Sooo....I am 27, married, and have a 2 yr old and a 5 week old. I am working full time and studying my tail off when I have the time. My main goal is not to go bat $&@$ insane during this process. Anyone else dealing with anything similar?
CPA Exam Review Forum » General CPA Exam Forum » Ethics Exam, CPA Certificates, Work Experience & Licensure
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yankeeaccountant
offlineMember@minimorty,
For me the opposite. I have one in college and one in high school---both will be sophmores. I have a husband who has been anxiously awaiting for this time, when the kids are busy and never home, and we are able to do more together and he is looking over at me like: REALLY?? CPA, now?!!!!
Good luck with attacking this exam process with little ones, I can only imagine how difficult that must be. I think we can all agree that the madness of this exam was not what we originally anticipated. UGH. Best of luck to you.....and congrats on the newborn. :)
Posted 11 months ago # -
Need a Napa
offlineMemberMinimorty
My daughter is 3 and a half and my son just turned 1 last week. It is not easy to study when you have a full time job and kids. I have to say that what has suffered most of the past year is my job performance. I've been so burned out from studying that I can hardly concentrate at work.
That having been said, the only way I have found to be successful is to study after the kids go to bed. That means I try to get them down by 8, hopefully they fall asleep before 9, and from there I study until I'm too tired (usually 10:30 or 11). Also I have tried to study on the weekends during naps.
This has not been a fun road, and I definitely couldn't have done it without the support of my wife. I guess my best advise would be to not take the tests until you are pretty confident you are ready for them (I have only taken one per window). As much as studying is a drain on your life, you don't want to prolong it any more than necessary.
Good luck!! It can be done!
BEC - 83 (8/31/2010)
FAR - 85 (11/30/2010)
AUD - 82 (2/27/2011)
REG - 87 (5/31/2011)Posted 11 months ago # -
Jeff - another71.com
offlineadminI now leave the house and work from a coffee shop each day. There's no way I could study at home if I were taking the exam again. Then again, I have five kids. :)
Posted 11 months ago # -
Minimorty
offlineMember@yankee - Wow. Sounds like you got through all of the hard work of raising kids. Congrats! Now (once you pass the exam) you get to enjoy the time with your husband. I know it is always important to enjoy every step of the process of raising children, even when it is challenging. Just got to keep plugging along. Good luck with the test!
@napa - Ahhh, two toddlers running around! Thats gotta be tough too. Hopefully though, unlike me, you are getting some solid sleep in between your crazy days. My two year old sleeps from 6:30pm to about 6:30am. He is a champ. My little 5 week old girl is a whole different ballgame. She wants to be help 24/7 and despises her crib/swing/bouncer. She is adorable, but SO MUCH WORK. Yeah, I'm also taking one test per quarter. I just cant find the time to do it any quicker. We'll get through it. Good luck!
@Jeff - I think I am on about 7 diet cokes a day right now. Probably going to shorten my life by a couple years. I cant imagine doing this with five kids. I'd say we are definitely at our max with two.
Posted 11 months ago # -
pshustler
offlineMemberI have a 5 month old. She's just now discovering the noises she can make. It can be difficult since we dont have a big house where I can go and hide away. I try and stay late at work and study when I can, but then I walk in the door and she is ready for bed and I dont get to see her. It sucks. Cant wait until this is over
BEC - 86
AUD - 94
REG - 88
FAR - 89Posted 11 months ago # -
Allyson
offlineModeratorI can't study at home because of all the distractions. Study when they sleep and take advantage of any help you can get.
We are on vacation this week and I was way more realistic this year than last year: I am having a study-free week. Last year I ended up getting upset because I couldn't stick to my study schedule during vacation. My husband is in school so I am on my own with two restless boys.
Set up a strategic plan and stick to it but most importantly, be realistic. If you think it will take you 6 weeks to study REG, plan on 7 just in case.
It's the hardest thing you'll ever do but when you pass, it will be the best feeling in the world - right up there with childbirth . You'll never forget how much it hurt to get this baby!
OK, we're going bowling now ;) Good luck.
FAR - 69, 64, 67, 80
AUD - 82 ETHICS - 100
BEC - 72, 78
REG - 75 (lost credit, retake 89)Posted 11 months ago # -
ShantiK1
offlineMemberI too have small kids and a teenager. The little ones are 1 and 2, so I know how hard it is to study. They usually wake me up early, so I can't imagine getting up any earlier to squeeze in an hour or so. I try to study at night, but am so tired before they go to bed that it's hard to keep my eyes open.
One of the things I found out recently was that my gym offers 2 hours of daycare while you're there whether or not you're working out. It's hard to pack everything up, but at least the kids get to play and I can usually find a quiet corner to work on something. It might be worth checking out.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Minimorty
offlineMember@ HazeEastwood - That cracked me up. You never know though, some girlfriends can be higher maintenance than five kids! hope yours isn't one of those.
@ShantiK1 - Yeah, I thought about getting up earlier than the 6:30am my son wakes up. I just dont have the energy after battling the 5 week old all night. Since I am working all day, my only opportunity is to squeeze in an hour (two if i am lucky) at night.
Posted 11 months ago # -
75_stay_alive
offlineMemberNot sure if anyone will see my post, as I've been noticing that they dont come up unless I log on. I'm not really sure if that's how it's supposed to be but it wasnt like that before. In any case, regarding the subject, I have a 7 yo and 11 yo, am a single parent working fulltime. We're still in the middle of our busy season (our company is a fiscal year filer). I just sat for FAR last week, hopefully the last time for me. Good luck to everyone!
Posted 11 months ago # -
yankeeaccountant
offlineMember@minimorty,
My second was a handful to say the least. He dropped napping by 18 months, and would be wide awake at ten o'clock at night. I don't envy you now, but what a great time it was. It seems as though when you have had enough and wish for times to be easier all of a sudden you turn around and your boys are hovering about 6 foot 2 inches, and it went by so fast. I hope that you swing through the exams quickly so that you can enjoy your kids.
I use the library a ton. It is too hard to study with music blaring.....my library also have private rooms. Very swanky too! I use those when I am in the last week of review for an exam. A clean room to study--a huge bonus.
Best of luck to you!!
Posted 11 months ago # -
MOMCPA2B
offlineMember@Minimorty. Just breath. Take your time. Slow and steady can win the race. I have an 8 year old and its been a challenge as a single parent. I live in another state with no physical support and I have a full time job. My daughter quizzes me in the morning with flash cards I created on the way to her school. When she was younger I was in college so a scheduled bed time is KEY!!! and essential for your mental health. LOL. Get those kids to bed. At 8 years old my daughter can barely stay up pass 9. LOL..Yes this is challenging and the guilt sometimes is just more than you can stand. But your kids are getting a wonderful lesson in life. Example- My 8 year old decided she is going to college as soon as she is done with High School because she sees how hard it can be but she also knows that you can accomplish things if you put your mind to it. Hang in there. Sing you mnemonics to the baby, lol. They dont know the difference. LOL. Make your family a part of it. Go for a walk and recite things like poems. Heck you have a kid that reads make them quiz you. You will be improving their vocabulary and working on studying. I have tried so many tricks. Yep its not easy but its so worth it.
I cant wait for this to be over.
AUD-7/25/11-77
BEC-11/27/11-Failed(UGH)Back to the drawing board
REG-2/27/12
FAR-May 2012Posted 11 months ago # -
Minimorty
offlineMemberSo it looks like a decent percentage of CPA candidates have children and are still making their way through the process. I am glad to see that. It's also interesting to hear everyone's tricks for finding study time; a couple of them definitely made me laugh. Thanks to everyone for posting your stories!
Posted 11 months ago # -
macha1909
offlineMemberI guess with 2 kids and a full time job its a herculean task to study for CPA exams. I have an 8 month old boy. He has colic, reflux cries a lot...my husband would be busy with his office so i need to take care of house hold chores completely and also take care of my boy for most of the time. I hardly find time during the day. At nights i get so exhausted that i am unable to sit with patience n study..finding it so difficult to focus on the exams..i wonder how all of you guys are concentrating...i have to sit for REG section latest by Aug 10....
Posted 11 months ago # -
Minimorty
offlineMember@macha - I'm sorry to hear about your little boy. Colic is no fun at all. For me, family is always most important. If there is anything left in the tank, studying comes after. You still have a couple of months to get in some solid studying. Perhaps your hubby can call in sick a couple days to give you a break from the crying. Hang in there and good luck!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Allyson
offlineModeratorMacha,
My first baby had reflux as well and never slept. I thought I'd lose my mind. I thought babies loved to eat and sleep so I kept taking him to the pediatrician and asking "are you sure this is normal? He spits up A LOT". He always gained weight and years later the reflux went away. Just hang in there. Those days are now a blur. I can't imagine having to study for the hardest exam on earth while having a baby.
You have a lot on your plate. Are you under pressure to pass the exam now? Would it be more realistic to wait another 6 months or a year to try for the exam?
FAR - 69, 64, 67, 80
AUD - 82 ETHICS - 100
BEC - 72, 78
REG - 75 (lost credit, retake 89)Posted 11 months ago # -
macha1909
offlineMember@Minimorty @ Allyson Thank you. Yes i am under pressure to pass the exams as the credit for BEC section will expire soon and i have 3 more sections to go. I started this course when i was pregnant n cleared BEC section. My delivery was an emergency operation due to preeclampsia. My son was in hospital's nursery for about a month due to low birth weight. Now he is doing fine and he gained weight remarkably. In all this my CPA exams took a back seat. Sometimes i just feel like giving up but then i remember all the pains i took for this course...God knows what's gonna happen..anyway thanks for your support.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Kitch
offlineMemberI'm 29, married with a 4 year old and 2 year old and studying is hell!! I wake up at 4:00 study till 6:00 get kids ready, myself get to work by 8. I then study on lunch, get home by 6. I have to a be mommy and wife...fix dinner, give baths and then shower myself, and study from 8-10.
I have to bias here and it may sound horrible, but this is MY opinion for whatever it is worth.....
Studying for the CPA is tuff, its hard!! However, throw a couple kids in the mix especially the age range of 12 months to 3 years and being a women (yes men, I do believe women "feel" they have more responsibilities with kids and therefore do more to take care of kids) and it feels unbearable. To top it off I am seriously depressed as I have to put a smiling face on while I work 9 hours a day, study 5 and clean and be a mommy for whatever is remaining oh and still fail exams!! This feels undefeatible..........I honestly can't try any harder........unless I go down to 4 hours of sleep a night!
FAR - Passed
REG - Passed - 2 tries
AUD - Passed - 2 tries
BEC - PassedPosted 11 months ago # -
Hope I Pass
offlineMemberI don't have much to add to what everyone has already said...it is hard! I'm 33 and married with a 2-year-old little boy and a full-time job. I am one of those odd people that has the most energy in the morning, so I get up early and study for a couple hours before leaving for work. I study during lunch, but by the evening after getting my son to bed, I've don't have much, if anything, left to give. Oh yeah, I'd study for a few hours on Saturdays/Sundays before my son got up and then during his naptimes. I know you're probably not supposed to do this, but I'd take my laptop down in the evenings to the family room and do Becker questions while hanging out with my husband and watching those "guilty pleasure" shows...Bachelor, Idol, DWTS. Oh well, whatever works! My husband has been laid-off (hoping the economy improves soon), so he takes care of our son during the day, so that helped with not having to get my son ready for daycare in the morning and pick him up at night (he's sleeping when I leave for work). I'm waiting on BEC and hope I'm done, but we'll see. If not, I'm planning on a late-August retake.
FAR - 84 (8/3/10)
AUD - 78 (10/12/10)
REG - 86 (1/17/11)
BEC - 86 (4/14/11)Posted 11 months ago # -
mla1169
offlineMemberMy kids are older (11 and 18) and I can't imagine especially with an infant, but between working full time and being in school half time plus doing the CPA exams, the wiley audio books that you can download to an ipod/mp3 are a nice boost to whatever other program you are using because you can listen while you are busy doing other things with your kids/job/etc. or in the car, or while you are winding down at night.
FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75
If I can do this, YOU can do this! Hang in there :)Posted 11 months ago # -
All it is possible to pass this exam if you put a plan in place and stick to it. I always believe if you put in the effort the results will come. I also think the key to your plan is like Allyson said is to be realistic. Build at least 10% of extra time into your plan for the those times when life gets in the way. It is possible for I married, full time job and 6 kids (3-12 yrs old) and pass the exam. I will say that I could not have done it without the support of my wife and taking care of those 6 children while I studied each night. Well everyone create your plan, stick to it and make sure you are doing quality studying and you will perserve in the end. Good Luck as difficult as the journey is for each of you, the end result is well worth it in my eyes.
Becker - FAR 80, AUD 73, 81, BEC 76, REG 81 (2010) DONE!!!! IN LICENSED CPAPosted 11 months ago # -
Tosha
offlineMemberI have a 14 year old and a 4 year old. Thank goodness they are rather independent because they usually let me study without interrupting too much. My biggest struggle comes from within. I feel like I am neglecting them and that stresses me out!
AUD: 2/12/2011: 84
REG: 4/4/2011: 82
BEC: 5/9/2011: 78
FAR: 7/7/2011: 75Posted 11 months ago # -
Mitzie7
offlineMemberI have 5 kids from 20 - 11 and a full-time job. They are pretty independent (the 20 year old moved out last month) but there is still so much driving to do, sporting events to go to, homework help, etc that it can be hard to find time to study. I usually get up at 5 am to exercise but I have been alternating exercise with studying to try and fit in more study time. We went to Cedar Point last weekend and I brought the Ninja Notes with me into the park. I am a ride chicken so when the rest of the family was in line for the scary stuff, I studied. I am sure I looked quite strange!
AUD 74, 83
FAR 75
REG 71
BEC 85Posted 11 months ago #
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