Why do debits and credits make no sense?
Introductory accounting classes introduce overwhelming concepts like debits and credits right away, which makes beginners feel instantly lost and question whether they are cut out for the field. This early confusion triggers self-doubt about pursuing internships and a career in accounting, leaving students wondering if they should just give up.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 21.8× more often in r/Accounting than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1considering giving up on the courseDid this help you?
- 2Watching supplementary resources on YouTube such as notepirateDid this help you?
- 3Studying with peers and utilizing campus one-on-one peer tutoring resourcesDid this help you?
- 4Taking it one day at a time and putting in extra time to grind through the materialDid this help you?
- 5Using AI to complete courseworkDid this help you?
- 6Asking AI to teach concepts instead of just giving answersDid this help you?
- 7Watching Dr. Farhat on YouTubeDid this help you?
- 8Farhat LecturesDid this help you?
- 9Doing plenty of practice problemsDid this help you?
- 10Emailing professors for help when stuckDid this help you?
- 11Watching educational YouTube channels like Tony Bell, Edspira, and Farhat LecturesDid this help you?
- 12Feeding practice problems to AI to generate more problemsDid this help you?
- 13Spending three hours minimum each weekday after class studying and doing homeworkDid this help you?
- 14Doing practice cases in spare timeDid this help you?
- 15Extensively debriefing cases to learn from mistakesDid this help you?
- 16Practicing technicals and reviewing weak areasDid this help you?
- 17Using Knotia to search the ITA and find formulasDid this help you?
- 18Seeking study tips and advice from the accounting community on RedditDid this help you?
- 19Using ChatGPTDid this help you?
- 20Relying on answer keys from previous activitiesDid this help you?
- 21Falling into research rabbit holes online through platforms like TikTok and RedditDid this help you?
- 22Planning to read through community wikis and educational guides independentlyDid this help you?
- 23Talking to professors and accountant friendsDid this help you?
- 24Browsing Reddit to find real-world examplesDid this help you?
- 25Thinking of it in terms of a home loan or net worthDid this help you?
- 26Simplifying it as ownership or the difference between assets and liabilitiesDid this help you?
- 27Waiting until encountering it more in work and school to get a working understandingDid this help you?
- 28taking an online summer class to passDid this help you?
- 29Using paid answer keys like Chegg to find word-for-word solutionsDid this help you?
- 30Reading different examples and explanations repeatedlyDid this help you?
- 31Doing homework in Excel and building custom formulas to visualize the processDid this help you?
- 32Finding tutorials or videos on YouTube for accounting topicsDid this help you?
- 33Asking AI to write summary study sheetsDid this help you?
- 34Using online educational platforms like Khan Academy and Farhat LecturesDid this help you?
- 35using third-party integration software like Acodei to sync Stripe with QuickBooksDid this help you?
- 36searching through old community threads and forum posts for guidanceDid this help you?
- 37Reading the textbook from page 1Did this help you?
- 38Using online videos, articles, and alternative learning resourcesDid this help you?
- 39Focusing heavily on repetition and doing tasks before fully understanding the reasoning behind themDid this help you?
- 40Seeking extra help from tutoring, TAs, or study groupsDid this help you?
- 41relying on fundamental equations like assets equals liabilities plus equityDid this help you?
- 42memorizing simple rules like credits are good and debits are bad for income statementsDid this help you?
- 43Using AI chatbots like Claude to explain confusing concepts.Did this help you?
- 44Watching educational YouTube channels like Edspira for alternative instruction.Did this help you?
- 45Reaching out to online forums to find a human mentor for specific questions.Did this help you?
- 46considering thinking of another career pathDid this help you?
- 47just about passing the required modulesDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Is studying accounting really harder than the actual job? and can i have some study tips and advices thank you everyone of the accounting comittee of reddit”source ↗
“I just had my first accounting class earlier today. I'm in my sophomore year at a community college hoping to transfer to a 4 year with accounting as my major.”source ↗
“But now im just in my head about heading into the field and applying for internships.”source ↗
“I don’t know what equity is lmao”source ↗
“I had my first exam for Intermediate Financial I, and got a 91 on the multiple choice part, then later got a 69 on the open-ended.”source ↗
“And now I’m studying for my upcoming Managerial Cost Accounting class and I’m having a rough time with this stuff, I can’t seem to grasp a lot of it.”source ↗
“I feel discouraged cause I spend like three hours minimum each weekday after class to go over this stuff and do my homework.”source ↗
“Not to mention that I have three other classes that I need to devote my attention to, and a part-time job where I work 28 hours per week.”source ↗
“Im an accounting major who just started intermediate accounting, its the third week and im already overwhelmed!”source ↗
“Ive been studying as much as I can but im finding it hard since some of the material im a little rusty with.”source ↗
“Noob here and based off what my instructor told me and my notes, they sound like the same thing but apparently they are different and idk how.”source ↗
“Hi guys, I’m a freshman in college and have been struggling with accounting.”source ↗
“I just can’t seem to grasp accounting or learn it. It feels soooo confusing.”source ↗
“Its the beginning and im already confused by debits and credits.... do i give up?”source ↗
“i’m currently doing the GDIP and i feel like im cooked. I’m not recognizing certain AOs and I mess up on the technical parts too.”source ↗
“Need help understanding accounting.”source ↗
“It seems easy when I have the videos showing me how to do it but without them I’m lost.”source ↗
“I genuinely have no idea whats going on in my intro to accounting class at college, winged the first exam got a 60%. please someone help me idk whats going on i cant even pay attention in class”source ↗
“I need some tips for studying to better my grade.”source ↗
“I'm not quite understanding my professor.”source ↗
“I can't even go to office hours due to a required class during it.”source ↗
“There's no tutoring available for this class, but I believe I really need something to get the information to stick and actually understand it.”source ↗
“when I try some practice problems, I'm getting them wrong because I can't grasp words problems that well.”source ↗
“In general are you doing calculations all day on the job?”source ↗
“We haven't done journal entries for the problems so its hard for me to see the big picture”source ↗
“my professor is unimaginably bad at explaining (def not me problem this time) and i’m quite literally doing 100% self-learning with my dear friend Claude.”source ↗
“sometimes i dont exactly get sm stuff explained by AI and panic a bit”source ↗
“I understand the how but not the why of accounting concept which is leaving me confused.”source ↗
“I am 3rd year student and enrolled in 3AB3(18M) in University.”source ↗
“we're in Week-3 almost now in 3AB3 and I didn't understood much accounting that much in Week-3 content(this is where discontinue operations, CI , OCI and multi step I/S comes out) where are the things going I am unable to understand”source ↗
“I always think about this I am scared to do bad in class because I want to pursue US. CPA in future and I have expectation but 3rd year accounting is so difficult.”source ↗
“All of the puzzle pieces on equity still haven’t snapped together in my brain”source ↗
“I’m a junior in college and have a really good gpa and did very well in my financial accounting classes but I got a 65 on my first cost accounting test. I studied but it’s hard to remember everything since it’s not like financial?”source ↗
“Not sure what to do I’m expected to basically know everything I’m in my fist financial accounting class not really sure what’s next been at it nonstop I could use tips or advice to finish this class been in it for at least 3 months I’m looking to get done.”source ↗
“Im in my first accounting class as well. This information is SUPER overwhelming... at first.”source ↗
“i can’t even complete journals or income or balance statements completely i use ai to help i feel like ill fail when i enter the workforce”source ↗
“I am in an online school taking an intro to accounting class, I am really struggling to keep up with the workload and understanding the material.”source ↗
“Yea, I was told this was the hardest class so im already stressting mad hard.”source ↗
“The debriefs do help a lot, but when it’s a new concept, that’s when i feel cooked”source ↗
“I am discoverying a massive gap between what is labeled as "accounting theory" in school and the real world accounting.”source ↗
“Can some one explain what is meant by the real world and what makes it different than what is taught?”source ↗
“What does an accountant actually do hour by hour in a typical 8-10 hour day?”source ↗
“yeah, I ended up taking an online summer class to pass.”source ↗
“It’s kind of a shock initially because it’s so different than financial accounting.”source ↗
“Sophomore level was a breeze and got an A. Junior year was a different animal and got a C.”source ↗
“Currently working on merchandising operations and inventories and cost of sales”source ↗
“Also in the intro class. I understand the logic and what we are doing but then when I get to cengage homework Im like wtf is this haha.”source ↗
“I’m doing intermediate 1 after not taking an accounting class in over 10 years, and I did not do well on it back then.”source ↗
“had some bad professors myself.”source ↗
“I’ve never been good at maths and I’m already finding it difficult, I’m passing it but just about. Will this be an issue for me in the future of accounting?”source ↗
“Like many people i lack some skills that are needed for accounting; any suggestions are appreciated!”source ↗
“I was thinking about opening a Capital One 360 performance savings HYSA specifically, but I’m unsure if it’s a good idea.”source ↗
“My mom doesn’t have any knowledge to help me on the topic and theres nobody else I can ask, so I’m wondering if it’s a good idea?”source ↗
“Theres also the issue of taxes, which I’ve never done before and don’t know if I want to be doing taxes before I’m even able to get a job.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Why does managerial accounting feel so confusing at first?
- 7How to survive difficult undergraduate accounting classes
- 28Feeling lost and overwhelmed starting a new accounting job
- 11How to learn accounting software without any training
- 8Why do I keep failing the scenario questions on accounting exams?
- 52How to break into accounting as an international student with a low GPA