Enquiries about MTH1020 and switching into Accounting

[tfwnonamchin]

I'm a first-year undergraduate student doing a Bachelor of Arts (International). I'm about to complete my first semester, and I've completed gateway units in Korean (in which I intend to major), International Studies (which I have to minor in if I proceed with my BA(Int)), Linguistics and Behavioural Studies.

I came into university without much of an idea of the direction I wanted to take my degree in but I've felt for some time since beginning it that I really want to try to get into Accounting. The BA(Int) doesn't have the capacity to allow me to major in Accounting (up to 8 units/48 points may be undertaken in another faculty; an Accounting major sequence is 11 units), so my only option is to attempt to transfer to a degree that does allow me to. I love Korean and I still fully intend to major in it, so I intend to continue doing an Arts degree.

As far as I'm aware, this leaves me with the degree options of Arts/Business, Arts/Business (Accounting) and Arts/Commerce. The second of these seems the most logical for me to undertake since it actually specialises in Accounting with (I think) an extended major sequence. Problem is, I got in touch with the Faculty of Business and Economics and was informed that I need to have attained at least a study score of 25 in Maths Methods or Specialist Maths in VCE Units 3/4. I only have accreditation in Maths for General Mathematics 1/2. The person with whom I am corresponding, however, has informed me that I can do MTH1020 (Analysis of change) next semester, thereby satisfying the Maths prerequisite to transfer.

Unfortunately, Maths has never really been my strong point. I had a problematic childhood and had an attendance rate of roughly under 50% average for the entirety of my schooling career (primary and secondary) until I dropped out in Year 8, spent a few years at home in isolation trying to work on my issues and figure out who I was, made a failed venture into learning I.T. (completed a Cert II and most of a Cert III before I realised that was not what I wanted to do), and then finally decided to get my act together and finish my VCE, which I did last year.

While I consider myself to have a wealth of potential, my erratic academic upbringing has resulted in my having quite suspect study habits, and while I didn't seem to suffer at all in my literacy, my lack of formal education in Maths was quite evident when I attempted Maths Methods in Unit 1 and dropped out after two weeks (in my opinion, however, this was more indicative of my laziness and pessimism toward something that I thought would not benefit me in the long run, rather than the fact that I couldn't do it). I do genuinely believe that I have the ability to keep up with whatever is expected of me mathematically down the track in Accounting, but as I want to start the sequence and a double degree as early as next year and I MUST do MTH1020 and maintain a 70% average in my degree to be eligible to transfer, I am really quite apprehensive.

I struggled with some of the course content in General Maths, and found most of the algebra quite challenging. I don't want to sit here saying Maths is just one of those things that my "brain just doesn't get" because I feel like that is a very defeatist attitude, but I also don't want to humour any misguided notion I may have that I wouldn't be out of my depth attempting MTH1020 next semester. Is this unit too challenging? Is there a good barometer by which I can measure my own abilities to determine whether it's worth pursuing? Once again, I only need to pass this unit for accreditation but I also need to maintain a 70% average in my degree, meaning I'm probably going to have to excel as much as I possibly can in the rest of my units to bring my average up if my performance in MTH1020 is not stellar.

I'm thinking that if I'm going to attempt this unit, I need some guidance as to what the fundamentals of the subject are and what I should try to get down pat before I begin it. Would it simply be too much to try to prepare myself for this unit when the next semester begins in about 7 weeks? If not, what should I do to prepare myself? I'm grateful for any counsel anyone can provide me with in this situation.

The alternative is simply just giving up on my Accounting hopes and continuing on with my Arts (International) sequence. I don't really have a career endgame in mind for this particular degree. There is a compulsory overseas study component that basically means I will be spending a semester in Korea if I continue with this degree. There's also a school of culture and linguistics-supported internship that I can elect to do somewhere in my third year, and a little bit of politics involved with the International Studies minor I'm required to do, but I don't think politics is really my forté. I can see myself perhaps going on to get a Master of Translation Studies after this degree and trying to attain a relevant career with that, but I know very little about job prospects for translators/interpreters or for people whose only real industry-relevant skill is their bilingualism. Accounting seems like a lot safer and less stressful an option.

[BigAl]

without a strong background from methods 3/4, you'll have a difficulty big time! MTH1020 is equivalent to specialist maths and I dont think you can enroll in  MTH1020 without methods 3/4 or MTH1010

[tfwnonamchin]

That's what I thought! I looked at the prerequisites on the MTH1020 page and it seemed to explicitly state that either MTH1010 or VCE Maths were actually required; this was inconsistent with the information given to me by the Faculty of Business and Economics upon my saying I hadn't fulfilled the Methods/Specialist Maths requirements to undertake an Accounting major sequence in the first place, which suggested MTH1020 as an alternative:

"You may enrol in MTH1020 through the Science Faculty at Monash for Sem 2, 2014 and then apply to internally transfer for Sem 1, 2015 by October 2014. You will need to pass the Maths unit but you are also required to achieve a minimum of 70% average within your entire Bachelor of Arts degree (Sem 1 and Sem 2 results)."

I'm not really sure what to do... MTH1010 would probably suffice in place of MTH1020 but MTH1010 is only offered in first semester so I'd have to wait even longer to get into Accounting (sem 2 of next year or perhaps even sem 1 of 2016 if the double degrees don't allow midyear intake). I'm worried about doing too many units in this single Arts (International) degree before I'm actually eligible at all for a transfer. Accounting seems further and further off for me...

[bobbyz0r]

I can't see why MTH1020 would be required as it is essentially for people who didn't do VCE Specialist Maths. MTH1010 should be enough in place of Methods 3/4. Accounting maths is pretty easy (at least at first year level). Finance is where it gets trickier.

[tfwnonamchin]

MTH1020 isn't any more required than MTH1010; I only have to do one of them to be eligible to transfer, but it's more opportune for me to do MTH1020 as MTH1010 isn't offered in second semester and I was hoping to transfer degrees starting next year...

If I do MTH1010 I have to wait until next year to do it and transfer mid-next year at the earliest, which is making me panic a little about the fact that in the meantime I'll have to only do Arts units and I'm not sure if I'll be doing too many in a single degree sequence while I wait to be able to transfer, since if I choose to only do less units in the meantime I may no longer be eligible for full-time study benefits, upon which I am very much reliant.

[tfwnonamchin]

I've just now realised that the Arts/Business and Arts/Business (Accounting) double degrees differ to the Arts/Commerce double degree in that the former two don't actually require a 25 in Methods/Specialist Maths/equivalent (MTH1010/MTH1020), but only a 25 in ANY maths; that includes Further Maths.

Is there an easier Further Maths equivalent unit that I can undertake in my second semester to gain accreditation and switch to Arts/Business or Arts/Business (Accounting)?

[kinslayer]

I don't know of any Further math equivalent at Monash -- that's more of a highschool thing. The most basic unit offered by the science department in mathematics is MTH1010 (edit: or STA1010, maybe), so that's a good place to start. There are maths units offered by other faculties though which I'm sure would be accepted also (but the prerequisites might be a problem). You should ask the course coordinator for more info.