Why Take Accounting in High School (Online Classes for Homeschoolers)

10 Reasons Why You Should
Sign-up for Accounting

By Peggy Morrow


Visit www.homeschoolconnections.com

Whether or not you are interested in either an Accounting major in college or working in the field, following are 10 reasons why having a basic understanding of accounting will benefit you in life.

1. Helping you to discern God’s will - According to Bishop Barron’s recent eBook titled How to Discern God’s Will For Your Life, in the end, all discernment boils down to one ultimate goal: finding the path of greatest love. If you are passionate about all things related to running either your own business or someone else’s this course will help you discern whether you should pursue further study. In addition to business considerations, according to my parish priest, If you are called to be a priest, you will need to have a basic understanding of accounting. Should God’s will call you to only need some basic background, you’ll be prepared for a vocation to married, single, or religious life!
2. Requires basic math skills - accountants and bookkeepers spend a lot of time adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.  For these activities, they use calculators, spreadsheets, and other specialized computer tools.  Other math skills such as advanced algebra, geometry, and calculus are not required.  So if you were always successful at basic math courses (even if you were not so good at algebra and beyond), this may be a good class for you to check out!
3. Never flip a burger - in my senior year in high school, I worked for an electrical contractor who trained me to process their payroll and financial transactions. I got to work Monday through Friday after school, and went home by dinner time. They paid me more than minimum wage, also giving me several raises and bonuses. Additionally, they taught me skills that both allowed me to earn money during college and understand the importance of attending college.  If you think that you want a skill beyond fast food, this course is a great starting place as you will learn enough to seek a bookkeeping position.
4. Work anywhere on the planet - Accountants and related occupations are needed everywhere.  So you can live anywhere in the world, and will still be able to find employment.   That can include working from home. My Grandma worked as a bookkeeper almost her whole life for the same moving and storage company in Washington D.C.  Once she got married and started to raise a family in the 1930s, her employer asked her to keep working from home as many hours as possible while tending to her family.  So she was a pioneering telecommuter!  Since my Grandmother’s day, the possibilities of working from home have only increased!  
5. Leadership - Whether your ambition is to run a small or large business, a church, or a diocese, accounting skills will equip you to be an effective leader. Accountants possess the knowledge of the entire operation (not just 1 segment). They obtain this knowledge because they need to understand what financial transactions are happening throughout the entire organization. For this reason, about a quarter of all CEOs are accountants and/or have an accounting background. Even if you don’t become the boss, your skills will provide leadership to others. Accounting involves using problem solving and helping everyone out in an organization– trying to figure out how to record a transaction, how to make a budget work, how to interpret a contract, and other guidance on what to do and how to proceed.
6. You’ll always have a job – accountants and related occupations are in high demand (no matter the industry) and are usually the last to go when a business is closed since they have to pay the bills. There is a wide variety of jobs available within the accounting field.  Besides accounting ops, there is financial management, auditing, budgeting, consulting, policy, taxation, financial analysis, etc.  On a related note, Business Intelligence (BI) is a growing area of employment.  People who have the combination of business sense, financial analysis, statistics, and data extraction/manipulation and reporting skills are in great demand right now and are paid well.
7. You make decent money - Whether you become a bookkeeper which requires little post-secondary training and earns $38,000, or a financial manager which requires a bachelor’s degree and earns $120,000 or more per year. You will earn enough money to live comfortably.
8. You’ll gain a better understanding of both historical and current events - References to accounting and accounting practices exist throughout history including biblical times. For example, the Apostle Matthew was a Tax Collector (requires an accounting degree today), in Luke 16:2 the dishonest steward is asked to “give an account of his stewardship,” and Leviticus 25 provides financial guidance for the Israelites.  Understanding generally accepted practices will enlighten your perspective on current and past events. Click to read more on this topic.
9. Always something happening  - Accounting careers have both routine work and variety.   For example, your routine will consist of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual duties.  You will always have something to do so you will not get bored. Since you’ve got lots to do and there are things that are routine, you get a sense of accomplishment when you finish a task. Additionally, because you will understand how a business is run, you will be the first to know when changes or unexpected events arise as you know the financial standing of the organization.
10. Personal financial management skills - Accounting is a life skill; i.e., everyone needs to know how to manage their finances, so training in accounting gives you an edge in this life skill area.

I hope this top-10 list helps you as you plan your high school career as well as your vocation. May God bless you and your future.

To sign up for Accounting Part One (fall semester) at Homeschool Connections: https://reg129.imperisoft.com/HomeschoolConnectionsOnline/ProgramDetail/3138303132/Registration.aspx

To sign up for Accounting Part Two (spring semester) at Homeschool Connections: https://reg129.imperisoft.com/HomeschoolConnectionsOnline/ProgramDetail/3138303135/Registration.aspx

Once the live course is completed, it will be available as a recorded course through our Unlimited Access Program.