The Study of Accounting and the CPA Board Exam

Accounting Horror Stories

As a student, I never like Accounting! My inclination was towards the study of the arts and design. I was quite good in painting as a child, that I thought my brain cells were in my fingers, and not on my head! I had this weird notion, that the veins in my hands were throbbing brain cells, waiting for me to do another painting! As I got older, these brain cells must have gone into my limbs and mouth. I pursued the college guilds on dramatics, dance, oratory and debate! My leanings were towards the arts,and it was an undeniable truth that I will pursue it as my life destiny!

But horrors! My dad, who was from the old school, would hear none of it! To him, the study of the Arts was not an option. A real course in the College of Commerce, was nothing but the study of Accountancy, I was told in no uncertain terms to take it up, or else he will cut the financial support for my studies! When I was told that, my mind just went blank! I knew how I fared in my Math subjects since grade school, It ranged from a pitiable, 75% to a respectable, 85%. The latter grade was achieved by sweating blood in studying all the formulas and mathematical equations. It was the result of superhuman efforts, incomprehensible for a kid of 16. You may call it an extraordinary feat; a far cry from what is real and natural - especially for a girl whose brains were snugly situated in the veins of her hands!

The basics of accounting were relatively easy. It was a breeze, and I got good grades to make me eligible for college scholarship. The major subjects were a different story though. The nuns in the school would always find me sick in the clinic whenever we have Cost Accounting; and would see me stuck in the restroom for the rest of the day whenever we have Auditing Problems. The Advance Accounting subject was so out-of-this-world that it left me with fainting spells and severe head pains!. The nuns were in disbelief! How can I have these fainting attacks near smack the goodies of the school canteen? My love-hate relationship with Accounting during college days were epic. Until now, I am still in a quandary on how I managed to graduate, with Accountancy as my major course.

After graduation, I worked in a manufacturing and auditing firm. I savored all that the world has to offer. I found out that the real world was totally different from the academe. How you were judge by peers and bosses was an altogether different experience. I found out that what counted in the real world were as follows:

In Accounting, you should not only be able to think accurately but swiftly as well. There is no use of having a perfect report when it is no longer needed by management. Survival techniques in the corporate arena, would include having to balance out accuracy with timeliness.

It is not always the brightest nor the most awarded student who gets ahead fast. In the corporate world. It is those that can present themselves best and who are adept in the use of social skills that usually gets promoted.

The tough subjects in college, suddenly becomes easy when applied at work. You often wonder why this was a hard thing to understand in school but easy to apply in the workplace.

The Review for the CPA Board Exams

After working for one year, I suddenly realized that there was need for me to take the board exam soon, lest I forget all about it.. Besides, there was nothing like having a CPA tag attached to one's name. I dreamed of it in earnest. and relentlessly pursued it, once my decision on becoming a CPA was made. I reviewed in one of the top CPA review centers in the city, and studied mightily like I have never done before. I realized while taking the review, that I did not know anything! I was starting from scratch with barely a few things that I remembered from college. This was not entirely the fault of the school, but mine since I did not take my studies seriously.

To the review school's credit, they have top-notched reviewers which enlightened me on the intricacies of the accounting subject. I appreciated the study of accounting more in the review center than in the academe. The reviewers were not only intelligent but witty as well. It made studying fun and less of a burden. My dad, who did not really believe that I can tackle the board, told me to take it easy. He said in jest- that I need not be ashamed If I fail; and that he will understand! That challenged me more, since no one really believe me, except myself!

Six months after (that is how long it took to release the results then), my dad came home early and told me that he got congratulated by everybody. since I passed the board. He simply can not believed it. and bought several newspapers, to check if my name was really there! Having my name in the newspaper was not enough, because the following morning, he drove straight to the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) to verify.. He was so happy with this turn of events, that he bought me a brand new car as a gift!

Recapitulation

The study of Accounting is not easy. It takes patience and perseverance to be able to do it. As I have imparted with my students, Accounting is not an enemy that has to be vanquish, but a lover that has to be wooed and aspire for. The road may be tough,. but the path is not littered with bricks and mortars. It is strewn with flowers and lovely scenery.