Who is my lecturer?
As I begin my very first year university studies after completing my diploma of share trading, I have two main emotions, excitement and anxiety. Excitement because University is an opportunity that I have wanted for so long, and anxiety because of the fear of the unknown. I have been tasked with reflecting my key concepts and questions for the introduction and chapter 1 as well as engage with the Author, Martin Turner.
So who exactly is Martin Turner?
− Senior lecturer at CQU university teaching accounting and deep learning concepts
− Extensive working experience in large corporate firms in senior roles
− Has a PhD in Accounting Education and also 5 degrees
− Some could say he is the Yoda of Accounting
But apart from his accomplishments, who is he and what he is actively trying to say in his introduction and chapter 1 teachings? I will explore this in further detail as I go on, but after finishing the first 3 paragraphs in the introduction, the message I feel being conveyed to me is to be excited about accounting as there are fantastic possibilities from completing an accounting degree, but be prepared to put in the learning in order to pass and succeed.
Introduction
As I read further I’m more excited to work harder and smarter to achieve my goals. But a little more anxiety starts to form as well. How difficult will this degree be? Is my current medical condition going to severely impact my opportunities? What if I fail? Well, I have informed all my lecturers about my condition and I have support, and If I feel like I’m struggling at any point, I know I can always reach out to Martin.
I continue reading and discover the section about international accounting standards. I was always curious about how accounting standards were followed in other countries and it’s great that globally accounting has the same rules. I used to ask, how does everything align globally? What if one country reports a different way to other countries and how does this ensure an even playing field for investors? Now I know.
As I continue to read my anxiety continues to swell, and I read about how lone rangers will not do well in this course. While this is an honest statement, it increased my worries, What if I work better alone? How will I perform working with others? I’m studying externally so how will this impact my result? “Relax, deep breath, I’ve got extensive work experience in large teams” I reassure myself. I used to manage large teams in a highly competitive field, I’m sure I can easily work well with others as I’m very understanding and very accommodating. I’m actually glad Martin here is being honest, I would much rather honesty, then a comforting untruth that won’t help with my studies. The best thing to do right now is to take a quick break, register and log into Peerwise as this might give me some insight as to who will be studying ACCT11059. I should write a question or two. But what If I write low quality questions? “Take a break, breathe, check out Peerwise first, you’ve got this” I tell myself.
After registering and answering some questions on Peerwise, I’m more relaxed now, time to continue reading. My anxiety is calm, and I’m now reading about people who do well. I want to do well, very well. I have my course plan designed, my term planner all filled in, and my daily and weekly study guides ready. I’ve allowed myself ample time to study each subject, and that fact also helps calm my nerves tremendously. It’s also hard to tell at times, when I’m feeling excitement or anxiety as the feelings are so similar. But it’s more excitement than anxiety. I’ve also started early as Martin suggested. I really have set myself up for success more than failure. Along with that I’ve joined the Facebook group, and reading about ideas for a blog has me very excited. I wonder if I can put a link to my band webpage on there? I will anyway, and you can check it out here https://iloveguildguitars.wixsite.com/cquniblog
As I read on about learning, I take a moment to reflect. This is profound. What is my usual learning complexity? Do I normally memorize and reproduce? Or do I see the world differently and change as a person? Learning is about personal discovery, while being engaged and reflective. And after reading about surface and deep learning, I really want to master my skill in deep learning. How can I master this skill? How can I master this skill to help me Master other skills? I take some more time to think about how I previously learnt and as I do, I realize that the areas I remember well, were deep learning because those subjects changed my life. An example being on how to train your muscles properly with a regulated and designed training program, targeted to suit your goals. This will help you get the maximum results. I used to think just lifting more was the key to success here, but after learning about personal training I know it’s not. I apply this principle when I go to the gym, and therefore it has changed me, forever.
Another important skill to master is communication. Communication is the key to success in our life and in business. I can understand and relate to the emphasis Martin places on communication, and after reading this section, I’m nowhere near as anxious about working within a team, at all. If anything I should be more confident, I have used various forms of communications in my working life and in various roles as well. I’m well versed in getting the correct message across most of the time.
Chapter 1
Accounting is not a game of moving numbers or just using a bunch of software, it’s so much more than that. It’s a way to understand the business realities or the soul of the company. This is what I’m taking away from the start of this chapter. Life has a starting point and an ending point and everything else in between is the journey. Isn’t the journey what’s most important? Throughout the journey our decisions are shaped by our very soul and that’s how I imagine what accounting is being described as. It’s the soul that makes the business run, and it’s the journey that is important. Every business has a soul, and therefore every business would have some form of accounting, every single one. When I think about soul, I also think about heart. For me, they are one in the same. While medically we can’t prove if everyone has a soul, we can prove they have a heart, and we often refer to people’s souls as their heart.
With every soul (heart) and every person there are some form of personality types connected to that soul. And business is the same. So accounting is the soul, and the type of personality is the type of business. The personalities are soul traders, partnerships and trusts, and in double entry accounting the personalities are kept separate from the soul. I like to think of this separation concept as the entity part. The actual separation itself is the entity, because it is not the soul of the company, it’s also not the personality, so perhaps it should be the central nervous system. It communicates to the heart and the personality, but it’s also separate. Now that I have used this analogy, I wonder about my deep learning process. Is my analogy correct? Did I understand the concept? Did I memorize and reproduce something? Did I aim to understand the reality of accounting? Has it changed me as a person? Am I changed by the way I view accounting now? Previously I thought it was all numbers and matching up, but it’s so much more than that.
When I read about journals and ledgers, I apply this concept to one of my previous sales manager roles. Because in my previous sales managerial role, I used to make sure the journal roles (records of the transactions) balanced and matched up to the sales and deposits for the day. I’m thinking about this concept, as debits and credits, and the process as the trial balance. As I relate my previous learnings in business and real life work scenarios, my anxiety is starting to fade drastically and my confidence is booming. I have watched many confidence building motivational videos before but it was the first time watching Amy Cuddy’s video. I’m really glad I’m watching this. As I’m doing so, I’m asking myself, how is my posture? Is my back straight? Am I opening myself up to the world?
If I am to obtain my goals of becoming a CFO, MD or hedge fund manager, this is something I need to be mindful of. I have to fake confidence when I have none, practice having it when I can, and showing it when I do. It’s reassuring to read that about 50% of all MD’s and CFO’s have accounting backgrounds. Previously I asked myself am I making the right decision in choosing accounting for my bachelor degree? Should I have chosen Business instead? Reading this helps solidifies my decision that I made the right choice.
My Conclusion
Before reading these chapters I was unsure if I had chosen the right Bachelor. I was unsure about what to expect. I was unsure about how successful I would be at studying and learning. And this played with my anxiety.
Now I am confident about my studies and how I can learn to get the best results. Now I have more of an understanding of what to expect from accounting. And now I no longer ask myself the question if I have chosen the right Bachelor.
Now I know for certain that I have.
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