Nadia is a weekly Club 75 Blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam. She has been a member of Another71.com's Club 75 since December 2010.
In a world as crazy as this one, it ought to be easy to find something that happens solely by chance. It isn't. – Kevin McKeen
The Orderly Pursuit of Pure Disorder. Discover, January, 1981
This quote truly defines what it takes to take the CPA Exam. This test is not about chance, it is an exam that you must work hard and give it your all in order to succeed. I understand that life can sometimes get in the way. This week I felt that work, family and social responsibilities took a toll on my exam schedule but I firmly believe that is a process of give and take.
Sometimes you have to be flexible and using Jeffs Ninja Study Planner I was able to keep my focus. I also enjoy the flexibility of the Rogers CPA online course as well as Yaegers self-study course.
On days that I felt that I was not going to have a lot of time after work because of family responsibilities I made sure I got up earlier and made up some of the time. If work got in the way I will bring my study material so as soon as I was completed with my projects I could study at work for an hour or two and then head home.
Another great way to study is to use your lunch hour, believe it or not you can work on multiple choice questions during that hour or even review your flash cards/notes. This week I was able to get my study schedule going, I am studying for audit, and trust me I am giving it my all. One thing that I am keeping in mind is that with all the studying that is required of these exams I must also take the time not to let every day stress and over studying affect my chances of passing the exam.
In order to do well, I must always take care of myself first. Another important factor is to remember time management skills are also an important part of passing this exam. When you over commit and say yes to extra projects that are not the priority at the moment it can take time away from this important project in your life.
I leave you with the following tips that I have used in the past, as summarized by www.educationplanner.org :
STRESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS
1. Don't sweat the small stuff. Prioritize your activities and focus on the most important ones.
2. Exercise. It takes your mind off things that are bothering you.
3. Take care of yourself. Eat right and get enough sleep.
4. Avoid drugs and alcohol. They do not reduce stressthey hide it.
TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
1. Plan ahead and stick to a schedule.
2. Decide what you want to accomplish and how long you will spend on each subject or assignment.
3. Break your workload down into manageable chunks.
4. Don't procrastinate (that's a big word that means putting things off).
5. Be aware of things that distract you or waste your time, and keep them to a minimum.
I am looking forward to continuing my progress!
~Nadia
I think that this time you will pass. It took me four times to finally get passed AUD. Good luck.
good luck, you won't be disappointed with Roger's course....coming from a 1st time passing all sections, CPA :)
Thank you Hattie and Jason. I am working as hard as I can :)
Nadia you seem very bright, thanks for all the tips...