Accounting and Finance Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

New dynamic markets are offering boundless opportunities with firms gravitating towards these markets, where inflows of foreign direct investments result in large returns on investment. As the world increasingly moves towards a more globalised environment, there is a need to understand the interplay between different economies and markets. Having lived my formative years in an emerging economy, studying in a UK university will open up opportunities for me to interact with students from other backgrounds and learn how other economies affect global markets. Furthermore, it creates a suitable platform for me to gain insights into the recent financial turmoil. It is fascinating how series of accounting management mistakes and compromises caused the fall of various consultancy firms one of which is Arthur Andersen. The failure of the firm maintaining faithful accounting standards especially in the Enron forgery case where huge debts off the balance sheets led to the downfall of a once “Big Five” accounting firm. Documentation of this incident sparked my interest in finance. This love for understanding how financial market operate was intensified by reading ‘Intelligent Investor’, which emphasized on maximization of probabilities through valuation analysis and margin of safety. It also focused on the importance of asset allocation, diversification and prevention of consequential errors in a portfolio.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

In the modern globalised world, the key in decision making for businesses is having sound geographical and economic background. This encouraged me to study Economics and Geography in A level and have enhanced by ability to critically analyse information as well as develop structured arguments with detail in current affairs. Studying mathematics has improved my numerical skills, especially statistics where I learned the use of regression line to make predictions and estimate error for model reliability. In school, I led a team of young economic enthusiasts who were keen to study economics and accounting in senior school. Reading ‘the Economist’ provided me with material to organise weekly activities with the team, and helped me explain how key economic concepts apply to real-life scenarios. My experience with this team motivated me to compete in various Finance and Economics competitions hosted by my school. I believe a key component in excelling at university is being able to contribute to discussions on topical issues. As captain of school debate team, I learnt that the key to being a great orator is learning how to connect to your audience. This experience assisted me in becoming highly competent in clearly expressing complex issues with clear enunciation. Debating on the topic “Is Deflation proving transitory?” permitted me exhibit quantitative analysis gained from studying Economics, on a macro scale.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

This urged me to complete an internship in Elixir Investment Bank. During my internship, I gained greater insight into the Nigerian financial markets, particularly the Nigerian Stock Exchange. I assisted in examining trends on the stock market, bond and commodity prices. I found the interrelationship between macro-economic data and investment decisions particularly interesting as how businesses used retrenchment approaches during a recession. Based on my research on dominant Nigerian e-commerce firms, I analysed balance sheet data and assisted in making recommendations to the clients on investment opportunities. Being prepared for the world ahead for me transcends having an impact in my community. As a young boys scout, I learnt that giving back to the society and helping others should be a part of life wherever you are. I volunteered at various orphanage homes, assisting with day-to-day challenges and sharing my personal life challenges.