Jelizaveta Karandeja

What influenced your decision to attend Queen Mary?

Initially, I wasn't planning on going to Queen Mary but in the end, I went through clearing to get here. At first, my parents wanted me to go to another university, but I wanted to go to London, and I had friends who were already at Queen Mary, although I never considered studying there initially. But the way everything came together, it was like yeah, that's my place. In fact, I'm really happy with how everything turned out. One of the most attractive parts for me was that Queen Mary has a specialised finance programme since I never wanted to do economics or accounting. Universities usually have these, but I was really interested in finding one specifically focused on Finance. I also chose the year abroad option because I wanted to go to Colombia University in New York. But in fact, I'm going to Singapore next year, so that's going to be a good experience.

Did you have any expectations? As you said, you're enjoying your studies and it was a good decision. Can you share what convinced you it was the right one to make? 

Because I never went to any open days or offer holder days, I had zero expectations. It is hard to comprehend when you first start studying, but as you advance into the second semester, it becomes easier. As you explore more opportunities and engage in more activities, you become more familiar with it. Participating in all the extracurricular activities is what I value most. Mostly because Queen Mary has so many opportunities. It's a good education. I like that I am learning what I am interested in, and what I enjoy. Everyone around me is nice, and my favourite thing about it is the opportunities I get.

Being on campus (and having lived there) is a great experience. You have everything you need year-round, including a great coffee shop! You even have local stores, where you can buy whatever you need. When it comes to campus facilities, I think it gives you everything. There's literally everything you'd want on this campus. The graduate centre (home to the school of Economics and Finance) is my favourite building. I love the view from the 7th floor - you can see the whole City of London. It's a really beautiful place, with a great atmosphere.

What modules have you enjoyed the most, which have been most challenging to you and why?

Last semester, I enjoyed accounting the most because it's really useful. In fact, I'd say all the modules are useful. I liked the Excel module. However, this semester I had trading. It was only for finance students and no one else could access it. We were learning about trading and doing five-week trades. You invest in two stocks, and then you report on what you've made, how much you've lost. Modules that challenge you are the ones, where you learn practical skills of the things you have never done before, but these modules also turn out to be the most valuable at the end, such as Excel accounting and trading. Although the trading module was challenging, I really enjoyed it, however, it also made me realise it’s probably not what I want to do in the future.

Math plays an important role in the entry criteria. How important has maths been to your studies?

In my first semester, there was an amazing module, mathematical methods. I love maths and have loved it my whole life, but I'm also a person who has to practise it a lot. It is important to like it because it's the basis of everything in Finance. Although there are computers that calculate everything for you, I'm starting to see how maths explains economics. It's actually pretty interesting. Sometimes you ask yourself “oh why do you have to know about derivatives?” But now we're learning about them and it all makes sense. So long as you did ‘A’ level maths, you'll be fine.

What advice would you give someone who is looking at Queen Mary and wants to apply?

I know a lot of people who say they want to be in say “investment banking” without really knowing what it is. You need to identify the essential skills for what you want to do as soon as you start university and then apply them. I think it's just knowing what you want to do and finding out about areas you might be interested in. So, I think research is essential because that's the mistake I made. You think that university will teach you everything, but, you have to take the initiative. There is support for you, but you're the "engine", so you've got to seek it out.

For this reason, the PASS scheme at Queen Mary is really good for first-year students because of the mentors who provide you with the necessary support. I had one who helped me out so much when I joined because I didn't know anything about university life and what to expect.

This interview was conducted with Jelizaveta on 24th January 2022.