Taking (easy) classes during busy season, doable?

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  • #1316155
    Tcohle
    Participant

    I have 123 credits and need to get to 150. I’m taking the easiest classes possible online at a local community college.

    Taking an ACC 150 class in the winter (3 weeks)

    Jan-End of tax season I’m pretty busy, on average 60-65 hours a week.

    I wanted to take two classes during busy season, has anyone done that? The ones I picked are undergrad, lower level courses like psychology 101 so they’re probably pretty easy.

    Not sure if that’d be overkill during tax season

    FAR- 5/11/15 76!!
    AUD-10/31/15 63, 84!
    REG-7/12/16 72
    BEC-8/31/15 75!! Perfect Score!

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Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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  • #1316170
    A1lessio
    Participant

    I took 6 credits in the winter and 18 credits of all accounting and business electives in the Spring and worked tax season. You can definitely do, but your grades may suffer. The classes were all hard classes such as advanced acct, audit, corp finc, non-for profit acct, etc, but my college was absurdly easy. I remember right after tax season after working straight and skipping classes I would walk into exams without cracking open the books, but I still managed in the c+. B- range. My gpa definitely dropped, but I had an offer lined up with a public acct firm so I didn't mind. Just expect to never feel fully prepared for assignments, exams, etc and slightly stressed out.

    AUD (08/02/2016)

    #1316627
    GitRDone2017
    Participant

    I took 2 classes last winter and worked my first tax season as well. It was not easy, but it is doable! I didn't take any accounting classes, I took World Religion and Gendered Communication as I was fulfilling my requirements for my Bachelor's degree. I had absolutely no personal time during this period, but thankfully it isn't for long, you can do it

    "Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking tartar sauce with you" - Zig Ziglar
    Ninja book + Ninja MCQ + Roger
    AUD Oct 2016
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    #1316818
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Is this your first tax season?

    It will depend on how much your firm works through tax season. If you're doing 80-100 hour weeks, you'll have a rough time doing school around that. If you're doing 50 hour weeks, sure, you can do school around that with no problem. If you haven't been through tax season at this firm before so don't know what to expect, then it's harder to know.

    Also depends on how much time you need away from work and school, aka how long you can keep on keepin' on before you run out of steam. For some people, due to their health, their family commitments, or their mental makeup, they might need a couple hours every night and at least 1 day per weekend that's free from work and school in order to keep up the grueling pace of their work and school life. For others, as long as they've got time to eat, sleep, and shower, they don't need anything else.

    There's 168 hours in a week. If you spend 56 (7×8) sleeping, and let's say 60 working, plus 7 (7×1) eating, showering, etc., and 4 (6x.67) hours commuting, that leaves you 41 hours a week. If you're able to essentially go 24/7, then 41 hours is enough to do 2 classes in with time to spare. If you're working 80 hours, then it leaves you 21, and still enough time to do the classes if you can go without stopping. Most people need some chilling time or they'll not be able to keep up that pace. So, I think figuring out how much chilling time you need and how many hours you'll work are critical to determining whether or not you can do the courses.

    P. S. If I was you, I'd look for classes with minimal busy work. Something like Psychology 101 seems to me like it might be prone to lots of busy work writing papers, replying to discussion boards, etc., and therefore could end up taking precious time for useless assignments. Just might want to find out before you register. 🙂 Also, I'm presuming these classes will be online; if they'll be face-to-fact, scratch everything I've said, and don't do them. Telling your manager you've got to leave for 3 hours for class would NOT be popular during a first busy season and probably not during any busy season.

    #1316830
    Tcohle
    Participant

    @Lilla it's a small-mid sized firm. So we'll do mostly A&A from Jan-early March, then tax the rest of the way.

    Avg week-lunch and dinner breaks too:

    M: 9am-10-11pm
    T: 9am-10-11pm
    W: 9am-10-11pm
    T: 9am-10-11pm
    F: 9am-530 pm
    S: 9am-530 pm

    We're supposed to have at least 60 hr weeks with 90% billable. Sometimes I'll get in the upper 60s.

    Second tax season. First one last year I think I wanted to make a good impression and stay late. I was also studying for REG during it (mistaaaake!)

    I'm single and live by myself, so no commitment there. Although I do like working out and hanging with friends. It's a 5 minute drive to work.

    They are all online classes. I looked at ratemyprofessor.com to see what that psychology professor was like and they said “Do you have a pulse? Then you'll get an A in this class”. They said it was just some discussion boards.

    Also chose a management 160 class. Seriously just wanted the easiest classes possible haha.

    FAR- 5/11/15 76!!
    AUD-10/31/15 63, 84!
    REG-7/12/16 72
    BEC-8/31/15 75!! Perfect Score!

    Wiley CPAExcel Platinum
    Ninja 10 pt combo for FAR/AUD/BEC

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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