(right, from top) Wong Hwa Kiong, Dean of the Faculty of Accountancy, Finance and Business (FAFB), Jo Yan, Wen Phor and Tiong Keng, during the International Accounting Competition 2021 result announcement ceremony.

Lack of competitive experience did not deter five TAR UC students from accepting the challenge at the International Accounting Competition 2021 from 25 - 27 June 2021, where against the odds they managed to finish in third place.

Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) students Loke Jo Yan, Yeeo Tiong Keng, Wong Shi Yang, and Sim Yi Ping formed a team together with Diploma in Accounting graduate Hoong Wen Phor, where they competed against 127 participants from Malaysia and Indonesia in the competition jointly organised by TAR UC and Bina Nusantara (Binus) University, Indonesia.

Their third place finish earned them USD150 in prize money and valuable experience in developing their personal growth.

"There were many challenges we faced as a team throughout the competition such as insufficient time, technical issues and lack of competitive experience.

"But we worked as one team, kept motivating each other and used our individual strengths to pull through. At the end of the day, it was unexpected but a great surprise for us to finish in third place," said Jo Yan.

On how the team prepared for the competition, Wen Phor said: "All of us were prepared with a strong academic foundation at TAR UC, which already gave us the knowledge and materials that are used in the competition."

"Participating in this competition made us realise that we can improve not just through knowledge, but also via other aspects such as communication, teamwork, presentation and critical-thinking skills.

"So, we hope every TARCian will not let doubt deter them from pursuing their dreams, because you will reap what you sow in the end," added Tiong Keng.