[outrenthome]

Hello everybody!

I’m studying for the CPA exam (duh) and I have already passed FAR and AUD on my first try. I’m currently studying for REG and I feel like I’m taking forever to get done with all these exams. I took FAR on August 30, 2013, AUD on November 22, 2013, and I scheduled my REG exam on February 24, 2014. I know I have until May 2015 to pass the remaining 2 sections, but I feel like I’m breaking down to misery. I seems like it takes me at least 2 and 1/2 months to prepare for each section. I also have a husband and he’s very demanding. Plus I work at a small CPA firm. This is my schedule:

I wake up at 8am and go to work at 9am

I have a 15-30 minute lunch break in the break room of the office with my boss and co workers. My boss likes to have “family lunches”. I can’t study during this time as we don’t really have a lunch break after all…

I stop working at 6pm

I stay in the office, open my CPAExcel book and website and study until 11pm.

I come home to my husband at 11:30pm.

We go to sleep at 12:00am

And the cycle repeats.

After many arguments with my husband, I decided it wasn’t worth it going to the office to study on Sunday. So I decided to stop doing that and spend time at church and have brunch with friends instead.

I feel like I am stuck in a rut. I feel like I’m enslaved by this exam and it’s sucking the life out of me.

I need a hug… 🙁

Maybe I should take more of a risk and confront my fear of failing by taking the exam earlier, even if I don’t feel prepared?

I dream of the day when this nightmare will finally be over!

[mla1169]

It has to be rough to have a husband who is not supportive. I'm so sorry. I don't think increasing the pressure to go faster will serve you well if you're studying at a pace you're comfortable with. 5 hours of studying a day for 2+ months is quite a bit though.

Hang in there, you're halfway done!

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

It has to be rough to have a husband who is not supportive. I'm so sorry. I don't think increasing the pressure to go faster will serve you well if you're studying at a pace you're comfortable with. 5 hours of studying a day for 2+ months is quite a bit though.

Hang in there, you're halfway done!

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[MrsBing]

From what I'm reading, unless there's more to it, it doesn't seem like your husband is being unsupportive. It looks likes Monday thru Friday you spend working and studying with no time for your husband and all he wants is some time on Sunday. That doesn't seem like too much to ask for. Maybe you can wake up an hour early each day to study so one day a week you can not study after work.

Becker, Wiley Test Bank, and Ninja 10 Point Combo!

FAR: 89
REG: 87
AUD: 92
BEC: 75
Ethics: 90

Licensed Arizona CPA

[MrsBing]

From what I'm reading, unless there's more to it, it doesn't seem like your husband is being unsupportive. It looks likes Monday thru Friday you spend working and studying with no time for your husband and all he wants is some time on Sunday. That doesn't seem like too much to ask for. Maybe you can wake up an hour early each day to study so one day a week you can not study after work.

Becker, Wiley Test Bank, and Ninja 10 Point Combo!

FAR: 89
REG: 87
AUD: 92
BEC: 75
Ethics: 90

Licensed Arizona CPA

[Anonymous]

I agree with MrsBing. The husband is being lenient to approve the OP to stay late at her workplace to study better.

When I was working during the last 4 months, it took so much of my energy to explain to my husband why did I have to go to a library or stay in Starbucks to study after work. He totally could not understand. He was pointing out, I have my exclusive study room in the house, and he would not bug me at all. He even mentioned that my mother-in-law also thought it was silly to be going elsewhere to study. The lack of support from my family pushed me down. I lost my motivation. It took me 2 months to finish F1.

However, giving 4-5 hours for church and family lunch/dinner on Sundays should not hurt your study time.

A day of rest and devotion balances life. It's a must to me. Pass or fail, I will stick to it!

[Anonymous]

I agree with MrsBing. The husband is being lenient to approve the OP to stay late at her workplace to study better.

When I was working during the last 4 months, it took so much of my energy to explain to my husband why did I have to go to a library or stay in Starbucks to study after work. He totally could not understand. He was pointing out, I have my exclusive study room in the house, and he would not bug me at all. He even mentioned that my mother-in-law also thought it was silly to be going elsewhere to study. The lack of support from my family pushed me down. I lost my motivation. It took me 2 months to finish F1.

However, giving 4-5 hours for church and family lunch/dinner on Sundays should not hurt your study time.

A day of rest and devotion balances life. It's a must to me. Pass or fail, I will stick to it!

[Anonymous]

Studying for these exams takes a toll on a marriage. You have to find a balance. I know you want to finish quickly, but is it worth the risk of alienating your spouse. Unless I'm missing something he doesn't sound demanding at all to me. I know this process is very rough, but you can find time for both. At some point the studying become counterproductive because you aren't giving yourself time for anything else and you need that just to recharge. ****Not to make the situation worse, but if you passed your first part on 08/30/13, then your 18 month window will expire in February 2015, not in May 2015.

[Anonymous]

Studying for these exams takes a toll on a marriage. You have to find a balance. I know you want to finish quickly, but is it worth the risk of alienating your spouse. Unless I'm missing something he doesn't sound demanding at all to me. I know this process is very rough, but you can find time for both. At some point the studying become counterproductive because you aren't giving yourself time for anything else and you need that just to recharge. ****Not to make the situation worse, but if you passed your first part on 08/30/13, then your 18 month window will expire in February 2015, not in May 2015.

[jlough]

@ Outrenthome— HUG!!! I understand feeling stressed about studying and maintaining a marriage. I was married for only a little over a year when I started the CPA journey. Luckily I've only had one freak out on my husband in the last 8 months (I freaked out on both him and our two cats for annoying the heck out of me one night… he just laughed and then made me a cocktail). What I've done that has been successful is set aside one hour each night to relax with my husband. Sure, I could spend that hour studying, but I need that time to decompress! Studying almost everyday for almost a year will take a toll on you!

Also, each week I've assigned myself specific lessons (I'm doing CPAExcel too) that need to get done by the end of the week. My goal is to complete everything by Saturday, so I can have Sunday free. My husband has been really good about helping me reach that goal each week so that we can spend time together on Sunday.

F- 7/13- 84
R- 10/13- 79
A- 11/13- 99
B- 1/14- 86

Licensed in PA- 3/20/2014

This exam ALMOST defeated me back in 2006-2008, but I came back and WON!

[jlough]

@ Outrenthome— HUG!!! I understand feeling stressed about studying and maintaining a marriage. I was married for only a little over a year when I started the CPA journey. Luckily I've only had one freak out on my husband in the last 8 months (I freaked out on both him and our two cats for annoying the heck out of me one night… he just laughed and then made me a cocktail). What I've done that has been successful is set aside one hour each night to relax with my husband. Sure, I could spend that hour studying, but I need that time to decompress! Studying almost everyday for almost a year will take a toll on you!

Also, each week I've assigned myself specific lessons (I'm doing CPAExcel too) that need to get done by the end of the week. My goal is to complete everything by Saturday, so I can have Sunday free. My husband has been really good about helping me reach that goal each week so that we can spend time together on Sunday.

F- 7/13- 84
R- 10/13- 79
A- 11/13- 99
B- 1/14- 86

Licensed in PA- 3/20/2014

This exam ALMOST defeated me back in 2006-2008, but I came back and WON!

[Study Monk]

After REG take 2 weeks off from studying and maybe get time off from work if your not in public accounting. You should still be able to take BEC in the next window with a two week vacation.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Study Monk]

After REG take 2 weeks off from studying and maybe get time off from work if your not in public accounting. You should still be able to take BEC in the next window with a two week vacation.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[outrenthome]

@CPAMommyof3, yes you are right the date when I will lose my FAR credit is not May 2015. I went to the Texas AICPA website and it shows I will lose it on 03/10/2015 (I guess they count the date of the score release rather than the date I took the exam…)

@jlough… yes I think you are right. The reason why I made this post is because I think I am being too hard on myself. I am just too worried about these exams. The thought of failing even one of these sections is eating up my soul! I have never failed a test during my college career and just the thought of the possibility of failing sends me in a depressing zone!

I think I just need to chill out and spend more time with my family and less time worrying… I think I just need to believe that failing one section is not that bad after all…. but I also think it's easier said than done!

I hate having feelings! lol I also want to spend my time with my husband… actually I want to spend all the time with my husband! That's why I study in my office at night because if I was at home I would feel like having a jar of Nutella in front of me all day and having to force myself not to take a big bite of it! lol

I also think I have this inner feeling of self-inflicting pain that I think I deserve to go through in order to succeed in life as well as the pressure from friends and family wanting to see me succeed and I feel like I cannot disappoint them!

The fact is… I just probably need to realize that I have been studying hard for 6 years already and I am only 3-4 months away from getting absolutely done! Maybe I also have fear of change?

[outrenthome]

@CPAMommyof3, yes you are right the date when I will lose my FAR credit is not May 2015. I went to the Texas AICPA website and it shows I will lose it on 03/10/2015 (I guess they count the date of the score release rather than the date I took the exam…)

@jlough… yes I think you are right. The reason why I made this post is because I think I am being too hard on myself. I am just too worried about these exams. The thought of failing even one of these sections is eating up my soul! I have never failed a test during my college career and just the thought of the possibility of failing sends me in a depressing zone!

I think I just need to chill out and spend more time with my family and less time worrying… I think I just need to believe that failing one section is not that bad after all…. but I also think it's easier said than done!

I hate having feelings! lol I also want to spend my time with my husband… actually I want to spend all the time with my husband! That's why I study in my office at night because if I was at home I would feel like having a jar of Nutella in front of me all day and having to force myself not to take a big bite of it! lol

I also think I have this inner feeling of self-inflicting pain that I think I deserve to go through in order to succeed in life as well as the pressure from friends and family wanting to see me succeed and I feel like I cannot disappoint them!

The fact is… I just probably need to realize that I have been studying hard for 6 years already and I am only 3-4 months away from getting absolutely done! Maybe I also have fear of change?

[Anonymous]

I understand. I was a great student in grad school, before marriage and kids. I am not at my best while studying for the CPA exams and I hate it, but I have just come to realize that it's not the end of the world to fail one and have to retake it. There are so many more important things. As long as I finish in teh 18 month window I don't care if it takes me the whole time. (Hopefully that won't happen though) I am fearful of having to make decisions regarding employment changes once I pass the exam. Maybe that could be part of it for you?

[Author]

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