Textbook Vs. Real World Accounting

When I started taking accounting classes, I thought accounting is just about addition and subtraction, putting the numbers in the right rows and columns, and using the correct percentage and rate. However, I was TOTALLY wrong. There were WAY more in the "Accounting Academic."

When I started working as an accountant, I thought accounting work is similar to all the practice and test problems. However, this ALSO give me a surprise. Not only it was EXTREMELY different, but also there were MANY to consider in the "Accounting World." 

I talked about my experience with studying accounting HERE last year. This year, I will talk about real world accounting. 

1. Perfect Number vs. Decimal Number: In text book, the numbers are perfect zeros. In the real world, perfect barely happen. Accountants have to be very careful. When one mistake is made, it would be like finding pennies. 

2. Computer Print vs. Hand Writing: Doing accounting work itself is already tedious; furthermore reading all scratch from the client wrote is very painful. Sadly not all client brought documents are typed and some bosses and/or co-workers can be challenging hand writing, too.  

3. Whole Piece vs. One Piece: Accounting classes usually teach the entire company's accounting.  At work people only work in one area of the accounting system, such as just payable, receivable, payroll, tax, etc. It can opposite. School can only teach one piece and work feel like the whole piece. For example, revenue department, text can only mention one types of revenue, but in reality, there are SO many subcategories of revenue. 

4. Pass Grade vs. ABSOLUTELY No Error Allowed: The students can pass the class by having 70% correct. They can get an "A" by ONLY scoring 93%.  Unfortunately, the real world has NO percentage correctness in financial statements. The result has to be100% accurate, otherwise they can not be return to the client. 

Additional Work Outside of Textbook

1. Not only we have to enter the dollar amount right, but also the account number, item number, order number etc. 

2. Memorizing the names of the product, customer, and related bank account. 

3. Ask customers to pay to amount owed, and/or ask the suppliers for forgiveness about late payments. 

4. Due to clients can bring the additional information late or the document could get lost, sometimes there would be a missing piece. 

Overall, it is NOT like the test questions, only the dollar amount matters, do not have to talk to customers and suppliers, and all the require information provided. 

Accounting class is NOT "math class" like I thought. I felt ashamed when I said math is tough in high school 

Accounting job is NOT only "getting the numbers right." I felt it would be so simple just getting the numbers correct. How come I thought it was so difficult back then?  I guess life only gets harder.

REAL New Year's Resolution Everyone MUST Make

A beginning of a new year is a new start. New start can lead to come up with resolutions and goals etc. I see there are a lot of them on Facebook, Blogs, and Instagram. Everyone's posts are similar and they all have things in common, which is either health or self-improvement related. 

I feel funny that only several days later, there are people saying their resolutions are broken already:) Well these are the ACTUAL resolutions you SHOULD be making. I promise if you kept all these, all your mental/physical health and personal/career improvement will come true. 

1. Be yourself and love it 
2. Spend more time dressing up and styling your hair 
3. Start be open to talk about your problems with others 
4. Enjoy a hot and healthy meal at least once a day
5. Engage yoga and walks in the park at least once a week 
6. Entertain with family and friends more often
7. Reward yourself with feeling guilty 
8. Sleep well
9. Laugh at yourself for no reason
10. Explore new hobbies, recipes, places etc.
11. Stop looking back and regretting the past
12. Watch many movies
13. Love your job
14. Travel somewhere that is very different than where you live 
15. Get wild and loose once a while
16. Reach out for help when you needed 
17. Give and ask hugs as much and you can
18. Indulge yourself some sweets when you stressed
19. No longer feel ashamed of crying sometime
20. Make mistakes and accept you are not perfect

14 Wish List for 2014

Happy New Year!! First of all, thanks all of the readers for visiting my blogs, I wish you continue to like my blog and if this blog can inspire you, that will be awesome.

New Year = Resolution…. Well I STOPPED making resolution several years ago, so every year I make list of different kinds of goals, to-do lists etc. This year, I decided to make a "wish list." My inspiration comes from the song"A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella. I believe "The Dream" from fairy tale does not have be "meeting the prince." It can be anything in the daily life. These 14 wishes will make 2014 special. 

1. Work - I hope to succeed in my work 

2. CPA Exam - I hope to pass all parts of the CPA exam 

3. Run - I hope to run longer, more often, and faster

4. Yoga - I hope to be more flexible and less stressful 

5. Weightlifting - I hope to able to lift heavier weights  

6. Zumba - I hope I can improve my Zumba steps

7. Food - I hope to eat healthy, try new recipes, and explore restaurants 

8. Friends - I hope to make new friends and get closer to old ones 

9. Movies - I hope to watch a lot of movies and get inspired 

10 Nature - I hope to hike and visit beaches as much as possible

11. Blog - I hope to blog more often and write better entries 

12. Reading - I hope to read more blogs, articles, news, books etc. 

13. Piano - I hope to more difficult songs and memorize some

14. Family - I hope to make my family happy every day

I hope to make all those wishes come true!! 

I'd like to end 2014 first entry with music video. Every time I feel down, I listen to this song/watch this video to cheer myself up.  This song will be my motivation and encouragement for this year!! 


Have a good year, everyone!!