#TIOHD Transfer

[thingsioncehelddear]

Hi Annie, I'm currently debating between AFM and Engineering at Waterloo. I've enjoyed both my high school accounting and science/math courses, but I'm terrified that I'll realize one year into my studies that I'm not happy and will regret not going with the other choice. Do you know if it's easy to transfer from Eng to Accounting or vice versa from within Waterloo? Do you know anyone who's done it? Thank you so much. Your blog has helped me out a lot.

Hey. :) It’s good that you’re thinking about this.

It’s typically not difficult to transfer from AFM into other programs within Waterloo (or even another university), as long as you meet the requirements to be admitted into the other program. The sooner you transfer, the easier your life will be, because you’ll have fewer credits to catch up on! I know many, many people who have transferred out of AFM into other programs within Waterloo (or to other universities). Most people who transfer do so at the end of 1st year, but I know people who transferred as late as 3rd year.

However, as far as anyone’s aware, it’s not possible to transfer from another program into AFM. That’s because AFM courses are very unique (to meet CPA Ontario’s accreditation requirements), and cannot be substituted with other courses. There’s also the issue of the AFMAA, which is a requirement for admission. So… I guess you might be able to apply if you’re willing to start over as a high school student? But you can’t transfer in, and none of us have ever heard of anyone who has done so.

Here’s my advice when it comes to determining whether or not AFM is right for you:

I liked high school accounting too. But high school accounting is bookkeeping. The question is: Do you really like accounting accounting? Do financial figures get you excited? When you see a cool organization, do you want to know what their finances are like? Do you want to analyze those numbers, and find out what they really tell you? Do you like the idea of studying the complex rules surrounding the determination and presentation of those numbers? Do you want to learn how to turn someone’s life story into the numbers that determine their 2017 tax situation? Do organizations’ borrowing activities and their financial impact on the organization interest you? If your answer is yes to all of the above, there’s a good chance that you’ll really enjoy AFM. If you started gagging halfway through, another program might be a better fit for you.

As someone who did go into the wrong program, another word of advice: There is no harm in changing your mind if you make a mistake, just like me! It’s really hard to make such a big decision at 17. Don’t be too scared about making the wrong decision - because it’s never the end of the road - and don’t be afraid to transfer if you didn’t make the right choice the first time. In fact, one of our finance profs was an engineer, but later veered into finance. :)

Anyways, I hope this helps you in making your decision! You have my full confidence that you’re going to do awesome in life, no matter what. :)

[thingsioncehelddear]

Is it possible for me to transfer from the Arts faculty to AFM-PA during the winter term?

I don’t know if it’s actually possible. :S If it is, it will be very, very difficult. If you’re truly interested, you could try contacting Patty Mah at patty.mah@uwaterloo.ca (she deals with admissions). Hope this helps!