FAO Steve

Glynis

Steve I have started my studies for ACCA F8 paper and I am finding it really hard. I was wondering if you had decided to run any courses for audit papers?
Please help.


Thankyou

Ps I realise I may come under fire for this thread but I do not care were my study is concerned

Andypandy

Hi Glynis, hope you're doing OK. I don't know whether or not you've accessed this already, but it might help. http://www.accountancystudents.co.uk/discussion/viewforum/142/
Best wishes,
Andrea.

Glynis

Thanks for the link. I am finding it hard actually taking things in. I cannot affiord kaplan courses , they are so overly expensive and I am funding ACCA myself which is why I could do with some input from another source.

Andypandy

It's a pleasure - I find that it's the things I struggle the most with that I end up doing the best at. Just remember that nothing worthwhile is ever easy! Anyway, I found this aswell, hope it's useful.
http://www.opentuition.com/acca/f8/index.php

Bluewednesday

I found I started a course like F8 with dread thinking I would never learn it all (I didn't do audit at AAT) but just keep plugging away and with question practice things just click in.

Go through your study text then start the revision phase - just accept at this point that you are not going to take everything it but it will come together before the exams. I promise!

I found with theory type papers that the BPP success cds that I had on in the car seemed to just sink in - you might be able to pick up some on ebay.

Good luck

mark057

Hi Bluewednesday.

I noticed you mentioned you can get success cd's from BPP.

Can you get them for the F4 paper? Also what exactly do they contain?

Mark

Bluewednesday

You certainly used to and the law paper is just the sort of paper i used them for.

They had a summary of each chapter - more than the passcards but not as much as a textbook. I just found them useful when I was cooking etc and couldn't have the books out. I think I just found it useful as another input rather than just reading.

They appear to do them for every ACCA paper try www.bpp.com

Glynis

Ill look at those audio things. Thanks for the link. I'm gonna need all the help I can with this one.

mark057

The audio CD's can be bought on www.bpp.com for any of the F papers for £15.00 plus p & p.

Andypandy

To save money, try googling 'youtube ACCA F8' - there are loads of free downloads that come up.
Andrea.

Londina

Glynis wrote: »

Steve I have started my studies for ACCA F8 paper and I am finding it really hard. I was wondering if you had decided to run any courses for audit papers?

If I'm not wrong, Steve doesn't run any audit courses....I remember from your previous post asking the same question: http://forums.aat.org.uk/showthread.php?p=183899#post183899

I suggest you to ask somebody on the ACCA forum...

blobbyh

As far as I remember from his Facebook profile, he was looking forward to a well earned rest over the next few months... enough time for Blue Wednesday to coerce him into Farmville world (does that game have no end?!!)

Bluewednesday

I will convert you all ha ha (evil chuckle)!

taskey

Bluewednesday wrote: »

I will convert you all ha ha (evil chuckle)!

already there lol

Bluewednesday

See it's happening already!

taskey

so addicted to country life too

Glynis

I really need help on this paper it is so difficult and cannot afford the ridiculously high prices BPP charge. Does anyone know if Sandy Hood does courses relating to this or any other tutor on here.
Wonder why Steve has stopped already as we've only just gone back to studying

A-Vic

speaking of BPP has anyone had the revision cards for MAC what where they like?

umerali2003

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://premiertrainingstore.co.uk/acatalog/catpasscardsbpp.jpg&imgrefurl=http://premiertrainingstore.co.uk/acatalog/CAT_-_Pocket_Notes.html&usg=__jApbpZl-tVQXYTRTr-QQPHyz0xU=&h=89&w=138&sz=4&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=8rjAZ9p6u59SOM:&tbnh=60&tbnw=93&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbpp%2Baat%2B%2Brevision%2Bcards%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

that might help mate

NeilH

Glynis wrote: »

I really need help on this paper it is so difficult and cannot afford the ridiculously high prices BPP charge.

Have you considered putting the paper on hold and saving up for a BPP or Kaplan course/revision course?

I used BPP for some of my CIMA papers and the course notes alone are worth their weight in gold, far better than any text book. Also, there is nothing like having a tutor on-tap right up to exam day.

Neil

Bluewednesday

Glynis wrote: »

I really need help on this paper it is so difficult and cannot afford the ridiculously high prices BPP charge. Does anyone know if Sandy Hood does courses relating to this or any other tutor on here.
Wonder why Steve has stopped already as we've only just gone back to studying

Sandy Hood teaches management costing etc, I don't think he's ever taught audit.

Steve has never done audit courses, he is a full time practice accountant and has only done a few DFS courses but it's not his main job.

You say BPP is a ridiculous charge but in my experience if you go on their courses and do the extra work they set you are virtually guaranteed a pass, the only people I know who have failed after attending BPP (or Kaplan) courses are those that didn't do the extra work or who missed a lesson for some reason.

I don't know anyone who uses these forums who teaches audit unfortunately. If you need lessons you might have to look at other places such as local uni, Reed etc, they might work out cheaper

NeilH

Bluewednesday wrote: »

If you need lessons you might have to look at other places such as local uni, Reed etc, they might work out cheaper

I did a few of my CIMA courses with Reed and although I didn't find the course as good as BPP overall, they do use the BPP notes and anyone who has used these notes will know how useful they can be.

Neil

SandyHood

Glynis wrote: »

Does anyone know if Sandy Hood does courses relating to this?

Glynis
Sorry, I have no time available before June.
My audit experience is within internal audit, but my current teaching commitments mean that my management accounting classes will dominate my weekends through April May and the first part of June and I will just not be available.

Glynis

Why is every college that I look at so expensive? It is so unfair that students especially mature students like me don't get the opportunity to study and achieve our hopes without shelling out thousands.

Steve and sandy maybe you should consider additional courses in future as students do need them.

AK002

I'm sure Steve & Sandy are doing as many courses as they possibly can!

Why not try and get some financial backing from your work?

Glynis

I have asked my employer but they say due to the economy they can't afford to pay for study plus in there opinion our company doesn't need a qualified accountant which is why I am desprate to get a practice job as I will get study support. I'm struggling with ACCA and feel that the whole education system for trainee accountants is daylight robbery.

SandyHood

you should consider additional courses in future as students do need them

Sadly Glynis, not enough students to be as viable as the management accounting ones

deanshepherd

Glynis wrote: »

I'm struggling with ACCA and feel that the whole education system for trainee accountants is daylight robbery.

Once you are ACCA qualified a multitude of different career 'doors' will be open to you. You are virtually guaranteed a job for life and will probably command a pretty good salary in return.

If you can't find an employer who thinks you are worth investing in then, unless you are exceptionally good academically, you have to make that investment yourself.

I had to fork out almost £4k to get my CTA qualification and that was a pretty tough cheque to write. However, if I had not done so then I would never have passed on my own and I have a pretty good academic record.

You have to make sacrifices for that all important 'C' word. Only you can decide how much it is worth to YOU.

Steve Collings

Glynis wrote: »

Steve and sandy maybe you should consider additional courses in future as students do need them.

Glynis,

The courses that I put on for students are done in my own time. As you are aware I am not a full time tutor, I am a full time practice accountant and technical author. Unfortunately the first half of this year has been taken up with work and a publishing deadline for my next book. I cannot, in all honesty, fit in classes as well because (a) it would be unfair on me and (b) it would be unfair on the students if their lecturer was not on form. Lecturing is extremely exhausting both physically and mentally and to lecture students on a technical topic such as financial reporting or auditing needs a lot of planning as well as the course material and slides to prepare (students just see the lecturer teaching a subject - they do not see the planning that goes into it). I have to prioritise my commitments and whilst I would always go to the n'th degree to help students pass their exams (as Sandy Hood does also), unfortunately work commitments sometimes mean that study and revision days will have to take a back seat for some exam sessions.

I do sympathise with your situation but also (as I have explained several times before), the take up for auditing classes is not that great and I cannot put on a day for just a couple of students. I will be lecturing more fully for the December exams and if there are a minimum of, say, 10 students for an audit class then I will go ahead with the day.

In terms of financing your studies, I think you should think of the cost as an investment in your future rather than looking at the prices as some sort of "cash cow" for the tuition providers.

Maybe if you are finding your studies this time around particularly difficult you could consider deferring your exams until December to give you a bit more breathing space and to take the pressure off somewhat. The path to qualification should be a marathon, not a sprint.

Kind regards
Steve

Rinske

Glynis wrote: »

I have asked my employer but they say due to the economy they can't afford to pay for study plus in there opinion our company doesn't need a qualified accountant which is why I am desprate to get a practice job as I will get study support. I'm struggling with ACCA and feel that the whole education system for trainee accountants is daylight robbery.

I'm not so sure you should expect any study support in a practice job.

Unless you got a training contract with them, there is no guarantee your new employer will pay anything towards your study and as there is a real trend of people leaving straight after they got qualified, a lot of employers only offer a very small package at most.

A lot of practices will have a number of employees who want to do the study, if the practice would offer a study, they would most likely offer it to current employees first and if noone is interested, they might hire someone who wants to do the study. But with the current job market, this is not very likely.

Andypandy

Glynis, what about advertising for some 1 to 1 tuition on the other boards? Maybe with a student who's a little further ahead than you & still has everything fresh in their minds?