Can I Learn Accounting For Free?

You may wonder how you can learn accounting for free. There are free resources all around that you can utilize to learn more about the subject matter and the field. These free tools allow you to learn accounting fundamentals and build a strong foundation for future classes and advancements. However, it would help if you also considered your goal when learning accounting. A free resource can be useful if you want to gain a few quick skills for a small project or improve your financial outcomes. On the other hand, if you're going to become a professional accountant, you will need more guidance and instruction than a free resource can offer. If you want advanced skills, this will require more advanced training that can only be provided in a professional training course.

What Free Resources are Available for Learning Accounting?

If you have decided to learn accounting, start with free resources to help give you a baseline. Depending on where you live, you may have access to in-person resources at no cost. Libraries, for instance, have physical learning materials, such as textbooks and brochures. In addition, libraries will often host lectures and short seminars on various subjects related to accounting or specific fields. Career centers can also offer free resources that provide more insight into local jobs. Many who visit career centers do so to learn more about local job offerings at job fairs. Career centers may even help you set up meetings with professionals in the area to learn more about the field and specific jobs before attending a job interview. Of course, this depends greatly on your location and ability to reach these in-person resources.

Thanks to the internet, many of the most easily accessible free resources can be found with the click of a button. Many accounting professionals open social media accounts on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to share their expertise with other hopeful experts. Here, you can watch video tutorials, vlogs, and Q&A sessions that divulge industry tips and tricks, explain complex accounting practices, and offer feedback on certain practices. In addition, you can explore discussion boards and chatrooms where you can connect with accounting professionals worldwide. This is an ideal way to gain as many different perspectives as possible, which can be invaluable for those interested in working in the accounting world. In addition, you can search for blogs and articles that go into more detail about specific businesses and how they manage to successfully operate and stay afloat in the challenging and diverse market.

Accounting institutes, software providers, and professional organizations often offer free website resources. For instance, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is an excellent source for learning about accounting careers and exploring potential areas for certification. If you plan to use QuickBooks for bookkeeping purposes, their official website has many resources. You can access tutorials, webinars, and other informational content to help you use the software to its full potential. Additionally, accounting training centers frequently maintain blogs and offer online tutorials to clarify complex concepts. For example, AccountingCoach has a free learning center that is full of comprehensive lessons on various accounting topics and principles. Similarly, many universities with strong accounting programs, such as the University of Illinois and Brigham Young University, offer free online courses and materials through platforms like Coursera and OpenCourseWare, providing valuable resources for aspiring accountants and financial professionals.

How to Make Use of Free Accounting Resources

Even though a free resource isn’t sufficient for a professional career, there is a time and a place for their use. Namely, you can gain a solid basis to any number of accounting skills and learn the basics in preparation for more advanced training. With free in-person or online resources, you can feel confident enrolling in a course or bootcamp. In addition, free resources are helpful if you are already enrolled in a course. The course you participate in focuses mainly on practical application and technical skills. Still, you want to learn a little about the theories and historical frameworks behind accounting practices. Free resources can help you further develop these skills and become a well-rounded accounting professional.

In addition, you can use free resources to explore the different branches of accounting. Accounting encompasses financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, tax accounting, forensic accounting, cost accounting, and other specialized areas. Suppose you already have a solid foundation in financial accounting but want to venture into other subjects, such as auditing. In that case, you can use free resources to help you transition. Similarly, suppose you have experience in bookkeeping and want to expand your knowledge. In that case, you can easily use free resources to learn more about advanced accounting principles and their applications in various industries. Although you would still need more comprehensive training to make a significant career shift, this is an ideal way to get started on your learning journey and to broaden your accounting expertise. Free resources can help you explore areas like governmental accounting, non-profit accounting, or international accounting standards, allowing you to gauge your interest and aptitude in these specialized fields before committing to formal education or certification programs.

Some free resources are interactive in less traditional ways. For instance, a chatroom or discussion board lets you interact with other accounting students and experts in real time. You can seek feedback from these online communities and gain clarification on the more challenging concepts associated with your learning process. Although there is uncertainty surrounding the credibility of this method, you can still use it as a valuable networking opportunity. You can discuss business concepts with people in your local area and feel more confident exploring the job market once you gain insight from others. Participating in forums, groups, or social media platforms can provide more engagement from an otherwise hands-off learning method.

Limitations of Free Resources

Free resources can be useful in certain situations, but they may not provide a thorough education. They often lack hands-on guidance and interaction, making it difficult to fully grasp the concepts. While you can seek feedback on social media platforms, the credibility of the advice may be questionable. This lack of reliable feedback is a major drawback of relying solely on free resources. Live training options are often considered more successful because they offer professional guidance and the opportunity to delve into niche subjects and complex functions of relevant software.

It's crucial to remember that free resources can be insufficient, outdated, or inaccurate, which can seriously affect the quality of your learning. It's important to ensure that the material you are studying is reliable, as relying on outdated or false information can significantly hinder your learning experience or prevent you from achieving your goals. While free resources do offer value, it's clear that they can't always be trusted. To ensure consistency, it's best to find a training center that offers live courses and bootcamps in your chosen field of study.

What to Do After Utilizing Free Accounting Resources

After utilizing free, in-person or online resources, you will likely become comfortable with certain accounting topics and be ready to take the next steps. Podcasts, websites, video collections, and texts offer foundational insights into business or a specific business area. Once familiar with the basics, you can explore other learning opportunities, such as paid live courses. This is especially recommended for learners who aspire to become professionals and work in accounting. Live courses provide benefits that other methods cannot, including hands-on guidance, an immersive environment, and networking opportunities. You can also use free resources as a supplement or study tool to help you navigate and complete your live training. This combination results in higher retention rates and a more comprehensive understanding of complex accounting concepts.

Live accounting courses are highly effective for anyone looking to build a career in the field. Depending on the specific area of focus, these courses can cover a wide range of topics, from financial statement analysis and cost accounting to auditing techniques and tax preparation. You can find courses that delve into specialized areas such as forensic accounting, managerial accounting, or governmental accounting. Additionally, courses are dedicated to mastering essential accounting software and tools, such as QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle Financials, or advanced Excel for financial modeling. These live courses provide hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used in real-world accounting scenarios, preparing students for the practical challenges they'll face in their professional careers.

Plus, live training offers numerous benefits that free resources or other means of education simply cannot. The distinct advantage of live training over any other format rests predominantly in the interaction they provide. Unlike on-demand course options and free resources, the courses have a structured curriculum. Interacting with other students also allows for a deeper understanding of the concepts and gives a more realistic overview of how these skills will be used in the real world. Moreover, experts teach live training programs. This is one of the greatest advantages, as free resources and other educational paths require you to learn entirely solo. The instructor can provide feedback, answer questions, and give insight into the field. Since they have ample knowledge and experience, they are, by default, far more credible than a random person contributing to a discussion board or a social media post made by a purported accounting expert. Aside from these perks, live training gives students realistic scenarios to work from, such as hands-on projects, demonstrations, case studies, and other real-world accounting scenarios. All in all, live training is ideal for anyone who needs or wants to gain as much knowledge in as little time or someone who wants to build a career out of their skills.

Aside from the actual course, live training offers specific resources that can only be found at a professional, reputable training center. Most students who enroll in live courses can access in-class and out-of-class resources and find support even after the class ends. Noble Desktop, in particular, assists students in their training by providing numerous resources ranging from setup assistance and workbooks to flexible payment plans and additional mentoring sessions. In these 1-on-1 meetings, you can explore complex topics, enhance your professional portfolio, or discuss the job search. Some training options offer mock interviews, as live courses value practical application and realistic use of the skills instead of intense theoretical discussions. In addition, some training centers allow you to retake the course at no additional cost within a set timeframe. For instance, Noble Desktop allows students to retake the course (or a portion of the course) within one year. Lastly, many classes award their students with certificates of completion once the course ends. This can be a huge benefit and may also prepare you for a certification exam, should you choose to pursue that in the future.

Live Classes and Bootcamps at Noble Desktop

Individuals can learn accounting through finance classes with hands-on training at Noble Desktop. Finance courses boast small class sizes, expert instructors, and free retakes. Noble’s Financial Analyst Training Program teaches Excel and critical financial and corporate finance options. Individuals gain basic and intermediate skills in Excel while learning to build a comprehensive valuation model for a public company. Critical concepts taught include advanced Excel for financial modeling and accounting, corporate finance, and valuation. 

Among the many business-related classes and bootcamps offered at Noble Desktop is the Quickbooks Bootcamp. This comprehensive QuickBooks Online course equips you, whether a business owner, accountant, or aspiring financial manager, to leverage QuickBooks for informed financial decisions. You'll master essential tasks like setting up your company, handling accounts and invoicing, and advanced functionalities like reports and inventory management, making you a confident QuickBooks power user.

Noble also offers Intro to Financial Accounting, through which individuals master the fundamentals of financial accounting and begin taking the next steps in accounting or finance. Enrollees see real-life examples and go through real 10-K’s to understand better how accounting concepts apply to large companies such as Facebook, Amazon, and Apple.