I am a veteran accountant, having qualified nearly 25 years ago and I did not take only 3 years to qualify. I took longer than I care to admit.
It is a myth that a student can merely read the textbook repeatedly in order to pass tests and exams. It is true you need to skim the chapter and read it in detail but after that you need to practice the problems whether they are short answer, multiple choice or a case study.
I would be interested in hearing from the auditory learners, does reading the textbook out loud and listening to the recording help absorb the material?
Do not expect to get the problems right the first time. Do not be upset if you spend a lot of time on a problem as any accounting student will have done the same. Doing the problems will take longer than reading but you will gain confidence.
Find out if you get more done in the early morning or late at night and stick to that time to study. You will get more done.
If you are bogged down take a break. In one of Billy Joel’s songs he sang “don’t forget your second wind, sooner or later you’ll feel that momentum kick in”. It’s true.
My final exam was two days of case studies. What I did was note all the scenarios from the studying during the course and when I practiced the cases literally ask which concepts applied here and put them down in the answer.
In Bermuda, where I’m from, there are different accounting qualifications. ACCA early courses are multiple choice for the final exam. The textbook is packed with practice multiple choice, short answer and longer answer and the chapters have answers to work through. Work on all these problems!
Why not have a study buddy for encouragement? Evaluate the situation, make sure it is productive.
I have taught ACCA courses and tutored a small class who were starting first year university. I also do one on one tuition.
Let me know what you think of these notes. Is there anything I should add?
If you feel you need extra help feel free to contact me.
