[TobyU]

I’m a sophomore but i’m in a 4 year accounting degree system. My school does offer a masters in accounting to fulfill the remaining 30 credits, since i will most likely have 120 by the end of my 4 years. So if I happen to get hired by a big 4, do i start work after my senior year, while getting my masters/studying for the cpa? or do I do an internship after my senior year and try to get hired towards the end of my masters.

[samdiegoCPA]

@teeteenounouche I disagree 🙂 I'm in my late 20's so my friends are around my age to early 30's. Barely anyone can travel because they can't take time off work or have this or that going on. I'm just giving advice that worked for me and how it's sad to me that there are so many people who have never left the country :O

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[teeteenounouche]

Totally agree samdiegoCPA! I wish I traveled more during college but I didn't have the money to do so but what I did have time for was getting an MS and my CPA knocked out and I didn't which would have allowed me to travel during my 1 or 2 week vacations at work with the extra money I would have made rather than just having a BS. Spending a summer or long period of time in Europe or whereever during college was not an option for me at all. However I did spend a week in Spain courtesy of my Dad during my junior year. I am looking forward to some good vacay time next year cause I have earned it and hopefully can afford it 😉 lol

I am just imparting my own wisdom to the young ones coming up to make better choices, that's all.

Florida:
AUD: 73, 81! Thank you Lord!
BEC: 73, 77! Thank you Lord! and WTB
REG: 71, 82! Thank you Lord! and A71
FAR: 72, 78! Thank you God and my Mommy in Heaven!

CPA Excel, Ninja Notes & Audio, Wiley Test Bank, CPAreviewforfree

[samdiegoCPA]

@teeteenounouche definitely understand! Haven't been to Spain yet, but will hopefully get to Europe again next year. Dying to get back to New Zealand, so that's next.

Sorry to get off topic OP but I can't resist talking travel.

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[005]

Working part time here

I really respect those who work full time and pass the CPA, I know I couldn't do it

BEC - ✔
REG - ✔
AUD - ✔
FAR - 11/29/14

CPAExcel, Ninja MCQs, and a sh*t ton of coffee

[Anonymous]

I worked full time while finishing up my bachelors (the company paid for it). I quit my job while going for my MBA, worked part time as a graduate assistant, and was able to do a study abroad in Australia for 3 weeks. That was an awesome experience and I highly recommend to anyone to travel while you can. After the MBA I started working again and progressed up through accounting then went back for my CPA (company paid for it). During that time between MBA and now I also got married and had 3 kids. My suggestion is to get the education out of the way, but to try to incorporate travel in with it. What stops me from traveling now is not that I have a job or that I can't take off work. It's that I have people depending on me. You can do it either way regardless of where you are professionally, but having a family changes a lot of things. Their needs supercede your needs. Get your traveling out of the way before you have kids and then pick it back up again once they are old enough to enjoy it with you.

[Quinacridone]

I agree 100 percent with Mla1169, there is no “most people”. I worked full time through my bachelor's, masters, and cpa testing and was a single parent. I now think that people who are exceptionally busy get exceptional superhuman focus. Every moment I had was milked for all I could get out of it to do what I had to do to get it done. Maybe if I hadn't been working, my scores would have been higher, but it didn't really matter since anything over a 75 had the same end result.

And now I find myself with way too much free time…

REG - Nov 4, 2013: 88
FAR - Feb 27, 2014: 86
AUD - April 5, 2014: 91
BEC - May 6, 2014: 83

Florida CPA 24 July 2014
(Done in seven months - thank you Jesus!!)

[mla1169]

Quinacridone, buy a 200 year old house. I guarantee you free time will NOT be an issue. LOL. Between putting up ceilings and putting down floors, etc I can fill every single hour I previously dedicated to school and the exams!

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Zackrampage]

@Teetee do you recommend creating flash cards as well?

FAR - 62 , End of aug 2015
BEC - 67, 67
AUD - TBD
REG - TBD

[teeteenounouche]

I say do what works Zackrampage! If flashcards help you learn faster and retain the information, then you should do it. I think I remember you saying that you take a train to work…If so, it probably will be easier for you to get studying in with them instead of trying to write or do MCQs on your way to work. You can write out the formulas during your break at work or when you're at home.

Florida:
AUD: 73, 81! Thank you Lord!
BEC: 73, 77! Thank you Lord! and WTB
REG: 71, 82! Thank you Lord! and A71
FAR: 72, 78! Thank you God and my Mommy in Heaven!

CPA Excel, Ninja Notes & Audio, Wiley Test Bank, CPAreviewforfree

[Anonymous]

@TobyU

I would complete five years of college and get the 150 hours. If you can plan to have only 6-12 hours in your last semester, then you can study and sit for the exams in Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jul/Aug. Just pick a state that allows you to test before you have 150 hours. I would double major in Finance and skip the MAcc. Unless you are going to stay in public accounting, you will need an MBA someday anyway, so I wouldn't bother with the MAcc.

[WeWillSee]

Getting your master/studying for the CPA are going to be consecutive events, not simultaneous, if you start working before you are done with those. From my own experience and from what I have heard from others – there are always things that come up at work that cause late nights or longer hours than anticipated and you just won't be able to plan every minute of your life like you can when you are in school. If it is important to you to get masters/cpa done ASAP get it done before you start working.

I could never do that, I had to work full time while I was getting my undergrad because I lived on my own, and then started my career right afterwards. I'm still working on my CPA 1.5 years after graduating from college, and I am planning on applying for Master's programs next spring.

If I could go back or had to luxury to, I would have gotten it all done first, and then started working. You have to decide what works best for you, and if you have the option to pick any path you want – it may be a harder choice but count yourself lucky for having the choice.

[Author]

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