Mina

I finally get a breather! I’m sitting at work and I finished my marketing notes so the last 1/2 hour I can rest.  Allow me to catch you up a bit as to how my semester is going.

I am taking such hard classes! The hardest class in my accounting career, as i am told, is Intermediate Accounting.  For some miracle to this earth I am currently in the A section of that course! (we’ll see how the midterm goes) But for now, holy crap is that amazing.  We have tests every single class and he does not lecture to use at all.  We are to read, learn on our own and be tested the next class. AND I HAVE AN A! and these are hard, conceptual accounting questions, based on the ever evolving economic accounting federal policies by the FASB and SEC.  Lots of people blame Fair Value for the current finacial world falling out… and after learning about Fair Value, it is more accurate, it is a better representation of finacial status than historical costs, but damnit if it isn’t the hardest thing to determine! It’s all about the investors though, and they want the most accurate info, so FASB is going to hold strong to the Fair Value kick, and it will become even more of an issue, or at least more apparent when we swich over to IFRS (international accounting) which is even more subjective and favors Fairvalue even more.  Also, i don’t have corp. finance, but my friends do, and the professor is going ballistic! He is sure we are going into a depression… i agree i think. He also thinks that 401k’s are going to vanish, so be careful.

Uh, oh yes well i have otherclasses of course.  It is funny but my Cost accounting class is harder than my Intermediate class.  This shouldn’t be the case, but whatever. I got a B on the first test which was kind of a setback for me but this last test was even worse and I’m super mad.  I knew the material, but he focused on topics that were not emphasized in his lecture or the exercises on the test as well as not giving us enough time.  No one finished on time, everyone was MAD and I’m still having a hard time with it. I don’t even know how i did yet, but i’m not looking forward to finding out.

My marketing class, is a night class, and it is okay.  My prof is a funny man and he likes to give out extra credit so I am confident in an A from him.  I have a presentation Monday, and then after that I don’t have to worry about much because I finished my term project and all of our papers have been turned in. Just tests, which are easy.

I am taking a Information Systems class which is cute.  We are learning Excel, Access and HTML. The software tests are easy, and beneficial.. i like learning about formulas in excel. The class tests are a breeze and I really like enjoy html even though we are not yet there in this class.

My computer skills class is proving to be very interesting! I wish the class lecture was stuctured better, but you can only ask for so much.  The hands on stuff is the most interesting, we are currently making our own HTML websites! I’ll remember to post a link to my site when I am done.  It is super fun. But.. I have to incorporate CSS and i’m still a little foggy on that stuff, like how to write it.. you have to use like classes with periods and use {}.. i just don’t know yet. Anyway, we are getting into the idea of programming now, learning about algorithims and what not… i’m super pumped!

So, aside from being upset with my Cost accounting class, I am doing amazingly. The downside? I have my own room, with lots of space and all i ever use is my desk and bed and i can barely watch tv cuz i don’t have time.

Work is going great as usual, I feel a lot closer to both of my bosses.. like I can chat with them without feeling awkward.  Oh i created this bomb resume too! I was looking into internships cuz of the fall career fair but I’ll look more intensely in the spring… it would be good to get some experience.  Each day i lean closer and closer to deciding to stay for the CPA… meh.

Being the president of senate this year is great! It takes up all of my additional “free” time, but it is at least fun.  This year we have had SUCH AMAZING TURN OUTS to our events.  Last year we were lucky to get 15 girls to an event, now we are trying to make room when 56 people show up to learn about voting reg. and candidates! That’s a crazy awesome turn out for just info! wow. We developed a new structure for our meetings and planning, and it’s great. Also my RLC this year, Jenny, is a super amazing person… she helped me with my resume and she’s constantly interested in how things are going for me, also she has amazing ideas for senate and we work well together.  My exec board is good too! my secretary is prompt which is FAB and my treasurer works hard on the committees to encourage the senators, it’s all just such a nice little gig!

anyway, there went 15 minutes so i should pack up before heading to my room. Thanks for reading the rant/update about school.  I’d talk about personal life updates, but aside from mom’s birthday being this past wed, and mine coming up soon, i don’t have time for a personal life. OKAY BYE!

Chapter one is a joke! It had an entire subsection on how to plug in the components of computers and follow the Icons. like keyboard and mouse…. Although I now know what CRT and LCD stand for and that a laptop is considered to be monolithic.  “booting” comes from the term Bootstrap…. Something about punch cards and how people saw this as the computer starting itself… pulling yourself up by the bootstraps…  I got kinda lost in that section, i wasn’t born yet. More reading!

Moving back in was nice, I really like my room and I am super pumped about having so much space to organize for myself!!!! YAY! Working the desk this past week has been really amazing as well. I’ve clocked in 40 hours this week which I haven’t done in over a year! Plus it was doing fun things, like handing out keys, sitting on my butt or playing tetris! Also, I used the time to study some, reading the first chapter of my Intermediate accounting book, plus a podcast and two online articles to jumpstart the semester. I really want to be able to wrap my mind around this accounting stuff and so far the issues presented have been about accounting principles and the switch to international standards.  It seems like by the time I enter the industry, the switch will have already taken place from US GAAP to IFRS! While i’m much more accustomed to bright line rules, the judgment based IFRS has many positives for global markets and seems to be inevitable.  At least now I am aware so I can start shaping my understanding and perspective of Accounting.  Well i’m off work now, so I believe I will be joining the others in my house to the comedian they have at UNI tonight.  Goodnight all!

“I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.”

-Christopher John Francis Boone

Today is the day I pack. I don’t know about you, but packing is one of the least fun activities i’ve encountered.  Packing alone is even worse.  Packing for college is even even worse, because I’m not simply packing everything.  I must select only essential items to lug up to UNI.  After I’m packed, I need to reorganize the home area so that it is functional for the weekends i return.  What a Hassle.  It’s unfortunate that I like things so much (like not need)… and I would like to have them all at school.

BUT, i did “find” some time today to finish Zelda for the Wii.  I thought the game was great! Where else can you canoe, joust, explore a winterbeasts mansion, collect bugs for a girl who really needs medical attention, THROW BONES TO DOGS, PICK UP DOGS (sososososo cute) become a wolf, sumo wrestle with rocks, go mano y mano with a charging goat, witness the change of a snooty tooty store into a wacked out shop on acid, or be given the opportunity to trade out the super annoying navi for a less annoying imp…. thing…. “HEY! LISTEN!” Ah or attempt trans dimensional travel with a mirror.  So I finished that up today, ending boss was too easy I think, but at least now I can pack up the Wii too….

Oh and I believe we should all join hands in celebration of the most recent additions to my GPA, meet Understanding Cultures: Latin America, shining A and the equally as bright Managerial Accounting sparkling A!  I’m sure everyone will make them feel at home.  Sadly, this addition will only bump the 3.9 to a 3.91.  But still a welcomed change.

So I should continue packing….. *grumble*

Not but three minutes ago did I finish the masterpiece that is my final project for my Latin American class.  Essentially, this was a paper that she divided into sections so the formate was more… long long essay.  The concept: A review essay to encompass the entire course objectives along with a creative micro-credit loan challenge.  We were allowed to take on this beast of an assignment in groups… unfortunately I dread group work.  Luckily for myself, my group was … uh..m.. well lets say, they found comfort in my enthusiasm to take on the majority of the work.  Basically, we met up two times out of class for about an hour to jabber about ideas for the micro-credit loan portion and mark bullets of information it should include.  I then went home and typed daily, the review and reformulated the business loan plan into something at least cohesive and realistic.  I am proud to say that I completed the assignment only slightly breeching the 9th page without double spacing.  For an individual who generally avoids writing for class, this is quite the achievement!  It is my assumption that this grade will secure the A I should receive from this extremely interesting class.  If you plan to go to Kirkwood and you need a cultures class, try for anything with Laura Yost.  LA was great but I believe she also teaches about Japanese cultures.  The accounting final is on Friday… this last chapter has me completely lost but my grade thus far is a shiny, solid A so I have little concern for that changing. yay! one week and i move back to UNI.. scary.

School is good! Working hard, learning a lot! Almost time to head back to UNI, as a Desk Assistant, as a President and as the lead of UNI-Haul. A scary year awaits, but i’m ready. My new scoop phone helps too! Back to work…

Is a clearing account.  I know this because yesterday I polished my understanding of Job costing from a manufacturing perspective!  Today’s test was a welcomed challenge.  But, challenged, I wasn’t… It was good practice, but it wasn’t until the extra credit that I actually needed time to stop and figure it out.  Unfortunately I do now realize that I did make a mistake on the extra credit, because when youre dealing with a company that uses Job Costing and you are trying to determine the cost of goods manufactured, you use the estimate based on the allocation rate you derive at the beginning of the year for manufacturing overhead going into WIP.  I know this now, but at the time I forgot, fortunately i wrote both answers in, one based on the actually costs incurred and one based on the allocation.  This was only one step in the 12 point extra credit, and I’m very confident in the rest of the problem.  Also, Jim, the teacher, is a really interesting and nice fellow.  He spends a large portion of the class telling stories and talking sports.  While I could do without the sports talk, he at least keeps it local and focuses on College and even highschool ball.  Normally, I get irritated at teachers who waste my time, when we could be focusing on the subject and hitting the main points.  He still manages to do this, while also providing us with stories about his job experience, about people and general advice in the business world.  He’s worked for, from what it sounds like a wide variety of firms, he is a CPA and he’s held many different accounting positions.  He’s approachable and super friendly, which is a 180 from the profs of the UNI business department, at least the ones I’ve encountered.  Basically, what has happened: I’m probably going to get another A; I’m going to learn more about the world I plan to enter; I’m going to have fun doing it!

The concepts we cover, once they click, are solid and I can rely on the logic that I’ve unveiled.  I love how the learning feels and the understanding that I accomplish, but most of all I love putting it into action and I love how it all makes so much sense.  Unfortunately, Latin America doesn’t seem to click the same way for me.  However!  It is so fascinating and amazing that I do get pulled in, and my interest is so high, and I love just feeding off my teachers energia! She’s so passionate, loud and flashy that it’s in your face and you can relate better or at least you see it.  Visualizing, listening, understanding… We’ve been talking a lot of Colombia and Bolivia, about the drug cartels and about why the U.S. just doesn’t seem to “get it”.  Shoveling money, billions of dollars in the governments of these countries, pouring money into the military, will not stop the war on drugs.  Violence has been a constant for L.A. violence has brought little change and violence will not solve this problem.  First off, their governments are corrupt!  Will that money even get to the people who are going to protect and fight the cartels? And even so, the cartels have an over abundance of money, of guns of manpower… I’m not a socialist, but I think that Evo Morales is a blessing to Bolivia.  He has a plan to change the economy of his country, he is an indigenous individual who has an interest in his country beyond the profits he can squeeze out of it for personal gain, he wants change.  Through the bloqueos and the coca manufacturing ideas, he is trying to do something, something different in hopes that things turn around for his country.  Anyway, it’s hard for me in this class because beyond what she says, I have little to no knowledge, and for the writing assignments, i’m still a tad lost as far as what she wants.  The in class writings, i’m doing okay on so far.  I am hoping for an A in this class, I think it’s attainable, and it will definitely be very interesting along the way.

Manufacturing Overhead costs are part of the production and purchases link in the value chain.  When Overhead costs are incurred they are stored in the M.O.H. clearing account as debits.  When a job is completed, man. overhead. is allocated based on the predetermined rate and credited from Man. Overhead into Work in process inventory via a debit!  The account is cleared annually by shoving the over or under allocation into Cost of Goods sold. Tada!