[rbg81]

However she would melt down at moderate to complex accounting problems. I tended to do rather well.

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Funny you should say that. I took calculus, diff Eq, linear algebra, and stats in college and did very well. But....I dropped the one accounting class I took. Why? I just found the procedure simultaneously repetitive and confusing. That always kind of bothered me.

Not trying to diss accountants. I have lots of respect for the profession, especially my accountant. But I do think there are different categories of math that require very different mental skill sets.

[Reily]

I took a semester of accounting and found it endlessly repetitive and boring. I kept telling myself this is why God made computers!

[BlatherNaut]

But I do think there are different categories of math that require very different mental skill sets.

Agree. And an additional mental skill set to effectively communicate concepts (a skill set that many technical writers and instructors clearly lack).

[Raycpa]

I have lots of respect for the profession, especially my accountant

A major misconception is that accountants are mathematicians. We use very basic math. The only algebra we need to know is Assets minus liabilities = equity.

I tutored accounting to help put myself through college. I found that many that were good at math were not good at accounting.

I believe that accounting is really a specialized language. Its purpose is to tell a story about where the business is at the end of the year and how it got there. This cannot always be expressed with math equations.

Taxes is different. Most tax accountants are very sequential thinkers and do not make good financial accountants.