#accountancy problems

Being an Accountancy student is definitely not easy. Taking this course requires a lot of effort and sacrifices. There will be sleepless nights, stressful days and heartbreaks. There are times that you might want to give up. At some point, you might even doubt yourself. Negative thoughts might flood your mind; Is this really for me? Am I taking the right path? Will I succeed?  But worry not, my fellow students! Every problem has a solution. If you really want something, you’ll do everything to achieve it, no matter how nerve-wracking it is.

Here are some ways that may help you improve your study habits, arranged in no particular order.

Do not memorize, analyze.   Accounting problems may be complex and solving those definitely requires analytic skills. Memorizing won’t do. You should have enough background and thorough understanding of the concept. Master the basics, study the theories and apply what you’ve learned in solving problems.

You should practice solving problems. By solving lots of problems, it will help you understand more the concept behind the topics you have learned. Problems tend to be tricky and by means of practicing, you can improve your analytic skills and gain more knowledge regarding your subjects.

Sleep well. Solving problems not only requires mental ability, but also physical strength. It is better if you get a decent amount of sleep every day in order to maintain good health. What’s the point of studying or cramming the whole night if you would end up tired, sleepy and worst, sick, during exams? Staying up late at night studying is fine, but be sure to have the right amount of sleep.  A minimum of 7 hours will suffice.  

Get some rest. Take a break if you don’t feel studying at all. Sometimes, you have to be in the right mood to study. Studying at your best condition will produce better results. What’s the point of studying if your brain is too tired to absorb more information? You also have to rest and enjoy at times. Remember, everything has to be balanced.

Manage your time properly. In order to keep track of your daily activities, it is advisable to create a schedule. You can arrange your activities in the manner of priority. Take note that you should always spare some time to study your lessons. A minimum of hour per day will do.  If it’s not possible, you should at least study your lessons in advance so that it won’t be hard for you to follow the discussions.

Be resourceful. There are different types and faces of problems. It is better to have a lot of reference books, reviewers and learning materials. This will help you a lot in studying. Just be sure that you will actually read and study your reviewers.

Don’t be hesitant to ask help from others. If you didn’t understand your lesson/s, you can ask your classmates to teach you regarding those topics. Do not be afraid to approach them. Sometimes, you have to ask help from others in order to have a deeper understanding of those topics.

Join group studies. Two heads are better than one. There are some topics that are so complex and mind-boggling. You can do some brainstorming with your friends and share your knowledge with them as well. This will also strengthen the bond between you and your friends.

Be independent at times. Not all times your friend is always by your side to assist you. Sometimes, you have to be independent. Learn to solve problems by yourself. As much as possible, avoid cheating. You are already in college; you should be able to handle your exams in a manner that won’t tarnish your integrity. As a future accountant, we should be fair and honest.

Believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? Remember, every problem has a solution. Don’t let negative thoughts mess with your mind. Don’t be afraid to answer complex problems. You can do it. Keep that in mind. Always think positive, but don’t get too highly of yourself. Be confident and learn to stay humble.

Do your best. Whenever you are taking exams, answer it like it is your life line. Answer it as if you are taking a board exam. Give your best shot, so you won’t have regrets.

Last but not the least…

Always seek for the guidance of the Lord. Remember, all of this won’t be possible without Him. Do your best and God will do the rest.

You don’t have to be great to succeed. You just have to be hard working, patient, strong and dedicated in pursuing your dreams. Every pain, heartache, and sacrifices will be worth it in the end.  I hope this could help. God bless you all, future CPAs.

First question: “Do you ever have doubts?”

I DO HAVE A LOT OF DOUBTS.

Even up to this point. 

To be honest, I also think it’s not for me and I’m not smart enough (believe me when I say I failed a lot of subjects). Even now I’m almost graduating, I’m still really scared. I have this subject which I really have a bad score for midterms, and there’s only 2 days left before finals. I’m close to jumping off a cliff. (Don’t worry I’m not going to do that.) I’m also afraid that no firm would want me for my bad grades. But, I still hold on to the fact that the CPA license is superior than your transcript of records. 

Though in terms of communication and being confident at work, I can fake it. I’m also a not-so-social person. But like for example, in school, when we have reports I can make myself confident (even if I’m not, and actually there are things that I don’t know in the report but I act as if I know it; in that way people will believe in you)

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I’d like to share this story of my friend who passed the CPA board exam late last year. After passing the board exam, she took a vacation and only applied to firms at the start of 2019. She was hired by a BIG4 Accounting firm. She’s introvert and she was just starting her job when she told me “I want to quit”. 

Why? She told me that there are discussions that felt like “class recitations” and she’s not as confident as the others. Also, English is not our first language (as we are from Asia) and somehow she’s not confident enough to speak the language (discussions were in English)

I was also worried about her since she kept on saying that she’ll only stay within the probationary period and planning to move to a private company. 

After the busy season, I asked her again what’s her plan and she told me that she’s going to stay with the firm. So I asked again why.

She told me that life in the firm is difficult, it feels like a roller coaster ride but at the end of the day, you’ll learn how to handle things on your own and also you will also earn more knowledge about the profession there.

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Second question: “How can we overcome it?”

You cannot fully erase your doubts. It’s normal. But for me, experience is the best teacher. I can manage to brush it off because I’m tired of doubting myself. (The only doubt you need to calculate if Doubtful Accounts Expense, kidding) 

When there are times where my anxiety is at peak, I try to remember 3 things:

1. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry

2. Law of Attraction

You are what you believe you are

3. Let fate take its toll

You shouldn’t worry about the things that are not happening yet. Just do what you need to do at the moment.

LIFO-pinag-aaralan pa rin for appreciation purposes.

I stopped writing to focus more on last Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination, it happened this October 7,8,14&15. And the results just came out. This is the second time I had taken the exam and I FAILED AGAIN. The ratings just came out, and my current ratings came out worse than last time.

Some might say I’m just making excuses for doing a bad job, maybe I am or maybe I’m not. I cried and now I’m trying to pick up the pieces. The CPA boards exam wasnt easy, especially for me who graduated more than a year ago. There were topics that weren’t covered in my curriculum when I was at school. The syllabus of the exam just got updated and I wasn’t ready. I got caught in the transition and I wasn’t prepared. I have finally come to terms with that fact, enough to admit it.