Tag Archives: mpa

Academics, Alexandria

Is the classical accounting personality required for success?

Leave a comment
You don't have to be a stereotypical accountant like Angela (from The Office) to be successful!

I just read an interesting research article about personality types that succeed in accounting. The article by Bealing, Baker, and Russo researches the Myers-Briggs personality types of graduating accounting students and compares them to the personality type of other graduating business students. The overall Myers-Briggs personality type for accounting students was ESTJ.

For those of you unfamiliar with Myers-Briggs personality type, it measures the perception of individuals and classifies them into one of sixteen different personality types based on four different characteristics (Side note: I highly recommend everyone takes this test, its jaw-dropping to see its description of your personality and definitely helps you become more self-aware. I also think it is crucial for successful teamwork because it helps me understand how others are approaching the same problem but getting such different results.) An ESTJ means that the individual is extroverted (outgoing), sensing (paying attention to information that you collect through your five senses), thinking (making objective decisions), and judging (prefer a structured life style).

You might be asking why I am I telling you this. Am I trying to say that if you are not an ESTJ, you will not be successful in the Texas MPA program? DEFINITELY NOT! Continue reading Is the classical accounting personality required for success? →

Academics, Allison, Student Life

Halfway Done and Proud

Leave a comment

Well now that finals are over, I can say that I’m very excited that I have completed my first semester!  It was definitely a challenging week studying for all my finals but now that it’s over I feel accomplished and proud.  Kind of like what Paul said – the more effort you put in, the larger the result.  I am just hoping and encouraging myself that all of the effort I put in will give me the results I want.

Anyway – not much else to report on right now.  Most people (including myself) have left Austin for our  month long winter break.  I am excited to be home but at the same time, I already miss my MPA friends 🙂

I just wanted to mention that although it may seem (from our last slew of posts) that finals are insane, it isn’t really a bad thing.  This is probably the most I’ve studied (at all or at least in a really long time), but honestly I am really happy and feel very accomplished.  You are not coming to the best accounting program to be a slacker.  You are coming to work hard, learn a lot (get your money‘s worth), and get what you can out of your opportunities.  Having said that, I’m glad I spent my free week studying to really get the most out of these tests.  Finals are just tests.  And having almost a week to study for it is a gift – most tests you have to study for in the midst of doing 100 other things.

Also during this break I plan on starting the process of applying and studying for my first CPA section, so I will keep you updated with that process as I get it underway.

Have a great holiday season everyone!

Academics, Paul, Student Life

Finals Fatigue

1 Comment

My last post and subsequent rebuttal were quite intense. So were finals. As such, I will keep this column short and puff it up with some conversationalia. After all, break is here.

What is great about the MPA is the intensity that I get the opportunity to bring to the table everyday. There’s really no way to survive the program without this type of effort. And, frankly, it’s a privilege to get to compete for grades with other great minds.

But gosh, is it draining!

As of a couple days ago, I realize just how emotionally, mentally and physically drained I am. Like a great workout, it has been worth it. I know that after some rest, I will realize how much I have learned—both in class and in life—over the past semester, be able to reflect upon it, rejuvenate and return to classes in the spring recharged for my final semester.

Until then, it will be nice to return to being the Paul that is a cousin/nephew/uncle/brother instead of the student/corporate robot. Stated another way, for at least a couple weeks, it will be nice to be hot chocolate Paul instead of coffee Paul.

I wish all well with their finals and pray that professors will grade exams mercifully. Until grades are released, here is some conversationalia…

Continue reading Finals Fatigue →

Alexandria, Austin, Events, Student Life, Uncategorized

Run Austin!

3 Comments
My dog Rosie and I at the Dallas Turkey Trot sporting our rivalry day spirit!

Whenever I go home to Dallas for Thanksgiving, I love to run the YMCA Turkey Trot. The Dallas Turkey Trot hosts about 35,000 energetic runners, joggers and walkers alike. This particular year, the Turkey Trot made an attempt for a world record for the most people in turkey costumes in one place.

I love this race because it’s the perfect thanksgiving tradition: burning calories before you eat your weight in delicious thanksgiving cuisine.  It’s also a lot of fun because of all the college rivalries. Those who didn’t come in turkey outfits came in all of their collegiate paraphernalia. There are fight songs from all sorts of schools going around the crowd, but non louder than our very own “Texas Fight!” fight song.

I have been running since my junior year of high school, when I joined my school’s track and field team. I was atrocious, but I loved the freedom I felt while running. I continued to run throughout high school, and love to run recreationally in college. Continue reading Run Austin! →

Alexandria, Austin, Events, Student Life

How to bleed burnt orange

Leave a comment

Being part of the MPA has many amazing benefits; one of the greatest is being a part of the larger UT community. The University of Texas at Austin is a place of tradition. Our traditions date back the university’s founding in 1883. I feel it is to every student’s benefit to know all the wonderful traditions our university has. Getting caught up in the spirit of the school is one of the best parts of the experience at UT.

How the tower is lit after winning a national championship game

The Tower

The first thing any prospective UT student needs to know about is the tower. The tower is campus’ best known landmark and symbol. It can be seen from almost anywhere in Austin, and as cheesy as this sounds, I get a swell of happiness in my stomach every time I see it.  It is usually lit up in white at night, except on special occasions. We light it up in orange for academic and athletic achievements and it even has a special configuration of lights for when UT wins a national championship.

The tower also has a clock on all four sides and chimes every fifteen minutes. At 12:50 three times a week, Tom Anderson (the university’s carilloneur) plays songs using the bells. He has even taken requests before.  One time I heard him play Katy Perry’s teenage dream and just this week he was playing “Deck the Halls”. Continue reading How to bleed burnt orange →