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How did the challenges faced while earning your accounting degree help you in your professional career? #fall25

I am a sophomore accounting student at a four-year university that has at times struggled with keeping up with my studies; however, I am very determined to earn my degree and work as an accountant in real estate.

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Aubrey’s Answer

My Masters program helped me learn how to interpret Tax Regulations, which was a really useful skill. I started my job and needed to refer to the tax code when researching how to address issues that arose with my clients. I also took an Excel class that was very applicable once I started to work.

My Bachelor's program covered a wide range of accounting topics (managerial, financial, IT solutions, tax). Some topics were more interesting to me than others. For the topics I enjoyed, some came easy and some took a lot more work on my part. Several of my colleagues and I worked varying hours at a job throughout the program and had additional responsibilities at home with their family, which impacted how deep we could dive into the materials and meant we passed but didn't ace every exam.

My advice is to do your best to understand the general concepts in each area and do not fret too much if you don't understand all of the details perfectly. Work to understand the concepts and identify which of them will be most applicable to you in real estate so that you can dive deeper into those details.
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Erin’s Answer

Hi Natasha - phew! Accounting can be a tough major - particularly when you get to the most advanced technical accounting courses! The good news is that learning to balance the complexities of all the technical knowledge and courses in college is that it will help you so much when you start your career. A huge part of your course work is learning about concepts and technical nuances, and how to stay up to date on those. In your career, you'll be able to apply your research skills from college, as well as your group project skills, and technical knowledge to more effectively navigate challenges, teaming, and applying what you know to day-to-day work questions/tasks. Another big thing you're learning to navigate is time management. This will be immensely helpful to you in both the work world and in balancing your personal life and professional life. Just remember - even when it's hard, you're learning key skills that you'll use throughout the rest of your life. Good luck in school and best of luck in the future!
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Shannon’s Answer

Hi Natasha! I can definitely relate to what you shared. While earning my accounting degree, there were times when I fell behind or felt like I was struggling to keep up. I was in a five-year professional accounting program, and one of the biggest things it taught me was resilience. I learned how to bounce back from small setbacks, pick myself up, and try again with a better plan.

Those challenges helped me a lot in my professional career because accounting work can come with deadlines, pressure, and moments where you have to figure things out independently. Busy season, for example, can be rough, and I think the challenges I went through in school helped prepare me for that. College taught me time management, discipline, and how to stay calm when there is a lot on my plate.

Another thing that helped me was having peers who were going through the same program. Being able to talk to people who understood the same stress made a big difference mentally. It reminded me that I was not the only one struggling, and we were able to support and encourage each other.

My advice is to not let temporary struggles make you question whether you belong in accounting. If you are determined and willing to keep improving, that matters a lot. Since you are interested in real estate accounting, you could look into internships or entry-level opportunities with real estate companies, property management firms, REITs, public accounting firms with real estate clients, or real estate investment companies. Your accounting degree can open a lot of doors in that space. The challenges you are facing now can actually help you become more prepared for your future career. Learning how to recover, ask for help, manage your time, and keep going when things are difficult are all skills that will serve you well as an accountant.
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Thomas’s Answer

Hi Natasha. I see San Jose in your profile and I had some of the best experiences of my career there. It's great to read your question and see your commitment to your studies. I think a very important realization in my own career was that the feeling of being overwhelmed is very common among professionals, and something that will appear periodically in your college career and professional career. If you are feeling it, it is a very good bet that everyone around you is feeling it too. The good news is that it means you care about your schooling, your career and doing things well. That trait will carry you a long way. It's easier to say than to do, but it all gets down to time management. Imagine you are a juggler and can juggle some number of balls without dropping any. You will find life, school, family, and career will throw you a couple more balls than you can handle, and you may even drop a few. Because people tend to grade themselves on a straight scale, you may even feel you are experiencing failure; but if you consistently drop the right balls for the moment you are in, you may actually be the best in the business! We all have to prioritize and sometimes that is just plain uncomfortable. But doing it well is the key to success in business. Questions like "what is most important to do now?", "what deadlines can I afford to push or delay?" "Who can I most afford to disappoint?" These may seem like odd questions, but we all end up answering them, and that's part of doing business well. So for your current situation with your studies, try to decide what is important and pursue that first. The main point of college is learning and self-improvement (plus having some well-deserved fun in moderation). Try to decide what is most relevant to you in that process and try to push off other things that are not as urgent until later. Most of all, take care of your health and well-being and realize that school is a marathon not a sprint. I am not sure I will ever feel like I reach a finish line. But oh what a great run it has been, and my life has been so enriched just by running it. Good Luck.
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Leah’s Answer

Hi Natasha! I love hearing your motivation - an accounting degree is HARD work and takes discipline and at times, a village to support you. Personally, I struggled with technical concepts and wrapping my head around all of them (especially taxes!). I was motivated to do well, get my masters, and then my CPA. The magic that helped me through it all was utilizing my network! I had great professors who offered office hours and a number of classmates who made studying at the library fun. We'd walk through concepts and troubleshoot topics together, take pretests and discuss right/wrong answers. Leaning on your classmates and network that you're building right now and will in college, will definitely serve you in your career. A career is not a solitary occupation; especially in accounting, you'll have a team, a leader, eventually subordinates, and formal/informal mentors. Knowing how to collaborate effectively with your team will only further your success and you'll have the opportunity to help others too! So to put it simply, my advice is to not go it alone now, because teaming is a life-long skill that will boost your career and personal satisfaction. Keep at it - getting that degree and passing your CPA is a wonderful feeling! Good luck!
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Andrea’s Answer

Hi Natasha,
Time management, organization and the ability to multitask are skills that you can develop in college that will carry over to your career and your life. It's important to be thoughtful about how you spend your time and plan your day. I like To Do lists and specific goals for finishing the list. I save time in my day for unexpected tasks or team members that need my attention. A calendar is important for staying organized and managing your time. Block your calendar for meetings, classes, work, personal events, study time. Review your calendar at the beginning of every week and everyday and commit to sticking to those commitments, or re-schedule to ensure you can follow through on your responsibilities and commitments to yourself and others. Start your day with a task that is harder and get it over with right away. This will help you feel accomplished and get those least favorite tasks over with.
Find a group to study with and hold each other accountable. Working as a team is something you will likely do when you enter the professional workforce so any practice you can get with that is beneficial. Teaching others what you have learned is a great way to reinforce what you have learned and develop strong coaching skills. The ability to develop others is important in any field as you increase your leadership.
I hope you find this advice helpful and good luck to you as you earn your degree.
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Pranali’s Answer

Accounting classes can be tough because of the complex topics. But don't get discouraged! College is a great time to learn how to balance social life, classes, and internships. This helps you develop perseverance and strong time-management skills.

Join a study group to support each other. If you're having trouble with certain topics, attend office hours and ask your professor for extra help. Use online resources like YouTube for additional learning.

It's great that you have a clear career goal! Network with classmates and professors, and attend career workshops to learn which courses will help you reach your goals.
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Laura’s Answer

Natasha - you are already demonstrating a skill that will suit you well into the future - perseverance and not letting the pace of your studies get you down. Being able to prioritize your school work and manage to a schedule to fit it all in will be invaluable. Often at work we are faced with competing priorities and we have to make decisions about how to spend our time. There are deadlines that help us with this process (similar to having a project deadline or a date for a test that you are studying for). Working with others on school projects is something else that will help you in your career. It is not always easy to work in groups, especially when there may be different opinions or lower contributors on the team. This is a reality that we face in the workplace, too...figuring out what role you'll play and embracing different opinions and diversity of thought/experience as a result of teaming is a skill that you can continue to hone while in college.
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Kathleen’s Answer

Studying accounting can be challenging, but the obstacles I overcame while earning my degree taught me skills I use every day in my job. I picked up time management, teamwork, organization, and how to balance work with personal time, among other things. The lessons and skills you're learning now will help you succeed in your career, and it's definitely worth it in the end. I find that a good schedule and a manageable to-do list really help. It will get easier with time!
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Michelle’s Answer

Natasha - I had the same issue that you did in school. When I took Accounting as a sophomore, it didn't make any sense to me. I actually ended up changing my major to Business Management because I thought I didn't like Accounting. After I graduated and started working in a Cash Department of a big company, the accounting started to make sense. The real world experience gave me an anchor to some of the more theoretical topics that came up in the textbooks. After working for a few years, I went back to school and took night classes to get certified. I aced all my Accounting classes when I could reference back to my work experience. I realize you may not have the luxury or the desire to go down that same path. There may be a volunteer opportunity with a group that needs help as a Treasurer. Sometimes if you start with a smaller financial population, it helps with the ins and outs as you read "examples" in the text books. Or perhaps there is an opportunity to shadow someone who manages books and records for a non-profit. If not, I agree with what other people have said. The most important skills I use every day are setting priorities and organizing my tasks. If you continue to practice that as you work on your studies, you will create life long skills that you can use in whatever you do. And of course, it's important to have faith in yourself - even if it seems hard today, it will get better!
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Anthony’s Answer

Hi Natasha,

As an accounting/finance major (and a CPA at a Big Four), I experienced many challenges in my accounting coursework. Lots of it is obviously not intuitive and can be difficult to grasp. I remember getting horrible scores on exams (we were graded on a curve) and those would get me down because I was used to scoring high. But at the same time, it makes you realize that you do not know everything and that there is a lot more to learn; in a way, it humbles you. That certainly helped me in my career because you approach things with a more open mind, not to mention approaching things with more brainpower and intensity (to try and avoid being wrong). It is honestly difficult to identify and know how those experiences have shaped who I am today and how I work, but I think this example is the one that is most clear to me personally.

What I would suggest (if you're open to advice) is to not get down on yourself about poor scores. Keeping up with your workload is a bit different, since you should be able to get it done if you put the time into it (but you might not have enough time for the best quality). But in both of these instances, if you are doing the best you can and you can't do anything more, then I wouldn't worry about the outcomes. If you're doing the best you can, you are working at your highest capacity, and that in itself is admirable. If you learn that, you won't forget it, and I am sure that will stay with you into the beginning of your career as a professional.

Good luck with your studies.

-Anthony
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Brooke’s Answer

Studying accounting can be tough, but what you're learning in college will really help you later on. When you start your career, you'll need to balance work and personal life, just like you balance school and friends now. You'll also work with people who have different personalities and styles, similar to your experiences with group projects and social settings. Learning how you study best and stay organized now will be super useful in your job. I've never heard anyone say an accounting degree is easy, so keep up your hard work and good luck!
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Maryann’s Answer

Accounting courses can be challenging, but they help you learn how to juggle different tasks and manage your time well. By creating a schedule, you can tackle the workload more easily. You might need to change your daily routine a bit, but you'll find it gets easier with time!
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Tamesha’s Answer

Yes! Those accounting courses are tough, but you can definitely handle them. I had to remind myself of this many times. It might take a little extra effort and attending office hours, but I can learn and succeed! This persistence has helped me in my career too. When I face a difficult task, I pause, do some research, ask my coworkers, and bring any remaining questions to my manager. My manager always says, "We are not saving lives here," which reassures me that everything will be okay and mistakes can be corrected!
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Jiasui’s Answer

Accounting gives you a solid base and helps you learn important skills like understanding financial statements and figuring out costs and revenues. Once you finish an accounting major, moving into other fields or areas is pretty straightforward.
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Wong’s Answer

Hi Natasha. As a lecturer in accounting, I know firsthand that the challenges you face while earning your degree can actually help you a lot in your future career. The obstacles you encounter during your studies are not just problems, they are opportunities to build the skills and habits you will need as a professional.

For example, one of the biggest challenges in accounting is managing a lot of information and staying on top of your coursework. There will be times when it feels like there is too much to learn. But facing these challenges will teach you important skills, like time management and how to prioritize your tasks. These skills are extremely useful in the real world of accounting, where you need to meet deadlines, pay attention to details, and manage multiple tasks at once.

Another challenge you may face is understanding difficult accounting concepts. But the more you push through these struggles, the better you'll get at solving problems and thinking critically. For example, when you're having trouble with something like financial statement analysis, it forces you to think deeper and figure out different ways to understand the material.

Your determination to finish your degree, even when things get tough, will also help you a lot in your career. In the professional world, there will be moments when you face tight deadlines, unexpected complications, or even setbacks. The ability to keep going, to remain focused on your long-term goals, and to continuously improve is what will set you apart as a successful accountant. All the best.
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Gwen’s Answer

You are on a great path already, don't give up and keep your long term goals of being an accountant in real estate in mind! I was also an accounting major and some of those classes can be overwhelming based on level of difficulty. Balancing social activities and classroom work is part of the university growth experience. I created a study group during college with other students in the accounting major, and this was one of factors in helping me (and others) stay focused, organized and less overwhelmed. You are not alone in your journey and rely on other students and professors to get over the finish line. You got this!
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Kimberly’s Answer

I learned so many things like time management, discipline in prioritizing studies versus fun (when needed), how to take notes when hearing things I needed to remember, how to work in groups, how to be a role model for others, how to balance work and rest (and that rest is important for doing what needs doing when active), the importance of taking care of myself so that I could perform well in classes and at work, and how to encourage teammates who might need it. Often, I didn't realize how much I was learning during my school years that would help me later in my career, but now I can see it clearly! You will likely be the same. Encouraging you to keep going! :)
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