Now that you’re up to date on what it’s like studying a Bachelor of Commerce at UQ, it would only make sense if you were now looking for a real student’s real perspective of the course!
Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. We got to chat with Nicholas, a Bachelor of Commerce graduate who told us everything there is to know about the degree — the ups and downs, ins and outs and pros and cons of studying Commerce at UQ.
Ready to check it out? Let’s go!
Why should you study a Commerce degree at UQ?
Top 3 Pros of a Commerce Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Commerce Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting UQ Commerce
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying UQ Commerce
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study a Commerce degree at UQ?
The Bachelor of Commerce program at UQ would be perfect for anyone keen on learning about business and economics. As a student, you’ll cover everything from business information systems, accounting, data analytics and finance, so if you graduated Year 12 loving Maths or Economics, this degree could be perfect!
If you need a bit of a refresh on what constitutes commerce, this next bit is for you. Put simply, commerce refers to the activity of buying and selling products, so it’s all about the exchange of goods and services between businesses and individuals.
Commerce generally focusses on the distribution aspect of business instead of production, though they’re all pretty interconnected so you can be sure to graduate with a broad understanding of business as a whole.
A feature to look forward to at UQ in particular is they’ve undergone a bit of a shift from teaching pure economics to advocating for environmental accountability. You’ll get an idea of sustainability and environmental practices, super relevant skills in today’s market.
Once you finish at UQ, you can look forward to a career in banking, accounting, finance or business analytics! Yay!
Top 3 Pros of a Commerce degree
#1: Finance is everywhere, and you’ll learn all about it
One of the features of the Bachelor of Commerce that Nicholas found really appealing was the financial content itself. We often forget how much we rely on money day to day, and to be able to advise someone on the best next step to make the most of this money was something that Nicholas found really rewarding. It was a challenge, but one that Nicholas was willing to take.
“I don’t think finance is a very intuitive thing for a lot of people. I think finance is quite a difficult concept. Even though money is a part of everyone’s everyday lives, we don’t really understand interest rates, we don’t really understand fiscal policy,” Nicholas said.
“So being able to get a better grasp on it, and to help others understand it, was something that was really appealing to me. The more I learned, the more I was able to pass on to my friends and family,” he added.
So, if you’re like Nicholas, and just want to gain a general grasp of finance as a discipline, the Bachelor of Commerce at UQ is a program that will support you. And the lessons you’ll learn will no doubt come in handy later on.
#2: It’s a relevant and practical degree
Another positive of the Bachelor of Commerce at UQ, according to Nicholas, is its relevance and significance to everyday life. We all want a degree that teaches transferable, practical and lifelong skills, right? Well, the Bachelor of Commerce offers just that.
Nicholas began his university endeavours as an Engineering student before transferring into Commerce. He explained that being able to compare the two disciplines makes the practicality of Commerce easier to recognise.
“I enjoyed how much the degree has an impact on my everyday life. In Engineering, I was learning things that were helpful. I was learning about engines and combustion, they were helpful but they’re not things I use everyday. I would only ever use them in a job.
“In Commerce, I learn about things that I’ll actually use, like what a good or bad loan looks like, investing, interest rates, bonds. I learn about things that everyone has to deal with. I was able to use my degree on a daily basis,” Nick said.
#3: It’s great for the problem solvers
If you’re someone that loves to solve puzzles, consider solutions or think critically, then that’s another reason the Bachelor of Commerce might just be perfect for you. Nicholas told us that it was a big part of the appeal.
“Since I’ve chosen Commerce and Engineering, I’m a bit of a problem solver and I think there’s a lot of problem solving aspects to Commerce. The degree involved case studies on companies, asset reviews and balance sheets,” Nicholas explained.
He added, “Using that problem solving skill was really, really enjoyable. I got to figure out what the problem was that the company was facing and was able to provide advice.”
Top 3 Cons of a Commerce degree
#1: It’s a competitive job market
“I think it’s important for anyone who does decide on this degree to know that it’s very competitive once you’ve finished. I was very fortunate to get a graduate position,” Nicholas said.
While it’s pretty tough to get into the course, you’ll need at least an 87 ATAR, Nicholas told us that it’s even more challenging to score yourself a working gig once you’ve graduated.
“To give you some perspective,” Nicholas explained, “there were 136 graduates across Australia, but 6200 people applied. I think that’s about 98% who didn’t get in.”
Nicholas made it clear that he wasn’t saying it’d be impossible to get a job, but it is a competitive job market and it’s worth thinking about!
#2: Increasing uni fees
As you’re probably aware, the education sector has undergone some pretty big financial changes over the last couple years. Certain degrees’ prices have skyrocketed while others have become more manageable. Nicholas reminded us that the Bachelor of Commerce is one where fees have undoubtedly increased.
“This year the fees for Commerce and Management went up 28%. This kind of follows on from the face that Commerce is competitive. The government is no longer putting up as much funding or capital to pay for university degrees in Commerce, in Management,” Nicholas shared.
So, just keep that in mind as you’re applying. Still, you’ll be able to pay it off over time with HECS and HELP, so don’t let that deter you from studying!
#3: You’ll have to take the initiative to get stuff done
While there are plenty of great opportunities at UQ, something that Nicholas noted was that in order to take advantage of those features, you’ll generally have to put the work in and take the initiative to get stuff done.
This is good and bad. You’ll be learning some great skills like independence and the importance of taking accountability, but sometimes it can be all too easy to forget that such opportunities exist.
“I never got heavily pushed to go out and get a position like a holiday job or an internship at a bank. That’s something, looking back, I wish I had been more heavily encouraged to pursue. It just wasn’t really on my radar and I didn’t get pushed towards it,” Nicholas explained.
Any regrets?
Nicholas couldn’t think of any regrets because he enjoyed the degree and got everything he needed out of it.
This would be a good time to mention that everyone has a different experience at uni. What Nicholas didn’t like, may be your favourite part! You never know until you’re there. But if you’re tossing up your potential life as a Commerce student, let this be your sign!
You can also check out the subject line and get a sneaky look at all your subjects right here!
What do you wish you had known before starting UQ Commerce?
#1: Get involved!
You’ll probably hear it non stop as a future uni student but, seriously, the benefits of getting involved and being engaged with all sorts of activities and events will be totally worth it.
Nicholas’ main tip was to get involved where you can, “I did a couple extra curricular programs and took part in an investment competition since I was a member of Engineers Without Borders and found it pretty helpful.”
Luckily for you, you’ve got an abundance of options when it comes to joining clubs and societies at UQ. In fact, UQ offers over 220 clubs and societies for all students!
You could join the Business Association, the Karaoke Club, or the Photography Society. Seriously, the options are endless.
#2: Get practical experience where you can
Following on from Nicholas’ last tip, he told us about the importance of gaining internship experience and placement experience as a student. It’ll be so much easier to score a great job once you graduate if you’ve already got a jam packed resume.
Now that Nicholas has gotten a job in the professional field, he explained that it’s clear most people that work there have quite a lot of experience.
“In my personal experience, I wish I had been encouraged to spend a little more time doing internships or work experience. I’ve noticed that everyone has done internships at some company, some sort of work experience to get an idea of what it’s like in a workplace,” Nicholas explained.
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
“I’d say it came down to more historical reasons. UQ’s sandstone buildings and the fact that it’s ranked 51st in the world were enough to attract me. It’s got great teachers, great staff, great facilities,” Nicholas said.
And it’s true! UQ has a pretty good rep. In fact, QS Top Universities ranked them #6 in Australia for Accounting and Finance.
What inspired you to choose UQ Commerce?
As we’ve mentioned, Nicholas originally started his university journey with a double degree in Commerce and Engineering, and it wasn’t until he realised he enjoyed the Commerce aspect far more that he decided to drop to the single degree.
“Since I originally studied a double degree in Engineering and Commerce, I sort of treated commerce more like a stepping stone degree. I thought I was going to use it to get into a management position in Engineering,” Nicholas explained.
He added, “I eventually dropped the Engineering side of my degree because I just didn’t enjoy it very much. I found Commerce more enjoyable because I was able to use my problem solving skills in what I thought was a more practical, business-focussed area.”
So, there you go! There’s no right or wrong way to get through uni. You may start in a particular discipline and eventually transfer into another!
What are the possible career paths?
Once you graduate from the Bachelor of Commerce program at UQ, you can be sure that you’ll be equipped with all the essential skills needed in the accounting, business and finance world. You’ll be ready to take on the working world with the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills for all types of positions.
The best bit? You’re not even limited to the commerce world! You could commit to some further study to become an actuary or even stick to academia as a teacher or professor. You’ve got tonnes of options!
Gemma Billington is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Technology Sydney. While studying Journalism and Social and Political Sciences, Gemma enjoys spending her time at the gym or reading about Britain’s medieval monarchy – ideally not at the same time. She currently creates and administers social media posts for Central News and writes for the student publication, The Comma. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to study a Masters of Medieval History and is very excited about the prospect!
