsou was recently awarded The Faculty of Humanities’ UG Student of the Year at The University of Manchester’s Distinguished Achievement Awards.
We asked Lida to tell us a little bit about why she chose her course and what led to this recognition.
Why Manchester?
I wanted to be part of a university that had the best to offer me, within a city that I would enjoy living in. The University of Manchester is one of the world’s highest ranked universities, with incredibly qualified lecturers and impressive graduate employment, whilst also being situated in a truly wonderful city. I visited Manchester before applying, and fell in love with its culture, its industrial-turned-modern architecture and vibrant community. Manchester is a growing city full of opportunities, and there’s always something going on here!
Why Accounting?
My ultimate goal is to become a chartered accountant, which I best sought to achieve through this degree. Coming from a family of accountants I’ve always been immersed in the world of accounting, business and finance. This intrigued me into getting a stronger, structured understanding and exploration of the concept of accounting. Crucially, I also wanted to have the opportunity to explore a wide array of options for my future, after graduating. Thus, I chose a course that helped me get a ‘taste’ of (and be better equipped for) different roles. Specifically, as a more mathematically imbued course, I felt that it would better assist me in expanding my skillset and possible career paths.
What was your experience studying the programme like?
I had a great time and an enriching experience studying on the accounting programme. There was a great amount of challenge with the material, especially when it expanded the depth of my understanding of accounting and pushed me to explore it myself. Additionally, it was very engaging to experience a variety of subjects – from accounting fundamentals to finance, to business law, to tax – and get a better understanding of a wide array of future career prospects. I loved visiting all the different university buildings for my classes, studying at the main library and just enjoying a walk on campus with friends.
What opportunities do you have outside of scheduled teaching?
There are always opportunities to get more involved with the accounting course. A key presence is the hard-working accounting society. All year-long they host workshops and social events, which help students gain crucial skills, career knowledge, and connections with other accounting and business students.
Additionally, career events, like speed interviews with industry professionals, give students an opportunity to interact with the ‘real-world’ implications of accounting. Moreover, course-specific social events help bring together different people from the accounting cohort and generate discussion.
Finally, the simplest opportunity to take advantage of is doing study sessions with your course mates. Choose a cosy location (the business building, library, on-campus café), discuss the material together and get a more cohesive picture of the course in the process!
How were you involved within your cohort?
As a person I always like to expand my experiences and to help people as best as I can, which is reflected in the roles I take on! I was my course’s Coaching Coordinator, which meant I organised and managed the coaching programme across the different accounting cohorts. I arranged meet-up events, problem-solved around issues and checked-in with students.
Furthermore, I coached several second years, which granted me insight to how the process was being carried out. As a coach, I also dedicated time towards advising my coachees around any academic difficulties and guiding their career searching.
Being a student ambassador involved several activities. I shared my experiences through video and blogs that discussed my perspective as a final year and a student returning from a work placement. I also participated in the university’s open days, which included joining presentations regarding my course and sharing my experiences and answering questions.
Moreover, I was an ambassador for an accounting firm and helped students with their career. I assisted with queries and gave guidance and advice based on my work experience. Within this role, I also presented information and advice to students on several of the Accounting Society’s career workshops.
I was also quick to advise students based on the insight I gained from my experiences as a student who also secured a placement and had experience in a working environment. Notably, I spoke during a second years’ career module, advised in a course unit selection meeting and discussed my experiences on a panel at the ICAEW headquarters.
Do you see academics outside of scheduled teaching?
You can always reach out to lecturers during their office hours or before/after class. I always try to go to my lecturers’ office hours and get more information from them. Lecturers are more than willing to help students understand the subject and resolve queries. Many lecturers are also intensely passionate about their subject, and a way to spark your own interest is to delve further into the material by asking them about topics that interest you!
They can also help guide your studying and help you find where to look. Something I learned as I matured across my degree is to utilise lecturers to get feedback and to develop more critical thinking about their subjects. This is crucial for achieving your full potential!
What was the process of being nominated and subsequently winning the Distinguished Achievement Award for UG Student of the Year like?
Finding out I was nominated for this award was very unexpected and exciting! The first step was being nominated by my programme director. We worked together as she supervised some of the roles I was involved with, and I also actively volunteered for many opportunities she posted for accounting students. Then, for the nomination to officially proceed I had to complete a form, wherein I detailed my roles and responsibilities and gathered testimonies from people I helped. Being picked to win the award was astounding to me, and I’m infinitely pleased to represent my faculty and to receive recognition!
What advice would you give to students considering this course?
Be curious and play around with the material! Accounting is not simply a static set of rules to learn, and university is a time of exploration and discovery. Let your passion take you beyond the teachings and assigned readings. Research what interests you, talk to lecturers, and take that extra step into understanding what is being taught in class. You can only learn about a topic by truly exploring it. It is not ‘work’ when it is ‘play’. In this way, truly enjoy and learn.
