Liangyue Xiao

Country of origin: China

Tax Consultant, KPMG

I applied for Accounting and Financial Management programmes (or similar) in many universities, but the one at Lancaster University had always been my goal because I believed that I would never be disappointed by a programme ranked so highly in the UK. In addition, I contacted some alumni of the programme at Lancaster on a special forum and they all spoke highly of the modules included in the programme. They told me that I would have a “tough” time in Lancaster because of the intense schedule, but I would also have further knowledge in accounting and finance. So I came to the Management School at Lancaster University and I did have unforgettable experience there.

One thing that I must talk about was the Sports Centre. I spent a lot of my spare time there and it helped me to get through my tough time during my dissertation period. Sometimes my friends and I had sport “parties” there. I also made new friends by playing badminton. So, the Sports Centre was really a great place.

As far as the modules are concerned, Financial Reporting for Complex Entities was my favourite.   was very experienced in teaching the module. He knew which parts were difficult, so he explained in detail and asked us to do more exercises of those parts. He used comparisons and examples to help us understand, which also made the course interesting. I could feel that he wanted us to “take in” his knowledge.

I think the dissertation course was quite unique compared to other programmes. After all, not every programme had a course aimed to help its students write their dissertation. It allowed us to choose a direction and then guided us to find a topic. Otherwise, I would be driven crazy by the dissertation.

Graduate College also held many activities for us. The most interesting was the party in summer. At that time, the other parts of the University were quiet because undergraduates had left the campus. But Graduate College was quite lively. The bands performed wonderful. We sang and danced with the music.

I felt that I was cared about all the time at Lancaster University. I was very excited when I saw the decoration in LUMS and the common room during the Chinese New Year, which made me feel like at home.

I have been admitted by KPMG to work as a Tax Consultant in the Department of Transfer Pricing. I think my studies at Lancaster did help me find the job. In the final interview, one Senior Manager asked me why I thought that I was capable of the doing the job, and I told him that at Lancaster, I learnt to cooperate with people from different backgrounds, which was quite necessary for the job. Also, I told him that the intense schedule of the programme enhanced my capability to work in KPMG. I explained in detail that at Lancaster, I sometimes had two or three coursework assignments to do at the same time, but I still got a balance between life and study, so I believed I could perform well under great pressure in KPMG, while also having a good life. The manager smiled and said he believed I could. It turned out to be a pleasant talk with the Senior Manager and the Director, rather than an interview.