[mavrodinov]

Hi guys,

I am an international student going for an accounting degree. During the first two years of my education I will not have many accounting classes and I was wondering is it a good idea to start learning the accounting material in CPAexcel? I know that there is no an expiration date so I will be able to use it until I graduate. Also, I could prepare little bit for my future classes now. Is CPAexcel only a review for students who has already taken accounting classes and know the material or even beginners in accounting could benefit a lot?

Thank you very much.

[taxgeek83]

If you've never taken an accounting class before and are starting from scratch, I would not start with the CPA review materials. Most, if not all (from what I've seen) assume you know the basic debit/credit rules and don't really teach you much of the basics, if any. I can see it easily confusing you more than helping you.

Maybe check out a book on Amazon – some have free previews. Or go to a bookstore and get a basic accounting book if you want to get a jump start on the material. It might help you more than jumping into exam review materials.

Either way, good luck and welcome to the club! 🙂

[mavrodinov]

I am taking my first accounting class this semester and I am going to take one more the next semester. The problem is that I will have 3 semesters after that without any accounting classes (finishing my Business Administration AA degree and then transfer to a 4 year college where I will pursue an Accounting degree). Do you thing after these first 2 accounting classes will be a good idea to use CPAexcel or it will still be too early? I would like to have the option of taking quizzes, exams and watching video lesson along with reading.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Are you allowed to take online courses?

If you are allowed to and you're either able to make time or get credits transferred in, I would look into some of the accounting courses LSU has to offer: https://reg.outreach.lsu.edu/modules/shop/index.html?action=programBrowse&CatalogID=1009

There's also this (that Sax): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkZ6Q67Q15E&list=PL9F3DDEE8F99B7A1B

[taxgeek83]

If you have some basic groundwork it can't hurt, in my opinion. Remember, though, that each of the books are going to cover material you won't get to until your junior and senior level classes, so some of it still might not be familiar even after you finish your A.A. The materials will give you an idea of what is tested on the exam though, so maybe it will help you pay more attention in class than I ever did! 🙂

P.S. It sounds like you're going through almost the same degree path I did – I got my two-year degree in business management and went on to get my four-year degree in business & accounting. 🙂

[Lion_of_the_Rock]

An accounting degree is probably a good thing, but why not take your time? Figure out if you even like accounting first. There are other majors out there.

Once you finish up your courses then move on to CPA prep. Honestly, you're not going to remember all the random facts in your head over years of waiting to take the actual test.

Go to school. Have fun. Enjoy life.

My wife is a CPA of 7 yrs, makes over 6 figures and hates her job everyday. Just something to think about.

BEC - 78
AUD - 75
REG - 74, 79
FAR - 75

You have to buy a ticket to win the raffle.

[Mamabear]

I agree with Lion. You may not even like it. I still don't like it, but I have invested so much time in my education and the CPA exam that I can't turn back now (3 kids, house, husband, cars, etc.) You have a great opportunity to explore your options. Don't bog yourself down with a bunch of facts before you even know that you definitely want to pursue the degree.

CPA Exam - Finally DONE (November 2014)
BEC (08/10/13) 80
AUD (08/24/13) 65 (11/13/13) 85
FAR (04/12/14) 81
REG (07/19/14) 69 (11/29/14) 87!!

[Anonymous]

This is exactly what I tell my young friends to do. Once you've passed financial and managerial courses get some old review books and compare the the CPA exam outline with your syllabus.This way when you are in class or doing HW you can differentiate between BS academic accounting and the core concepts.

Also, It comes down to the quality of your teachers. If your teachers are bad I would emphasize CPA review. For example, My advanced accounting class took about 3 weeks to teach consolidations, after that I still did not have a clue. However, after studying the Becker mnemonics I got it pretty quickly. But of course, I realize that the ease of the review may have been since it wasn't may first time seeing it.

Either way don't get to far ahead, start reviewing for CPA once you pass Financial and Managerial. In the mean time focus on joining clubs and making friends.

[Author]

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