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Cockroach96
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15 Nov 2015, 10:20 am

I'm studying accounting at my university and I dislike the subject. It involves tricky math, which I've always hated and have never been good at. Basically, I have no real interest in what I'm studying. Unfortunately, my parents have a already paid part of the fee and probably won't let me back out.
My real talent and passion are languages. Is there anything I can do to change direction and monetize my interest in French?


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neilson_wheels
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15 Nov 2015, 10:51 am

You should be able to change courses and receive credit on the new course for completed units on the old course.
Obviously, it would be better to find an alternative sooner rather than later.



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15 Nov 2015, 10:56 am

You might be able to get an accounting job in France or with a company that has a French component and would value your multilingual abilities. I've had friends who were passionate about languages and not heard of many language-based jobs unless the job was something else with a language component.

As for accounting, I am an accountant and just wanted to say that actually doing accounting work is very different from the accounting you learn in school. It's rare that I use, in my job, any math besides basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Even for that, most of the time Excel or the calculator does the actual math. So, if you can enjoy the thought processes of accounting, you don't have to enjoy the complex math. :) Even the thought processes, though, are different in a job than in school, so you may find that you enjoy working as an accountant a lot more than you do studying accounting. Changing courses may be a better option, but wanted to share this about accounting too.


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FizzyOrange
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15 Nov 2015, 4:31 pm

If you know multiple languages, you can probably become a translator. You can go to a site like WikiHow or About.com and learn of the many ways to go into such a field. Also, check this one out. It's called Omniglot and they have a cool article on careers for the multilingual job seeker or interested college student. Also check out their forum and blog for more help on your career path

If you are comfortable with writing, creating a language blog could be another option. LanguageDojo.com is one of my favorite language blogs.

Teaching here or abroad and being a private tutor is an option.

If you can't back out of that class, why don't you find a tutor or talk with your instructor to better understand the concepts. Check out Khan Academy because they have a lot of videos that help with all types of math. I find that I do better when learning alone and I've used books to self-teach. There are many books and websites on "tricky math" that can help you better understand the concepts you are stuck on.



carthago
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15 Nov 2015, 6:56 pm

People major in accounting because they want a job.
People major in languages because they like languages.
You can change to study languages, but if you value working in a professional environment, having upward mobility, and getting paid well enough to do expensive things like travel in France, then I'd suggest to stick it out in accounting. Maybe you can MBA in international business at INSEAD later, and you'll get plenty of opportunity to study French then.



Rajvilas
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16 Nov 2015, 8:49 am

Cockroach96 wrote:
I'm studying accounting at my university and I dislike the subject. It involves tricky math, which I've always hated and have never been good at. Basically, I have no real interest in what I'm studying. Unfortunately, my parents have a already paid part of the fee and probably won't let me back out.
My real talent and passion are languages. Is there anything I can do to change direction and monetize my interest in French?


Minor in French.



Cockroach96
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17 Nov 2015, 9:15 am

I should have chosen journalism or law and studied French alongside.
I just hate math and I'm better at remembering large volumes of information. :(


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kraftiekortie
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17 Nov 2015, 9:27 am

Accounting guarantees you a job for life. That's very important, especially within a Romanian context.

I find it somewhat fascinating--not because of the math, but because of the practicality of it.

I should have stuck with accounting--that was my original major in college/university.



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18 Nov 2015, 11:50 am

Languages, journalism, social work, "soft" sciences like psychology, "pure" sciences like biology or chemistry, and liberal arts are very difficult to find jobs in. And that's in America and Western Europe. I can only imagine it's more difficult in the rest of the world.

If you want to actually have a job following graduation, I'd advise sticking with accounting. Other than maybe medicine, NO job is as hard as they make it out to be in college. My husband barely scraped by as an engineering student. Once he made it through the classes and found someone to hire him despite a low GPA, though, he's a really stellar engineer.

If languages fascinate you, take some extra classes. Even consider a double major. A second, or third, or fourth language, especially in a polyglot culture like Europe, would be an asset in an accountant. At least, I imagine.

A straight languages degree, unfortunately, will most likely be not a whole lot more useful than no degree at all (and a lot more expensive, with irate parents attached).


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BuyerBeware
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18 Nov 2015, 11:53 am

In theory, law is a good career for an Aspie.

In practice, not so much. In practice, what a lawyer does is twist the law to the client's best advantage. It involves a lot of soft social skills, polite deception, and manipulation. Even getting through law school, which at least in US involves a lot of PC pandering, tends to sit very poorly with most of us.


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Cockroach96
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18 Nov 2015, 12:20 pm

Thanks for the feedback, now I don't regret my choice anymore. Accounting is a lucrative field.
I'll just have to deal with advanced math in university. Actual accounting doesn't make use of it.
Still, the process of getting a job is ridiculously tricky these days. You have to send hundreds of applications and even so it is unlikely to make it to any interview. Even if you get there, you probably won't get the job, even if you are an alpha NT. I am just an average aspie, so what hope do I have to make it past society's Darwinist filters and earn a living? The capitalist society is basically a different type of jungle. As in the natural jungle, the fittest survive and the weak are weeded out.
So, is there a way to cheat nature and scrape a living together?


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GiantHockeyFan
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18 Nov 2015, 12:35 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
Accounting guarantees you a job for life. That's very important, especially within a Romanian context.

I find it somewhat fascinating--not because of the math, but because of the practicality of it.

I should have stuck with accounting--that was my original major in college/university.


I agree. I originally planned on Accounting but was scared of how "hard" the jobs would be, how many students majored in it, the need to go back to get a CMA, CGA, etc not to mention how it was boring. I decided to go Economics to stand out from the crowd. That was like (to steal a Family Guy joke) wearing a Clown Suit instead of an Army Uniform to a battlefield. In other words, big mistake. A number of my Fiancee's family members are Accountants and they make some incredible good money! Meanwhile, my degree pretty much sits on its dusty shelf even though 90% of the classes are exactly the same.



Cockroach96
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18 Nov 2015, 1:02 pm

But isn't accounting a branch of economics?
My university has a an economy faculty with several branches, one of which is accounting, where I am.


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GiantHockeyFan
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18 Nov 2015, 1:36 pm

Cockroach96 wrote:
But isn't accounting a branch of economics?
My university has a an economy faculty with several branches, one of which is accounting, where I am.

It's not where I am but it is VERY closely related, as is Finance. Good luck trying explaining that to narrow minded HR "professionals" though. Most of them don't have a clue what they are doing and follow the 'playbook' to the letter. I'm going through that right now: I am a dream candidate for an (internal) job and they won't even consider me because my degree is not in Accounting. Never mind my almost decade of experience!