[Anonymous]

Hi

Can anyone tell me how they coped with an adverse situation while studying? I know I’ve read a lot of posts where people were dealing with their own illnesses or the loss of a loved one. How did you stay/get back on track?

I had to put my dog to sleep yesterday- we were buddies for 12 years and I am just having a hard time keeping my head up. I don’t have kids and I take my pets pretty seriously (I have another dog and a cat). I am scheduled to take audit 7/28 and it is my last part.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[mla1169]

I'm so sorry. You've got time, give yourself a couple of days to mourn, but then buckle down-it will be a well needed distraction from your grief. Too long to post here but if you've never read the rainbow bridge poem, google it. It's everything you need to hear/read right now.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry Cooper- from a fellow animal lover (more like animal obsessed), I know how much grief you must be going through. A beloved pet isn't just a pet, it's like a child. Having to go through that is really emotionally draining- I would take a couple of days off from studying just to get through it. Do sometime you love and help yourself get through the pain and distract you. There's no point in trying to study right now because you're probably not going to be getting much out of it. Again, I'm really sorry- my heart goes out to you.

[uptowngirl549]

I am sorry for your loss. I know how you feel. I had a similar experience last year when I took FAR. I had put my 12 yr old cat down shortly before. I was a wreck for weeks…months. For the exam, I just pushed through and found studying to be a good distraction. The day of the exam I knew everything was going to be ok (as weird as it probably sounds to some). I knew he would be with me during the exam…just a weird feeling I had. I took about a week off from studying after. Some days it was too much, but pushing through the material I think I helped me push through my feelings. I found the rainbow bridge poem comforting. It still makes me tear up though. I also read websites on pet loss and how to work through my feelings. It is a definetly a different kind of grief than losing a human loved one. What also helped me is knowing that I gave him the best 12 years of life I could. You gave your dog the best life anyone could.

FAR - 78
AUD - 66, 91
REG - August 28, 2014
BEC - 74, 79

[NicoleL]

I was 2 questions into the Becker final exam on the day before my BEC test when I got the call that the spleen biopsy I just had done on our 11.5 year old golden retriever came back as cancer. Just like you, we don't have any kids besides the 2 furry ones so I totally get how traumatized you feel. Luckily I was at home with him so I could lay with him for awhile and just cry. I then got up and researched canine cancer and decided to do chemo for him and set up an appointment with the oncologist. At that point, I realized there was nothing else I could proactively do for him (and he was sleeping), so I finished the final (which turned out awful). There was no option to reschedule my test since my NTS was expiring, so I went the next morning and took the exam. I walked out a complete mess and when I got to work, everyone thought I was upset because of the test. Could have cared less about the test at that point, my dog is so much more important to me. After that, I took a week off studying and focused on researching dogs and cancer. Now, I'm back to regular studying with Luke usually laying near me. I'm taking a little longer with this section, so that if he want's attention from me, I can stop for a couple of hours and focus on him instead of ignoring him while I study. Hopefully, I will be done with audit before he takes a turn for the worse but so far the chemo is working.

FAR - 93 (YAY!!!!)
REG - 93 (Double YAY!)
BEC - 87 (Whew!)
AUD - 96 (DONE!!!!!)

[Java230]

You just need to take some time, then suck it up and move on. I lost a child in Feb while studying (unborn, during the pregnancy) but still it was the hardest thing in my life. I delayed the test 1 month and took paid sick leave to get myself together and moved on. My original Audit test was scheduled end of February and moved it to first week of April. No, I did not study during that time, I didn't look at any books, I didn't do any work, I worked ONLY on myself, then I moved on. I caught up by taking Aud and BEC in the same test period, but I am glad I gave myself time and my husband was amazing, supported me through it and supported me to get myself back on the horse. SO take time off, set a goal of when you think you can start back up, reassess your mental state, and continue on. Life goes on.

Licensed WA CPA 2/2015
Government Auditor Since 2007

[Author]

Replies