How do I know I will enjoy A+F?
Hey guys,
I’m considering studying an accounting and finance degree at University however since I have not studied this subject before, I do not know if I will enjoy it. Do you have an book recommendations that might give me an insight into this degree? I would also appreciate it if you could recommend some books I can read for my A+F personal statement.
Thanks.
I’m considering studying an accounting and finance degree at University however since I have not studied this subject before, I do not know if I will enjoy it. Do you have an book recommendations that might give me an insight into this degree? I would also appreciate it if you could recommend some books I can read for my A+F personal statement.
Thanks.
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I have done an accounting related degree, and a finance related degree.
In terms of books, not really one that I would recommend for the general subject.
At university, accounting and finance will touch on a number of areas. You will also have a range of modules to choose from, so it's very difficult to pin down the exact topics you will cover. Each university will cover vastly different topics, even if a number of them will follow accounting bodies' criteria for exemptions on a number of modules.
The textbooks I recommend looking into (or at least have on your bookshelf regardless):
The commonly quoted books on financial accounting would be those by Elliott and Elliott, although I'm not a fan of them.
If you are interested, you can look at the textbooks used by trainees who are studying for their accounting qualifications e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIMA. These are typically expensive, but if you can get your hand on a second hand old edition copy or miraculously find a copy in your local library, so much the better. The people who publish these textbooks are usually the big 2 course providers for the accounting modules: Kaplan and BPP. These books are good to read from, but they are designed to help you pass the professional exams (I find Kaplan's books are easier to read than BPP's).
In terms of general books to read regarding accounting and finance, there aren't specific books I could really recommend. Most of the books out there regarding accounting and finance tend to be the how tos to doing accounting (and very dry legal stuff on regulations on financial accounting) or investing.
If interested, there are certain books on investing I'd recommend looking into:
Swansea has provided the following recommended reading on their website (https://www.swansea.ac.uk/som/schools-engagement/accounting-and-finance-guide/accounting-and-finance-reading-list/):
The following website recommends the following (https://www.onlinefinancedegree.org/quintessential-reading-list/):
There are books on bookkeeping that would be of benefit if you decide to become an accountant, but at degree level, you will be more likely to focus on the issues of financial accounting than actually doing the job. Textbooks for AAT, ICB qualifications tend to be good introductory text (you can always ask your local college for their main taxtbooks), but they are expensive to buy unless you get a copy from the library.
Learning about bookkeeping software would also be of benefit, but not necessarily help your personal statement. The 2 main software that is commonly written about are Sage and Xero. Sage because it's the main accounting software most small businesses use, and Xero because it's good.
Mentioning that you have read up on bookkeeping and bookkeeping software should help your personal statement.
The side note on the reading is that there will be a myriad of books on finance, business, investing, and personal finance that aren't exactly academic (not that they don't necessarily work, they're just not academic). The dummies books tend to be of particular note. I would not recommend ever using these for university or exactly mention them in your statement. I also don't recommend reading them until you graduate because the advice in them can influence the way you need to think for academia. Some of them provide excellent advice though, and I encourage you to read them after uni.
In terms of books, not really one that I would recommend for the general subject.
At university, accounting and finance will touch on a number of areas. You will also have a range of modules to choose from, so it's very difficult to pin down the exact topics you will cover. Each university will cover vastly different topics, even if a number of them will follow accounting bodies' criteria for exemptions on a number of modules.
The textbooks I recommend looking into (or at least have on your bookshelf regardless):
•
Princples of Macroeconomics by Mankiw - you won't cover a lot of economics, but it's a good introductory text to have and it's the likely book you will be using
•
Corporate Finance: Principles and Practice by Head and Watson - it's a favourtie of mine when it comes to corporate finance. Generally the number of textbooks you can look into for corporate finance will be vast, and not all of them will be good
•
Management and Cost Accounting by Drury - it's a favourite of mine when it comes to second year management accounting. You are less than likely to even use 20% of the book for your accounting module, but it's there if you want
•
Quantitative Methods: for Business, Management and Finance by Swift and Piff - it's a good stats book for 1st and 2nd year stats. Personally an AS textbook on stats and decision maths in my opinion would cover most of the material in here, but the text is good for the stats material in your course
The commonly quoted books on financial accounting would be those by Elliott and Elliott, although I'm not a fan of them.
If you are interested, you can look at the textbooks used by trainees who are studying for their accounting qualifications e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIMA. These are typically expensive, but if you can get your hand on a second hand old edition copy or miraculously find a copy in your local library, so much the better. The people who publish these textbooks are usually the big 2 course providers for the accounting modules: Kaplan and BPP. These books are good to read from, but they are designed to help you pass the professional exams (I find Kaplan's books are easier to read than BPP's).
In terms of general books to read regarding accounting and finance, there aren't specific books I could really recommend. Most of the books out there regarding accounting and finance tend to be the how tos to doing accounting (and very dry legal stuff on regulations on financial accounting) or investing.
If interested, there are certain books on investing I'd recommend looking into:
•
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel - it's a favourite amongs financial economists and investors
•
The Intelligent Investor by Graham - he was the mentor to Warren Buffett
•
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Taleb - more to do with investment
•
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Taleb
•
Most books by Michael Lewis - the author used to work in the financial sector, and his insights can make for great light reading (there will be a lot of explicit language, so I wouldn't exactly recommend quoting his books in your personal statement)
•
Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd - more for investing
Swansea has provided the following recommended reading on their website (https://www.swansea.ac.uk/som/schools-engagement/accounting-and-finance-guide/accounting-and-finance-reading-list/):
•
Sheila I. Robinson author. (2018) Book-keeping and accounts / Sheila Robinson; formerly by Frank Wood. Ninth edition. Harlow, England; New York: Pearson
•
Gregory Mankiw author. (2017) Economics / N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor. Fourth edition. Mark P. Taylor 1958- author. (ed.). Andover, Hampshire: Cengage.
The following website recommends the following (https://www.onlinefinancedegree.org/quintessential-reading-list/):
•
Foundations of Finance: Portfolio Decisions and Securities Prices by Fama
There are books on bookkeeping that would be of benefit if you decide to become an accountant, but at degree level, you will be more likely to focus on the issues of financial accounting than actually doing the job. Textbooks for AAT, ICB qualifications tend to be good introductory text (you can always ask your local college for their main taxtbooks), but they are expensive to buy unless you get a copy from the library.
Learning about bookkeeping software would also be of benefit, but not necessarily help your personal statement. The 2 main software that is commonly written about are Sage and Xero. Sage because it's the main accounting software most small businesses use, and Xero because it's good.
Mentioning that you have read up on bookkeeping and bookkeeping software should help your personal statement.
The side note on the reading is that there will be a myriad of books on finance, business, investing, and personal finance that aren't exactly academic (not that they don't necessarily work, they're just not academic). The dummies books tend to be of particular note. I would not recommend ever using these for university or exactly mention them in your statement. I also don't recommend reading them until you graduate because the advice in them can influence the way you need to think for academia. Some of them provide excellent advice though, and I encourage you to read them after uni.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by MindMax2000
I have done an accounting related degree, and a finance related degree.
In terms of books, not really one that I would recommend for the general subject.
At university, accounting and finance will touch on a number of areas. You will also have a range of modules to choose from, so it's very difficult to pin down the exact topics you will cover. Each university will cover vastly different topics, even if a number of them will follow accounting bodies' criteria for exemptions on a number of modules.
The textbooks I recommend looking into (or at least have on your bookshelf regardless):
The commonly quoted books on financial accounting would be those by Elliott and Elliott, although I'm not a fan of it.
If you are interested, you can look at the textbooks used by trainees who are studying for their accounting qualifications e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIMA. These are typically expensive, but if you can get your hand on a second hand old edition copy or miraculously find a copy in your local library, the better. The people who publish the textbooks are usually the big 2 course providers for the accounting modules: Kaplan and BPP. These books are good to read from, but they are designed to help you pass the professional exams (I find Kaplan's books are easier to read than BPP's).
In terms of general books to read regarding accounting and finance, there aren't specific books I could really recommend. Most of the books out there regarding accounting and finance tend to be the how tos to doing accounting (and very dry legal stuff on regulations on financial accounting) or investing.
If interested, there are certain books on investing I'd recommend looking into:
Swansea has provided the following recommended reading on their website (https://www.swansea.ac.uk/som/schools-engagement/accounting-and-finance-guide/accounting-and-finance-reading-list/):
The following website recommends the following (https://www.onlinefinancedegree.org/quintessential-reading-list/):
There are books on bookkeeping that would be of benefit if you decide to become an accountant, but at degree level, you will be more likely to focus on the issues of financial accounting than actually doing the job. Textbooks for AAT, ICB qualifications tend to be good introductory text (you can always ask your local college for their main taxtbooks), but they are expensive to buy unless you get a copy from the library.
Learning about bookkeeping software would also be of benefit, but not necessarily help your personal statement. The 2 main software that is commonly written about are Sage and Xero. Sage because it's the main accounting software most small businesses use, and Xero because it's good.
Mentioning that you have read up on bookkeeping and bookkeeping software should help your personal statement.
The side note I would mention is that there will be a myriad of books on finance, business, investing, and personal finance that aren't exactly academic (not that they don't necessarily work, they're just not academic). The dummies books tend to be of particular note. I would not recommend ever using these for university or exactly mention them in your statement. I also don't recommend reading them until you graduate because the advice in them can influence the way you need to think for academia. Some of them provide excellent advice though, and I encourage you to read them after uni.
In terms of books, not really one that I would recommend for the general subject.
At university, accounting and finance will touch on a number of areas. You will also have a range of modules to choose from, so it's very difficult to pin down the exact topics you will cover. Each university will cover vastly different topics, even if a number of them will follow accounting bodies' criteria for exemptions on a number of modules.
The textbooks I recommend looking into (or at least have on your bookshelf regardless):
•
Princples of Macroeconomics by Mankiiw - you won't cover a lot of economics, but it's a good introductory text to have and it's the likely book you will be using
•
Corporate Finance: Principles and Practice by Head and Watson - it's a favourtie of mine when it comes to corporate finance. Generally the number of textbooks you can look into for corporate finance will be vast, and not all of them will be good
•
Management and Cost Accounting by Drury - it's a favourite of mine when it comes to second year management accounting. You are less than likely to even use 20% of the book for your accounting module, but it's there if you want
•
Quantitative Methods: for Business, Management and Finance by Swift and Piff - it's a good stats book for 1st and 2nd year stats. Personally an AS textbook on stats and decision maths in my opinion would cover most of the material in here, but the text is good for the stats material in your course
The commonly quoted books on financial accounting would be those by Elliott and Elliott, although I'm not a fan of it.
If you are interested, you can look at the textbooks used by trainees who are studying for their accounting qualifications e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIMA. These are typically expensive, but if you can get your hand on a second hand old edition copy or miraculously find a copy in your local library, the better. The people who publish the textbooks are usually the big 2 course providers for the accounting modules: Kaplan and BPP. These books are good to read from, but they are designed to help you pass the professional exams (I find Kaplan's books are easier to read than BPP's).
In terms of general books to read regarding accounting and finance, there aren't specific books I could really recommend. Most of the books out there regarding accounting and finance tend to be the how tos to doing accounting (and very dry legal stuff on regulations on financial accounting) or investing.
If interested, there are certain books on investing I'd recommend looking into:
•
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel - it's a favourite amongs financial economists and investors
•
The Intelligent Investor by Graham - he was the mentor to Warren Buffett
•
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Taleb - more to do with investment
•
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Taleb
•
Most books by Michael Lewis - the author used to work in the financial sector, and his insights can make for great light reading (there will be a lot of explicit language, so I wouldn't exactly recommend quoting his books in your personal statement)
•
Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd - more for investing
Swansea has provided the following recommended reading on their website (https://www.swansea.ac.uk/som/schools-engagement/accounting-and-finance-guide/accounting-and-finance-reading-list/):
•
Sheila I. Robinson author. (2018) Book-keeping and accounts / Sheila Robinson; formerly by Frank Wood. Ninth edition. Harlow, England; New York: Pearson
•
Gregory Mankiw author. (2017) Economics / N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor. Fourth edition. Mark P. Taylor 1958- author. (ed.). Andover, Hampshire: Cengage.
The following website recommends the following (https://www.onlinefinancedegree.org/quintessential-reading-list/):
•
Foundations of Finance: Portfolio Decisions and Securities Prices by Fama
There are books on bookkeeping that would be of benefit if you decide to become an accountant, but at degree level, you will be more likely to focus on the issues of financial accounting than actually doing the job. Textbooks for AAT, ICB qualifications tend to be good introductory text (you can always ask your local college for their main taxtbooks), but they are expensive to buy unless you get a copy from the library.
Learning about bookkeeping software would also be of benefit, but not necessarily help your personal statement. The 2 main software that is commonly written about are Sage and Xero. Sage because it's the main accounting software most small businesses use, and Xero because it's good.
Mentioning that you have read up on bookkeeping and bookkeeping software should help your personal statement.
The side note I would mention is that there will be a myriad of books on finance, business, investing, and personal finance that aren't exactly academic (not that they don't necessarily work, they're just not academic). The dummies books tend to be of particular note. I would not recommend ever using these for university or exactly mention them in your statement. I also don't recommend reading them until you graduate because the advice in them can influence the way you need to think for academia. Some of them provide excellent advice though, and I encourage you to read them after uni.
Thank you very much for your reply. Since you suggest to read these books after university and not include them on your personal statement, what should I include in my personal statement? Work experience is a good place to start but that has been limited due to COVID. Thanks again!
flick through a-level accounting text book
Original post by alg.xx
Thank you very much for your reply. Since you suggest to read these books after university and not include them on your personal statement, what should I include in my personal statement? Work experience is a good place to start but that has been limited due to COVID. Thanks again!
Original post by MindMax2000
I have done an accounting related degree, and a finance related degree.
In terms of books, not really one that I would recommend for the general subject.
At university, accounting and finance will touch on a number of areas. You will also have a range of modules to choose from, so it's very difficult to pin down the exact topics you will cover. Each university will cover vastly different topics, even if a number of them will follow accounting bodies' criteria for exemptions on a number of modules.
The textbooks I recommend looking into (or at least have on your bookshelf regardless):
The commonly quoted books on financial accounting would be those by Elliott and Elliott, although I'm not a fan of them.
If you are interested, you can look at the textbooks used by trainees who are studying for their accounting qualifications e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIMA. These are typically expensive, but if you can get your hand on a second hand old edition copy or miraculously find a copy in your local library, so much the better. The people who publish these textbooks are usually the big 2 course providers for the accounting modules: Kaplan and BPP. These books are good to read from, but they are designed to help you pass the professional exams (I find Kaplan's books are easier to read than BPP's).
In terms of general books to read regarding accounting and finance, there aren't specific books I could really recommend. Most of the books out there regarding accounting and finance tend to be the how tos to doing accounting (and very dry legal stuff on regulations on financial accounting) or investing.
If interested, there are certain books on investing I'd recommend looking into:
Swansea has provided the following recommended reading on their website (https://www.swansea.ac.uk/som/schools-engagement/accounting-and-finance-guide/accounting-and-finance-reading-list/):
The following website recommends the following (https://www.onlinefinancedegree.org/quintessential-reading-list/):
There are books on bookkeeping that would be of benefit if you decide to become an accountant, but at degree level, you will be more likely to focus on the issues of financial accounting than actually doing the job. Textbooks for AAT, ICB qualifications tend to be good introductory text (you can always ask your local college for their main taxtbooks), but they are expensive to buy unless you get a copy from the library.
Learning about bookkeeping software would also be of benefit, but not necessarily help your personal statement. The 2 main software that is commonly written about are Sage and Xero. Sage because it's the main accounting software most small businesses use, and Xero because it's good.
Mentioning that you have read up on bookkeeping and bookkeeping software should help your personal statement.
The side note on the reading is that there will be a myriad of books on finance, business, investing, and personal finance that aren't exactly academic (not that they don't necessarily work, they're just not academic). The dummies books tend to be of particular note. I would not recommend ever using these for university or exactly mention them in your statement. I also don't recommend reading them until you graduate because the advice in them can influence the way you need to think for academia. Some of them provide excellent advice though, and I encourage you to read them after uni.
In terms of books, not really one that I would recommend for the general subject.
At university, accounting and finance will touch on a number of areas. You will also have a range of modules to choose from, so it's very difficult to pin down the exact topics you will cover. Each university will cover vastly different topics, even if a number of them will follow accounting bodies' criteria for exemptions on a number of modules.
The textbooks I recommend looking into (or at least have on your bookshelf regardless):
•
Princples of Macroeconomics by Mankiw - you won't cover a lot of economics, but it's a good introductory text to have and it's the likely book you will be using
•
Corporate Finance: Principles and Practice by Head and Watson - it's a favourtie of mine when it comes to corporate finance. Generally the number of textbooks you can look into for corporate finance will be vast, and not all of them will be good
•
Management and Cost Accounting by Drury - it's a favourite of mine when it comes to second year management accounting. You are less than likely to even use 20% of the book for your accounting module, but it's there if you want
•
Quantitative Methods: for Business, Management and Finance by Swift and Piff - it's a good stats book for 1st and 2nd year stats. Personally an AS textbook on stats and decision maths in my opinion would cover most of the material in here, but the text is good for the stats material in your course
The commonly quoted books on financial accounting would be those by Elliott and Elliott, although I'm not a fan of them.
If you are interested, you can look at the textbooks used by trainees who are studying for their accounting qualifications e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIMA. These are typically expensive, but if you can get your hand on a second hand old edition copy or miraculously find a copy in your local library, so much the better. The people who publish these textbooks are usually the big 2 course providers for the accounting modules: Kaplan and BPP. These books are good to read from, but they are designed to help you pass the professional exams (I find Kaplan's books are easier to read than BPP's).
In terms of general books to read regarding accounting and finance, there aren't specific books I could really recommend. Most of the books out there regarding accounting and finance tend to be the how tos to doing accounting (and very dry legal stuff on regulations on financial accounting) or investing.
If interested, there are certain books on investing I'd recommend looking into:
•
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel - it's a favourite amongs financial economists and investors
•
The Intelligent Investor by Graham - he was the mentor to Warren Buffett
•
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Taleb - more to do with investment
•
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Taleb
•
Most books by Michael Lewis - the author used to work in the financial sector, and his insights can make for great light reading (there will be a lot of explicit language, so I wouldn't exactly recommend quoting his books in your personal statement)
•
Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd - more for investing
Swansea has provided the following recommended reading on their website (https://www.swansea.ac.uk/som/schools-engagement/accounting-and-finance-guide/accounting-and-finance-reading-list/):
•
Sheila I. Robinson author. (2018) Book-keeping and accounts / Sheila Robinson; formerly by Frank Wood. Ninth edition. Harlow, England; New York: Pearson
•
Gregory Mankiw author. (2017) Economics / N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor. Fourth edition. Mark P. Taylor 1958- author. (ed.). Andover, Hampshire: Cengage.
The following website recommends the following (https://www.onlinefinancedegree.org/quintessential-reading-list/):
•
Foundations of Finance: Portfolio Decisions and Securities Prices by Fama
There are books on bookkeeping that would be of benefit if you decide to become an accountant, but at degree level, you will be more likely to focus on the issues of financial accounting than actually doing the job. Textbooks for AAT, ICB qualifications tend to be good introductory text (you can always ask your local college for their main taxtbooks), but they are expensive to buy unless you get a copy from the library.
Learning about bookkeeping software would also be of benefit, but not necessarily help your personal statement. The 2 main software that is commonly written about are Sage and Xero. Sage because it's the main accounting software most small businesses use, and Xero because it's good.
Mentioning that you have read up on bookkeeping and bookkeeping software should help your personal statement.
The side note on the reading is that there will be a myriad of books on finance, business, investing, and personal finance that aren't exactly academic (not that they don't necessarily work, they're just not academic). The dummies books tend to be of particular note. I would not recommend ever using these for university or exactly mention them in your statement. I also don't recommend reading them until you graduate because the advice in them can influence the way you need to think for academia. Some of them provide excellent advice though, and I encourage you to read them after uni.
Does the accounting and finance degree also have a lot of maths in it? I don’t really like maths and am not studying it at a level
Original post by yeetouttawindow
flick through a-level accounting text book
Any ideas on how to stand out as an accounting and finance candidate when writing your personal statement?
Original post by alg.xx
Any ideas on how to stand out as an accounting and finance candidate when writing your personal statement?
accounting work experience
Original post by alg.xx
Thank you very much for your reply. Since you suggest to read these books after university and not include them on your personal statement, what should I include in my personal statement? Work experience is a good place to start but that has been limited due to COVID. Thanks again!
There are books you should can mention in your personal statement, just not some.
The following are fine:
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel - it's a favourite amongs financial economists and investors
The Intelligent Investor by Graham - he was the mentor to Warren Buffett
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Taleb - more to do with investment
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Taleb
Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd - more for investing
Sheila I. Robinson author. (2018) Book-keeping and accounts / Sheila Robinson; formerly by Frank Wood. Ninth edition. Harlow, England; New York: Pearson
Gregory Mankiw author. (2017) Economics / N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor. Fourth edition. Mark P. Taylor 1958- author. (ed.). Andover, Hampshire: Cengage.
Foundations of Finance: Portfolio Decisions and Securities Prices by Fama
...as well as those books by Kaplan and BPP for accounting and bookkeeping.
Things I would recommend mentioning is whether you have spoken to people who worked in accounting/finance, why you want to go into the field, whether you kept up with the financial news, whether you have kept up with accounting updates (Accountancy Age and AccountingWeb tend to be good for this sort of thing).
My personal statement was mediocre at best when I did it, and I didn't specifically mention any books, but I still got onto a degree course (even when I didn't do an accounting A Level).
Yeetouttawindow's recommendation on an accounting textbook at A Level is good as well.
Original post by MindMax2000
There are books you should can mention in your personal statement, just not some.
The following are fine:
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel - it's a favourite amongs financial economists and investors
The Intelligent Investor by Graham - he was the mentor to Warren Buffett
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Taleb - more to do with investment
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Taleb
Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd - more for investing
Sheila I. Robinson author. (2018) Book-keeping and accounts / Sheila Robinson; formerly by Frank Wood. Ninth edition. Harlow, England; New York: Pearson
Gregory Mankiw author. (2017) Economics / N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor. Fourth edition. Mark P. Taylor 1958- author. (ed.). Andover, Hampshire: Cengage.
Foundations of Finance: Portfolio Decisions and Securities Prices by Fama
...as well as those books by Kaplan and BPP for accounting and bookkeeping.
Things I would recommend mentioning is whether you have spoken to people who worked in accounting/finance, why you want to go into the field, whether you kept up with the financial news, whether you have kept up with accounting updates (Accountancy Age and AccountingWeb tend to be good for this sort of thing).
My personal statement was mediocre at best when I did it, and I didn't specifically mention any books, but I still got onto a degree course (even when I didn't do an accounting A Level).
Yeetouttawindow's recommendation on an accounting textbook at A Level is good as well.
The following are fine:
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel - it's a favourite amongs financial economists and investors
The Intelligent Investor by Graham - he was the mentor to Warren Buffett
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Taleb - more to do with investment
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Taleb
Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd - more for investing
Sheila I. Robinson author. (2018) Book-keeping and accounts / Sheila Robinson; formerly by Frank Wood. Ninth edition. Harlow, England; New York: Pearson
Gregory Mankiw author. (2017) Economics / N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor. Fourth edition. Mark P. Taylor 1958- author. (ed.). Andover, Hampshire: Cengage.
Foundations of Finance: Portfolio Decisions and Securities Prices by Fama
...as well as those books by Kaplan and BPP for accounting and bookkeeping.
Things I would recommend mentioning is whether you have spoken to people who worked in accounting/finance, why you want to go into the field, whether you kept up with the financial news, whether you have kept up with accounting updates (Accountancy Age and AccountingWeb tend to be good for this sort of thing).
My personal statement was mediocre at best when I did it, and I didn't specifically mention any books, but I still got onto a degree course (even when I didn't do an accounting A Level).
Yeetouttawindow's recommendation on an accounting textbook at A Level is good as well.
What books were made by Kaplan and BPP for accounting and bookkeeping? If you don’t mind me asking, are you a chartered accountant now?
Original post by alg.xx
Does the accounting and finance degree also have a lot of maths in it? I don’t really like maths and am not studying it at a level
The maths in an accounting and finance degree tend to be mediocre at best. I think you should be able to get away with GCSE level maths.
The stats module will contain stats and decision maths that's set at AS Level, but it's not particularly challenging, just potentially confusing.
If maths isn't your forte, then you might want to focus more on financial accounting than management accounting. The differences between financial and management are minor, but management accounting will have stats (because you're focusing more on performance measurement).
More often than not, you're more likely to be focusing on adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying. Ratio analysis is probably as technical as it will get in financial accounting.
If you want to do a master's in finance/investment, then the maths become more challenging. Some universities will have certain finance modules that are more mathematically demanding but isn't required per se in a professional accounting qualification, so you might want to pick carefully. The keyword you want to look out for is quantitative.
You might also want to brush up on your Excel and Word skills, as they're commonly used at university and in the workplace.
Original post by MindMax2000
The maths in an accounting and finance degree tend to be mediocre at best. I think you should be able to get away with GCSE level maths.
The stats module will contain stats and decision maths that's set at AS Level, but it's not particularly challenging, just potentially confusing.
If maths isn't your forte, then you might want to focus more on financial accounting than management accounting. The differences between financial and management are minor, but management accounting will have stats (because you're focusing more on performance measurement).
More often than not, you're more likely to be focusing on adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying. Ratio analysis is probably as technical as it will get in financial accounting.
If you want to do a master's in finance/investment, then the maths become more challenging. Some universities will have certain finance modules that are more mathematically demanding but isn't required per se in a professional accounting qualification, so you might want to pick carefully. The keyword you want to look out for is quantitative.
You might also want to brush up on your Excel and Word skills, as they're commonly used at university and in the workplace.
The stats module will contain stats and decision maths that's set at AS Level, but it's not particularly challenging, just potentially confusing.
If maths isn't your forte, then you might want to focus more on financial accounting than management accounting. The differences between financial and management are minor, but management accounting will have stats (because you're focusing more on performance measurement).
More often than not, you're more likely to be focusing on adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying. Ratio analysis is probably as technical as it will get in financial accounting.
If you want to do a master's in finance/investment, then the maths become more challenging. Some universities will have certain finance modules that are more mathematically demanding but isn't required per se in a professional accounting qualification, so you might want to pick carefully. The keyword you want to look out for is quantitative.
You might also want to brush up on your Excel and Word skills, as they're commonly used at university and in the workplace.
Thanks for your reply
Original post by yeetouttawindow
accounting work experience
I’m trying to get that but struggling due to covid
Original post by alg.xx
What books were made by Kaplan and BPP for accounting and bookkeeping? If you don’t mind me asking, are you a chartered accountant now?
You can search for them on Amazon. They're not exactly hard to find (new versions/editions of the books come out every year, so they're really difficult to miss).
No, not a chartered accountant. I am qualified (for a lack of a better term) on 9/13 modules for my accounting body, but I haven't completed the qualification yet. I might finish them later in life, but they're not an urgency for me as I've decided to take a different route in life.
Accounting is a useful skill to have be it in business/work or in your personal life.
Original post by MindMax2000
You can search for them on Amazon. They're not exactly hard to find (new versions/editions of the books come out every year, so they're really difficult to miss).
No, not a chartered accountant. I am qualified (for a lack of a better term) on 9/13 modules for my accounting body, but I haven't completed the qualification yet. I might finish them later in life, but they're not an urgency for me as I've decided to take a different route in life.
Accounting is a useful skill to have be it in business/work or in your personal life.
No, not a chartered accountant. I am qualified (for a lack of a better term) on 9/13 modules for my accounting body, but I haven't completed the qualification yet. I might finish them later in life, but they're not an urgency for me as I've decided to take a different route in life.
Accounting is a useful skill to have be it in business/work or in your personal life.
Thanks. I know you haven’t completed your ACA but how hard are they? I’m sorry I don’t mean to bombard you with questions.
Original post by yeetouttawindow
flick through a-level accounting text book
will you @yeetouttawindow once you realise you haven't learnt anything from flicking?
Spoiler
Original post by alg.xx
Thanks. I know you haven’t completed your ACA but how hard are they? I’m sorry I don’t mean to bombard you with questions.
I'm with ACCA as opposed to ACA. I might top up with a CIMA afterwards (you get exemptions from an ACCA when you study for your CIMA, so instead of studying 14 modules, you only need to do 3 after you pay a large exemption fee).
When you do the basic levels, they should be roughly the same level of difficulty as A Levels. The middle tier should be roughly degree level. Then the upper tier should be about master's level and beyond.
Essentially an accounting qualification should be the equivalent of a master's degree, which doesn't gauge how difficult it is.
I wouldn't say it's impossible, but wouldn't say you should rest on your laurels when studying them. They will be challenging. I had to take a certain module twice because how boring it was. Material wise, it's easy to absorb, but you need time to study hard and really practice. You don't really get much of that when you work and study at the same time.
Maths-wise, it's really not that much higher than GCSE. Mostly straight forward simple maths.
Original post by MindMax2000
I'm with ACCA as opposed to ACA. I might top up with a CIMA afterwards (you get exemptions from an ACCA when you study for your CIMA, so instead of studying 14 modules, you only need to do 3 after you pay a large exemption fee).
When you do the basic levels, they should be roughly the same level of difficulty as A Levels. The middle tier should be roughly degree level. Then the upper tier should be about master's level and beyond.
Essentially an accounting qualification should be the equivalent of a master's degree, which doesn't gauge how difficult it is.
I wouldn't say it's impossible, but wouldn't say you should rest on your laurels when studying them. They will be challenging. I had to take a certain module twice because how boring it was. Material wise, it's easy to absorb, but you need time to study hard and really practice. You don't really get much of that when you work and study at the same time.
Maths-wise, it's really not that much higher than GCSE. Mostly straight forward simple maths.
When you do the basic levels, they should be roughly the same level of difficulty as A Levels. The middle tier should be roughly degree level. Then the upper tier should be about master's level and beyond.
Essentially an accounting qualification should be the equivalent of a master's degree, which doesn't gauge how difficult it is.
I wouldn't say it's impossible, but wouldn't say you should rest on your laurels when studying them. They will be challenging. I had to take a certain module twice because how boring it was. Material wise, it's easy to absorb, but you need time to study hard and really practice. You don't really get much of that when you work and study at the same time.
Maths-wise, it's really not that much higher than GCSE. Mostly straight forward simple maths.
Thanks for all your help
Original post by MindMax2000
I'm with ACCA as opposed to ACA. I might top up with a CIMA afterwards (you get exemptions from an ACCA when you study for your CIMA, so instead of studying 14 modules, you only need to do 3 after you pay a large exemption fee).
When you do the basic levels, they should be roughly the same level of difficulty as A Levels. The middle tier should be roughly degree level. Then the upper tier should be about master's level and beyond.
Essentially an accounting qualification should be the equivalent of a master's degree, which doesn't gauge how difficult it is.
I wouldn't say it's impossible, but wouldn't say you should rest on your laurels when studying them. They will be challenging. I had to take a certain module twice because how boring it was. Material wise, it's easy to absorb, but you need time to study hard and really practice. You don't really get much of that when you work and study at the same time.
Maths-wise, it's really not that much higher than GCSE. Mostly straight forward simple maths.
When you do the basic levels, they should be roughly the same level of difficulty as A Levels. The middle tier should be roughly degree level. Then the upper tier should be about master's level and beyond.
Essentially an accounting qualification should be the equivalent of a master's degree, which doesn't gauge how difficult it is.
I wouldn't say it's impossible, but wouldn't say you should rest on your laurels when studying them. They will be challenging. I had to take a certain module twice because how boring it was. Material wise, it's easy to absorb, but you need time to study hard and really practice. You don't really get much of that when you work and study at the same time.
Maths-wise, it's really not that much higher than GCSE. Mostly straight forward simple maths.
The thing is, there is this PWC flying start degree program that appeals to me. It means I can do my ACA exams while completing my degree. I’ll then only have 3 exams to do when I finish university and also be guaranteed with a job with PWC (providing I achieve a 2:1). However the universities PWC does these degrees with aren’t target universities for A F (Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle). Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to get the a A F degree at a top university such as Leeds and then perhaps get the ACA-CTA joint qualification (which would provide me with a better job and salary prospect). I mean the universities I mentioned are decent but they’re not as good as Leeds for AF. (AF is the degree you’ll gain with the PWC program)
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by alg.xx
The thing is, there is this PWC flying start degree program that appeals to me. It means I can do my ACA exams while completing my degree. I’ll then only have 3 exams to do when I finish university and also be guaranteed with a job with PWC (providing I achieve a 2:1). However the universities PWC does these degrees with aren’t target universities for A F (Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle). Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to get the a A F degree at a top university such as Leeds and then perhaps get the ACA-CTA joint qualification (which would provide me with a better job and salary prospect). I mean the universities I mentioned are decent but they’re not as good as Leeds for AF. (AF is the degree you’ll gain with the PWC program)
I don't know. It's a tough choice.
PWC is one of the biggest accounting firms out there, and you're kind of set for accounting at PWC once you qualify with them. The reptutation you get from working with a big firm, the experience you get, and the training they have on hand can make you more or less employable anywhere in the UK (and possibly the world since they have global branches and you can use a number of skills you picked up to work in certain countries due to regulatory restraints).
I'm not clear on what Leeds is like, but if that's your dream degree and your ideal university, it's up to you.
Once you graduate from any university of your choice, you will still want to work for the biggest and most reputable accounting firms you can get into. PWC will be one of them. Also, I don't know what the level of competition will be in the graduate entry compared to the apprentice degree program. I can tell you know though that the graduate route will be intense. The stats PWC gave me was 1/1000 candidates will be offered a job at graduate level (those stats should have changed since I last spoke to them). Getting an internship during university would be just as hard.
Personally, Manchester and Nottingham aren't exactly bad in my point of view (they are top Russell Group unis, and their A&F degrees are nothing to sneeze at). On the other hand, I was looking through Manchester's A&F degree for one of the TSR threads, and it seems it has a few finance modules that seem quantitative.
If you intend to go to Leeds, you will want to try to get into as many of the Big 4 company events and internships as possible, and apply as early as you can.
Idk why it copied and pasted your answer
(edited 3 years ago)
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