$100 risk

I am scheduled to take BEC on 2/27 and I am a bit behind my study schedule. I have four more sections in the Wiley to go, which include cost accounting, Financial Management, performance measures and planning/control/analysis. My plan was to complete my first swag at the studying with two weeks for pure review but it looks like I will actually be more like a week.

I had considered postponing the test until the first week of April because I am so tired and was just having all kinds of trouble grasping material. But then I sat down and really looked at it and realized that I’m talking about a $100 discussion. The difference in cost between postponing it and retaking it (presuming I am not ready and fail it) is $100. So then I started asking myself if it was worth $100 to take a shot that I could rally late and pass it. Worth $100 to take a bet that my studying and hard, consistent work will pay off. I’ll take that bet, I’ve learned never to vote against myself.

So I sat down and hammered out a schedule that I can see guiding me through to the end with the time left:

–Between now and 2/16 complete the notes on the remaining four sections and perform the MCQ’s for those sections one time through.

–2/17 (off work)…type my handwritten notes, make my note cards, mnemonics and formula sheets, & restudy any parts I am weak on.

–2/18 Try to do a full run of the Wiley MCQ’s.

–2/19 Try to put together a listing of the topics from my notes which I think might be topics of the writing testlets (I’m thinking the adv/dis of the various capital budgeting models and some cost accounting & economic topics right now. Maybe some IT topics). Also take a freaking NAP.

–2/20 through 2/23 work the CPAExcel questions.

–2/24 Off work (do the Wiley questions again)

–2/25 Do the CPA Excel questions again.

–2/26 Spend some time with my Son before he goes off to camp for 3 days. His first time away, a 6’3” burly guy is going to be fighting back tears. Tears of JOY….no, tears of pain and longing. Maybe take a nap at some point or watch a movie. Work any questions which are giving me fits and look at my notes again.

–2/27 Rock the BEC test for my second successful passing grade.

–2/28 Collapse and apologize to my wife and kids for being such a schmuck to live with these past 12 weeks.

That’s basically twice through the notes, twice through CPAExcel questions, three times through Wiley test bank. It brought me an 87 on Auditing and with the strength of my writing, I should really do well on the BEC. It will likely come down to the Cost Accounting (which I loved in College) and the Capital Budgeting which I don’t really care for.

I will rest, do some taxes, catch up on life and generally catch up on sleep from 2/28 through 4/15 when I begin studying again for Reg. I am thinking that by then, like Childbirth (my wife says) where you forget about the pain long enough to do something stupid and have another….I will be ready to take on REG.

CPAPending