What makes Chennai the ideal destination for this course?

Once considered an aided course with Commerce majors, the Chartered Accountancy (CA) course has come a long way and now stands as the major degree/qualification that a student pursues. Some students pursue CA and a bachelor's degree simultaneously, either through correspondence or regular college, while others choose to complete a formal degree first and then pursue CA.
Talking about choosing to pursue a B.Com degree in correspondence, 20-year old Shanranya M of Chennai says, "CA is a competitive exam. One requires a high level of concentration to complete it in one attempt. Therefore, I chose to pursue my bachelor's in correspondence."
Chennai attracts many students from the neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh. "There is little awareness about CA in my hometown. That is why I chose to come to Chennai and get trained from the best hands," says 23-year old Chowdary Kalvakuri, who hails from Nellore. Rajendra Y adds, "Chennai is the right mix of affordable cost of living, education and training. About 20-30 per cent of the students in my training centre are from my State." This 21-year old from Vijayawada is currently doing his articleship. Nineteen year-old Ayika Jyoshi from Eluru is among those who have come to fulfil their CA wishes at Chennai. "I hail from a small town and a big city like Chennai has, career-wise, given tremendous scope for development," he says.
Expert speak
Palanichamy V.P., who has been a teacher of accounts for the last 10 years, says that Chennai is the numero uno destination for many students since it is an intellectual city. "This city has produced many chartered accountants. Chennai also gives better access to library and study material. Secondly, it is cost-effective. One can finish the entire course at a cost of Rs. 30,000." Palanichamy advises that it is better to pursue CA full time as it requires a minimum time devotion of 6-7 hours a day and that it is difficult to manage with regular college. "Another major reason why we advise students to pursue CA full time is that the CA exams might clash with the regular college exams during November and May. Students will find it difficult to prepare for two exams simultaneously," adds Palanichamy.
Experts also say that students can now complete CA within three-and-a-half years in one attempt, provided they get the right coaching. "In my opinion, students can pursue the CPT part of CA after class XII and continue with the rest after graduation. It is important that they finish their basics and lay the foundation for CA. Or else, they might have to spend an additional year in just CPT after a degree! Chennai attracts students from far and wide because of the experienced faculty and teaching that it offers," says Saravanan Kannan, teacher of accountancy.
"Lack of big firms and proper workflow guidance is the main reason people flock to Chennai for CA. I get many articleship interns at all my client offices. I can see a vast difference between students trained at Chennai compared to students from small towns," says Sreedhar R. P, auditor and consultant.
CA and bachelor's degree
Karthick Thiagarajan is a 20-year old student from Chennai at a regular city college and pursues CA alongside. "Oral and postal teaching for CA are a waste of time and money. I chose to study B.com and CA simultaneously as they complement each other and aid in preparing for exams." "Of the many places I had short-listed, Chennai offered the best deal. Also, it was closer to my home. "I got to do my articleship at a major company. It was possible because of the city and the exposure one can get," says 19 year-old Siraj K. Joyji who has come from Thrissur, Kerala, to pursue CA in Chennai.
It is not just students from other states who come to Chennai. People from various districts of Tamil Nadu also prefer Chennai to other places. Kalaiarasan J. from Neyveli is among the several students who have come to Chennai. "I wanted to join a good college for B.Com and CA at one place. Chennai was the obvious choice," says Kalaiarasan. Just like B.Com, even students of cost & management accounting and journalism are pursuing CA.
The writer is a student of MOP Vaishnav College, Chennai