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advice on major - 12/3/2011 10:33:55 AM

defiantbadgirl

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What advice would you give a former accounting major that's great at math (definitely not me) but can't understand accounting software? This person has been working on a bachelors and did just fine until he got into upper level classes and had to deal with the computer aspect of accounting. He says the math is no problem at all, only the software (he mentioned auditing specifically). For now, he's switched his major to business administration with a minor in accounting. I think a degree in business administration at a bachelors or even a masters level is a bad idea because the market is already flooded with them (too many people getting BBA and MBA). The problem is, he's getting closer to the federal borrowing limit for bachelors degrees. Should he go ahead and get the bachelors in business administration and then get a masters in something else? If so, what are some ideas for masters degrees for someone good at math but not good at complicated software? He's not computer illiterate, he just can't understand accounting software. Would he be better off forgetting college and going to trade school before he reaches the federal loan limit? Are there any decent trade school certifications for someone skilled in math but not computers? By decent, I mean he needs a degree or certification that will lead to a job that pays $20/hr. He has no fantasies about becoming rich. He just wants to be able to pay back his loans and still have enough left to live on.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 10:54:12 AM

DarkSteven

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FFS, learn the damn software. I'd be damned if I'd let something like that stop me from a career. Especially if he's living his life on student loans and needs a real job.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 10:58:49 AM

littlewonder

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What darksteven said....learn the software. I'm sure the school supplies tutors that can show him how it works. If he can't figure out a software program then he's screwed no matter what bachelors degree he gets because he'll still have to know software programs at the workplace. All business type jobs are run by computers.

If he can't get past that he may as well simply not go to college at all.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 11:19:27 AM

LafayetteLady

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quote:

ORIGINAL: littlewonder

What darksteven said....learn the software. I'm sure the school supplies tutors that can show him how it works. If he can't figure out a software program then he's screwed no matter what bachelors degree he gets because he'll still have to know software programs at the workplace. All business type jobs are run by computers.

If he can't get past that he may as well simply not go to college at all.

^^^^yup^^^^

If someone isn't computer literate, there shouldn't be any software that they can't learn, unless it is for programming (which is scads more difficult).

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 11:25:58 AM

DesFIP

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He doesn't need to write the stuff, only learn to use it. Get a tutor, ffs.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 11:30:41 AM

defiantbadgirl

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I didn't mean to give the impression that he can't understand any office software. He has no problem with Microsoft Word or Power Point. It's specifically accounting software he's lost on. I too advised him to get help learning the software. There are math labs and writing labs with tutors at the college he attends, but no accounting software labs. So he joined a study group. The other students in the study group tried to help. He still didn't understand it. He says accounting software is complicated, not easy like Microsoft Office.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 11:34:38 AM

TheFireWithinMe

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Doesn't matter, either he should learn the software or forget being an accountant. I would be surprised if there's a business out there that doesn't use it.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 11:46:02 AM

RexDarcy

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Some things are easier learned than others, but just because its difficult doesn't mean the effort should be pushed aside because the learning takes more time and dedication to grasp.

Maybe the professor of the class or an advisor can get him in touch with somebody that has experience with the accounting software that would be willing to tutor him.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 11:58:14 AM

January

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How long has he been going to undergraduate school already? How long was he an accounting major before he switched? If he's really near the end of his education, (unless he switches yet again), he should tough out the accounting classes. He needs to get creative to find people who can help him with the software.

Maybe hire an expert (go outside the college for tutoring) to explain it to him? (Asking his study group to tutor him for free isn't right--they have their own studying to do.)

It seems that if he can't figure out how to get the help he needs, he likely won't be able to find a job. Job-hunting also requires creativity and persistence.

January

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:03:04 PM

searching4mysir

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Which system is he trying to learn: Peachtree, QuickBooks, another form?

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:03:51 PM

defiantbadgirl

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He asked me awhile back if he should go into teaching or accounting. I recommended accounting because he's shy, but good in math and teachers are getting laid off everywhere. Even his family thought he'd make a good accountant because of his math skills. When the students in the study group were unable to help, he pretty much gave up on being an accountant. If being an accountant takes a computer genius and not just basic knowledge of office programs, why isn't that fact more well known? I feel like I'm partly to blame for giving him bad advice. Are there absolutely no good degrees or trade school certifications for someone who's good at math and basic office software, but not a computer genius?

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:09:33 PM

TheFireWithinMe

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Oh ffs I'm not even close to being an accountant and I know most businesses us accounting programs. How do I know? It's simple, most businesses are as automated as possible, most things are done on computers. Why would keeping the books be different.

Geez even when you're upset on someone else's behalf it's someone else is to blame that things aren't the way you thought it should be. Why didn't you guys check thing out before he decided? It's always good to know things like that ahead of time isn't it.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:09:34 PM

searching4mysir

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DBG - they have one-day courses on various forms of these software programs.

The concepts are the same for the software as they are for paper ledgers...he just has to make up his mind to learn it. They really AREN'T all that difficult to learn once you understand the concepts. If he wants to get a job beyond basic bookkeeping for a small mom & pop place, he'll have to learn the software. Even if he wants to do tax prep, he is going to have to learn this stuff.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:21:59 PM

popeye1250

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quote:

ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

FFS, learn the damn software. I'd be damned if I'd let something like that stop me from a career. Especially if he's living his life on student loans and needs a real job.

Steven's right, learn the software!
If I could pick up a violin and learn to play it at 50 years of age then a math wiz should be able to learn software.
A lot of times I didn't know what I was doing but I just kept practicing over and over until I did know what I was doing.
With thousands of cos. having moved overseas there's much less of a demand for MBA's and B.S.'s in "business."
And it's much worse with lawyers, they're falling out of trees there's so many of them.
Like I've said in here before, the money isn't in getting degrees the real money is in *selling* degrees.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:26:22 PM

Winterapple

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Teachers are being laid off everywhere?
I thought there was a teaching shortage
especially for math and science teachers.
I don't see how he could be a CPA or do
a lot of office jobs without knowing the
software.
I know a lot of people who know Quickbooks.
I wouldn't call them computer geniuses
just bright and diligent.
I wonder if at the root of all this is he doesn't
really want to go into accounting?
Accounting involves numbers of course
but getting a degree in it is very different
than getting a degree in mathematics.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:33:03 PM

angelikaJ

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quote:

ORIGINAL: searching4mysir

DBG - they have one-day courses on various forms of these software programs.

The concepts are the same for the software as they are for paper ledgers...he just has to make up his mind to learn it. They really AREN'T all that difficult to learn once you understand the concepts. If he wants to get a job beyond basic bookkeeping for a small mom & pop place, he'll have to learn the software. Even if he wants to do tax prep, he is going to have to learn this stuff.

This, DGB; find the one day courses and if he has to take them twice to learn it then so be it.

That and perhaps he couple place a Craigs list ad seeking out specific help for this issue... .

Edit to add: Has he tried the Books for Dummies series to find relevant books?

< Message edited by angelikaJ -- 12/3/2011 12:35:35 PM >

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:36:29 PM

defiantbadgirl

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quote:

ORIGINAL: January

How long has he been going to undergraduate school already? How long was he an accounting major before he switched? If he's really near the end of his education, (unless he switches yet again), he should tough out the accounting classes. He needs to get creative to find people who can help him with the software.

Maybe hire an expert (go outside the college for tutoring) to explain it to him? (Asking his study group to tutor him for free isn't right--they have their own studying to do.)

It seems that if he can't figure out how to get the help he needs, he likely won't be able to find a job. Job-hunting also requires creativity and persistence.

January

I believe he's in his 3rd or 4th year. I thought students in study groups all helped each other out for free. Hiring an expert takes money a department store worker doesn't have. As far as jobs go, he has an excellent work history. He's an older nontraditional student and has only had 2 jobs in his life (worked at both for years, still works full time at one).

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Only in the United States is the health of the people secondary to making money. If this is what "capitalism" is about, I'll take socialism any day of the week.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:37:33 PM

LafayetteLady

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I'm not an expert in accounting, but I have used the software and it isn't that difficult. Are they using Peachtree or what? Tell him to go see if there is a "dummy" book for it. You know, like "Peachtree for Dummies?" There seem to be dummy books for absolutely everything.

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:42:14 PM

LafayetteLady

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quote:

ORIGINAL: searching4mysir

Which system is he trying to learn: Peachtree, QuickBooks, another form?

I've played for about 5 minutes on Peachtree, it is definately the harder system, but then again, I am not an accountant, so a lot of the stuff it would do was not in my skill set. Quickbooks is a fucking breeze. If it is Quickbooks and he can't learn it, he should hang it up. It it is Peachtree, yea, it is more difficult to learn, but it isn't freaking rocket science.

Students have access to these programs outside of class, including usually from a home computer. You aren't doing someone's actual books, so play around and figure it the hell out.

< Message edited by LafayetteLady -- 12/3/2011 12:43:14 PM >

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RE: advice on major - 12/3/2011 12:50:32 PM

defiantbadgirl

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quote:

ORIGINAL: TheFireWithinMe

Geez even when you're upset on someone else's behalf it's someone else is to blame that things aren't the way you thought it should be. Why didn't you guys check thing out before he decided? It's always good to know things like that ahead of time isn't it.

Actually, I DO blame myself. When I looked up degree possibilities for people good at math, I thought accounting looked like the best one. Had I looked in the right place, I might have found out accounting required the ability to understand complex computer programs.

_____________________________

Only in the United States is the health of the people secondary to making money. If this is what "capitalism" is about, I'll take socialism any day of the week.

Collared by MartinSpankalot May 13 2008

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