Graduation Time

(Written by Jon Malote)

Hello MAC friends and family, I hope you have all been enjoying this beautiful spring weather (and if you’re like me coping well with your yearly bout with pollen). It is hard to believe that graduation was this past weekend, and with that I wanted to leave a few tips and tricks for our future MAC Pack.

When in doubt, say yes

I would have to give Jim Carrey and the movie “Yes Man” for giving me this piece of advice. Coming into the MAC program as a non-NC State undergraduate, I understood the importance of integrating myself into my new community. To do so and make the most of my time in the program, I had to confront my own feelings of hesitancy. More specifically, the hesitancy of whether I had the time, competency, or energy to say yes to an opportunity. The best way I have found to overcome those feelings, is to just say yes more often. If I had not said yes, I would not be writing this blog now, and more importantly I would not have gotten to know all the great professors and peers that I was fortunate to meet just by saying yes.

Be a team player, accounting is a team sport

It’s no secret that the MAC program incorporates plenty of group projects in its curriculum, and in practice you will be working in teams whether you go into the public or private sector. Therefore, learning to effectively work in a group setting is vital for your success both in the MAC program and in your professional career. Everyone works at different paces and functions best at different times, so be sure to communicate with your group members if you’re an early bird or a night owl. Set your team expectations early and communicate with your partners if there are any deviations or personal setbacks. Lastly, be patient with each other. The MAC program can be stressful and personal obstacles will come up, so when that happens do your best to accommodate each other. At the end of the day, you are a team, and the quality of your final product depends on the quality of your collaboration.

With that, I want to thank the MAC professors and faculty again for all their hard work, and to you for following along as I shared my experiences throughout this semester. It has been a pleasure being able to share my thoughts, and I look forward to reading future student life blogs as an alumnus of the MAC program. Until then, see you around and Go Pack!

Best,
Jon M