The beginning of College: an important choice to make.

We were near the end of high school, and I had a choice to make about my future: in which Cegep do I apply. Knowing that you can only send one application per tour, you have to choose your cage wisely.

Choice 1 : Bois-de-Boulogne College: Natural Science.

Choice 2 : Let's take a year off, we deserved it.

Choice 3 : Ahuntsic College: Business Management.

Bois-de-Boulogne College: Natural Science.

Natural Science is hard, I need to study a lot, but my best friend is going to the same College as I am. I am overwhelmed by all the work we have to do in this program. In order to escape from doing all this work, and relief some stress I start hanging out with my best friend more and more. The mid-term are coming in two weeks:

Choice 1 : Keep hanging out with my best friend.

Choice 2 : Focus on studying

Let's take a year off, we deserved it.

*Exhale deeply*. After all these exhausting years of school, I can finally relax. After a year of working in a minimum wage job, and saving some money, I ask myself: what's next?

Choice 1 : Keep relaxing, and plan a trip around the world

Choice 2 : Go back to school

Ahuntsic College: Business Management.

I am very happy to have chosen this program and this school since I love my field of study I have no difficulty pulling off straight A's, and I can dream about my future career. My dream is to create my own accounting firm, but for now I need to go to university.

Choice 1 : HEC Montreal: Accounting.

Choice 2 : John Molson School of Business - Concordia University: Accounting.

Hang out with my best friend.

In the first two weeks, I am having a lot of fun, going out partying every night with my best friend, until the mid-term exams arrive. I fail each exam, one after the other. I see my life falling apart, and I end up working as a janitor for the rest of my life in a center for the elderly.

Choice 1 : Your life is worthless, start again

Focus on studying.

I decided that this situation was going to change, so I did all my homework and exam thoroughly, and I only submitted thoughtful work to my teachers. I also used some time management strategies like creating a schedule of what I was going to do every day. For my first two sessions I only pulled of 85% and more in all of my courses. The problem was that by studying more and more I felt that I didn't really like the Natural Science program.

Choice 1 : Stay in Natural Science

Choice 2 : Change my program: Business Management

Stay in Natural Science.

Since I didn't like my field of study, the good work habits I had put in place fell apart. I started doing a cursory job on all of my exams and schoolwork, I stopped pulling off straight A's, I was sad, and I finally decided to drop out of college. I ended up unemployed living with at my parents' house for the rest of my life.

Choice 1 : Your life is worthless, start again

Change my program: Business Management.

I decide to go on a fresh start: I change Cegep, and I change my program. I am so happy in this new program at Ahuntsic College, I start pulling off straight A's again, and I finally graduated after another two years. Now is the time to choose which University I will go to.

Choice 1 : John Molson School of Business - Concordia University: Accounting

Choice 2 : HEC Montreal: Accounting

HEC Montreal: Accounting.

I get easily accepted at HEC Montreal due to my good grades, and I end up graduating with a bachelor in business administration, I did my first internship in an accounting firm, and I passed the CPA exam. After that, I start looking for a job related to my field of study.

Choice 1 : Integrate a young startup company as their main accountant

Choice 2 : Integrate a big accounting firm

John Molson School of Business - Concordia University: Accounting.

I get easily accepted at Concordia University due to my good grades, and I end up graduating with a bachelor in commerce specialized in accounting, I did my first internship in an accounting firm, and I passed the CPA exam. After that, I start looking for a job related to my field of study.

Choice 1 : Integrate a young startup company as their main accountant

Choice 2 : Integrate a big accounting firm

Integrate a young startup company as their main accountant.

As one the first employee of the startup, I got the chance to become a shareholder of the company. The beginning was really rough I had no experience, I had no mentor, and, most importantly I didn't have any on the job training, since I was the only accountant in the company. The wage was low compared to the amount of hour I put in the job. Thankfully, year after year I slowly learned the ins-and-outs of the job and as the small company grew I received dividends. My career was quite a success, but something was missing: the feeling of liberty and accomplishment. I wanted to start my own firm, but unfortunately it was already too late.

Choice 1 : You had a good career, but something is missing, start again

Integrate a big accounting firm.

I commenced my on-the-job training as an accounting with my mentor Jordan. When the real training started I followed Jordan at meetings with clients where I would learn all the ins-and-outs of the job, but I wasn't earning a wage yet. I was Jordan's trainee for 3 months, after that, I got hired by the firm. Year after year I slowly moved up the ranks of the accounting firm, and after 10 years I was offered to be the head of the firm. However, something was missing: the feeling of liberty and accomplishment. I wanted to start my own firm.

Choice 1 : Accept the role of head accountant in the big accounting firm

Choice 2 : Start an accounting firm

Accept the role of head accountant in the big accounting firm.

Since I still felt that something was missing in my life, I took out the anger I had against myself on my employees. I got sucked up in the whirlpool of office politics more often than not. All of this created a toxic work environment for my employees and undermined teamwork, people didn't like coming to work, which only increased my anger towards my employees.

Choice 1 : You had a good career, but it didn't end up the right way, start again

Start an accounting firm.

With all the experience I had acquire over the years, starting my own accounting firm was easy. I had a lot of clients, I hired a lot of junior accountants and some trainee. I managed to create a safe and friendly workplace for my employee because I learned that hindering office politics starts by being open and communicating, and the antidotes against those kinds of practice was a mix of transparency and trust. My only regret was that I didn't start this accounting firm earlier in my career.

Choice 1 : All your career was perfect, you are finally happy, but you could have access that happiness earlier in your life, start again

Keep relaxing.

For the next two years I do a big trip around the globe, and have the best time of my life, but when I comeback I am unable to get back in the routine of school. For the rest of my life I work in minimum wage jobs, spending all my time working, and whenever I have free time I only think about the past, and I keep telling myself that I should have done things differently.

Choice 1 : You deserve to live your dream, start again

Go back to school.

After a year relaxing I finally found the motivation and strength to go back to school, but I still need to choose my program.

Choice 1 : Bois-de-Boulogne College: Natural Science

Choice 2 : Ahuntsic College: Business Management

HEC Montreal: Accounting.

I get easily accepted at HEC Montreal due to my good grades. I love my field of study so much that I start dreaming about starting my own firm as soon as I graduate. One of my university teachers advised me to start with a job before launching my own company. I end up graduating with a bachelor in business administration, I did my first internship in an accounting firm, and I passed the CPA exam. After that, I wonder if I follow the advice my teacher gave me or not.

Choice 1 : Follow your teacher's advice: Start by being a contractor for small and big company

Choice 2 : Do not follow your teacher's advice: Launch your own accounting firm

John Molson School of Business - Concordia University: Accounting.

I get easily accepted at Concordia University due to my good grades. I love my field of study so much that I start dreaming about starting my own firm as soon as I graduate. One of my university teachers advised me to start with a job before launching my own company. I end up graduating with a bachelor in commerce specialized in accounting, I did my first internship in an accounting firm, and I passed the CPA exam. After that, I wonder if I follow the advice my teacher gave me or not.

Choice 1 : Follow your teacher's advice: Start by being a contractor for small and big company

Choice 2 : Do not follow your teacher's advice: Launch your own accounting firm

Start by being a contractor for small and big company.

Under the mentorship of my university teacher I start by being a contractor for diverse companies. Since I am passionate and well-guided by my mentor, I quickly learn the ins-and-outs of the job. I get more and more contract from companies, for which: I write bills of lading, I manage credit account, I write invoices, I prevent the smallest companies from going overdrawn, I take care of bookkeeping. After a successful first year, my mentor says that he thinks I am ready to start my own accounting firm.

Choice 1 : Follow my mentor's advice: Start my own accounting firm.

Choice 2 : Wait for a few years and keep being a contractor and then start an accounting firm

Launch your own accounting firm.

Since I have no experience, and no one to guide me, I failed miserably. After a year of struggling to get one or two clients, and ending messing up their finance, I went bankrupt, and I got sued by those same clients. For the rest of my life, I need to pay them back what I have made them lost due to my lack of expertise. I end up poor and crumbling under the immense workload I have to do every day.

Choice 1 : Your life is worthless, start again

Start my own accounting firm.

With the help of my mentor and with the reputation of one of the best young accountants that I had established during my first year as a contractor, starting my own accounting firm was easy. The diverse companies I had worked for as a contractor became my clientele's base and with them came more and more other clients. After a few years every company in town wanted to do business with me: the youngest and wealthiest accountant in the city. With my company growing I started hiring a lot of junior accountants and some trainee. I managed to create a safe and friendly workplace for my employees because I learned that hindering office politics starts by being open and communicating, and the antidotes against those kinds of practice was a mix of transparency and trust. I had finally achieved my dream, and my career couldn't be better.

Choice 1 : THE END