Study Groups and LIFO

Ready for another accounting post??

The May-mester ends tomorrow!  Leaving the business building tonight, I realized this was my last-ever study session with Shelby.  And that is really sad :(  Luckily I still have Brad, but it's sad to see another one go!

Anyways, this post is about how awesome study groups are.  I've decided that while they might not always be the most efficient way to study, it is my most recommended method.  It really immerses you in your major, because you get to know the people in your classes and you become great friends.  That encourages you to go to class and study more.  (Disclaimer...this method does not guarantee that you will pay attention in class or focus 100% during study groups.)

Over the last few semesters as my accounting classes I have gotten harder, I have spent countless hours at the library and the business building with study groups. We've learned, we've laughed, we've stressed, we've complained...and we've pretty much become best friends.

Probably the best result of one of our marathon study sessions was when Shelby convinced Jonny and I that it would be a great idea to enter the E-Week Lemonade Stand competition.  This was after hours and hours (and let's be honest...probably days) of trying to consolidate financial statements.  So, clearly, we decided this would be a great idea.

Not all great decisions are made at 11:00 PM, but it turns out that this one actually was.  I had so much fun just hanging out with these two great people, just trying to sell some lemonade.

One of my best college experiences!

And yes, we do represent accounting well.

[Explanation:  LIFO is an inventory accounting method.  You count inventory Last In First Out.]

These guys have been such great friends to me.  I'm so proud of them, as they both just graduated and have internships at the State Auditor's Office.

Now I just need to make it through one more class, and one more semester!

Also, after three years of school, you can't convince me that accountants are the most boring people.  I have yet to be at a study group with a bunch of accounting majors that I have left feeling bored out of my mind.  I've left stressed, but usually, I've had a pretty great time!  They are a fun and funny bunch.  This has been the video of the May-mester.  Enjoy.

Restart

So, I have this really awesome little computer which I love so much!  It really is fabulous, but occasionally, it likes to be a little difficult.  It can get a little slow...and when it gets really delayed, I just like to turn it off an restart it.  A restart can be a great thing, even though it takes awhile to reset, and it's kind of a pain, once you've restarted, you've got a fresh shot for smooth operation.

Finals week becomes this hectic, non-stop week of studying for endless hours, a midst trying to clean your apartment from top to bottom, because finals are stressful enough without adding cleaning checks at the end of the week.  (Don't even get me started on moving out during finals, that makes life even less fun.)  During all of this work, all you really want to do is celebrate the fact that the semester is almost over and spend time with the people who are either leaving for the summer, or maybe even forever.  

But...at the end of the week, when you've bubbled in your last Scantron and vacuumed the floor of your now spotless room, an immense feeling of accomplishment and relief floods in.  The garbage has been taken out, you sell back a textbook or two, and shut the door on the semester.

And then sometimes, you start right back up again.  And with a restart, you can do whatever you want.  You can try to get rid of a bad habit or two, and try to get some better ones going.  Don't leave all of your clothes on the floor, go to bed early, pay attention in class, start studying consistently, have more fun, and take more pictures.  The possibilities are endless, and they're always really easy to envision when you get a restart.

It's only day one, but hey, my room is clean, and my lights are out before 11:00.  So far, so good!

Deep Fried.

When I go out for sushi, I know the deep fried rolls are always the best.  French fries...onion rings...scones...so good.  Deep fried twinkies...I've never tried them, but I'd venture to guess they would also be delicious. (Twinkies will be back on the shelves in July, so happy birthday to ME and happy birthday to AMERICA.)

You know that moment, when you've been studying your brains out for weeks, and it's the night before your last final, and you just can't process a work of anything.  I think that's how it feels for your brain to be deep fried, and it is not as fun as deep fried foods.

I was going to post so tempting pictures of deep fried food...but that just seems like too much work.  

92

The week before an accounting test is filled with accounting study groups, reading over notes, working out problems, carrying a giant textbook around campus, and stressing.

Really...the textbook is HUGE.  

When the day of the test arrives, I've usually reached the point where I feel I cannot be any more prepared.  Yes, I might have all day to continue studying, as the tests are taken at 4:30 p.m. (which is awful, by the way), but I feel like if I don't know it by the day of the test, I'm probably not going to know it by the test.

So come last Thursday, I was done studying for my accounting test.  And I was scared.  The test covered pensions, leases, errors, and changes in accounting principal.  There were so many slight details that change they way a problem is worked and how things are classified.  I was so overwhelmed, and thought for sure all of these things would catch me on the test.

I sped through the test.  I'm not one to carefully go back over the test and look for mistakes, or try to figure out how to do problems.  If I don't know how to do it the first time, my assumption is I'm probably not going to have an accounting epiphany halfway through the test.  I was the first one finished (yes!), and left not sure what to think of the test.  I was thinking I'd be lucky and happy to get an 80.

Winning.  At finishing first, not accounting. 

So, when I got my test score, I was stunned.  A 92??  The first thought that crossed my mind was...maybe he typed in the wrong score.  My next thought was...geez, he must have had to curve this test pretty hard.  There was no way I did that well on the test.  I mean, I know I didn't fail it, but I didn't think I got in the 90s...

Minus the +, add the -.  But hey, it's an A.

I was  talking to my friend Jonny, and he did even better than that.  We were both so shocked that we still haven't really started to rejoice in how great we did.

Now...I'm sitting in accounting class writing this blog post with my test in front of me.  Turns out...

We are just that good at accounting.

#accountinglounge