Tuesday, 12 January 2016

Assessment 2 Draft: Under construction

Assessment 2, I have to admit i really struggle with this assessment and still struggling with it. Below is my rough copy and I am aware that I'm missing step 2 and step 3 as I am still trying to find a price list for the products. Finding it hard to add my spreadsheets here in the blog a simple copy and paste not working and does not look right for me.


Step 1:  Step 1 involves you writing down some of your ideas, reflections and reactions to reading Chapter 4 ‘Analysing Financial Statements’ in the Study Guide
Below ideas, reflections and reactions to reading Chapter 4 Analysing Financial Statements
  • Just like any other chapter of the study guide I do enjoy reading the quotes at the start of the paragraph. For me this quote introduces what topic to be discuss in the paragraph below it.
  • The whole first paragraph does not make sense to me at all, I was finding it hard to relate to the text when Martin talked capital market and use the fish market as an example. I’m confused and still confused. I think and I don’t know if my understanding is right that what Martin is saying that in Capital market you don’t know what to expect.
  • Reading the first three pages of the chapter 4 I find myself unable to relate to the text that I’m reading, I just find it too long and full of information and as well maybe because at the back of my mind this chapter is all about assignment 2, that at this very moment I have no idea how I’m going to start hopefully at the end of this chapter I will find answer that will help me clarify questions I have in my mind about assignment 2.
  • I find myself reading the first few pages 3 to 4 times and still can’t understand what is being said to me. How does this first few pages relate to restating financial statements. I think I’m just really worried about assessment 2 and I have to admit didn’t really started on this assessment earlier than I should and panicking I won’t be able to do or present a decent paper.
  • Maybe another factor making it hard for me to understand the information is that while I’m reading the study guide I’m also trying to complete step 1.
  • When Martin kept talking about past historian I get a bit more confused, I know his point is to help readers to understand, and that to further back up his statement that in order to understand and predict the future of the firm we need to know about its past. But for me its just all to confusing because here I am trying to understand and read about restating financial report then I get to read about some historian. I mean if I want to learn about history I would take a history lesson.
  • When Martin explain about capital I like the example that he used, I find it easy to understand and able to relate with it. That capital can only be invested once and can’t be use over and over again.
  • When I finally got to the section Operating and Financial activities, I love the part where Martin uses kinder surprise as a metaphor when it comes to explaining the operating activities and financial activities. I’m a big kid myself chocolate is one of my weakness. Martin mentioned that restating financial is just like learning to rip open a kinder surprise and discover the hidden toy inside. Which is what you do when restating the financial statements after restating you find out the financial status of the firm.
  • I agree with Martin when he said that if you are restating the financial statements for the first time it is frustrating and time consuming. I truly agree with this, I was so confused on how to do it I read the section on study guide on how to do it over and over again but still finding it hard to actually get started. I even printed the financial statements and started writing OA and OF next to the asset and liability to help me just like Martin advice. But I still get confused on the other item that does not clearly states if its assets or liabilities. I just really hate accounting subject maybe that’s why I’m really finding it hard to actually complete this assessment. I really struggle at this assessment. I will be brutally honest, I was scratching my head and don’t know which subheading I will put all the particulars. I can not tell whether it will be under operating liabilities or operating assets for some of them, honestly I just guess them.  
  • I think what I found that help me to restate the financial statements is just by looking at my peers on how they presented theirs and from there I was able to get the ball rolling in restating my financial reports.
  • What I also find and I know that in the next assessment I will make sure that I will really start on the assessment early. Not allowing myself enough time to really work on the spreadsheets and research the three product lines.
  • Now I can tell I’m really doing an accounting subject when I saw all the formula needed for me to calculate amounts on my restated financials. I was a bit dumbfounded with this assessment.
  • At this stage my mind is just really confused and finding it hard to take in all the information and formulas.


Step 2: Step 2 involves you restating your firm’s financial statements

Issues and concerns, I have a lot of them. Like I have mentioned above, this part of the assessment is the most challenging part of me. I really had a difficult time completing this part of the assessment. I know it says to allow about 520-600 minutes, I went way over that time guide. I think it took me about 2-3 times longer than the guide time. Well it felt that long anyway. I really had trouble moving the all the different items on the financial report. There is some item that obvious on where it subheading should be under. But for some items I really struggle and just guess it. For example, Pension scheme surplus and derivative financial instruments, I really don’t know where it should go under.


Step 3: Step 3 involves you identifying three products or services of your firm and estimating/guessing their selling price and variable cost. You will also comment on the contribution margins you calculate as well as identify constraints and briefly comment on them. Remember, do not spend too long on Step 3 (it is worth just 4 marks). If you have trouble easily identifying three specific products or services of your firm, then quickly make some assumptions about what specific products/services your firm might have. You will also likely need to guess the selling price and variable cost of each product/service. Try to make your assumptions reasonably realistic.



Step 4: Step 4 involves you providing (and receiving) feedback to three other students in our
course on their draft ASS#2. These will (usually) be the same three students you provide feedback to in ASS#1.


Feedback for Mia

Step 1: Like you I did find the introduction long as well, and find myself disinterested. You presented your KCQs pretty well and raised concerns that bothered you while reading the chapter. I pretty much have the same concerns, I find it hard to connect with this chapter and relate it or share more of my past experience.

Step 2: Your excel spread sheets presentation looks good, don’t know if it is done correctly as I myself having trouble with presenting mine. I like how you have a blog started again to help you with step 1 and step 2 and also to get interacted with the other students. Who may have the same concerns.


Step 3: Just a suggestion if you can find picture of the products and like I said to Suzzane a small introduction on what your company does I know it’s not part of the task but it does help person like me who’s looking over your draft and have no idea or can’t recall what company you are assigned.

Overall Assessment:
Overall your draft is a nice read and just like your previous assignment 1 it’s a nice and easy paper to read not too much big fancy words. Like you, and I also struggle to get my head around the study guide and restating the financials statement. It clearly demonstrated that you took time and understood what the task is.



Feedback for Suzanne

Step 1: Like how you open up with the quote from the study guide and able to relate it to your own life experience. I also like that you were able to talk about your company, and able to see the connection and use it as an example to help you understand free cash flow. This is good as to show that you really understand your company and able to use it.

Step 2: Your excel spread sheets presentation looks good, don’t know if it is done correctly as I myself having trouble with presenting mine. Like how you stated your concerns in restating the financial statements.

Step 3: Your three products of choice are good but I think just an added information for the marker maybe have an introduction of the company and their business. Just me I guess because just by looking at your three choices of product I wasn’t able to quickly recognise your company, luckily I remember you did mention your company in Step 1 and was able to say to myself “ah ha that’s it”. I had my ah ha moment J.


Overall Assessment:
Overall happy with what I read and you clearly demonstrated that you understood what is the task for Assessment 2. Nice read not too much big words and you really express and share your experience and able to relate with the study guide good job.


Feedback for Hannah

Step 1. Like you I also enjoy reading the quotes used every other paragraph in all the readings. It does captures my attention and most of the time it’s an introduction of what topic is going to be talked about in the paragraph below. I like how you were able to share your life experiences from how your parents buy shares and from your work experiences. I really enjoy reading your KCQ’s. It may have look a bit long reading it from the blog but that just prove to say that you are really connecting with the study guide as you were able to share so much of your own experiences.

Step 2. Unfortunately, I wont be able to give you a detailed feedback on this part of the assessment, as I’m having so much trouble with my part of the assessment, I’m sure with your accounting background and you mentioned in your step 1 that your confident enough that you will be able to reinstate the financial report without too much trouble. I trust your judgment that you did justice on your reinstated financial report.


Step3. Good choices of everyday product that is widely use and known to consumers. You have presented and explained your contribution margin really well.

Overall Assessment:

Nicely done and well presented assessment. I do enjoy reading your draft as I feel its full of information that I needed to read since I’m not so familiar with accounting compare to you. Help me question what Martin wrote on the study guide and gave me a different prospective of the study guide. I have to admit I’m still confuse at this stage with this assessment and study guide.









No comments:

Post a Comment