[Anonymous]

So I started a new job in governmental accounting for a medium size city. I am very excited about getting the opportunity to start my career as an accountant. I have been working for ten days and I am starting to feel overwhelmed. We are closing FY13 funds and the staff is going crazy around me rushing to get work done because the audit is soon also. I sit at my desk and try to help as much as possible but feel like I don’t know what to do. I understand the theory behind what everyone is working on and get the basic concepts but if I was given a fund to close on my own I would be lost. I am not use to this feeling and I am hoping it is normal for a new accountant just out of college. I want to learn as fast as possible but find my self looking at some work papers and my head is spinning, hours go by and I feel like I have not learned a thing. Anyways thats my little rant.

I will begin studying for REG after score release on Monday. I am praying I passed AUD because being half way done will be a big milestone for my confidence going forward. I tried studying while waiting for my score but quickly found out that the time would be better spent elsewhere.

Any tips out there for studying REG using Becker? I am not a tax fan but I am looking forward to reading about business law and tax law. Well good luck to all in their future journeys and if you read my rant thank you as I have know one else in my circle of friends that understand my accounting madness.

[kpmartin42]

I just started a new job as well. The people at my firm say it is normal not to know what you are doing. Do not beat yourself up about it!

[kpmartin42]

I just started a new job as well. The people at my firm say it is normal not to know what you are doing. Do not beat yourself up about it!

[Study Monk]

You may want to consider whether studying for REG is a high priority now. If people are two busy to train you may want to spend a month or two studying government accounting and the related journal entries. Something to consider.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Study Monk]

You may want to consider whether studying for REG is a high priority now. If people are two busy to train you may want to spend a month or two studying government accounting and the related journal entries. Something to consider.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Anonymous]

It's normal to be clueless at first in a new job, especially if it's your first job in the accounting world. So realize that it's OK to still be lost!

But, I think that Study Monk's suggestion is good, too, to try to take some time at home to learn how to do the things you do at work. I mean, you can't find answers on Google to exactly how to do each piece of your job, but you can perhaps find more information to help you understand what you're being told, at least!

Another idea to help with the job-knowledge, if you don't have anything you can really work on yourself, would be to see if you can just basically follow around one of your coworkers – maybe not ask questions, if they're having to work as quickly as possible, but even just to sit and watch could be useful. At my job, that basically was the training – “You'll be working with M—-, stick with her”, and she showed me how to do some things, but other things I just watched her do…and I learned a lot that way!

As for the REG studying, if you feel like you have time for it around your new job, just jump in and follow the method that worked for FAR (and hopefully for AUD too!). I don't use Becker, so don't know specifics beyond that, but if you're passing tests, it looks like you've figured out what works best for you!

[Anonymous]

It's normal to be clueless at first in a new job, especially if it's your first job in the accounting world. So realize that it's OK to still be lost!

But, I think that Study Monk's suggestion is good, too, to try to take some time at home to learn how to do the things you do at work. I mean, you can't find answers on Google to exactly how to do each piece of your job, but you can perhaps find more information to help you understand what you're being told, at least!

Another idea to help with the job-knowledge, if you don't have anything you can really work on yourself, would be to see if you can just basically follow around one of your coworkers – maybe not ask questions, if they're having to work as quickly as possible, but even just to sit and watch could be useful. At my job, that basically was the training – “You'll be working with M—-, stick with her”, and she showed me how to do some things, but other things I just watched her do…and I learned a lot that way!

As for the REG studying, if you feel like you have time for it around your new job, just jump in and follow the method that worked for FAR (and hopefully for AUD too!). I don't use Becker, so don't know specifics beyond that, but if you're passing tests, it looks like you've figured out what works best for you!

[Wendy]

Congrats on your new job!! I too work in the gov't sector, and its definitely nothing like what they teach in the books!! With that being said it is completely normal to feel lost. Generally I think the first 3 months at any job are where the majority of the learning happens. So cheer up, you will get it!! EOY is hard for everyone in any industry, so just learn the most you can. As for Reg, all you can really do is work thru the Becker program as you have done for your other exams and hope that it's enough for test day. Best of luck to you!!

Hopeful this time around.... Back after a 2 year break!!

BEC - Feb 2013 78!!
FAR - May 2013 76!!
REG - 70! 71! 80!!
AUD - Oct 2013 79!!

FINALLY DONE!!

[Wendy]

Congrats on your new job!! I too work in the gov't sector, and its definitely nothing like what they teach in the books!! With that being said it is completely normal to feel lost. Generally I think the first 3 months at any job are where the majority of the learning happens. So cheer up, you will get it!! EOY is hard for everyone in any industry, so just learn the most you can. As for Reg, all you can really do is work thru the Becker program as you have done for your other exams and hope that it's enough for test day. Best of luck to you!!

Hopeful this time around.... Back after a 2 year break!!

BEC - Feb 2013 78!!
FAR - May 2013 76!!
REG - 70! 71! 80!!
AUD - Oct 2013 79!!

FINALLY DONE!!

[mystical guy]

@Derrick05, sorry to hear about your frustrations at work. I have had feelings like that when I was given projects I knew nothing about, but I had to smile and act very confident, and tell my supervisor, “I got this.”

I think the trick is to believe you can do anything. That's absolutely cliché but most people would agree with that. Every time I said, “I can do this” somehow, somewhere, my brain started to make connections, even when I was told was I trying to do was “impossible.”

About REG, my buddy and I both agree that it's really like studying the law. Once I got this concept it became easier for me to study and what worked for me was Jeff's method of writing the notes, re-writing them, listening to the audio, and, of course, working a ton of MCQs.. I know you can do it coz I used to suck in tax, back in college, but somehow I had the same grade as my tax accounting buddies. You can do this!

CPA - Since 2015
CISA - Smashed 2012
CIA - Passed 2015

[mystical guy]

@Derrick05, sorry to hear about your frustrations at work. I have had feelings like that when I was given projects I knew nothing about, but I had to smile and act very confident, and tell my supervisor, “I got this.”

I think the trick is to believe you can do anything. That's absolutely cliché but most people would agree with that. Every time I said, “I can do this” somehow, somewhere, my brain started to make connections, even when I was told was I trying to do was “impossible.”

About REG, my buddy and I both agree that it's really like studying the law. Once I got this concept it became easier for me to study and what worked for me was Jeff's method of writing the notes, re-writing them, listening to the audio, and, of course, working a ton of MCQs.. I know you can do it coz I used to suck in tax, back in college, but somehow I had the same grade as my tax accounting buddies. You can do this!

CPA - Since 2015
CISA - Smashed 2012
CIA - Passed 2015

[Author]

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