HOW TO SUCCEED AS AN ACCOUNTING STUDENT WITHOUT COMMERCIAL BACKGROUND

Good day Sir,
I am Peter, I have read a lot about you and your website (JARUSHUB). They’re really inspiring and helpful to students both in Nigeria and Abroad. More power to your elbow Sir. I have a situation that needs your urgent help and I will grateful if you can be of help with your professional skills.

I was a science student throughout my secondary school, struggled with it though. I change to social science after wasting two years on applying for Veterinary medicine but turned down. I went for O.A.U pre-degree program and I was offered Accounting.

I have little knowledge about social science, I want you help me on how I can perform excellently well with the course, I’m willingly to do anything that could be of help.

Thanks and God bless.

***

Dear Peter,

Accounting is a very good course. All you need to excel there is your mindset. Believe you can do it. I know many science students that changed to accounting and did well. One of our role models on JarusHub, was a science student before crossing to Accounting, although, unlike you, he didn’t struggle and was exceptional even as a science student.

In your first year, most of the courses you will do are theory courses. You will begin to do accounting from year 2. What you need for most of those courses are attending lectures and reading very well. Study hard. Treat past questions. Use your year one and two to build your CGPA.

Use your holiday (between year one and two) to familiarize yourself with accounting. In fact, you can start doing that now if it will not affect your studies.  If it will, put your school work (which are non-accounting) first and use your holiday for that.

For someone like you that is new to account as a subject, all you need do is to first understand the principle. Principle is very key in accounting. There is something called “debit and credit”, if you understand why something is credit while another is debit, you have understood half of accounting, especially financial accounting.

Get a book that treats basic accounting – sort of beginners’ guide, even if it’s secondary school textbook.

Interprete the principle in your local language for easier understanding: additions to expenses are “debit”, to incomes are “credit”, to assets are “debit”, to liabilities are “credit”, while reverse are the case for deduction.  Every transaction has two legs in accounting; for every credit entry, there must be a corresponding debit entry. If your business uses money to buy books, the cash has reduced (cash is an asset, reduction to it is a “credit”, while the other leg is your expenses – books (stationery) –  have increased, and that is a debit). This simple principle will save you a lot of headache in accounting.

You may also enroll for tutorials, especially free ones (the ones organized by campus Muslim or Christian groups), and I know you will find them helpful. You must however avoid tutorial overload, where you spend all your time on tutorials and less time to read. If possible, try and ensure you have room mates that are also studying accounting so that you can share knowledge in the room.

I wish you all the best.

Jarus