Has anyone successfully studied during busy season?

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  • #175751
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I started in public accounting in August 2012 and we work typical long hours + Saturdays during busy season. My coworkers have advised me not to try to study during busy season, but…

    – I know I can’t sit for exams in March/June/Sept/Dec

    – my bonus decreases by 70% if I pass after August 2013

    – my Becker MCQ/etc expire in October 2013

    – my first exam (Audit) expires in Feb 2014

    – my summer is starting to book up with EBP audits (one takes up most of June), so my schedule will be pretty packed anytime I try to study

    Should I just suck it up and study during busy season, and take the test(s) Saturday nights at 5pm?

    (I have to retake FAR for sure, because I failed with 71 in December 2012. Feb 5th I get my REG retake score, so I might have to factor that into my schedule too if I failed again. BEC & AUD are done.)

    Thanks in advance for any help/stories you can offer – good luck to everyone!

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • #392964
    mdrobbin
    Member

    I don't work in public accounting so I don't know personally but, I can almost assure you that it is possible. Anything can be done with the appropriate planning and, more importantly, the acceptance that a full night sleep just won't happen. I work a fairly substantial amount of hours and also relocated to Tokyo from Chicago three weeks before AUD… without taking one day off of work in my relocation. I didn't sleep much, but I passed AUD with a 92… not to pat myself on the back but with determination anything can be done.

    I like to think of the basic math… One week has 168 hours. Back out 5 hours of sleep per night and you are at 133 hours left. Take out 80 hours of work (here is where I have no idea what busy season involves, so correct me if I'm way under)… and you have 53 hours. Getting ready for work/bed and eating = 14 hours… down to 39.

    All you need to focus on is 20 – 25 hours of studying per week in my opinion… so you have plenty of time left over 🙂 … so maybe not “PLENTY” of time left over but just enough to reflect on how crazy you were to take on the beast of the CPA exam.

    I'm single and have no kids so my schedule is easier to map out. If I had a family with kids, maybe my “basic math” would be completely false but for me it works.

    FAR - 2012 - PASSED (YAEGER)
    AUD - 2012 - PASSED (YAEGER + NINJA NOTES)
    BEC - 2012 - PASSED (YAEGER + NINJA NOTES)
    REG - 2013 - PASSED (YAEGER + NINJA NOTES + NINJA AUDIO)

    ETHICS - 2013 - PASSED

    DONE!!! Thank you A71 for all the support! Hiya!!!

    #392965
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @mdrobbin – Thanks for sharing your story! I live in the Chicagoland area now, and can't imagine moving to another country while in the middle of studying for the exam. Props to you!

    I like your “basic math” way of thinking – once I look at it that way, I can definitely carve out at least 20 hours/week for studying. I'll plan on doing 2 hours of studying per work night (12 hours/week), and then 8 hours on Sunday, plus listen to my NINJA audio on the way to and from work/clients. I'm single/no kids too, which definitely gives more flexibility.

    Now I'm debating if I should aim for Feb 23 (only 5 weeks/100 hours study time) or April 6 (11 weeks/220 hours study time) for FAR retake 🙂

    Thanks again – good luck on your REG exam!

    #392966
    Whatdidyou
    Member

    You may only have 1 exam left (if you passed REG), so this post may be premature.

    You are newly hired and going into your first busy season. Your more experienced (and possibly wiser?) co-workers have advised you against studying during busy season.

    Since you possibly only have 1 exam left, why would you even want to take it during busy season?!

    Even if you have two left, you can take one in May (or is May still considered busy season at your firm?) and one in August. – At least then you'd have probably have your weekends back to study.

    For now, I'd suggest putting 1 week of PTO in May and 1 week in August. Really push to get these approved and then use them as a full week of review before each of your exams (i don't know why more people don't do this).

    People do take exams during busy season, but you'll be miserable and your team less forgiving (when in non-busy season months, they may let you go early certain days to study). It is really up to how much you want to put yourself through.

    “I like to think of the basic math… One week has 168 hours. Back out 5 hours of sleep per night and you are at 133 hours left. Take out 80 hours of work (here is where I have no idea what busy season involves, so correct me if I'm way under)… and you have 53 hours. Getting ready for work/bed and eating = 14 hours… down to 39.

    All you need to focus on is 20 – 25 hours of studying per week in my opinion… so you have plenty of time left over :)”

    haha. This is crazy. 🙂

    REG - Passed!!
    BEC - Passed
    FAR - Passed
    AUD - Passed

    Study Materials: Becker basic course

    #392967
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    It is possible, but extremely difficult. If you get on a ‘good' client for busy season, you will work 55-60 hours a week, and maybe have a little take home work for over the weekend. This can ramp up for a couple weeks before you file. So if you work 55 hrs a week you probably start around 9, you could get up at 6 and get to the office and study until 9. Then you will probably leave around 9:30, so you could study until bed time and do this all over again. Then on the weekend you can study. To me it's absolutely impossible, but I'm sure you could do it if you have an ok client and you are willing to have absolutely no life outside of accounting. And I'm speaking from a 1st or 2nd years prospective, as a senior forget about it. I finished 2 parts before and hope to get back and finish the others after busy season at the end of May and Early July.

    #392968
    Givemesleep
    Member

    I got up at 5am every day and studied for 2 hours then 1 hour during lunch. On the weekends 5 hours Saturday and 8 on Sunday. It sucks but can be done. The whole process from start to license 12 months.

    Reg 11/15/2011 - 80
    Aud 02/28/2012 - 81
    Bec 05/31/2012 - 78
    Far 08/31/2012 - 83 Do you believe in Miracles, YES !!!

    CPA License received 10/2012 !!
    CFE License received 04/2013 !!
    EA License received

    Givemesleep

    #392969
    mla1169
    Participant

    I don't work in public but had a schedule that was as tough, between working full time, taking 2 classes per semester, and having 2 kids. It definately CAN be done, but that said if you don't have to do it, don't. If you're not in jeopardy of losing a section and you'll have more time to study after busy season, give yourself the benefit of that time.

    FAR- 77
    AUD -49, 71, 84
    REG -56,75!
    BEC -75

    Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

    #392970
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I'm doing it now for AUD and we're not even THAT busy yet and it already sucks. It's really hard to get home after 9 and get into studying. You just have to force yourself, but it's tough to concentrate after working all day already. It's not impossible, but it's not fun (not that studying ever is). I'm taking AUD this upcoming Saturday, so we'll see how it worked out mid-February.

    If you're going to do it, make sure you set yourself a schedule and stick with it!

    #392971
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thanks everyone for the advice/ideas! I am going to plan on retaking FAR in early May 2013, using Whatdidyou's advice to take a week of PTO before the exam. Then, if I did fail REG again (which I'll find out in early Feb), I can plan to retake it at the end of May.

    I just want to make sure I can retake things in the July/Aug testing window if necessary, even though I'm really hoping it won't be necessary 🙂

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