[Anonymous]

I am 29 years old and about to start my year-long journey of studying for the CPA. I have never been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or any type of learning disorder. Just never mentioned it to anyone, but I am pretty sure I have something, and have had it since I was a child.

In terms of education, I have scraped by at everything. And in the rare glimpses of mental clarity, I have scored very very high, but then it very quickly goes back to a scrambled tv channel, with the picture coming in clear or partially clear every once in a while. And when I say clarity, I don’t mean me understanding certain material and struggling at other material. It is this way with everything. I just have the worst time at focusing. I am a very calm person physically. Too calm and boring actually, but my brain is the opposite. It is always racing around. If I meet someone and they tell me their name, I instantly forget it. My brain just doesn’t process it. When I read just a single sentence in a book, I have to read it over 3-5 times, just for it to partially make sense, and then majority of the time it is all forgotten once I start the next sentence. So, I am absolutely the worst at studying because I struggle and grasping concepts because of my brain’s inability to solely focus on one thing. Even when I have no distractions around me, my brain distracts itself. It is like there is two people in there, one trying to focus and study and the other jumping around and wanting to play.

So, I am terrified about the CPA exam because of this. I know deep down inside, I have the ability to pass the exam, but I can rarely awaken that person deep down inside. It is not a motivation thing either. That is not an issue. I just have some type of learning disability. Anybody similar?

[Anonymous]

Oh and I do very well at work. Always earning promotion. So, I am intelligent and can grasp anything and learn anything, but mentally I struggle. And every once in a while something very simple will just fly right by my head, or it takes me a while to fully understand something. Also, I am able to work at a comfortable pace. And every 10 mins or so, I always catch myself taking a break and browsing the net (like i am doing now). Then I get back to work, do good for 10 mins, and then my brain is aching for a break. But, that is work. Studying for the exam is going to be 100x harder than anything I do at work.

[Anonymous]

I thought I had one also in college (I'll be honest I didn't even read your whole post) I forget stuff when I read it instantly all the time. I could read an entire chapter and realize the entire time I was thinking about groceries the weekend etc. I went to the doctor they asked me several questions and eventually asked me what I was majoring in. When I told her Accounting she basically laughed at me. She said learning disorders can be mild but for the most part if your majoring in Accounting it may require a lot of focus and you feel like you can't give enough, but its not a learning disorder.

I passed the CPA exam though. All you have to do is figure yourself out. I knew reading the text book was worthless for me so I'll be honest. I have NEVER read a college text book. I figured that out in high school that reading for me was pointless. My reading comprehension scores on every test I ever took are AWFUL. I watched videos. Because when I took the test In my mind I could literally hear what was being said on the video. I did thousands of questions. So between questions and videos I was able to pass.

[y_u_no_pass]

Yeah. I have a learning disability. It isn't exactly the same, but taken medication definitely made a difference for me. I will warn it isn't a magic cure. I still lose focus and tend to procrastinate at work and for exams, but it helps me to focus when it is the most necessary. Maybe you should see a psychiatrist.

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response. Ya, I am a huge procrastinator. And while In college, I just couldn't do things ahead of schedule, even if I set that time aside. Like with essays, I felt more comfortable doing it last minute and rushed. Couldnt focus on it when I did it a week or two in advance.

And, unless I can just see my primary and he prescribe me something, then there is nothing I can do. I can't afford to see a psychiatrist. My company's health insurance is sky high and absolute trash.

[Anonymous]

@ajmallie

Thanks. Ya, I am the same way. Never in my life have I read a book from front to cover. And very few times have I read assigned chapters for classes. Like you said, I found it pointless. Not pointless in an ignorant sense that I knew everything and didn't need to read it, but in a sense where I did nothing for me. I absorbed none of it.

And, ya that is why I am going to get RogerCPA. I feel his videos will help tremendously. I will also be getting the Ninja 10pt combo. Hopefully I can find some method that works.

[y_u_no_pass]

You might be able to get something from your regular doctor, but many are pushing towards psychiatrists, because that is their specialty. Anyway you probably can get through these exams without medication if you have made it this far in life. It will just be a little harder for you. There are also clinics and stuff that may be able to help if you don't have insurance.

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[Missy]

Try the forum search at the top of this page, there are many threads and tips on this topic.

However if your regular doctor would prescribe meds for ADD/ADHD, I'd find a new regular doctor. They are not the experts and not in a position to diagnose ADD and they certainly won't do all the required testing. I do have ADD/ADHD and am not currently on meds even though I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist and a neurologist because my regular doctor won't mess with that stuff. Some doctors give it out like candy, but do you REALLY trust a doctor who's so loose with a prescription pad?

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

You probably don't have an actual learning disorder if you made it through college no problem. You are probably just struggling to come to grips with how boring and dry a lot of this material actually can be. What you are describing isn't any different than anything I experienced, if I were to just sit down with my materials in a quiet room I would want to do ANYTHING that wasn't studying. Suddenly examining the carpet for weird patterns or seeing if I could guess the remaining time in a lecture would become the most interesting thing in the world.

You need to find the style that fits best for you. I found I needed to have the TV on when I studied or did practice questions. Sure, there would be times I'd miss something and have to go back, but it beat the heck out of being SOOOO BORED and wanting to do anything else. I would pick programs like reruns of Big Bang Theory or Modern Family, or sporting events where I wasn't invested in the outcome, I found they gave me enough little brain breaks to keep me sane while not crossing the distracting line.

It's boring material, but you need to make it through, focus on understanding the big picture and drill down into the minutia (every test but BEC has a big picture you are working to, an audit report, an income tax return, a balance sheet), find the style that fits you best and drill questions. Everyone is different, but you aren't broken and in need of medication.

[Missy]

I disagree CPLeaseA, I made it through college very well before i was diagnosed (had a GPA of 3.7 for undergrad and 3.6 for grad school) and as I mentioned I went through extensive and thorough testing and without a doubt have ADD.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Well perhaps I am living with undiagnosed ADD myself then (I've long been suspicious) because my experience sounds very similar to the OPs. I was just sharing what worked for me and trying to offer encouragement, I've always struggled to pay attention in class and frequently feel uneasy and bored if I don't have two things happening at once (I set up two TVs in my man cave, one for video games and one for TV watching, if I'm watching TV with the wife, I have to be on the ipad as well).

I just also happen to believe we are too quick to medicate in society today, especially in situations like this, when being bored and struggling to focus is an inherent issue (at least in my opinion it is).

[quittingcpa2013]

Is this a troll thread?

[golfball7773]

@allabout – I will tell you my path to diagnosis later, but for now does your employer have EAP? My EAP paid for 2 sessions

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - 86
FAR - NINJA in Training
REG - NINJA in Training

AUD - 71, 73

BEC - 74, 86

REG - 77*

FAR - 57

*expired

(I have been trying to become a CPA since 2013). only one test down.......

FAR: 63, 55, 62
REG: 65, 77*
AUD: Fail, 64, 71
BEC: 72, 74, 81

*expired

[Anonymous]

I have a sister in law who is a psychiatrist. I mentioned that I felt like I was undiagnosed. She ripped me a new one and told me I along with many people do not understand the severity of ADD or ADHD. (I'm not trying to disagree with you mla) But she seemed to get very angry with me for even sugggesting that I felt like I had some undiagnosed condition.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Ya, I am sure I am jumping the gun by saying that I might have an undiagnosed learning disorder. But, it is just something I have always dealt with. True, if I made it this far, and have a learning disorder, then I can without a doubt make it from here on out. Ya, I did make it through college, but barely. I graduated with a horrible GPA. But in my eyes, it makes me want this CPA even more, I can practically erase my history of bad grades with passing this CPA. What I did in college would no longer matter. In the end, I would have my CPA just like the 3.0+ gpa students have there.

@CPleaseA

Thanks for the advice. I will try those out. I am a multi tasker. so, having something in the background like tv might help. Definitely going to split my readings and studying into chunks rather than long durations.

@quittingcpa2013

No, but it seems like you just labeled yourself as one by what you just contributed.

[Missy]

Well as I said, it didn't adversely affect my grades or studying and when my psychiatrist referred me to a neuro to confirm her diagnosis I thought she was out of her mind. I went in thinking I was having a nervous breakdown because my anxiety was through the roof. I fell apart one night as I was putting down a hardwood floor with a schoolbook on the floor in front of me studying as I was tapping the boards together. Shrink asked if I was physically capable of doing one thing at a time (to which I laughed and said I would be SO unproductive like that. My neurologist (fairly well known in Boston) said ADD is absolutely NOT an inability to focus despite what you'll read online but instead you focus on multiple things at the same time. I think ADD is terribly overdiagnosed and is a catch all for many other behavior issues, but to say its not possible because you got through college is a mistake.

By the way both the hardwood floor and the test I was studying for came out well. However with medication at the time I was able to do one or the other and not both simultaneously. I had been diagnosed with anxiety for over 20 years and none of the meds calmed me like the concerta did.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Author]

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