Our first year BSc Economics student Priyanka Balakrishnan shares her views on what it is like to study economics at Queen Mary.
The School of Economics and Finance is renowned for its research excellence, top quality teaching and its warm, friendly atmosphere - but it’s also known for its wide variety of extracurricular activities.
Priyanka Balakrishnan reflects on her first year at Queen Mary and the skills she learned, as well as student life beyond the classroom.
During my first year I have had the opportunity to develop both my academic and personal skills. In my first semester, my module called World Economy enabled me to develop my analytical skills by learning to spot trends and patterns in the trade evolution of different countries. I’ve also developed my critical thinking skills, particularly during my Microeconomics module in my second semester, which allowed me to contemplate and challenge the economic decisions that consumers and society make. Studying at Queen Mary has also helped me improve my time management skills by learning to juggle my studies with extracurricular activities. These skills made my revision during exams much more effective and efficient.
The course has allowed me to develop skills which I know will be really valuable to me in the future.
The School of Economics and Finance supports a wide range of societies. One of these is the Banking and Finance Society, which is all about providing a real-world insight into finance and related industries. They host talks by professionals working in the banking industry, as well as current students who are at different stages of their own professional development. Through conferences, taster sessions and networking opportunities, students get a clearer idea of where their own interests may lie.
The School of Economics and Finance also supports the Investment and Trade Society, where students can learn more about the technical skills involved in trading. This society is great for those who want to get ahead and learn about how investment banking works. The School also supports the Economics Society, which allows students to discuss the wider economic situations happening at the time.
I was involved a range of extracurricular activities which made my first year at university a lot more exciting and enjoyable. One of the things I was involved in was the Banking and Finance Society, which allowed me to learn more about the finance industry, and I became an ambassador for the society. Since then, I've been promoted to the role of External Relations Officer. I was also involved in the Film Society during my first semester, which was a good way to make new friends and take part in something completely different from my own studies.
I was also involved in Qconsult, a scheme run by Queen Mary which allowed me to act as a consultant for a charity and develop crucial skills needed to grow in the working world. I would recommend that freshers really take advantage of the opportunities available at Queen Mary, as well as initiatives offered by banks and other institutions. It's important to be proactive from the beginning!
There are a wide range of events on campus that allow students to meet recruitment teams from potential future employers. We had several guest speakers in our careers module in the first semester, including from HSBC, the London Stock Exchange and Bloomberg. There were also networking opportunities such as breakfast events open to students throughout the year.
The School of Economics and Finance runs a careers fair at the beginning of the academic year, where students can meet potential employers and learn more about the different careers available to them. In addition to this, student societies host their own events with different banks and companies throughout the year. For example, the Banking and Finance Society held a variety of networking events and taster sessions with employers like Goldman Sachs, Citibank and Google.
In first year, students can apply for spring weeks, which are one or two weeks of work experience within the finance industry during the Easter break. These are particularly useful because you have the opportunity to be fast-tracked onto an internship for the next year. Students can apply for these at their own discretion between September and January. You can then apply for internships during your second year. I've been fortunate enough to receive a lot of support from the careers team within the School of Economics and Finance, as well as the University careers service. They gave me advice on how to format my CV and write cover letters. Help from societies (like the Banking and Finance Society) was also really useful when it came to tailoring applications for different companies. There's a wide range of support and opportunities available at university - you've just got to be proactive and make use of them.