My Fisher Grad Life

As a grad student pretty much all of my week nights are filled with classes or study sessions, so it’s nice when I have a night off to take a break from school and enjoy something fun around campus. Obviously, Ohio State is a huge football school, but during the cold winter months basketball is a fun sport to watch here in Columbus. There are also a number of other great sporting events during the winter, including the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Ohio State ice hockey team.  In fact, later this month the whole MHRM class is going to a Blue Jackets game together, which will be a fun outing. Last Wednesday I went to the OSU vs. Penn State basketball game and had a blast. It’s really easy as a grad student to get affordable tickets to the basketball games. My seats were in the second row, and I even got to meet Greg Oden who was there watching the game and supporting the Buckeyes. I’d definitely recommend going to at least one basketball game just for the experience.  It’s definitely a good way to fill the void when football isn’t in season.

Brutus passing out t-shirts to the student section

At the OSU vs. Penn State basketball game after meeting Greg Oden

Every year a group of MAcc students participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). This program helps lower and middle income residents of Columbus correctly file their income taxes. The program is available on Fridays (5-8) and Saturdays (10-2:30) throughout January and February. I know this doesn’t sound like the most interesting or fun thing to do on your weekends but it actually is a very rewarding experience and we manage to have some fun!

I first volunteered when I was a sophomore at Ohio State through Beta Alpha Psi and now this year I am a Site Manager. Most volunteers work in pairs and one person prepares and then the other reviews it. This is what I initially did when I first volunteered and it is a great way to learn more about personal income taxes and learn a new software program (we use software from the IRS to prepare and file). Now, as a Site Manager, I am there to answer any questions that the students preparing and reviewing may have. This ranges from questions about tax issues, form abnormalities, or just general issues with the software. I have definitely become more confident in reviewing and answering questions after completing my first two VITA shifts, hopefully they continue to go well! If you are interested in learning more about the program, you can check it out here!

All the Volunteers from the first shift!

This past weekend myself and six other MAcc students participated in BuckeyeThon.  BuckeyeThon is the largest student-run philanthropy at Ohio State with an ultimate goal of ending childhood cancer.  BuckeyeThon raises money to support the kids treated at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.  More than 5,100 students registered for the 24 hour dance marathon with the ultimate goal of raising $1,000,000.  Hearing about the event last semester we formed a MAcc team, “The Bad Assets”, and raised money all For The Kids (FTK).  BuckeyeThon is set up in 2 shifts of 12 hours each.  During your shift you are supposed to stand for all 12 hours, showing that together, as a university, we stand with the kids through their fight.  Our shift was from 11:00am to 11:00pm.  Every team was assigned a color team and The Bad Assets were part of the Pink Team, so that is why all the pictures we are wearing pink.

Before it started every color team met in an assigned room and they brought in one of the Miracle Kids and their family.  This was a great chance to meet the people we were trying so hard to benefit.  After that the official start was with the opening ceremonies which included multiple speakers ranging from the President of BuckeyeThon to the Vice President of Student Life.  One of the speakers was a mother of one of the Miracle Kids.  She told us about how her daughter was diagnosed and the struggle the family went through.  Listening to her speak really put into perspective the impact we were making.

Throughout the day they had different things we could do to keep us on our feet.  There obviously was plenty of dancing throughout the day.  They also set up a lot of games.  We played Gaga Ball for a couple hours which if you don’t know what it is look it up, its incredibly fun.  They had a tug of war competition between the different color teams (we got 2nd), and also had rooms where you could play board games or video games.  Overall there was plenty of activities going on to help keep us busy and not think about sitting down.

As it got close to 11:00pm we gathered back to watch the closing ceremony and the big reveal of how much money was raised and if we reached our goal of $1 million.  The closing ceremony had more speakers including a 14-year old Miracle Kid and three current Ohio State students who have personally been affected by cancer.  The final reveal showed that we raised a total of $1.23 million all FTK.  Overall it was a great experience and I would highly recommend participating to any students that get the chance.

As part of the Master of Accounting (MAcc) program at Ohio State, there are four required courses. One of these courses is called Accounting Policy and Research, and it is taught by Prof. Tzachi Zach. When I first heard the name of this course, I wasn’t too surprised that our Master’s program requires that students take a research class. However, I didn’t really know what to expect. What is accounting research anyway?

Prof. Zach started off the class by explaining to us the four primary topics of accounting research: financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax, and audit. Within each of these areas of interest, academic researchers use different tools to explore their research questions, such as accounting theories, surveys, and market data. In Prof. Zach’s class, we read and discuss accounting research papers about various market phenomena and corporate management behavior.

Right now, everyone in the MAcc program is working on Prof. Zach’s group project that’s due the last week of classes. We are tasked to conduct an event study in order to see how stock prices react to a particular trigger in the business world or in our everyday lives.

For example, my team is looking to see if stock prices of S&P 500 companies that are headquartered near NFL stadiums increase after the nearby team wins the Super Bowl. We’re looking at all of the past 49 Super Bowl games, so there’s a lot of data to collect!

Do the results of Super Bowl games affect the stock market?

We’re really curious to see if there is any difference in stock prices between the companies we’re looking at and stock markets indexes in the two days following each game. I’m looking forward to hearing all of the class presentations to see what events other groups studied. Hopefully that gives a bit of insight into what accounting research is all about!

Every week, Fisher hosts companies interested in recruiting MBA candidates for internships and full-time positions. Though attendance is never mandatory, it is not uncommon for student’s schedules to become completely filled with all the company visits and information sessions going on. And not just because of the promise of pizza or Panera (which admittedly does go a long way to attracting more attendees). It is always interesting to hear from different companies, often competitors, and learn about their unique approaches to the problems we discuss on a daily basis in our classes. But even better than attending these info sessions on campus is when we get invited to visit the companies on their own turfs.

On January 16th, Kellogg’s invited several first year MBA students interested in brand management to their headquarters in Battle Creek, MI, for their annual Day at K event. We were greeted by several current brand managers (including a recent Fisher graduate) and were led through Kellogg’s welcoming and history-filled entrance: dioramas worthy of placement in a museum; a miniature simulated grocery store displaying a current marketing campaign; artwork depicting a century’s worth of product and advertising innovation. It was truly an impressive introduction.

5:30 AM departure for a 4 hour drive. Worth it!

We were brought to a small conference room where we joined and socialized with more members of Kellogg’s marketing department, as well as several MBA students from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (sidebar – this was 5 days after Ohio State won the national championship, so being with a bunch of Michigan students was particularly gratifying – end sidebar).  Several Kellogg’s presenters then spoke to us about marketing subjects ranging from Kellogg’s unique approach to marketing to challenges facing the company to relationships with their customers, retailers, suppliers, and agencies. A small panel of assistant brand managers allowed us to ask about working at Kellogg’s, projects they had personally completed, career trajectories, and overall satisfaction of their time with Kellogg’s. Hearing from such key personnel from a global powerhouse of a brand and getting a chance to ask them anything and everything marketing related was an incredible opportunity.

Tony the Tiger made an appearance.

The Day at K was an absolutely wonderful event. It was a real treat (Rice-Krispy Treat, to be specific) to get to meet such talented brand and marketing experts and visit the headquarters of such a hallowed brand. We even got to take a tour of Kellogg’s archives and see marketing materials and advertisements across the decades.  I am very thankful for Kellogg’s invitation, and for the Fisher College of Business for providing me with such exciting opportunities like this.

I bet you thought this post was going to be about food. Well… It’s not. Although pizza and french fries do sound pretty good right about now.

There are two ski resorts within an hour of Columbus. How awesome is that? This is one of the reasons I love Columbus, and picked Fisher. Mad River Mountain is about 45 minutes northwest of Columbus. This is where I do most of my skiing. I have a pass that allows me to ski one day a week (all you need with classes all week), and it was only around $200. If you are a skier, you know how cheap that is. For the price, this place is pretty awesome. This coming weekend there is going to be music and an airbag to land on. If you do not know how this works, you pay $25 to land on an airbag which allows you to try all the tricks you are too scared to do on the snow.Also, Friday is college night, so with your BuckID you can ski all night for $15. They also have nice deals on pizza and drinks on Fridays, too. Last, but certainly not least, there is a snow tubing park. This place is awesome, especially for those who hate skiing/snowboarding, or just have no idea how.

Snow Trails is located about 45 minutes north of Columbus. While I have never been here, others in the office have and say very good things about this resort as well. This resort has much of the same perks as Mad River. They have deals and promotions,snow tubing, bands playing on the weekend, competitions, lessons, beginner’s area, and many other awesome things.

All in all, no matter where you go, you are still being able to enjoy a family friendly environment while kicking up powder!

Just remember if you are learning to ski: pizza, french fries, pizza, french fries!

Here’s Part 2 of my Q&A with MAcc students! Click here for Part 1 :).

Scott Singer ’15

Where are you from?
Cleveland, Ohio

Where did you go to undergrad? What was your major and when did you graduate?
I received a BBA in Strategic Management in 2011 and BS in Sports Management in 2012 from Ohio University. I finished my JD at Cleveland State University in 2014.

Why did you decide to get a graduate degree in accounting?
I wanted to develop another hard skill that would compliment what I already have.

Why did you choose Fisher MAcc?
I liked how this is a highly regarded program and provides an opportunity to personalize my education.

What are your post-graduation summer plans?
I plan on taking the CPA Exam and going on a West Coast trip over the summer.

Do you have an interesting fact, interest, etc. that you’d like to share?
I’m an avid gamer and superhero movie lover, and I should be a
licensed NFL/NBA player agent by the end of next year.

Kathryn Proper ’15

Where are you from?
Erie, Pennsylvania

Where did you go to undergrad? What was your major and when did you graduate?
I studied accounting at Penn State Erie – the Behrend College and graduated in 2009.

Why did you decide to get a graduate degree in accounting?
I was working in industry for a small manufacturer in Erie and knew what I really wanted to do was public accounting.  I also knew I wanted a Master’s degree, so going back to school for a MAcc was the perfect transition to achieve both goals and feel better prepared for the CPA Exam.  I had previously interned for a CPA firm in Erie during tax season
and knew that was exactly what I wished to return to doing.

Why did you choose Fisher MAcc?
I applied to a few other programs, but fell in love with Fisher and the program during my campus visit.  I felt it would be the best fit for me and as a bonus was a strong, nationally ranked program.  The people I met were fantastic and really sealed the deal for me to accept my offer from Ohio State.

What are your post-graduation summer plans?
I intend to sit for the CPA Exam this summer and will begin working as a Tax Associate with
McGladrey LLP in the fall at their Cleveland, Ohio office.

Do you have an interesting fact, interest, etc. that you’d like to share?
In my free time, I love feeding people!  I enjoy cooking and learning to prepare new cuisines (I am currently working on improving my Asian cooking skills) but even more so I love to bake.  I make and decorate cakes on occasion, but my favorite thing to bake is cookies!

If you come to the program from a warm area, you will no doubt be shocked by the weather in our relatively northern state. While the weather conditions in Ohio can be very volatile, the temperatures are generally in the 10 to 30 Fahrenheit (-12 to -1 Celsius) degrees range.

OSU in Winter (Credit: The Lantern)

Thus, the single most important thing to prepare for Columbus’ winter is to make sure you have a warm coat. Additional preparations include a warm scarf, gloves, socks, and something to protect your head.

The second most important tip is to layer, as multiple layers help trap warmth and keep it close to your body. This is especially important as the average daily minimum wind speed is around 10 mph, which can make effective temperature much colder than actual temperature.

It typically snows in January about 40% of the time. This means that a sturdy pair of boots would be a wise investment. Additionally, because it rains about 20% of the time, compounded with the freezing temperatures, another wise investment would be ice cleats or spikes to attach to boots to ensure that you’re not falling all over the sidewalks. While the campus does a very good job of keeping the sidewalks iced, off campus is not always so well-tended.

As always, keep a nice pair of shoes in your locker at Fisher or carry a pair with you, just in case you need to interview or meet with someone important.

One of the best things about the MAcc program is the flexibility students have when completing the program requirements.  The program only has four core courses all students must take, accounting for 10 of the 31 required credit hours.  Outside of these required core courses, students have the ability to take MAcc, Finance, Human Resources, and MBA courses.  While students don’t specify a “concentration” or “specialization”, students can gear their class schedules to topics of interest.  Another way the program is flexible is by breaking semesters into two terms.  This makes classes only 7 weeks and allows students to take more courses over a variety of different disciplines.  Here are a couple elective courses I am currently in, and some I am looking forward to taking next term:

Fraudulent Financial Reporting – This course focuses on developing techniques for detecting fraudulent reporting in financial statements and accounts.  The course is case-based, and we focus on detection techniques, which in turn shows us how the fraud was perpetrated.  Every class is very interesting and it forces you to think outside the box and get creative when trying to detect fraud.  I can imagine this course coming in handy when I least expect it as I continue with my professional career.

Negotiations –  Obviously we are all familiar with negotiating, even if we have very little professional experience.  This course provides us with the theory and processes of negotiating as it occurs in different situations.  The course is structured around practice negotiations to help students gain a little bit of experience and confidence when they start to negotiate professionally.  Whether it is negotiating a job offer or negotiating a contract between a buyer and seller, I would strongly recommend this course.

Developing High Performance Teams – I am really looking forward to taking this course.  Working in groups and teams are becoming more and more commonplace in the business world.  While I won’t start off my career managing a team, I imagine in the future I will be in a position where this course will provide me with knowledge to lead and work effectively in a variety of different team settings.

Fraudulent Examination: Asset Misappropriation - Clearly you can tell fraud interests me.  While the first fraud course focuses on financial reporting which is more often perpetrated by management, this course focuses on asset misappropriation which is more often perpetrated by employees.  This course will emphasize motives and factors that play into employees committing fraud, as well as prevention and detection methods.

For the past couple of years, I have always attended the career fair looking for positions and opportunities. Lately, my role has switched. After accepting a full time role with EY, I now attend career fairs and events as a Student Ambassador. This role requires me to talk with students and answer any questions they may have about an accounting career or about completing an internship.

I most recently attended a Mock Career Fair where I was the one interacting and speaking with students. Attending a career fair from the employer’s perspective is a completely different scenario. Instead of being nervous and anxious about talking with a prospective employer, you know you have to prepare yourself to evaluate students and prepare yourself to answer any questions they may have.

I imagine for most EY employees, attending a career fair or an event is no big deal. For me, I was still a little nervous and anxious as if I was actually attending a career fair looking for a job. I was nervous because I had never had this responsibility before. Collecting resumes, evaluating potential, answering questions — this seemed like a lot to handle! I was really nervous for no reason — talking to prospective students is actually a lot of fun and it is really interesting to talk to students who are genuinely excited about their future career in accounting.

After experiencing career fairs from both sides, I have a couple pieces of advice to give regarding attending career fairs and interacting with employers:

1) Know where you want to go – when you arrive at the career fair, it can be quite intimidating. Huge ballrooms filled with companies waiting for you to talk to them. It’s best to have a few companies in mind who you really want to talk to, that allows you to target a specific table or area.

2) Have a practice round – my advice is to not make your “number-one choice” the first company whose table you visit. Instead, pick another company as a warm up. This will allow you to get some nerves out and not risk messing up your chances with a company you really like.

3) Pay attention – make sure you keep up with conversation and remember what the representative’s background is. If they are in tax – don’t start asking them about audit. In this case, keep your questions more general and save the specifics for someone who can answer them better.

4) Know when to move on – career fairs are crazy busy, especially for top companies. If you have been talking to someone for awhile, make sure to leave in a timely manner. There are many other students in line and you don’t want to be known as someone who kept lingering and wasting time.

5) Follow up – if you really enjoyed the company, make sure to get contact information! This way you can email your thanks and keep up to date with opportunities when they become available.

Hopefully these help in the future job hunt! Whether you are talking to many employers or representing one company, career fairs can be very useful and interesting to attend!