When I first entered university at the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM), I wanted to seek new opportunities and grow my skill set. During my first semester, I followed the Business Career Hub, which is where I stumbled upon the Program Advising and Student Success Centre (PASS). 

Tutoring at PASS

In my first semester, I received tutoring for ACC100 (Introduction to Financial Accounting), which helped boost my confidence. I attended accounting tutoring almost every week and finished the course with an A- (3.67 GPA). After learning how beneficial tutoring was for me, I decided to explore the other resources offered through PASS. I began using Pass Tip Sheets for courses such as MKT100 (Principles of Marketing), QMS210 (Applied Statistics for Business), and ACC406 (Introduction to Managerial Accounting). 

As I entered my second semester, I thought it would also be helpful to receive tutoring for MKT100, as I am not overly familiar with the marketing field. Throughout the semester, I enhanced my understanding of the content, as my tutor–who I now work with at the Program Advising Student Success Center–did a great job of breaking down the concepts and terms for me to understand. I was happy to score a B+ (3.33 GPA), and I wouldn’t have been able to do so without my tutor’s support.

How PASS tutoring helped me

PASS not only built my academic confidence, it also served as a gateway to other resources at TRSM. I began attending the bootcamps offered at the Ted Rogers School of Management to enhance my hard and soft skills. The bootcamps I attended were Power of Excel, Tableau, Power BI, Communication with Confidence, Emotional Intelligence, and much more. I was subsequently recognized as one of the “Top 10% engaged first year students” within TRSM, which was a wonderful accomplishment. Throughout my first year, I also excelled in all my courses other than marketing. Although I didn’t go to tutoring for the other classes, I used the PASS Tip Sheets, which helped me get on the Dean’s List for the 2020-2021 school year. 

In my first year, PASS supported me so much that I wanted to give back by applying to become an Academic Peer Helper. Unfortunately, I made it to the interview stage after handing in my resume and cover letter for the role, but I did not secure the position. At first I was upset, but this motivated me to become more involved at TRSM and take part in other extracurricular activities. I was dedicated and motivated to secure the Academic Peer Helper role, and I was not going to give up.

Getting involved with extracurricular activities 

In my first semester of my second year, I joined the Retail Students’ Association as a Finance Associate and the Ryerson Entrepreneurship Association as an Event Associate. I was also a Tri-Mentoring Program Mentor and a TedPack Mentor for Fit for Business. In addition to taking six courses and participating in lots of extracurriculars, I was able to complete the Fall Term with a 3.56 GPA. 

One day during the Winter Term, I was scrolling through the PASS Instagram page and noticed they were hiring Academic Peer Helpers–so I applied once again. I thought that my resume and cover letter had considerably improved and that my new extracurricular involvements coupled with my strong academic performance would help me to secure the role. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get past the interview stage, which took a toll on my confidence. However, I knew that I wanted to give back to the students, so I remained motivated and decided to re-apply down the line. 

My internship at a start-up

Meanwhile, I had received an internship at a start-up company called LocAlley as a Grant Writer. As an intern, I researched and identified potential grants to secure funding for the start-up company, and also gained knowledge on how to run a start-up. Being involved in LocAlley boosted my confidence and prompted me to apply for the Ted Rogers School of Management’s Co-op Program, which provides students with paid work experience for 16 months. I was also looking to apply for the Top 200 Program, which is reserved for the top 2% of student leaders within the school. Because the Co-op and Top 200 programs are so prestigious, I knew that I needed to work twice as hard. I attended the Ted Rogers School of Management Bootcamps once again and completed three Microsoft Certification Exams in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word in order to get a certificate from Microsoft. At the same time, I was also balancing my five courses for the Winter Term and successfully completing them with a 3.800 GPA.

When tutoring other students, I get a lot of satisfaction when students grasp the content, which makes it such a gratifying experience. I enjoy getting to know my students…. I’ve had multiple people approach me at school and tell me about their experiences working with me, which helped them to succeed on their midterms. 

Kourosh Jam

My experience visiting the Career Consultant and the Writing Specialist 

I knew the summer of my second year was going to be a stressful time as I was applying for the Co-op and Top 200 Program. I would consistently attend drop-ins with the Career Consultants to strengthen my resume and cover letter. I also visited PASS and booked meetings with the Writing Specialist to improve the diction, clarity, and sentence structure of my job package. After a very stressful time during May and June, I gained admission into the Co-op program and also the prestigious Top 200 Program. I was also pleased to be on the Dean’s List for the 2021-2022 term. I felt the time had come to re-apply for the Program Advising Student Success Center; I was confident that my time had finally come to become an Academic Peer Helper.

Giving back as an Academic Peer Helper and beyond

I am currently an Academic Peer Helper for FIN300 (Managerial Finance I) and FIN401 (Managerial Finance II). I get a lot of satisfaction when students grasp the content, which makes this such a gratifying experience. I enjoy getting to know my students, particularly students who consistently visit the office. I’ve had multiple people approach me at school and tell me about their experiences working with me, which helped them to succeed on their midterms. 

I am honoured to remain at PASS as the Lead Academic Peer Helper for the upcoming term. 

Come to visit us

Hope to meet you at the PASS office, TRS-1-004 (on the 7th floor), this coming term.

You can book an appointment with an Academic Peer Helper by clicking on the course tutoring link and then clicking “Book a Tutoring Appointment,” which will redirect you to the website where you can register for tutoring sessions.