What do you study?

This question is inevitably asked when two university students meet for the first time. (It tends to follow “what school do you go to?” and “where are you from”?)

The question is simple enough, but I don’t like answering it. That is why I hesitate before I finally respond “I’m majoring in accounting”.

I know that there is nothing wrong with studying accounting in university, but I sometimes worry that people will immediately draw conclusions about me based on my major.

Here are some possible conclusions:

1) this guy is boring
2) he loves money
3) he is nerdy
4) he is uncultured
5) he will likely commit corporate fraud one day and steal my money


Note: I realize that it is unfair of me to assume that people make judgments like these. In fact, I’m sure that most do not. However, I know that if I were studying something else, and somebody told me that they were majoring in accounting I would probably draw many of the above conclusions. That is why I worry.

I am not posting to argue that the above 5 statements do not accurately reflect my personality. (In fact, by virtue of having a blog about essentially nothing, #3 is probably pretty accurate…). I will, however, use this space to answer some questions that I am commonly asked after I tell someone about my accounting major.

Q: Umm…so you want to be an accountant?
A: Yes. Within the next few years I plan to pursue a C.A. (Chartered Accountant) designation in Ontario.

Q: Wait, so you want to be an accountant for the rest of your life?
A: Likely not, unless I really love it. I think that I eventually want to take the business skills that I learn and work for a non-for-profit organization.

Q: So you can do my taxes, right?
A: No

Q: Why did you choose accounting?
A: Good question. It just sort of happened. Once I started business school, I thought that I would do something more creative, like marketing.

Unfortunately, I hated marketing at McGill.

Surprisingly, I found accounting to be somewhat interesting. It also helped that I was good at it, and it involved playing with numbers which is something that I like (refer to #3 on conclusions list above).

Q: Besides taxes, what do accountants do?
A: Lots of things. In fact, a lot of accountants don’t do taxes. A specific field of accounting that interests me is called “forensic accounting”. Forensic accountants are hired to detect and prevent corporate fraud. They’re the good guys who catch the bad guys in the business world.

Q: Do you like what you’re studying?
A: The subject matter can be dry at times, but for the most part, its intellectually stimulating.

Q: Are you interested in other things?
A: Yes. Just ask me.

Q: So you’re going to be rich right?
A: Not any time soon. Although I am very happy to have a job coming out of university, accounting is one of the lower paying entry level “business school jobs” (versus finance, consulting etc.) I am definitely happy with my salary, but if I were looking for quick cash, I would have applied for a job in investment banking.

To sum up:

1) Yes, I major in accounting.
2) No, it doesn’t define who I am
3) Yes, I realize that nobody actually makes assumptions about me based on my major
4) Yes I am a bit paranoid
5) Yes, I think I made the right choice for me
6) No, I won’t do your taxes.