BCom is indispensable for every CA: Shyam Sundar

It was in June 2015 that I secured admission in Delhi University's very prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), India's finest institution for studies in commerce and business. The decision, a life-changing one, was a tricky one, to begin with. Right from choosing the Commerce stream after the 10^th standard to getting the choice of college right a couple of years later, it was all a dilemma. The options of colleges were many, but the most important decision to be made prior to that was the ‘college or no college’ decision. Having made the plan to pursue the Chartered Accountancy course from ICAI years earlier, that itself was a big question.

Sometime around the initial months of 2014, when I was completing my 11th standard, I was convinced that I did not need to attend the college. ICAI had, at that time also, associated with a few universities for a shortcut route to pursuing B.Com alongside CA. One of the universities- Bharathiar University- being in my home town, Coimbatore, only added more conviction, because a college close to home is, as I later learnt, just the greatest luck. However, during my 12th standard, with the characteristic increased pressure from all sides to study and then perform well getting to the mind, new desires to travel, explore new people and places and be free, looming large, and last but not the least, hope of securing good marks in the board exams growing, there came the prospect of studying at a college, even a good one, before embarking on the CA journey. Today, I have to say, I am thankful to God and, of course, my parents for paving my path to SRCC.

BCom and misconceptions

Many of my friends and classmates, if not all, as was the norm those days especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, preferred to "not waste time" in the college and instead pursue CA directly. It is a good option, definitely, under certain circumstances. Some would and are not be able to afford a college for one, and some would and do not value BCom too much, as is the stereotype. Particularly, in a place like Tamil Nadu, there aren't many good colleges that specialize in Commerce education, nor do any colleges take pride in the same, only a very few exceptions. The syllabus is generally superficial as well and doesn't explore modern business studies and subjects deeply, if not at all. On top of all of this, there is the general all-pervading view that a career in Commerce is inferior, and is meant only for those unlucky and undeserving students. It can be described vaguely as a sort of social stigma here- and I have to say, it was unnerving to make a decision that is usually and strangely considered in the society a bold one. Thus, the BCom degree is given one of the lowest of statuses in the hierarchy of academic courses, and in turn colleges too turn their attention to the more sought-out Science courses.

Moreover, students here are generally either misinformed or completely uninformed about the B.Com degree. They do not wish to undergo the socially inferior treatment; rather, they are open to joining some obscure engineering college. This is the sad scenario here. Thus, a student who has long term plans of being a CA very obviously also chooses to omit the BCom undergraduate degree, setting aside a beautiful three years of experience, experience, and more experience.

The period of pursuing CA

True, the CA course in itself comprises of an intensive 3-year Article training period, but an 18-year old directly going into Articleship is like expecting a new-born baby to fluently and perfectly speak a language or two. B.Com is not an additional qualification, in my opinion, it is the indispensable need for every CA, today and tomorrow. True, we need better colleges, but with more aspiration creating more necessity, I am sure that in the near future there will be a rapid turn of events, and better colleges will turn up and that the society will transform this outlook.

The undergraduate degree in Commerce typically gives the fresher a much-needed jump start to the outside world, while most importantly giving a great edge - the subtle protection and passive nurturing of the student throughout inside the collective hand that is the college. This is absent in the 3-year Articleship, where the fresher is immediately required to work on intensive audits and engagements simply with the theoretical knowledge he or she has acquired through 12 years of schooling and IPCC. Smaller auditors and audit firms are kinder, but those who aim to work in a Big Four firm or mid-size firm will find it bewildering and intimidating to suddenly dive into a fast-track and exacting world unseen before. On the other hand, a college, as the cliché goes, moulds you gradually to adapt and succeed in the business world. There is free time in your hand, something one wouldn't hear of much during an Articleship. One can seek and use as many opportunities available during this time, and can acquire and train in as many skills and fields possible. These additions are invaluable to one's future and CV later, and it is actually surprising to know how so many people deprive themselves of such glorious chances and rewards due to some misguidance along the way. This creates a huge gap between an Article who has finished college and a school-centric Article.

My experience

Personally, I was trained by exposure to the typical corporate culture right from day one at the college through various long-standing student organisations, and by the end of the first year, each one of us knew it perfectly from all possible perspectives and dimensions. While during the first year, we were automatically given set schedules, timelines and given work round the clock, the second year saw us coordinating with our juniors as intermediate-level executives. The third year was when we functioned at the prestigious supervisory levels, and where we experienced the prime- all of this being a normal college student, going to and experiencing his own share of joys and fun. This spectacular journey, with its varied role-play, opportunities, and practical training, traversed with a rigorous and highly advanced curriculum and unforgettable classes, would not have been mine had I skipped college and directly pursued Articleship.

On top of all of this, I was able to register as an article with a Big Four firm of my choice at my preferred location- only because of the value added, not only to my CV, but to myself and my character as a whole- by my beloved college and the three years I was there.

One day, all of us are going to be working at an office- as an Article or otherwise- but before that, we need to be nurtured and matured like a farmer does to his crop. And that's why you need BCom, without which there would be a drastic and unmissable void throughout your life, be it morally, academically or socially. Maybe you might fill these gaps somewhere down the line during work at office, but by then, you will have already gone through inevitable reprimands and already missed significant opportunities, with competition always there amongst fellow employees.

Maybe not all colleges add value as much as this, but whatever the case might be, it is through many observations and regrets of many friends that I say this to all CA aspirants out there- Life is going to be full of numbers, reports, finances and timelines very soon, so spare a good 3 years before it to be a free bird and mature.

About the Author:

I am S. Shyam Sunder, 21, hailing from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. I graduated in Commerce Honours from Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi, and I am currently an Articled Assistant at Deloitte, India. I am passionate about Carnatic music and South Indian food.