The Reasons for Participating in the MMPA Program - Essay Example

a) Why do you want to participate in the MMPA Program? What are your career plans and objectives upon completion of the MMPA? I wish to participate in the MMPA program for a variety of reasons. First of all, I attended U of T’s Mississauga campus for my Bachelor of Arts (honours) while double majoring in Economics/Human Resources & Industrial Relations. As a result, I had an enjoyable learning experience at UTM consisting of stimulating classes and supportive lecturers. Also, there are countless resources to assist students, ranging from attaining advice to seeking employment. As I have matured considerably since attending UTM, I have confidence that the MMPA program will be able to produce a similarly gratifying learning experience. An additional reason why I wish to participate in the MMPA program is that I wish to continue my education as a U of T graduate. During high school and the first year of my Bachelor’s degree, I enjoyed taking accounting classes. I remember doing exceptionally well in high school and attaining a grade of 79 in MGT120 (Financial Accounting I) for my first year. If my degree had not been veered towards Economics, there is no doubt that I would have pursued a Bachelor of Commerce in the field of accounting. Besides my high accounting grade in my first year of high school, I was under the impression that I would not be given the chance to take accounting courses again. However, the MMPA program has presented me with an opportunity to further my education and participate in a practice that I actually desire to make a career out of. I have always been interested in this discipline, and my mathematical capabilities complement this subject perfectly. Instead of graduating with a second undergraduate degree, I can make use of the degree that I already have and pursue a graduate degree in the same field; this simply makes much more sense. Additionally, although I have extensive work experience in customer service and sales, the MMPA program will provide me an outlet of gaining relative work experience rather than entering the accounting field with limited work accreditation, as knowledge and experience tend to go hand-in-hand. If I am accepted into the MMPA program, graduating with a master’s degree in accounting will be essential making me stand out from graduates of other accounting programs. Upon completion of the MMPA program, I plan to begin working in my desired field of accounting while, at the same time, realizing my next objective of attaining my designation as a Chartered Accountant. Depending on the situation at this point, I would ideally be working as a CA for either a corporation or an accounting firm. Once I have secured this position, I would look into various employment opportunities and apply to firms that I could see myself working at for the remainder of my working career. After gaining experience as a CA, I would be open to the possibility of establishing my own firm. Finally, I would have attained a level of self-satisfaction that I would be proud of. b) The University of Toronto seeks a diverse and unique entering class of current and future managers. How will your distinctiveness enrich the learning environment and enhance your prospects for future success? In the midst of the overwhelming competition in the business world, it is becoming increasingly important to have a strong sense of maturity in the learning process. Having realized this, I have taken time to develop myself as an accounting student. My past learning experience during undergraduate program in U of T’s Mississauga campus has enabled me to develop and nurture a mature student status. My maturity as a student and profound learning skills coupled with strong determination to succeed will be a strong boost to the learning environment in The University of Toronto. I will therefore, use my learning experience, positive influence, and power to motivate others to nurture a learning environment amongst fellow students. If we are all united together as students towards a common objective of getting the best out of the program, then my chances of succeeding in the master’s program will be secured. More importantly, the favorable learning environment that will have been nurtured will be a good platform for me to maximally gain all the required skills for my future practice. What sets me apart from the rest is my resilience. Life experiences have taught me to be resilient even in distressing conditions. Actually, my resilience enabled me to go through the undergraduate program despite having accidents and fee problems. Undeniably, a master’s program is not one of the easiest endeavors in life but one that requires hard work, determination, focus, and most importantly, resilience. This will particularly be important considering the fact that the program will involve rigorous learning, extensive research activities, and possibly even practical activities. Needless to say, my unique ability to remain focused under such strenuous situations will enable me optimize the available opportunities even when learning becomes difficult. This will eventually guarantee my success in the program, which will translate to a well prepared and skillful professional in the future My interpersonal skills are certainly a great boost to the learning environment. It is primarily difficult to successfully complete a master’s program without deep interaction with lecturers, professors, relevant administration personnel, and fellow students. I will seek to use my interpersonal skills to nurture a favorable environment and a learning culture by having a harmonious interaction with all the relevant stakeholders. This way, I will be able to assist the other students and make the environment more learner friendly for the other students and myself as well. Consequently, I will be able to gain in terms of mentorship, guidance, counseling, and advice from the experienced professors in the university. This will in turn nurture me into a more open minded and diversified professional when I eventually go to the working environment. I will certainly be a reflection of the modeling I will receive in the master’s program especially considering that this is almost the last stage of academic modeling before I dip in to the working profession. c) Describe your most substantial accomplishments and explain why you view them as such? My most substantial accomplishments would have to be being accepted into U of T and actually completing my undergraduate degree. I finished with honours while double majoring in Economics/Human Resources & Industrial Relations. Throughout the duration of my Bachelor’s degree, I have been working nearly forty hours a week in order to cover my education and living expenses. For a couple of years, I was even working regular night shifts and attending school during the day. During my senior year, however, I was involved in a couple of car accidents that left me partially disabled. Due to the severity of my injuries, I was unable to attend work. Consequently, I put all my focus and effort toward completing my undergraduate degree. Not surprisingly, that same year ended up being the most productive year of my life; I was able to complete my final 8.5 credits in only one year. I completed five credits during the regular year and 3.5 credits during summer. To enroll in for summer courses, I had to obtain special consideration from the registrar’s office and prove that I could handle the substantial course load by achieving a certain average from previous semesters. Furthermore, I received some of my highest marks during my final year, even achieving many A grades. My final undergraduate year proved to me that when I am highly motivated to reach a goal, there is nothing that can stop me. By completing so many credits in one year, I was able to save at least a year of my life, giving me the ability to immediately focus my efforts towards realizing my next dr­eam. For a work-related experience, one of my most substantial accomplishments was attaining an outstanding score on a mystery shop while working for Home Depot. A mystery shop is when a mystery shopper (random customer) critiques stores as a whole and their employees on customer service. Soon after I was mystery shopped, I received a score of over 95 percent. This came at a time when the majority of our store’s scores were below average. This incident reinforced my own perceptions of my customer service skills as being exceptional. Just like a test score, sometimes people need a little assurance in the level of work being completed. My mystery shop score at Home Depot was influential in my decision to work for an insurance company, where the work is customer-oriented and involves a face-to-face environment. Read More