Mangala: Committee perks

Today began a bit unusually - I found myself reflecting and pondering on life at Monash at 4:30 AM (yes, you read that right!). I had committed myself to an all-nighter in order to finish an accounting assignment. I had actually gone over the word limit and it’s literally taking me more than five hours to reduce my essay by 200 words! As a result, I learnt several lessons this morning:
1) Try to finish your assignment earlier. All-nighters actually really suck!
2) Don’t think “oh I can always edit later, the main thing is I’ve done it.”

However, on this particular morning (as I am taking a break from doing the assignment; I gave up on sleeping altogether as I have classes at 8 AM) I also realised how fortunate I am to have been selected as an Ambassador for Monash Business School. Words simply cannot express the array of extracurricular activities I have been involved with through the Ambassador Program. Some of the biggest perks include a camp at Portsea before the semester (three days of gorgeous scenery) and building a large network of new friends.

A more recent opportunity was speaking and helping out at the Big Data Day, a brand new initiative by the School, which aims to engage year 12s who are interested in pursuing a career in business statistics, econometrics or actuarial studies. With the increasing demand for specialists in quantifying risk and uncertainty in business, there is an increased interest in the actuarial profession. Through this event, I met old classmates from Melbourne High School and had the chance to speak about Monash Business School to a lecture theatre full of students.

On top of the Ambassador Program, I am also a committee member of the Monash Actuarial Students Society, a commerce club run by students aiming to maximise cohesion and engagement with actuarial studies outside of the classroom environment. We have fortnightly meetings to plan activities and events throughout the year.

This year, as the Events Director, I have had the opportunity to work closely with the executive committee members of the club to ensure that our events run smoothly. The most recent of these events was the club’s flagship event, Corporate Cocktails (held last Thursday), and this was a spectacular night where sponsors and students - ranging from first year undergraduates to final year postgraduates – networked, ate and drank.

To top a fabulous night off, several of the members (including myself), journeyed to a nearby shop to purchase a Halal Snack Pack in tribute to the latest online fad.