Many people told me I would have no life while studying for these exams. It saddens me a little, to alienate all those I love while I look to further my career. I hope I can find some balance, because in the end, all I have is my friends and family. I have told everyone that I may be hard to get ahold of, however in the next couple weeks I am going to carve out not only a little "me" time, but some time with loved ones.
I'm curious how other people have dealt/are dealing with this issue. Is it possible to get that balance?
Please post your comments.
XOXO
Nicole
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Finding the Balance
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15 comments:
Trying to get my B.Sc. in Accounting has become such an ordeal for me that I have decided that I am not going to got for the ultimate accounting designation, CPA. I might just try to nail the EA exam, I like taxes :)
Well my adventure into the CPA exam is starting off pretty poorly. I decided I would take the Becker review course, which I'm really liking. But with that said, I'm taking Audit tomorrow and I'm absolutely going to fail.
So basically my audit course just ended, and I got my NTS late. So when I went to schedule my Audit Exam, all the dates at the end of may were full. So I have to take it tomorrow, which is like 2 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule. I'm not ready at all. But since I paid for the exam, I might as well give it a shot.
The reason I can't wait until the July window is because my Becker review course will have moved on to Regulation. So trying to study for two parts would probably end up disastrous for both of them.
So I'm walking into this test pretty cold. This should end swell.
Anyways. Back to your original topic. Having a life. What is your work schedule like? Do you study each night? I mean for me personally, I don't go out nightly, but weekends are a must. I have stopped going out on Fridays since my Becker course is Saturdays at 8 am, but Saturday nights I still see all my friends.
Maybe it's because I've never been a great studier, but there's no way I could do it 7 days a week.
You will have to make sacrifices but if you really focus and knock them out the park it will be all worth it
I work in a big 4 and had to juggle those exams with 4 consecutive months of busy season --> 10 hr days plus weekends
It was all about work, study, study, work but it was worth it.
Sometimes u have to take a break to relax your mind but you can't have a very active social life if you;re working and studying for these exams. Look at it this way its 18 mths. it can't kill you to cut down on some of your social activities
Well I am "trying" to study 3-4 hours per night. I work full time- however we just ended our busy (tax) season, so the partners are pretty cool with me studying at work if I'm having some down time. I guess I just have to see what happens. After all, i am only into my first week of studying!!
Nikkie,
Just make a plan and stick to it. Thats the secret. The questions arn't hard its just the amount of material you need to understand.
I came to the CPA late in my career - it's a long story, remind me to tell you about it sometime - but once I had the accounting hours under my belt to qualify me for the exam, I scheduled the parts as close together as possible. That motivated me to carve out time to study. We've all got distractions - family, work, other obligations - but the "me" time has to be the first sacrifice. For goodness' sake, what's the time you're spending studying but "me" time?
Studying in the evening may work for you but the best time for me was morning. Early morning. I mean real early. Before the day started, before little distractions got blown into big distractions, before little temptations became irresistible. Also, I did not set time goals; instead, I set a page or question goal. I was determined to study so many pages or answer so many questions each session, which motivated me to get 'em done and make the most of the time. My reward was that if I accomplished my goal early, I was through for the day.
Finally, I used the Gleim study materials, though Becker works just fine. I didn't go over the material but went to the test instead - you'll be surprised how much you already know. Then I studied the questions I got wrong - most of the time it had little to do with the facts but the way the question was asked. So watch for that and practice answering the question in front of you rather than the question you think you're reading. And answer a lot of questions. Lots. And then lots more.
Oh, and flash cards. Make flash cards out of the questions you get wrong. Not too many. I could only handle about 50 per section. Beyond that, my mind shut down.
Good luck. People pass the exam every day. You will, too.
Here is the study plan I follow. Found on CPAnet.
http://home.comcast.net/~sanjaykb/freemind/studyMeth.html
I passed the exam in 1988 without an accounting degree. Pass the exam! It will pay off in the long run. The more certifications the better.
I'm still working on the whole "balance" thing (and just posted about it myself). There's no short cut to hard work (contrary to what the "get-rich-quick" people say). I can tell you is that the hard work really is worth it, and there's a great feeling of triumph and accomplishment when you make it to the top of this huge, terrifying mountain. Good luck!
I'm taking BEC tomorrow. Dreading it, but oh well. :) I got a 73 on it last time. I'm hoping I've done enough to get a few more points.
Balance is DIFFICULT. But there are moments that I know I just need to put my study gear away and head to the park and enjoy myself. If I don't, I know I won't be studying effectively. Know yourself. Know your limits. Once you reach your limit, walk away for a bit. Come back fresh.
I'm using Becker. I also bought their flashcards. I find them very helpful. I spent all day today flipping through them so as not to overwhelm myself with more questions the day before.
I wish you the best with studying! I just took REG two days ago and it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be. I work for a tax software company, so finding the time to study during tax season and train for a half marathon was tough. I felt like I was married to the study books. It takes discipline to do it, but if you have a game plan it will be fine.
I went to myfreecalendar.com and printed out monthly calendars to map out how I was going to study. I did leave a few days free for rest and hanging out with friends and family. I'm taking BEC next. Good Luck once again!
I will be starting a Masters in accounting, working toward sitting for the CPA exam - Now i'm thinking, what in the world have I got myself into, lol.
It's definitely tough to try to find balance. The best way for me though is just find a few activities a week that will help me relax and do them. Then when the temptation to hang out with friends who inevitably will push you to stop studying, be disciplined enough to say no. If you do it right, you won't prolong the pain of studying for more than the time it takes to pass it once.
I also like to have a few different study "routines" and then cycle through them every few days or so. For example, a few days in a row I'll enjoy studying at my table at home with classical music in and working problems (which I've been doing lately). Other times, I like to get with other people who are studying for something and go to a library together, etc. Also VERY important to break up the monotony with something physical, whether its going for a walk outside or going to the gym, etc. I always think of my study time as time that I'm building the knowledge in my brain that I'll need in the testing center, and the breaks as the needed time to let those building blocks solidify.
I've passed BEC and I have FAR, AUD and REG to go, with FAR scheduled on 5/29. Good luck on your studying! Sounds like you have a great plan in place already. Just keep a positive attitude, be confident, and stick with your plan, and you'll do fine. Good to see another CPA exam blog out there!
Hi Nicole! I just found your blog and I feel your pain; balance is extremely difficult. My Masters of Accountancy program started live Becker lectures on campus right after we finished our coursework- all the students take it together in the summer before we start work. Our first lecture was May 4th and I took FAR May 15th. Pretty much one lecture a day with very little downtime.
I think it helps most to find a study buddy. If I was putting in a 12 hour day on campus, I knew people who were doing the same, if not more! Plus there's the pressure to pass the first time so our school does well in the rankings. You have just got to find what motivates you!
Hi Nicole. It's really tough to balance. I currently work full time for one of the Big Four firms and you just have to commit yourself. I took FAR on April 18 and take REG on May 30 (I know, I'm absolutely crazy for taking both of those in the same testing window, but I have to get them out of the way because I have a summer busy season).
I've found that it helps to have a study buddy and that if you force yourself to study for 3-4 hours a night during the week, you can get it done while still having some time with your friends on the weekend. Good luck with the exam and let me know how it goes.
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