Aleena Sutton

Her degree has been the best experience, she says. “I really enjoy working with numbers and trying to find the right answer for things.”

“Studying accounting provides you with many different options. It enables you to work in various branches of accounting and a wide range of industries. It’s also beneficial if you want to start up your own company or work in other areas of business.”

The financial accounting papers were “quite tough but a good way to challenge yourself and get a real feel for accounting”, says Aleena.

She'd never studied economics before but the compulsory paper ECONS200 Macroeconomics and the Global Economy turned out to be one of her favourites in the degree. “It provided me with good insight into the overall performance of the national economy and actions with the global economy. It also showed you why you need accounting.”

“We had to do a lot of group assignments and the skills I learnt from that were very helpful in terms of communication and team-work. You need these skills in the workplace.”

Aleena has an appetite for adventure, so in her second year she decided to study abroad at Lancaster University in England for one semester. “Going on this exchange was the biggest highlight for me. I experienced a different kind of study and a completely different life. I was able to cross-credit two of my papers back to Waikato. It was the best thing I did.”

In the final year of her degree, Aleena did a summer internship at one of the big four accounting firms, KPMG, and gained valuable work experience. “I filed tax returns, went out on audit jobs and undertook consulting work where I had to research different issues and find answers for clients.”

“The internship helped me to develop new networks and business relationships, and gave me more of an idea of the direction I want to take my career.”

Aleena enjoyed her undergraduate degree so much that she decided to continue with a Master of Management Studies in Accounting.