Governmental and non-profit accounting

[lidel]

So I've been motoring along working through courses and so far it's been going really well. Taxation I and II were a fair bit of a challenge as I'm Canadian and the forms were completely new, but I was able to make it through and overall found them to be a great learning experience. 

My last accounting-based course is Governmental and non-profit accounting, and this thing seems like it's going to be a real bear. I got the first third of the materials yesterday and there is quite a bit more than I have had in any other course, with a lot more bookwork required just so that I can access the first 1/3 of the final assessment. I'm not sure what format the assessment will take, and at this point, I'm guessing it's more of the same bookwork, only for keeps. 

A question for anyone else who has done this course is, do the second and third parts continue in this fashion or does it come in like a lion and go out like a lamb?

I've got three weeks left before the final drafts are due, so I'm thankful for that, but even so, this course seems like the odd man out  and it has me a little intimidated 

Okay, back to learning about "modified accrual".

Take care all!!

S

[dfrecore]

It's kind of odd to be from another country and do an accounting minor/concentration, since it won't apply to you there. I probably would have chosen a different minor that was more applicable to general business no matter where you are.

[lidel]

It's kind of odd to be from another country and do an accounting minor/concentration, since it won't apply to you there.  I probably would have chosen a different minor that was more applicable to general business no matter where you are.

Hahaha, I'm a bit of a funny duck I guess. The degree is just for the fun of learning. I'm firmly established in my career and this will have no bearing on it. Surprisingly, as someone who has worked in business and the corporate world for a long time, most of the things that I have been learning have at least some applications in real life. I did work for a US corporation and have also been involved with non-profits so maybe that's part of the reason. I've particularly enjoyed the accounting courses, and this Government and non-profit accounting course has been interesting as heck, even if it is a wall of work. The format of it just caught me a little off guard. 

I have seen more of the course now and am working steadily towards completion. Once I'm done I will likely give an update with some generic suggestions that I think could make it a little smoother transition for future UMPI students. 

S

[ss20ts]

I can see an accounting program being very challenging for someone outside of the US. We have crazy tax laws. Most countries don't seem to be as weird, long, and drawn out about taxes like we are. I wish you good luck in your studies!

[lidel]

I can see an accounting program being very challenging for someone outside of the US. We have crazy tax laws. Most countries don't seem to be as weird, long, and drawn out about taxes like we are. I wish you good luck in your studies!

Thanks for the well wishes ss20ts!! 

I imagine that a strictly Canadian program would have its own twists and turns also, six of one, half a dozen of another. I had considered taking the Canadian program next, but have decided just to bridge directly to a master's as my own personal goals have changed over the last year. 

Us content or not, I've really enjoyed the accounting courses, far more than the pure business classes. 

I have no issue with the actual content of this course, I'll get through it fine.  Its presentation and format are just so different from literally every other accounting course I have taken in preparation to this point. It kind of threw me for a loop initially. 

Have a great day!

S

[bjcheung77]

If I recall, you're in the US currently. So, it really won't matter if you take Accounting courses geared towards Canada or US, I'm not sure if you're going to be in Accounting for the near future, but I would stick to it as it seems interesting to you. Courses that are interesting is what makes it more fun, you don't really need to go for an MBA if Business Admin is not your thing, there are other options such as MAOL, anything that helps you learn and materials that interest you is a win...

[lidel]

If I recall, you're in the US currently.  So, it really won't matter if you take Accounting courses geared towards Canada or US, I'm not sure if you're going to be in Accounting for the near future, but I would stick to it as it seems interesting to you.  Courses that are interesting is what makes it more fun, you don't really need to go for an MBA if Business Admin is not your thing, there are other options such as MAOL, anything that helps you learn and materials that interest you is a win...

Naw, I'm way up here north of the border I was considering doing a late-career transition into something accounting-related as it has always interested me and my chosen profession is very demanding and ties me down, but I'm not sure now. I'm totally sticking to getting this degree done, and I don't regret it one bit as it has been an enjoyable process. From there I'm a little uncertain of the direction, but continuing my education in some form or another is in my future for sure. 

S

[lidel]

Here is that update that I promised. I just finished the competency, and I wanted to give a bit of an overview for anyone taking it in the next little while. Courses evolve over time, and everyone's experiences are subjective so with that in mind;

The course is a little different than most of the other competencies. It is not done through the usual Mainestreet interface, it's all via e-mail from the instructor who provides the course materials in bundles with milestones to complete.

The course felt very front-loaded, with the first section being the heaviest work, the second a little less, and the final section being the least time-consuming by a really big margin compared to the prior two.

If you were taking this course, I would recommend brushing up on Journal entries. I did more of these in this course than all of my other accounting courses to date combined, especially in the first part of the program. This kicked my butt as these were always my bane, but truthfully I needed it and feel a lot more comfortable with them now.

I found a series of lectures by professor Farhat that was very helpful, and it would have made great "prework" if I had known about it during the lag between enrolling and start date. It's 81 videos, but really informative, and I know many folks wonder what they can do to prepare. Just search Farhat and the course name and you should find it easily.

The instructor is excellent and willing to work with you on the timing and scheduling of the assignments. For instance, in my case, while she was grading, she was willing to advance me all of the other reading materials so that I could get a jump start and not be at a standstill.

That's all I can think of for now. This course was one of the more challenging for me and took a little longer to complete, with quite a lot of bookwork, but it was fair and I feel like I learned a tremendous amount.

Good luck in your studies!

S

[CHken92]

Here is that update that I promised. I just finished the competency, and I wanted to give a bit of an overview for anyone taking it in the next little while. Courses evolve over time, and everyone's experiences are subjective so with that in mind;

The course is a little different than most of the other competencies. It is not done through the usual Mainestreet interface, it's all via e-mail from the instructor who provides the course materials in bundles with milestones to complete.

The course felt very front-loaded, with the first section being the heaviest work, the second a little less, and the final section being the least time-consuming by a really big margin compared to the prior two.

If you were taking this course, I would recommend brushing up on Journal entries. I did more of these in this course than all of my other accounting courses to date combined, especially in the first part of the program. This kicked my butt as these were always my bane, but truthfully I needed it and feel a lot more comfortable with them now.

I found a series of lectures by professor Farhat that was very helpful, and it would have made great "prework" if I had known about it during the lag between enrolling and start date. It's 81 videos, but really informative, and I know many folks wonder what they can do to prepare. Just search Farhat and the course name and you should find it easily.

The instructor is excellent and willing to work with you on the timing and scheduling of the assignments. For instance, in my case, while she was grading, she was willing to advance me all of the other reading materials so that I could get a jump start and not be at a standstill.

That's all I can think of for now. This course was one of the more challenging for me and took a little longer to complete, with quite a lot of bookwork, but it was fair and I feel like I learned a tremendous amount.

Good luck in your studies!

S

I know this is an old thread just wanted to say thank you for the reminder about Prof. Farhat. I used his courses in the past in areas I got a little stuck and he is great. I know it will help as I finish this course up. You're right, it is different!

[lidel]

Here is that update that I promised. I just finished the competency, and I wanted to give a bit of an overview for anyone taking it in the next little while. Courses evolve over time, and everyone's experiences are subjective so with that in mind;

The course is a little different than most of the other competencies. It is not done through the usual Mainestreet interface, it's all via e-mail from the instructor who provides the course materials in bundles with milestones to complete.

The course felt very front-loaded, with the first section being the heaviest work, the second a little less, and the final section being the least time-consuming by a really big margin compared to the prior two.

If you were taking this course, I would recommend brushing up on Journal entries. I did more of these in this course than all of my other accounting courses to date combined, especially in the first part of the program. This kicked my butt as these were always my bane, but truthfully I needed it and feel a lot more comfortable with them now.

I found a series of lectures by professor Farhat that was very helpful, and it would have made great "prework" if I had known about it during the lag between enrolling and start date. It's 81 videos, but really informative, and I know many folks wonder what they can do to prepare. Just search Farhat and the course name and you should find it easily.

The instructor is excellent and willing to work with you on the timing and scheduling of the assignments. For instance, in my case, while she was grading, she was willing to advance me all of the other reading materials so that I could get a jump start and not be at a standstill.

That's all I can think of for now. This course was one of the more challenging for me and took a little longer to complete, with quite a lot of bookwork, but it was fair and I feel like I learned a tremendous amount.

Good luck in your studies!

S

I know this is an old thread just wanted to say thank you for the reminder about Prof. Farhat. I used his courses in the past in areas I got a little stuck and he is great. I know it will help as I finish this course up. You're right, it is different!

You are most welcome!!

S