It’s now been a month since classes started and I can tell you that the pace of second year is quite different from before. Within the first four weeks of classes, there’s already been a ComSoc conference (QACE), the first year hiring period, a golf tournament (QCM), and a case competition (QCC), which I had the pleasure of being a part of this year.

QCC stands for the Queen’s Case Competition and is a two day event split up into two streams: the maroon stream, for first and second years, and the gold stream, for second to fourth years (second years get to pick which stream they’d like to be in). I had the opportunity to participate in last year’s QCC in the maroon stream, and as it was my first true case competition experience, had my eyes opened to the intense yet rewarding world of formulating solutions to business scenarios in a group.

This year, I served on the committee that oversaw and ran the Queen’s Case Competition and was amazed by the quality of work put forth by competitors. Students from all years of the Commerce program brought forward their best analytical and communication skills to put together some of the most incredible presentations Goodes Hall has probably ever seen! Whether outlining a franchising strategy for a new fast-food chain, or revitalizing brand interest for an age-old consumer product, competitors truly embraced the spirit of QCC.

Case competitions are a great way to apply in-class knowledge to real world scenarios and serve as a great medium in which to test your analytical and organizational skills. Working in a team on a case for 4 to 5 hours may seem daunting to the best of us, but often putting in the required effort yields a final product that everyone can be proud of. I think that QCC is a great way to start the new school year and hope that if case competitions are your thing, you consider getting involved!

-Samir Kulkarni, COMM ‘14