Pressure: our version of comfort

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Amanda Mumford Contributor

Bishop’s has so many phenomenal opportunities to get involved that it is nearly impossible to not jump at them. There is so much enjoyment and satisfaction that can only be experienced through extracurricular involvement, but there is also a lot of pressure that coincides with it.

When I attended the BUCS Business Mixer that took place on Oct. 8, I talked to several students from a variety of years. Some of the conversations centred around a recent case competition and how crazy it was to be in the comfort of your home for the event, while still barely getting the chance to sleep. As with any case competition, you can gain great knowledge and connections, but you are also quickly faced with the challenge of learning how to present while sleep deprived.

With that being said, case competitions aren’t the only thing that cause periods of discomfort and stress. A lot of the other conversations I had showcased the realities of being involved in extracurriculars while carrying a full course load. There are times when there is no balancing the two, but you do it anyway. You are part of a team, you have made commitments, and when that project is finished, you work hard to catch up with other life and school responsibilities. This catch-up feels stressful, but there’s also a great sense of reward when you get to check off more than just academic work. It gives you the itch to do more and see how much further you can push yourself.

Following these conversations, I found a bit of comfort in the realization that a lot of other business students were experiencing the same internal and external pressure to the reopening of the economy, and Canada’s proximity to the United States, the results of this upcoming U.S. presidential election will have an impact on our careers and finances more than any other has in the past. While many Canadians might believe that U.S. politics are a foreign concern, we actually struggle with many of the same issues and are influenced by trends in U.S. politics. overwhelmed with midterm exams and, therefore, not have time to follow the U.S. political debate. However, now more than ever is the time to get curious and really learn what this election’s results mean for your future, even though you will not be going to the polls on Nov. 3. positions to save enough money to keep up with their student loans and university fees. Unfortunately for most, having a job over the summer was out of the question due to COVID-19. Until now, Canada has exercised prudence and caution. The federal government closed Canada’s borders with the U.S. at the end of March 2020 to limit the spread of the virus. Due to the United States’ disastrous mishandling of the pandemic which has resulted in the loss of over 220,000 human lives, the border has yet to be reopened. triggered an investing revolution. In an article published in Global News titled “Dividend stocks have stumbled amid COVID-19: What does that mean for investors?,” Wealthsimple, one of Canada’s top trading platforms, says it has experienced a 24 per cent growth since the pandemic took hold in North America in mid-March. The majority of these new account holders are young Canadian first-time investors. be involved that I was. It was kind of strange because I was looking at everyone walking around in their fancy business clothes and talking about what they are doing, but I was realizing that there was a lot more going on in their worlds too than just a “perfect” business student life. There were still dishes to clean at home, dirty clothes that needed to be washed, unread texts and snaps, missed FaceTime calls, meals that needed to be cooked, bills that needed to be paid, and groceries that needed to be bought. We were all unknowingly riding the same wave that throws us back and forth between wanting to feel the excitement of being involved and reflecting on what a reasonable load to take on is.

In one of the first networking events I went to, I remember hearing someone say: “It’s not what you know, rather who you know and what you’ve done.” That phrase alone has resonated with me and so many of my peers. We’re all working towards building a resume that stands out, and most of us will push ourselves to the point of exhaustion. The possibilities to do and be more are endless. It feels like I could always be doing more to increase my chances of getting a job. A resume feels like the most important thing to a business student. We will say yes to every opportunity if it means we can gain a few lines on our resumes. But it’s not just a few extra lines. Those lines feel like the difference between getting the job and not, when in reality, they’re what holds you back from letting go on a Friday night.

The hard thing to realize on those many Friday nights spent hunched over a desk is that we’re working towards how the U.S. presidential election could impact their investment and saving accounts.

When looking at the historical data on the relationship between the U.S. stock market and U.S. elections, the immediate short-term effects of the election’s results on stock market returns are very slim. Something that is important to consider is that all of us have our own political biases, which affect our view of the world. Therefore, these opposing views should be reflected in stock prices, meaning that a win for either party will not be universally viewed as a good or a bad thing (see Bonaparte, Page and Kumar’s “Political Climate, Optimism, and Investment Decisions” online). This is important to keep in mind before worrying that asset prices are going to collapse following an election result. The market aggregates the expectations of all participants, not just those aligned with a given political view, meaning we would not expect any major stock market events to stem directly from the election’s results. of the results. The election’s uncertain effect on the economy implies an equally ambiguous impact on inflation and interest rates. Some steepening of the yield curve could occur if investors become nervous about the budget deficit. This great uncertainty will likely provide a boost to precious metals as investors might turn to gold as a way to store their capital until markets become more certain. has never been perfect, but the result of November’s U.S. presidential election may bring new challenges. public services and infrastructure could make shares like renewables, industrials, and materials rise while tempering investments in fossil fuel industries. In the case something more important than a few lines. We’re establishing a drive that can’t be written on a resume but will be noticeable in the way we present ourselves. At the end of our degree, we’ll be confident in our work ethic because we did not settle for comfort. We pushed ourselves harder than we thought possible because that was our version of comfort. That cannot be taught in a textbook. Drive and passion are only learned and developed through experience. It cannot be taken away because those sleepless nights, frantic emails, and messy desks will always be a reminder of just how far we’ve come.

From left to right, Amanda Mumford, Genevieve Demontagne, Maya Lauzon, Melina Krallis, and Simon Martel interact at the Photo courtesy of Fiona Doran

Amidst midterm exams’ panic, the 2020 U.S. election’s results may prove to be a bigger concern Samy Cauvet Contributor

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulties with

As the semester progresses, it is normal to feel

Many students rely on summer jobs and internship

COVID-19 disrupted the global economy, but it also

Now, the question for all those young investors is However, stock market volatility may increase because Canada’s relationship with its largest trading partner If Biden gets elected, his policies on the environment, BUCS Business Mixer of Oct. 8. of the re-election of Donald Trump, tensions could rapidly escalate out of control. In fact, Trump will likely continue to use tariffs in trade disputes with Canada, threatening, for example, more than 525,000 Canadian workers in the auto industry. While contributing to the hardship of new graduates searching for their first job in Canada, he may also increase immigration restrictions affecting H1-B work visas, for example, which would be disastrous for graduating students planning to enter the U.S. job market. However, protectionist sentiments are not exclusive to Donald Trump’s electoral base. Even if Biden wins the presidency, trade tensions will persist between the two countries.

The key takeaway for long-term investors is that the overall government election outcome may end up mattering more than one candidate’s success.