Happy Holidays to everyone. More in the new year. Remember, the
faculty are here to help.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Merry Christmas everyone, or whatever
Whatever holiday you celebrate, I want to wish everyone the best time during the break from school. Take time to be with family, because that's what really counts. Of course, don't forget that the family has gotta eat!
Good luck to everyone, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you in the new semester.
Good luck to everyone, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you in the new semester.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
'Accounting major? Don't take finance classes,' says the accounting faculty
In the last week or so undergrads have been asking some of us about something their accounting faculty advisors have told them recently (it's not new).
To wit:
"If you're an accounting major, taking finance classes or being a double major 1) is a waste of time, or 2) dilutes your transcript, making you look 'weaker' to employers, or 3) is a distraction."
Pick one of the reasons. With limited exception, they're crap (of course). But some of us on faculty have heard it before. It's a really good example of folks not having an "abundance" mentality -- if students take FINANCE classes, that somehow takes away from the ACCOUNTING program at UHCL. What a bunch of garbage.
What's worse, it doesn't do the students any good in the long run to think that, or to hear disparaging remarks about UHCL in any context. These kind of remarks violate students' trust of us as counselors and career advisors.
To the accounting faculty with this attitude: open your eyes. Spouting this kind of stuff undermines your credibility with the students. It hurts all of us, but you especially. If nothing else, 6 months after they start a job they're going to look back and think about how stupid some of that rhetoric was.
What's the limited exception, when is the recommended FOCUS a good idea? If you KNOW you're going into public accounting (say, you've already worked in it and it's what you live for) then focus like a laser on getting your CPA. Don't daudle. Get it done ASAP. Forget everything else in the meantime.
Otherwise, it may make sense to keep your options open. Take a few classes here or there in things that interest you. MAYBE even get a double major just in case the accounting thing doesn't really work for you down the road.
I have ALWAYS told my finance students to get as much accounting as possible during their undergrad years. Always. If some of them end up as accounting majors (and plenty have) then so be it. I won't LIE TO THEM to get a few more finance majors here or there. You have to understand accounting to do finance, no question. You have to make sure you're not just passing the classes, but that you really KNOW it.
At the same time, if you plan on getting an accounting degree, you don't have to plan on getting a CPA (another myth). Not everyone does. But if you end up working in public accounting where everyone else has a CPA, and you don't have one, you're going to feel like the Ugly Duckling. I've talked to folks in the REAL WORLD about this one lately, and it's annoying if you're in the middle of that situation.
Finally, for those for whom the "limited exception" applies, think about this: if you're going for your CPA, and you KNOW that's where you're headed, please make sure that UHCL is giving you what you need. Take the time to find out what challenges lie ahead and make sure that the courses you're taking are rigorous enough to prepare you for the CPA exam. If they aren't, take the time to find out why and figure out how to fix things for yourself before you take the exam.
One other alarming thing to report:
One of my accounting students the other day said they had been told by faculty in accounting that it was usually a good idea to plan on taking one of the CPA review courses off-campus (they said a name at the time). Some of my other students echoed this in class this week. WHAT! Isn't that what an accounting degree is for? In 20 years of doing this stuff, I've never heard anything so absurd.
As always, if you're concerned about this kind of stuff, come talk to us. That's what we're here for.
Tim
To wit:
"If you're an accounting major, taking finance classes or being a double major 1) is a waste of time, or 2) dilutes your transcript, making you look 'weaker' to employers, or 3) is a distraction."
Pick one of the reasons. With limited exception, they're crap (of course). But some of us on faculty have heard it before. It's a really good example of folks not having an "abundance" mentality -- if students take FINANCE classes, that somehow takes away from the ACCOUNTING program at UHCL. What a bunch of garbage.
What's worse, it doesn't do the students any good in the long run to think that, or to hear disparaging remarks about UHCL in any context. These kind of remarks violate students' trust of us as counselors and career advisors.
To the accounting faculty with this attitude: open your eyes. Spouting this kind of stuff undermines your credibility with the students. It hurts all of us, but you especially. If nothing else, 6 months after they start a job they're going to look back and think about how stupid some of that rhetoric was.
What's the limited exception, when is the recommended FOCUS a good idea? If you KNOW you're going into public accounting (say, you've already worked in it and it's what you live for) then focus like a laser on getting your CPA. Don't daudle. Get it done ASAP. Forget everything else in the meantime.
Otherwise, it may make sense to keep your options open. Take a few classes here or there in things that interest you. MAYBE even get a double major just in case the accounting thing doesn't really work for you down the road.
I have ALWAYS told my finance students to get as much accounting as possible during their undergrad years. Always. If some of them end up as accounting majors (and plenty have) then so be it. I won't LIE TO THEM to get a few more finance majors here or there. You have to understand accounting to do finance, no question. You have to make sure you're not just passing the classes, but that you really KNOW it.
At the same time, if you plan on getting an accounting degree, you don't have to plan on getting a CPA (another myth). Not everyone does. But if you end up working in public accounting where everyone else has a CPA, and you don't have one, you're going to feel like the Ugly Duckling. I've talked to folks in the REAL WORLD about this one lately, and it's annoying if you're in the middle of that situation.
Finally, for those for whom the "limited exception" applies, think about this: if you're going for your CPA, and you KNOW that's where you're headed, please make sure that UHCL is giving you what you need. Take the time to find out what challenges lie ahead and make sure that the courses you're taking are rigorous enough to prepare you for the CPA exam. If they aren't, take the time to find out why and figure out how to fix things for yourself before you take the exam.
One other alarming thing to report:
One of my accounting students the other day said they had been told by faculty in accounting that it was usually a good idea to plan on taking one of the CPA review courses off-campus (they said a name at the time). Some of my other students echoed this in class this week. WHAT! Isn't that what an accounting degree is for? In 20 years of doing this stuff, I've never heard anything so absurd.
As always, if you're concerned about this kind of stuff, come talk to us. That's what we're here for.
Tim
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