[scottiet]

I started studying for FAR in mid December and took the section on the 28th of February. Every day I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and get to work by 5:30. For the next two and half hours I watch videos and take notes. At 8 works starts, usually during the day I have free time to do 50-100 MCQ at my desk. Every day I go to the gym, I’ll do cardio for 30 to 50 minutes while reading the Becker text. Then back to work and do more MCQ and also have the Becker lecture running in the background. I never study at night, because my head hurts too bad to function.

Every weekend I wake up at 6am run to Starbucks and then head back to work.I don’t study at home because there’s too may distractions for me. I Hit videos, notes and MCQs for 8 hours. I’ve never taken a day off, my girlfriend doesn’t understand why I wake up so early or why I don’t sleep in. I tell her “no pain no gain” and “thank god for Aderol”.

I just started AUD, praying that I have passed FAR so I don’t have to open the text ever again. For AUD I’m trying a new technique. Watch the videos over and over and over again before moving to the MCQs and next topic. I hoping this will reinforce the material, because auditing is a bit foreign to me. For the FAR section I watched the videos once or twice then moved to MCQs. Most of the time I didn’t have a good grasp of the material before moving on.

FAR- 88 2/28/2012
AUD- 88 5/3/2012
REG- 84 7/31/12
BEC- 83 10/19/12

[misanthrope87]

My study habits say I'm lazy. After work I study for 1-1.5 hours. On weekends, it takes me ALLLL day and night to get 5 hours in. I hate studying, and I'm quite lazy about it.

B 2/12 87
A 11/11 90
R 8/11 86
F 5/12 88

[Anonymous]

Scottiet – sounds like you are going to score in the 90's. You certainly deserve a 99! You mentioned Aderol and I can't help but ask how long have you been on it. I took FAR last week and got sick as a dog the morning of the exam. I thought I had a virus. I went to the doctor the next day and she said I was having an anxiety attack brought on by the exam. My blood pressure was at stroke level. She put me on Ritalin. I can tell the difference somewhat while I'm studying but I still can't do everything that you have done. I was wondering if it takes a while to get your body adjusted to it or is 5 days of it enough to tell if it is going to really help.

[scottiet]

Kricket, if you're taking Ritalin you should be able to notice the effects with in 15 minutes. Try it for a few days, if you don't think it is helping you can tell your physician and he will most likely bump up the dosage.

I've been on adderall for 4 years. Helps me focus a lot, with out it I would probably do one MCQ then surf the web for ten minutes.

FAR- 88 2/28/2012
AUD- 88 5/3/2012
REG- 84 7/31/12
BEC- 83 10/19/12

[Anonymous]

I'm the same way. I never dreamed at 40 something that a doctor would tell me that I'm ADD! I always think of kids climbing the walls when someone mentions ADD. I can tell a difference but it doesn't last very long. She told me to take it at different times of day until I found out when it would really help me study. I work all day and I can't study at work at all. So I really need it in the evening but I'm afraid I won't sleep. She also gave me Valium to take an hour before the exam to keep me calm. I guess you could say I'm trying to pass this exam with the help of modern pharmaceuticals but if that is what it takes then I'm ok with it!

[mla1169]

Kricket, usually when you start on a new med, they start you at a very low dose just to make sure it doesn't have a bad reaction (ESPECIALLY with your blood pressure, in fact my doctor recommends using one of those freebie blood pressure tests at the pharmacy a couple times a week, please check it often while you are getting used to it)

So you may not notice much of a difference at all on the dose you're taking and they likely will have to increase it a few times before you seriously can tell.

but please promise to stay on top of your BP, where it was already so high once!

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

Scottie you're putting in MANY more hours than I ever did……you're going to do GREAT!

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

mla1169 – My husband has high blood pressure so I am checking mine twice a day and it has been normal since Thursday. I had no idea that high blood pressure would make you that sick. I just always thought about people passing out, which is what my husband did when we discovered his problem. He also has extremely high cholesterol and mine is normal. I just wish I had the energy that scottiet has! That is a crazy schedule and it sounds like a perfect plan to pass this beast. Right now I'm studying for REG because I know I have to take it April 2nd and I will probably start studying for FAR along with it because I'll have to take it April 3rd if I didn't pass last week, which I'm sure I didn't. I've never tried to study for two tests at once but lots of people have and have passed. Thanks for your concern!

[jomarie]

@Kricket – I've been dealing with high blood pressure for years. I'm a totally different person when it's high. I also get migarines when it sky rockets. I'm starting to wonder if that's why I've haven't been feeling well. I think with the craziness at the office and home this past week, I've probably missed a few doses. I took my pill today so we'll see if I get better quick. This week is going to be another crazy week since we are having a new furance installed since ours has a mind of it's own. It turns off when it feels like it. Then I have to turn it on and off a few times to start it up again. I really can't wait till Wednesday so this nightmare will be over.

Started sitting in May 2002, on and off. But since 2008 I've been nonstop and my scores are....
AUD - 39, 48, 56, 65, 68, 73, 76!!! (Finally passed in Oct 2011!!!) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
REG - 75 (Lost Credit) 72, 68, 73, 75 (Passed again in Aug 2011) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
FAR - 65, 68, 75 (Lost Credit) 68, 73, 73, 80 (Passed again in May 2012) Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
BEC - 65, 68, 71, 72, 72, 71, 76 (Lost Credit)- 70, 76!!!! I AM DONE!!! - Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
After 10 long years of studying, I AM DONE!!!! Finally a Licensed CPA in the State of New York!!

[goodluck2everyone]

sounds to me like you're addicted to adderall

if someone like me can study and pass these exams without so much as drinking coffee, than anyone can. My attention span lasts about 5 minutes

BEC- 80
REG- 68, 71, July
AUD- 61 , 84
FAR- -- 75 🙂

[Elaine]

You, sir, deserve a medal for the early-morning/during-work studying….

[Anonymous]

Goodluck2everyone – I'm glad you can do this without so much as coffee but some of us can't. To say someone is addicted is a medical diagnosis and should be left to a doctor. Just my opinion.

[mla1169]

Goodluck, I thought it was you who thought it was possible you might have undiagnosed ADD?

I can tell you from personal experience, I've done the exams both with and without concerta. LIke you I was able to pass without the meds. Like Kricket, fighting that hard to compensate for the ADHD without meds took a huge toll on me physically and mentally.

I doubt the OP is addicted to adderall, just reading what he's written is a classic example of ADD, can't focus at home with the distractions, can't focus on just the cardio OR the studying so he does both at the same time and can't even focus on just his job so he does MCQ's when he should be (for all practical purposes) focused on his job. And because of the ADD he probably HAS to study for 8 hours to get in what someone without ADD gets done in 4. Remember the meds don't “cure” adhd, they only make it more manageable.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[jamesblunt69]

@mla1169 I don't have ADD but I need to put in a lot of time to study this stuff because I don't care nor want to study it. I use good ol' coffee.

[Anonymous]

@Kricket

You should be proud of yourself, your perserverance is incredible

@Scottiet

Sounds like your study habits are pretty good, although, getting thru 50-100 MCQ's a day at your desk seems high, it takes me about 8 hours to get thru 100 and thats BEC. However, I spend alot of time understanding every single MCQ; why did I get it right, why did I get it wrong, take notes, and move forward. Who knows though, I haven't taken any exams yet, so we will see if it pays off.

[goodluck2everyone]

8 hours for 100 MCQ? That's ~5 minutes per question and way too slow

I'm not trying to be a prick but you'll have less than 2 minutes per question for these exams most of the time. Try to train your brain into doing them faster but hey, whatever works for you…

BEC- 80
REG- 68, 71, July
AUD- 61 , 84
FAR- -- 75 🙂

[Author]

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