Accounting

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Whether it is making financial investments or managing spending, accounting is something we do in our everyday lives; and you know that if you are spending more than what is coming in then it has not been managed well! I want to gain more understanding about the science of accounting and how it can benefit the economy. With my skills in Mathematics and my business acumen, I know that Chartered Accountancy is the perfect career for me. Therefore, studying Accounting and Finance will give me the perfect foundation on which to build my career. Overall, I am enthusiastic and passionate about studying Accounting and Finance as I am highly motivated to become a Chartered Accountant. I know that to be successful at university it includes hard work and dedication—both of which I have and I am ready to progress to the next level in my studies.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I was selected to take part in the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust mathematics challenge and I gained the bronze award. This made me realise that maths is not just about numbers but it involves logical reasoning and problem-solving. This led to my fascination for accounting as it is an application of Mathematics via business in a practical way. My chosen A levels have undoubtedly enriched my interest and knowledge to study this course. Mathematics A Level has taught me that there are various ways of solving a problem and this is important to adapt to different situations to make an informed decision. I am now confident in using summary statistics to analyse risks and summarise financial data. Studying Business Studies at A level has helped me to understand how businesses work and how finance departments operate within a business. Studying financial ratios has been useful to decipher the deeper meaning of business accounts and it really fascinates me how much valuable information you can gain from basic figures. As well as this, I have improved my analytical skills through analysing case studies e.g., for Scott Electronics I had to analyse their financial performance; this enabled me to link ratios to potential future investments the business could do. Additionally, in Psychology A level, analysing quantitative data and using data to back theories has strengthened my ability to use these skills in my further studies. Throughout my studies, I have come across Maslow's Hierarchy which made me understand the psychological state employees have to be in, in order to increase productivity in the workplace.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I enjoy reading business articles from the Guardian, this keeps me informed on current affairs in the world. I recently read that GDP has gone down which means that businesses need to be wary about investing, as it will affect their monetary funds. I have attended a conference run by PricewaterhouseCoopers, this played a key part in my interest for accountancy as they touched upon different areas such as strategic planning, and audit, and how you can travel and meet different clients. Talking to current accountancy students has shown how exciting and interesting the course is, especially the business law module which looks at the legal impacts of business decisions. I have completed an Open Learn course on 'Introduction to Bookkeeping and Accounting' where I learnt the importance of keeping accounting records. My work experience at Interserve Healthcare included delivering presentations and running the virtual branch. I acted as the manager which gave me an insight into handling responsibility and communicating well in a stressful and pressured environment. Additionally, at Custom Pack, I gained more knowledge about how different departments work together and by shadowing an Accountant I learnt how to review capital transactions. This gave me an insight into what a typical day is like for a chartered accountant—even though no two days are the same!