Why do debits and credits make no sense in accounting?
Debits and credits feel counterintuitive because they mean different things depending on the type of account, making it hard to see why transactions balance or how to write journal entries. Without a clear handle on what increases and decreases, students get stuck on practical problems and cannot move forward with ledgers or exams.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1asking questions on online forums like Reddit
- 2relying on personal intuition regarding account increases and decreases
- 3Accepting failure on the mid-term exam and aiming for a comeback in the finals
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“hi, I am 11th class student and I can’t understand accounting.”source ↗
“Tomorrow is my accounts half yearly exam, I can’t do practical like I don’t know what is credit and debit, what increase decrease, journal, ledger.”source ↗
“For me accounts is very hard and I know I have to do it because If I didn’t learn 11th accounts, 12th grade accounts will become a nightmare.”source ↗
“When it comes to journal entries, you're making debits and credits. I really don't understand this.”source ↗
“Most importantly, I thought journal entries were supposed to even out. How do they balance?”source ↗
“What's the point of even bookkeeping there, if the transaction is just cancelling out?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 2Where do translation adjustments post in NetSuite?
- 5How to fix journal entries moving income to expense accounts
- 2How do you handle partnership taxes and accounting for an LLC?