a k a - another kind of accountant !

On reading Varalotti sir’s posts on his experiences as an accountant and knowing that he was a Chartered Accountant, i was reminded of my own journey on the road to becoming an accountant. A journey, which never reached the destination…hence the title of this post….
Yes, I am another kind of accountant….not a ‘chartered’ accountant, but a ‘shattered’ accountant…one who desperately tried but failed to reach that exalted league of chartered accountants…an also ran , who couldn’t make it to the finishing line… :)


The chartered accountancy course is unique on many factors…apart from the fact that it is probably the only professional course which involves a great deal of self study (without a structured class-room program), it must also be one of the few courses where the failures and dropouts out-number those qualified…!
They are a huge fraternity by themselves…in a sense, they are like members of some secret societies, who don’t openly admit in public their affiliation, but would be able to spot fellow members with an uncanny instinct…!

Most common characteristics are sunken eyes and a pale pallor, with a marked increase in April and October (because the exams are in may and november) .There is a tendency to avoid family functions and social gatherings, where invariably questions would be raised on the progress of their education…
Movies and outings are rare, and when they happen, are followed by guilt trips. Attention to attire and appearance is reduced, and the appearance is often an indicator of the extent of guilt inside…during exam days, the same is believed to be an indicator of the amount of hard work you have been putting in…
I’ve seen many guys come to exams with thick stubbles…One of my friends, whose nervous attacks reach their peak during the exams, once came to the exams with a different kind of ear-ring in each ear…


Each passing attempt brings to the surface the philosophical nature of the person...
Realisation suddenly dawns that there is much more to life than exams and results…
One manages to find all sorts of quotations on failure said by the world’s greatest minds…
And we make a list of all great acheivers who have been school drop-outs...
We frantically resort to the Bhagavad Gita and declare that we would not be worried about the results anymore, just do our duty and write the exams…


It also brings out the sense of humour in a person…not the joyous mirth of the happy, but the wry humour of the cynic…when the CA institute building underwent a major facelift after many years and was gleaming in granite and tile, many friends of mine joked that many of the tiles had come out of the exam fees they repeatedly paid, and their name ought to be engraved on some of the tiles as sponsors…. !

One friend of mine used to call the CA course Chakravyuhathil Abhimanyu…like Abhimanyu(in the Mahabaratha), one knows how to get into the CA course, but it is very difficult to come out successful !!


Another common side effect is the sudden interest in astrology…parents take the horoscopes to astrologers to check out if any offering can done to appease the planets…and we find out that our misfortune was the result of some dosham, dasa or bukthi wreaking havoc on all our efforts…well, it is a good excuse for blaming one’s failiure on…I blamed mine squarely on the Rahu dasa…

Of course, the one positive side to be mentioned is that it surely increases devotion, or bhakti…temple visits become more frequent, and deities are desperately cajoled with offerings….one particular Anjaneyar temple in chennai came to be known as the CA Anjaneyar temple….a few days before the exams the deity would find His neck covered in vada maalais and feet covered in hall-tickets, submitted there to seek His blessings by desperate wannabe CAs !! …and of course we smother Lord Hayagriva in fragrant cardamom garlands…with the promise of more if we clear the dreaded nemesis…!!


Of course, I have said all this in a lighter vein, but I know the pain and stress one experiences before becoming a chartered accountant…though I ended up finishing only half the course, it has given me some very valuable experiences in life…and most of the best friends that I have…
This is the first week of May, when yet another CA exam is in progress….i wish all my friends who are writing their exams all the very best, and hope they crack it this time…

Dear Sowpar
I have missed the talented writer in you all these days.. So glad I got to read this.. thoroughly enjoyed it too.. so very well portrayed... and I liked the abhimanyu part.. knowing how to get in.. I am sorry your dream was shattered.. I also would like to wish best of luck to the students taking this tough one..glad you wrote..keep blogin:)

Hi Sowparnika,

Great piece and it very cleverly and clearly showcases the emotions and mental turmoil that a student undergoes while taking up an extremely tough professional course as CA. Humorously portrayed.
Here wishing all those who are taking up various examinations " Success in their chosen fields of study".

jay.

Dear Sowparnika,
A very apt description of aspiring CA's..You brought back memories of my Articleship period. Everytime I hear about somebody appearing for CA exams, I remember the inceident below:

A student, who had failed his exam, saw a board "Jesus never fails". In sheer frustration he added the line.."Ask Him to do CA."

Regards

USHA
ps: this mail has to be read only as reminiscences, with no offence meant to any religion.

Dear AC,
thanks a lot for the compliments...you really made my day....
i guess it was one of those not so good decisions...but it gave me a lot of lessons....
thanks for the encouragement...this being my first post of this kind, that too in a public forum...

Originally Posted by anandchitra

Dear Sowpar
I have missed the talented writer in you all these days.. So glad I got to read this.. thoroughly enjoyed it too.. so very well portrayed... and I liked the abhimanyu part.. knowing how to get in.. I am sorry your dream was shattered.. I also would like to wish best of luck to the students taking this tough one..glad you wrote..keep blogin:)

hi jaynat,
many thanks for reading my post and giving your feed back...
true, many students undergo a lot of emotional stress during the course....
glad you liked it, and so nice of you to wish everyone success...

Originally Posted by Jaynat

Hi Sowparnika,

Great piece and it very cleverly and clearly showcases the emotions and mental turmoil that a student undergoes while taking up an extremely tough professional course as CA. Humorously portrayed.
Here wishing all those who are taking up various examinations " Success in their chosen fields of study".

jay.

Dear Usha Maam,
Your feed back has made me very happy, coming from one who is from a family of CA's...!
happy that i could bring back memories of your Articles briefly....yes, that is one phase which is special in the lives of all CAs....
even i've heard of the joke you've mentioned... good one...
People like you, who succeed with determination, are surely an example for all those who are aspiring....
thanks for taking the time to read through my post and leaving your feed back...

Originally Posted by Ushakrishnan64

Dear Sowparnika,
A very apt description of aspiring CA's..You brought back memories of my Articleship period. Everytime I hear about somebody appearing for CA exams, I remember the inceident below:

A student, who had failed his exam, saw a board "Jesus never fails". In sheer frustration he added the line.."Ask Him to do CA."

Regards

USHA
ps: this mail has to be read only as reminiscences, with no offence meant to any religion.

Hi, a real portrait of a person who attempts CA. I have a few of my cousins who tried to attain the coveted CA.. but then became a part of the larger group by not successfully completing it.

Hats off to all the Chartered Accountants and Good luck for the folks giving the exams.

Anu

Very nicely written Sowparnika.

I had a good laugh at some of the hilarious anecdotes you have mentioned (like the Abhimanyu one, the sudden increase in spiritual bent of mind etc.). Well, I do realize now how much effort goes into getting the CA title. Coming from an Engineering background I did not know about the nitty gritties of this area and your post surely was very educative for pople like me!

Keep writing.

SS

thanks anu for the feed back....
it is indeed a coveted title....too bad that your cousins are in the same boat as mine.....but we all eventually end up figuring out that we are better cut out for something else in life....
btw, nice to see that you too are in nj...

Originally Posted by anukvs

Hi, a real portrait of a person who attempts CA. I have a few of my cousins who tried to attain the coveted CA.. but then became a part of the larger group by not successfully completing it.

Hats off to all the Chartered Accountants and Good luck for the folks giving the exams.

Anu