Can This Old Dog Learn New Debits and Credits?
There’s an old saying about whether you can teach an old dog new tricks. Well, I turned forty this year, and I’m about to put that theory to the test. The new trick? Swapping stock tickers for balance sheets.
This week, after attending an information session for the Master of Science in Accounting program at Texas A&M, I took a deep breath and officially submitted my application.
Screenshot of https://mays.tamu.edu/graduate/flex-online/ms-accounting/ taken on 10/17/2025.
To say this is a career change is an understatement. For my entire professional life, I have lived and breathed the world of retail brokerage. It has been a rewarding, challenging, and fast-paced career. But lately, I have felt a pull toward something different. I have always been the person who needed to see how all the pieces fit together—to understand the "why" behind the numbers, not just the outcome.
That’s what led me to accounting, and more specifically, to the world of auditing. When I sat in that info session, something just clicked. The idea of diving into the financial workings of a company, connecting the dots to form a complete picture, and using that information to provide guidance and recommendations doesn’t just sound interesting—it genuinely sounds like fun. The prospect of applying my knack for big-picture thinking in a totally new field is incredibly appealing.
Is it a little crazy? Absolutely. The thought of being back in a classroom, surrounded by students who were born around the time I was learning to drive, is both humbling and hilarious. A career pivot at this stage is not a small decision; it is a serious commitment to starting a new chapter from page one.
But it is not a mid-life crisis. It is a calculated decision to align my career with my core strengths. So, can this old dog learn new debits and credits? I’m betting on it. The application is in, and the first step is taken.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go see if my old backpack is still in the attic. It’s probably time to see if it’s up for a few new tricks itself.
