Bookkeeping tools like QuickBooks are an invaluable part of everyday business. This causes many people to find themselves in a situation where they must learn QuickBooks in a rush. New business owners, individuals seeking to expand their role at work, and people seeking to understand updated systems need to not only learn QuickBooks but learn it quickly. We have some tips to help you find the best programs and studying habits to help you master QuickBooks.
Find accessible lessons to learn QuickBooks quickly
The most important element of learning quickly is finding accessible lessons. The easiest place to find these is online. Good online courses allow you to study whenever and wherever it’s convenient. It’s hard to learn when you cannot reach your lesson materials, so it’s important to select your course carefully. Look for a program that guarantees continuous access. These often come with time-based fees rather than curriculum-based fees. This means you control how much you learn in a given time frame. If you’re serious about learning quickly, however, this shouldn’t be a problem. While this can serve as motivation, be ready to pay for a little more study time than you initially expected to ensure you can learn QuickBooks without interruption.
Learn QuickBooks in pieces
Part of finding a good course is examining how the lessons are divided. Is it designed to allow for periodic tests and breaks? Will it challenge your knowledge and help you split larger lessons into smaller chunks? Keep in mind that your online course is only worthwhile if it accommodates your learning style. Once you’ve found the right course, plan how and when to study.
To learn anything quickly, you need to pace yourself. Although this may sound counterintuitive, keep in mind that the opposite of careful study is “binge” studying, like students often do the night before a test. Most agree that this is not an efficient way to build knowledge or maintain reliable memory of the information studied. To really learn QuickBooks, you need to allow yourself breaks and refreshers. Going over the same information multiple times is one of the most reliable ways to learn it. Periodic testing allows you to analyze how you may improve.
Don’t try to learn everything in one sitting. You can try to read through all the materials once, before reviewing them at a slower pace, but this isn’t recommended. Try reading a full lesson, and then going through it piece by piece over the next few days. The quick, initial read-through can help you create a frame that you’ll fill out in detail as you go through individual sections a second time.
Choose a course with tutors or support teams
Simply buying an online course isn’t enough. Although many people learn well on their own and master a number of crafts alone, the vast majority of people learn more quickly when they can ask questions. In order to get answers, you need some kind of teacher or tutor. Having access to such an individual when you need him or her is an important facet of course selection. After all, even if your course materials are always available, you could lose a lot of time if you can’t get your questions answered when you need them.
Although it’s rare to find a program that offers 24/7 live support and tutoring, some courses do come with more favorable hours for live tutors. If you really want to learn QuickBooks quickly, then you need to have backup and support ready when you need it. You may need to pay slightly more in some cases for readily accessible tutors, but the cost is worth it, especially if you’re facing a deadline.
Practice what you study
Don’t keep your head stuck in your study materials and practice tests. It’s a very good idea to practice. Hands-on learning is, after all, one of the most effective learning styles there is. Some of the best online courses come with practice copies of QuickBooks, and it’s possible to practice on your own copy of QuickBooks if you’re careful.
Every technique you learn has a practical use. Make sure you understand these uses as more than just abstract theories. Seeing how what you’ve learned ties into the actual system is an invaluable part of transforming a concept into practical knowledge.
Whether you’re facing a deadline, or you’re simply in a rush, there are some great ways to learn QuickBooks. The first step is to scrutinize your ability to access not only the course material whenever and wherever you want but also help from tutors and teachers. Even in an online learning environment, you are bound to have questions, and having ready answers is an important part of rapid learning. Once what you’ve learned has a chance to connect with the practical applications in QuickBooks, you’ll find yourself surprised by how much you know.
