Monday Major Madness: Accounting

A new Monday feature is starting on the blog today. Each Monday, we will highlight a certain major here at UA. For each major, we will cover things like career opportunities, workload, good professors, and challenging classes. Ladies and gentlemen, Monday Major Madness...

In today's installment of Monday Major Madness, Honors College student Fernanda Lima will be talking about her experience as an accounting major.

1) Why did you choose your major?
I have wanted to be a business major since I was a sophomore in high school. Although I did not originally understand what business entailed, I had always been told that I was a "people person" so business sounded like the perfect career for me. When I got to UA, I realized that saying I was a business major would not be enough. I would have to pick from the dozens of business majors. I sifted through all the different options and tried to find the major that seemed to best fit my personality. I love numbers, working problems, and trying to make ideas fit within a set of rules so accounting appeared to be a perfect fit.

2) What are your career plans?
I am planning on pursuing a Masters degree after school and then sitting for the CPA exam. I hope to work for an accounting firm early in my career but I am not sure where that will take me further down the road.

3) What has been your favorite class (required for your major) so far?
I have really enjoyed the three accounting classes I have taken so far, specifically AC 210 and 310. Both classes teach the fundamentals of accounting and are very interesting.

4) How many hours per week do you spend working on major-related activities?
I'm not going to lie, it is hard hard work. I spent virtually every spare minute of last week studying in the days leading up to a test. The classes are doable but you must be prepared to work for them. It is important to study, read, and work problems daily so you do not fall behind in class. It depends on the teachers but most accounting classes have between 3 and 4 tests with quizzes and assignments counting as  a very small percentage of the grade.

5) Any additional information?
If you think you are interested in accounting definitely give it a try. Do not be discouraged because it does not come easily to most. You might be surprised to find that you love it or you might find that accounting is definitely not for you. Regardless, it can't hurt to take the introductory class. One final piece of advice- class is nothing like what you will be doing in the day-to-day accounting profession. I cannot speak to much to that since I am still a student but from what I've heard, the job itself is better than class.