Being forced into accounting. i hate it.

So my parents are absolutely forcing me to go into accounting. My brother is a Chartered Accountant making over $100 000 a year and my sister is well on her way as well. The problem is, that my brother and sister both aren't exactly my role models. My...

brother is lazy, ignorant and is only an accountant for the money. My sister tells me she hates it and doesn't care for the actual job at all but needs to survive

So, after constant pressure from my parents, I decided to take it in grade 11. It sucks! The whole concept it around counting other people's money. My philosophy around that is that I don't want to count other people's money. I want to count my own.It's absolute basic, simple math. It's a f*cking joke. I could do this stuff in grade 3.

My interests land in either business, law, or mathematics. My parents think business is useless because there are many people who take business and don't become more than open a little furniture store on the corner. After much discussion, my mom finally said that there is no way my parents can afford $10K a semester for me to go into business with no assurance I could pay them back. See, my brother and sister went into co-op accounting programs, and by the time they finished university, they were 100% debt free.

So business, my parents think are useless. Math, my parents say takes a lot of brains and they don't believe anyone needs mathematicians because of computers. And again, there are no co-op programs for math. And law? Law school in Canada requires you to get an under-graduate degree in any other field and then take the BAR exam.

Really, after an extensive conversation with my parents today, it's clear to me that neither my Dad nor Mom actually believe I have what it takes to take a risk and succeed with business. My grades are in their 80's and I could probably get a scholarship, but it would probably only be about $4000/$16000 of my tuition. My mom is a bank clerk and my Dad is a computer programmar. Neither like their jobs, neither has taken a single risk in their life.

Now, what do I do?? I absolutely hate accounting, but money is a huge issue and my parents are being absolute dicks about it. They told me pretty much the only thing I could do is take a year off school and earn the money myself. My parents have more than ENOUGH money saved up, and I know $10000 a year is not the slightest issue for them. What they are trying to get me to do though, is go into accounting because they know I'm good at math and it's basically an easy way to get money. Everyone needs accountants. But what they don't understand is that not everyone wants to be an accountant...

They should be happy for you to follow your dreams and be successful there...I wish you the best !!

Ok.. So your parents are being natural parents. They don't want to see you fail and they don't believe that you have what it takes to do what you want to do. You don't have to listen to everything your parents say. I went off the rails in grade eleven at high school due to loosing a close friend to suicide. It took a harsh turn when I ended up in hospital with my drink spiked, being in the hospital was a blurry memory and waking up the next day was the biggest fright (considering I had bruises and sticky heart things that they hook monitors up to all over me). I dropped out of high school and I was living with a friend of the family that they thought was not much of a role model anyway. All of that year in grade eleven I got F's on my report card due to wagging school months at a time. I ended up going back to school for term four of grade eleven and gettings A's in my classes. I did it to start off with because my parents didn't believe that I could do it. I wondered myself if I was making a mistake of going back because I had failed most of the year and I might not have had the knowledge to pick up what they were teaching. But I did it, despite my parents saying there is no point and don't even worry about because your not going to get anywhere, it felt so good to get the report card with A's. I knew I had done it all on my own and with no support. I was never more proud of myself. My parents then wanted me to go to a university and take a course for a job with a high pay. I didn't do it. I took a year off of school with a part time job and relaxed and had a very social year and endured my first proper relationship which ended up in heart break. But the start of this year has all been studying and being very independent.

What I am trying to say is, you need to believe in yourself and if you really want something in life and everyone close to you isn't being supportive, who cares. You got to stick it out and show them what you are made of. Even if your parents aren't happy with your decision, or your family for that matter, they aren't the ones that will be going to your job or living your life. Your family is always going to be there for you because as I found out even when you loose all of your friends, your family is there. But, that doesn't mean that you have to do a job just because they say so. Do what you want to do. Say what you want to say. Most importantly, live how you want to live and make a long term plan, stick to it and make it work. I lost my friend when we were both only fifteen, he chose to take himself away forever. What it ended up making me realise is life is so short. He was such a beautiful person and it was completely unexpected. I don't know you and you don't know me but please, if you want something go for it and don't let anyone stop you. Not even your family. Tell them this is what you are going to do and do it. I believe in!!! Good luck with it all and I hope you get to do what you want to do. If you want to contact me at anytime to get advice or for anything at all, you are most welcome to. Just let me know and don't let life pass you by!

Even if you don't become an accountant it is a good background to have. Don't you want to know where your money has gone if you become rich. You need to have the basic understanding of debits, credits, taxes, budgeting, forcasting and expenditures. This will help you althrough life...

I am a Chartered Accountant too, no one forced me to do it, but I don't like it at all. It is a good profession if you like it, but based on what you have said, I think you will truly regret it. Life is short, and it is not all about the money. I could easily make over $100K like your brother, but I make less, because I look for less accounting type jobs to keep my sanity. There are a million career possibilities out there, please explore them, don't give up. The most wealthy people in the world are business owners, not the professionals. If you have a passion for business, then do it. If you know your passion, or remember what you wanted when you were a kid, I.e. what you wanted to be when you grew up, then do that. Don't do anything else. Some people make lots of money, others little money, yet everyone survives, everyone eats. There will be a way, just follow your heart.

In answer to your question, Aaquib, I quote:
You can feed your Marxist ways,
But you'll know its just a phase
Because money makes the world go round...

Don't knock it till you've tried it. Its not at all about counting money; or even adding up figures and so forth. Its about understanding different kinds of businesses, and providing services (this is Chartered Accountancy we're talking about).

Way better than a MBA, trust me.

I'm passing the chartered accountant test in september. so you got 80s in grade 11. Big deal. I had 80 to 90 in bachelor degree before getting in the accountancy program to get the title(whereas my average dropped)

Your brother is probably doing 60 to 80 hours a week of average work. So no laziness here(well, he might be too lazy to play with his bratty brother).

but yes, I do agree, it is boring. as hell. you might want to suicide. but in order to count money-including your own-you need to do that.

as in law school. I don't know where you come from, but there is a law undergraduate degree. Take it if you want. Big deal.

As for money: your parents dont owe you anything. I have many friends who haved debts because their parents prefered to buy a house in florida rather than pay for their studies.

if you really want to do business-btw,I have an undergraduate in business-speciliazation accountancy- just do it.

if you're so smart, then get your bursaries, take a student debt(which you dont pay interest until you finish studying) and do it.

you're just a brat.

love.

a real accountant.