Management, finance and accounting – how long have you known that this would be your path in life?

At the beginning, I chose Finance and Accounting chiefly because I liked mathematics. I felt good in those kinds of subjects and the course seemed to be the most sensible of all of those in the field. I chose Management later because I had some free time in my studies and I thought I could cope with two courses at the same time and that assumption proved accurate. The two courses are quite strongly interrelated, especially in the first semesters. It was easy for me, since a lot of subjects were repeated. Now it’s a bit more difficult – it does happen that I have several exams in one day, but I’m managing.

Do you see your future in an academic career at the university or do you tend towards the more practical side?

I do already have some practical experience working in an accounting office and I think my professional path will later be linked to accountancy. I would really like to sit the auditor’s exam in the future. I don’t know exactly what way my career will go.

Apart from your studies, you’re active in student organisations.

Everything is linked to the ‘Audytor’ circle for students of accountancy, which I joined in my second year. That’s where everything began. I used the opportunity to travel to different types of conferences or competitions. In this way I was able to gain experience which will pay off in my later academic work, but you can also meet interesting people. I now know people from almost all over Poland in places where I’ve attended conferences. As vice-president of ‘Audytor’ I was responsible for a range of things – sending people from the circle to conferences or organising a competition which takes place every October. The competition is called ‘Uczelniada’ and is aimed at accountancy students from the whole of Poland. They come here to us, to Sopot, in teams of three and firstly they solve tests, later they qualify for the final and in the final we select the best three teams who then win interesting prizes. The tests in the competition check their knowledge in the fields of financial, management and tax accounting and on the second day competitors solve a case study.

Experience, taking part in conferences and academic publications might all lead to a doctoral dissertation.

I haven’t thought about a doctoral dissertation but I know that to earn the title academic publications are a must – I’m not ruling it out.  

What with two courses of study, work, publications and your activity in the academic circle, do you have time for a hobby?

I always find some time. For meeting friends, for example. Free time is difficult in the exam session but I hope that I can make up for it after the session. I don’t have one single hobby. Lately, for example, I’ve been having Zumba classes and that’s something I do often. 

Interview: Krzysztof Klinkosz
Photography: Piotr Pędziszewski