Prompt #1 Preconceptions about Accounting

Preconceptions about Accounting

What is accounting about? What I would be like if I choose accounting major? What would my future like if I am an accountant? To be honest, even though I choose this major, I still not very familiar with this topic. The most direct feeling about this job is from my parents. They were always busy, overtime working a lot, stared at the excel form for a long time. I, like most of people, have some preconception for this job. 

And they are：

1.       Accounting is more tend to be a science class rather than a liberal art class.

2.       Accounting major have a high requirement on the mathematics.

3.       Accounting is boring and difficult to learn!

4.       If you choose to be an accountant, you will have types of examination in your whole life time.

5.       Accountant is a unchallengeable job

To refresh my definition for this job, I read parts of Basic Accounting：The step-by-step course in elementary accountancy, written by Nishat Azmat and Andy Lymer. And did a short interview with an accountant.

1.       Accounting is more tend to be a science class rather than a liberal art class.

Accounting is a major need both science and art. We should pay more attention about marketing news to practice some principles which we gain from the class. Also to learn and use some definitions or formulas. And all the knowledges are associated to our daily life.

2.       Accounting major have a high requirement on the mathematics.

It is true that accounting need some mathematic knowledges. But it wouldn’t be as difficult as the person who is in the math major. Math will just like a tool to record the business activities in a period of time. We don’t need to do the research about a math definition during our work. For instance, we will know the meaning about “cost of merchandise sold” and use it to record the business activity in the company. But we don’t need to do the research about how to record the business activity.

3.       Accounting is boring and difficult to learn!

It is true that accounting wouldn’t be as funny as a joke. But whether it is boring or not is really depend on someone’s interest. Without interest, everything can be boring. Also like many other class, accounting also have many terminologies. But if we any accounting book, each principle is range in a logical order and make sense to learn about it.

4.       If you choose to be an accountant, you will have types of examination in your whole life time.

Some exams are mandatory. They are essential because we need certification to prove our ability, just like the Teacher Certification. Also types of nation have different rule for the accounting exam. Like in China, if you are an accountant in a listed company, you need recheck for you accounting ability for each year. However, for some small company is different.

5.       Accounting is an unchallengeable and single job.

Many people think accountant is equal to the casher. Well, it’s not. There are many types of Accounting like Intermediate Financial Accounting, Cost and Managerial Accounting and Federal Income Tax Accounting. There are many types of company need accountant whether it is about medical, bank, restaurant even government! We can raise our level on accounting by passing exam. For accountant in types of company to auditor in an accounting firm like APFG. Then we can be an auditor for a single company to make decision for the company to gain more benefit. As a result, we even have chance to be a CFO for a listed company! This is so cool!

This textbook, Basic Accounting：The step-by-step course in elementary accountancy, is really helpful! It has many basic information about accounting, and also contain concise explanations of accounting principles and practice. Due to this book, it gives me a chance to know more about accounting, not just some unclear explanation from other people. Also thanks to the accountant who I interview, both his explanation and the systematic knowledge from the book, they refresh my understanding of this field accurately.

         I feel I have more passion and confident to keep learning on this major through this homework!