Principles of accounting is a less common subject that you would see students take in Singapore. So what is Principles of Accounts and what is the deal with studying this subject? How do you find tuition support if you need to?
Principles of Accounts (POA) serve as a soft introduction to the field of accounting. While not everyone who studies POA will like to become an accountant, the skills it imparts are extremely valuable and practical. It also leads to the highly competitive Accountancy diploma offered in polytechnics. It is offered by a select few secondary schools in Singapore.
Having taken the subject at both the secondary and university level, I can offer some insights into the subject and how useful it is in the working world.
It Imparts Good Thinking Habits.
Contrary to popular belief, accounting does not require a strong foundation in mathematics. Rather, POA sharpens your analytical skills, eye for detail and ethical judgement, all of which are skills and traits employers usually look for.
All POA students will need to learn how to prepare financial statements from complex financial records and data, and this forces POA students to be meticulous in their work. Having these skills goes a long way in helping a student in their career as they would need to be able to adapt quickly to the workplace.
It Has Practical Applications.
POA imparts valuable skills in managing finances. This can be something a student may need if they wish to start their own small business. It is not that uncommon for people as young as secondary school students to be passionate about having a business to call their own.
The very first step in starting a business, is to get familiar with how finances of businesses are managed. With POA being taught in secondary schools, students no longer have to wait till tertiary education before picking up the discipline.
Getting an early start in accounting can definitely be beneficial to the student.
Employers Tend To Look For Relevant Skills, Such As Accounting.
If you wonder why it is so hard to get proper working experience as an O’ Level graduate, it is because students have never touched nor learnt a practical subject up till that point.
Unlike other subjects taught in school, POA imparts an important skill that professionals need – financial literacy. This is perhaps the best way for students with no working experience to juice up their resumes. So if you are a student and you are wondering what are the ways to distinguish yourself from your other secondary school peers, taking POA is a great way to juice up your resume and land some working experience.
POA teaches you how to read and analyze financial reports. If you are a student and you wonder about your prospects of finding a job or internship, having accounting knowledge is invaluable in helping you land interviews and your first work experience. What you will learn in POA is different when compared to other subjects learnt in school. Things such as bank reconciliations, accrual-based accounting and financial analysis will allow you to become more familiar with how businesses operate.
Furthermore, it trains the analytical and critical thinking, which are often traits employers look for in interns. So if you are looking to juice up your resume and make yourself stand out compared to your peers who are fresh out of college as well, having a solid knowledge of accounting can definitely lend a hand.
To get into a course such as accountancy requires a good result. As accountancy courses in both university and polytechnic levels are extremely competitive, you will need to demonstrate your competency in the subject to set yourself apart from your peers. And what better way to do that by engaging a tutor that is experienced and qualified. ChampionTutor’s Singapore POA tuition has curated a list of certified accounting tutors with a track record of producing results with their students.
We understand that POA tuition is a tad bit more expensive compared to other subjects due to the exclusivity of the subject. Hence, at ChampionTutor, we have committed ourselves to ensuring a more affordable tuition rate while making sure that the tutors are capable as well.