Thinking of Quitting

System
System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
edited June 18 in AAT student discussion
I completed the OCR Cert then Dip in Book Keeping earlier this year, and decided I'd like to move on to AAT. I have entered at intermediate level.

The problem is I'm completing lost!! Everyone seems to know what they're doing and I really feel out of my depth. My partner says the fog will clear, but I am two months in and there is still no sight of land!!

I don't work in an accounts environment and so only come across this type of accounting at college.

Is it like this for everyone?? I am thinking of cutting my losses and packing it in. Is there anyone else out there who has reached this stage and recovered from it? If so any advice??????? :(
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      Comments

      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi

        My situation is slightly different. I have worked as a book-keeper for around 15 years. I started AAT 2 years ago, and found the Foundation level really straight forward. I wanted to fast-track and complete Intermediate and Technician within the following year and had been studying Intermediate during my Foundation year to get ahead.

        However, I totally burnt myself out (working, raising 3 children and studying), my relationship suffered and I had a miscarriage, so I decided to quit the course (to be truthful I had got fed up with reading information and not taking it in). My tutors and friends tried to talk me out of it but I wasn't having any of it.

        Then this September my college offered to let me sit back in on the lessons free of charge without any pressure to continue. It obviously meant that now I was actually a year behind my classmates and not a year ahead as intended, but I decided I would be a fool to not take the opportunity up.

        I am now due to sit my FRA exam in December and I will complete my Skills test on Tuesday, I am also enjoying (and understanding) Units 7 & 6 - and I hate management accounts!.

        So I guess what I am trying to say is, quitting often seems the easy option, but in the long run it really is worth perhaps re-evaluating your situation, and carrying on. I realise that you have studied accounts before, but would it be worth looking at the Foundation level work (or even starting at this level), as it gives a good insight to double entry accounts and I would personally recommend starting at this level.

        Also the good thing with AAT is that you can take the exams in the June or Dec, so maybe you could postpone the exams a few months (or a year in my case!) in order to get back on track.

        We all have down days(and weeks and months!!!), but don't give up. Read as much as you can on the elements you are struggling with and post loads of questions on here,(no question too daft to get a reply) I'm sure you will soon be wondering what you were worrying about!

        Take care, and good luck!

        Tracy

        ps did you do the Institute of Certified book-keepers diploma in book-keeping, as I am sitting that in Feb next year.
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Accounts is a practical subject especially at AAT level. Rather than quit, may I suggest changing jobs and putting AAT on hold.
        Once you are in an accounts job you can then see that the course links to work. Some parts may not be the work you do but there may be people you work with who can give you their insight.

        When you are in your new job in accounts then restart AAT.

        Good luck
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi Pink Jay

        I work in an accounts enviroment, but found that not alot of either intermediate or technician applied to me, but I did find that taking each unit and concentrating on that unit really helped. As you have already done a book-keeping course (which is where I started) some of it should start making sense soon, but don't get angry with yourself if it is not sinking in as quick as you would like. Do stick with it if you can?
        Eva :D
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Thanks to everyone for the advice.

        I am definitely having a down on the course at the moment. I think I would have been better, in hindsight, taking the foundation level first.

        I am going to speak to my tutor and see if I am really as behind as I think I am. After that I'm going to re-evaluate things.

        Is there any simple way of getting your head round financial accounts? In particular the depreciation element? I am fine with the disposal account, provision for depreciation etc when it is clearly set down. The problem is when this forms part a question and is changed in some way, I don't seem to have the understanding to deviate from the set path.

        Has anyone used study cards? I have the Osbourne books, but is there anything better??



      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi Pink Jay

        I went straight in at intermediate and know exactly how you feel. I would come home after doing a full day at work followed by 4 hours at college feeling exhausted and not having a clue what was going on. One night I even came in from college and went straight to my desk and worked until 1 in the morning trying to get my head around it all. I really felt like giving up but I'm so glad that I didn't. I'm sure that if you stick at it then eventually the penny will drop. The pure elation of passing the skills tests and exams is worth all the hard work in the end. After all, it wouldn't be worth achieving if it was easy.

        Good luck whatever you decide to do.
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hiya,

        I have just started AAT at Intermediate and if you are doing your exams in December it is like they rush you through everything and assume prior knowledge. Although, some people in my class cannot remember things from Foundation.

        if you really want to do the qualification, I would suggest taking your time with the exams, if possible. Have you spoken to your tutor because they may be able to give you extra help.

        Alternatively, you could download the standards for each unit and buy a textbook and go through each point until you understand each section. that is what I do. Also this forum is very helpful for things you don't understand.
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        I also have just started on intermediate although when I enrolled it was for foundation but the tutors said I was suitable for the next level. I can get my head around most things but at present am struggling with the branston & co simulation 1. Can anybody please help with task 1 have jumped to task 2 and 3. Do not know if I have pages missing as I cannot see a hylex motors account not sure where to post the credit posting. :oops:


      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi there,
        I passed my foundation in June and could relate to it work, however Intermediate has been a nightmare for me, I have burnt myself out also, working full time having a home etc, not really understanding what Iam doing, If decided the most sensible thing to do is to take my exam in June rather than kill my self trying to take an exam Iam not ready for in December, my relationship has also suffered as I have been awful to life with other the last few months !!! Iam not quitting AAT Iam just taking it at a more sensible leasurable pace with is more suited to me my life style and my sanity !!!!
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting
        Has anyone used study cards? I have the Osbourne books, but is there anything better??

        Not sure about better, but if you find it useful to get another writers take on a subject, I got a lot of use out of:

        Frank Wood's Business Accounting
        Colin Drury's Cost and Management Accounting

        Check your library for them. They're both a lot bigger than AAT textbooks because they cover a much wider range of courses (and therefore material). Osborne specialises by writing an individual textbook for a specific AAT unit or exam. This means it only contains what you need to know (and no more), which is both good and bad.
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi Pink Jay,

        I've been using a book by BPP and I found it really easy to understand.

        Hope that helps.
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi,
        I have been in engneering as a welder since leaving school twenty years ago, in 2004 I decided to have a career change like yourself I took the Dip. in book-keeping and Cert. in accounts at my local college in the evenings while continuing with my engineering job. Last year my family and I moved to Lincolnshire from Derby (wife's promotion) so I went on the Intermediate level distance learning course with Premier Training , which after 6 months in I thought was a huge mistake but I passed my FRA exam in June and due to take the ECR in Dec. which i'm quite confident in passing so I'm glad I stuck with it.I find accounting difficult in parts but if you keep going over it eventually the penny drops.

        Stick with it, you'll definately get there...
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        I went back to college after the weekend and I am not in such a 'oh god, what have I done' mode.

        This is the first time I have been to classes where some of it(not all I might add)has started to make sense. I really appreciate the messages.

        I think this is going to be a slow process and the fact that I looked ahead at the old exam papers probably didn't help.

        I have got hold of some of the Kaplan study cards (as suggested) and these are really good. Just the thing for reading on the bus etc (god arn't I sad!)

        Anyway, I'm am going to plod on for a bit longer and hopefully will get there. Jay.
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi Jay

        i had a look on the site last night to see if there was anyone else who's finding the course really hard going as i am ... i did the foundation last year and this year seems to be alot harder - and everythings rush rush rush - i've missed 1 class and i've not been in this week either so that's another 2 (i'm ill) and i'm really panicing - we're supposed to be taking the exam in 4 weeks and i don't have a clue about most of it - i feel like i'm being rushed. i'm dyslexic too which doesn't help at all!!! what i've decided to do is take the exam in dec as arranged and see how i get on - i've spoken to my tutor and asked what if i fail (i thought i'd failed the last one too but passed amazingly) and he's said i can retake it in the June - by which time i'm convinced that we'll have more of an idea of what's what! i don't think that it's enough time to take in so much new information - especially when your working full time and my god when are we supposed to have a social life???? our other tutor told us we should be studying 12 hours a week in addtion to the 6 hours at college!!!!!!Anyway hope you do well and i guess we'll have to just keep plodding on - see if you can do dec and june exam (if you need to)

        good luck

        Harriet :shock:
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        If you're not working in accountancy would you be better off doing the diploma pathway?
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        god only knows! i've not idea what i should be doing- i'm an office manager and i do the book keeping but i use quickbooks and the accountants do all the journals etc ie the hard stuff!!

        i've had an email from one of my class mates and he's as confused as me so at least i'm not on my own!!!!

        thanks
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        I'm currently studying technician level and due to take my DFS exam in less than four weeks time. I currently have a mental block too but also know that even four weeks is a long time if I put the effort in. I can relate to what you're feeling as I thought exactly the same back in Intermediate and remember thinking I seemed to be the only one not getting it.

        But the truth is that when you talk to most others, you realise you're nearly all in the same boat. I also think that one of the biggest problems is approaching the questions with a view to failing them rather than being able to successfully complete them. I think this makes a huge difference.

        Think about what you have learnt so far. Have you really learnt nothing since the course began? Can you remember sixty or seventy percent with the rest being a bit vague? Well, that's not nothing but quite a lot I'd say and that's a great positive. I think you'll find you're the same as nearly everyone else in your class - the penny may not seem to be dropping at the moment but trust me that at some point it will...

        ... and next year you'll be on the technician forums saying the same thing all over again!

        Never give up or in six months time you'll only wish you hadn't...

        Regards,

        Robert
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Dont panic!!!!!!!!!!

        Most in my class taking FRA in 4 weeks feel the same....maybe teh fog will clear for us all!
        Good Luck
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi Harriet,

        I am lucky in one respect, our group takes the exams in June with skills tests prior to this (April for these I think)?

        I know I couldn't do the exam in December. As for 12 hours a week!! At the moment. I manage 1-2 hours a night twice a week (that's pen & paper stuff), book reading most nights before bed and a couple of hours on Sunday. As you can see no where near 12 hours. Is this the normal expectancy, as I haven't a prayer if this is the case. I too work full-time, have two children, a husband who works shifts (so never about at any really useful time of the day) plus my elderly mother a few doors away. What's a social life!!! Best to say "Abandon social contact all those who embark on AAT Courses".

        The course also involves NVQ work, so the portfolio is keeping me busy. As I didn't take foundatation I haven't a clue with regard to the portfolio. I just keep submitting bits of work and getting them signed off and then putting them in the folder. Hopefully, I will get some help sorting these out. I have just finish the Health and Safety one - just waiting for a response back on this.

        However, the one really great thing is that I found this forum. It is just nice to know that I am not in this on my own - I suppose its the thing about "everyone knows what they're doing except me" syndrome. Good to know there are a few more me's out there.

        Cheers
        Jay.
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi Robert,

        Thanks for the support. I can remember bits - I am not sure if it's as high as 70% yet!

        When I started the course I thought - well we are all starting on a level playing field, and we will all look a bit lost to start with. I really don't mind looking a numpty provided I am not the only one!!

        But unfortunately for me this wasn't the case. About 45% of my class have taken A level accounts recently and most of the stuff we are going through they have already covered. Consequently, the tutor has adjusted the pace of the class to take this into consideration. I appreciate that this may be necessary, but the "Oh god I am really confused" state of mind has only been fed by this.

        This forum has been a god send. I was nearly at the book burning stage last Sunday. I have now gone past this. I have got hold of some study notes and the support from this forum has encouraged me to keep going.

        I don't know about technician stage (it seems like putting in for a place on Mastermind at the moment!!)
        But who knows!!

        If I get to the exams AND manage to pass them that will be a real achievement for me. My Everest!!!!

        Cheers
        Jay
      • System
        System Posts: 100,534 πŸ€– Admin πŸ€–
        Re:Thinking of Quitting

        Hi accountschic,

        Good luck with the FRA. I am sure you will all be fine. :D

        Cheers
        Jay

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