[Journey to Fate]

Your inspiration. Seeing how you both have never gives up has given me the inspiration to move further despite my last two failing grades. I know I can do this and just need to refocus and change my study tactics (see below). The worst part is not only do I disappoint myself but I disappoint my family. They support me 100% I just wish I could do better and b/c of u guys I know I will!

@Jenuno- just wondering if you caught my earlier post….I described my study habits so was eager to see your advice

@reza- how did it go? I failed unfortunately 🙁

If no one caught my earlier post, I decided to refocus my efforts and take bec in July. My nts expires first week of July so I am going to take it before then. Instead of skipping lectures, I am going to watch them all, take insane notes and follow Jeff’s study plan to the t. Then I will use these new habits retaking audit in August. I already hammered a few lectures and took notes and already seem to be grasping the material better. If I fail both of these I think I’ll switch materials but I think the changing of my habits will pay dividends. Thank you to everyone’s help… I promise I won’t give up!!!

Any advice on order they do questions lectures rewrite notes and do mc’s???

As always thx for the continued support

JTF

BEC- 67, 69

[nfs480]

Sorry I haven't seen your previous posts so I don't know the answer already but, what materials are you using to study?

FAR 93
AUD 89
REG 81
BEC 87
Ethics 100

Becker 2012 Self-Study

[Anonymous]

NEVER give up. You can and you WILL become a CPA.

[jenuno01]

@JTF Hi, I am sooo glad we convinced you to keep moving forward! Sorry I haven't kept up on your post. I will read it and give you feedback, I promise. I am on my way out to dinner, but at a quick glance, anyway I can persuade you to change your mind and take AUD again at the beginning of July???? I would just hate for you to lose all that knowledge you've gained and have to start completely from scratch back in August. I know you probably are super mad at AUD, but use that rage to get back it and slay the beast! Put your heart and soul into it this time, study as if your career depended on it! Buy the NINJA notes, Wiley Test bank or Yaegar cram, invest in extra studying materials – it will be good for you to see information from different sources. Anyway, I'll get back at you later.

Class of 2012

[Anonymous]

@Journey to Fate-I read your other post too. I think everyone gave you excellent advice. Definitely watch the lectures!!!! I'd be surprised if you don't get a boost in your score due to the lectures. Even when you start to zone out, you'd be surprised at how much sticks when you're doing the homework.

Good luck and whenever you want to quit, post on this forum and someone will surely be around to cyberslap some sense into you. I don't know what I'd do without these peeps. Keep everyone posted.

@Jenuno01-Why do you always “hi-ya” all your own posts? LOL! You are hilarious!! Have fun at dinner. I'm so jealous. But then again, I get to spend a warm Los Angeles evening with Roger Phillip! You're taking REG after your trip right?

[Journey to Fate]

@jenuno – yes you can check out the earlier post. At this point, my NTS for BEC expires in beg. of july so i dont want to use it, plus i had been studying (using my old method) for BEC already. I've already finished a few lectures and i think its starting to stick better already. I am glad i am not giving up and taking the advice of everyone. I will get back on the audit train after I PASS (yes i said it) BEC in the beg of July. I need to switch it up anyways and take a different test. I stopped studying for BEC once already and restudied for AUD. I just think i can pass this use my new method and then tackle AUD.

To answer your question, I'm going to follow Jeff's plan – watch the lectures, take insane notes, do the mcs, rewrite my notes and just keep going at it. I am also going to use the wiley test bank and i think i am going to get the BEC cram. If I failed BEC and AUD in July/Aug respectively, then I will possibly change review courses. At this time, I need to give Yaeger a full chance. Jenuno how many hours do you think I'll need? Pretty dumb question because i studied many hours and did thousands of mcs for audit and went down 10 points. Clearly its not about the hours, its how I grasp the material.

BEC- 67, 69

[Anonymous]

@Journey to Fate – Thank you so much for your kind words. I will say that I never intended to be an inspiration to anyone but if my struggle and perseverance helps you to get through this, then by all means use me! You have been given some excellent advice. I can say, through trial and error, that for me, studying for one exam is completely different than studying for another. For example, I passed FAR the first time by listening to notes that I had recorded. I listened to them so much I was sick of the sound of my own voice. It took a good friend of mine, who happens to be a school teacher, to point out that I needed to find out how I learned. I took a test online and discovered that I had to hear something to remember it. I thought that would work for BEC. Big fat NO on that one. For BEC, I had to just crank out question after question. When I got to AUD I was stubborn and didn't do what the review courses told me to do which was to memorize the standard audit report. On the fourth attempt I decided they were right and by the time I sat for that one, I could sing the report, literally sing it to the tune of the Gilligan's Island's theme song. On to REG, I thought pounding out question after question would do the trick, it worked for BEC. Once again, big fat NO. After 6 less than stellar attempts and one pretty serious anxiety attack, Jeff released his audio. I must have listened to that thing a million times. It now has a 5 star rating on my iPod. My score went up 15 points. His REG audio saved my behind and is the reason my score went up 15 points! I believe in giving credit where credit it is due. My 84 belongs to him. REG I had to hear just like FAR. Now that I have lost FAR and BEC, I feel like I have an advantage. I know what I had to do to pass them both so I'm going to pass them again by doing what I know works for me.

During my study hiatus from April 4th until yesterday, I read a book that had nothing to do with Accounting or the CPA exam. It is called “The Power of Habit”. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking “I wish I had read this 4 years ago before I got on this slow train ride through hell”. I realized that I have a lot of bad habits. I've started working on them one at a time. The first bad habit is the snooze button on the alarm clock. I would hit that thing four or five times before I dragged my behind out of bed. I made a conscience effort to get up the first time the alarm went off. I haven't hit the snooze in 3 weeks and it feels good. Procrastination is also a bad habit of mine. This is the habit I'm working on now. I don't wait to do something until tomorrow or later on. I just get up and do it. I write down, in a notebook that I keep with me almost constantly, what I want to accomplish that day. So far I'm doing good with housework stuff. Now I will put it to the test for studying. I sat down last night and wrote out my goals for passing FAR and BEC. I have my FAR audio already so I started listening to it yesterday. The book isn't just about getting rid of bad habits but about cultivating new, good habits. I want my study habits to improve. I had already made some progress on this habit before I read the book but that was thanks to JoMarie. Our nightly Facebook messages saying “Are we studying tonight?” had already started me on the path to improve my study habits without me being aware I was doing it.

My advice is to first find out how you learn. Use that method to go through your review. Then make a habit out of studying every day. Take some practice tests to make sure what you are doing is working, if not then fine tune it to work for you. After that you just have to go fill out the paperwork because you've already passed the exam! Good Luck!

[nolifecpa]

@Journey to Fate

great attitude! we all have each others backs on here so don't hesitate to ask questions on confusing mcqs (BEC has a lot)

also, if you find yourself starting to memorize the answers to the mcq then get other questions. there are AICPA released questions you can find on the net or cpareviewforfree is a good source

remember, if you don't give up, you can not fail!

good luck!

REG-65,71,74,73,70,74,79
BEC-60's,60's,69,71,76*,78
FAR-67,66,65,79
AUD-54,60's,65,83*,69,80
*expired

DONE

[Anonymous]

If you give up you automatically fail. If you don't give up, you have a chance at success.

Don't give up.

[Journey to Fate]

@nolifecpa – thanks for the suggestion. i will definitely supplement the wiley test bank with your suggestion. I have finished the first two modules and into the third module going thru the lectures and taking insane notes and i already feel as if im grasping the material much better. I know I can do this. i REALLY do appreciate everyones support here.

@kricket – i really do appreciate your message. I definitely feel as if i am taking a little bit from everyones suggestions and putting it towards my studies. This will be my first week of refocusing my efforts and i am looking forward to it. it ALREADY has been a more successful weekend in the last few weeks. Pushing back the exam to learn how I can learn and pick up the material better was the best idea.

@cosmo – you are so right! the lectures already feel as if they are paying dividends and the material is sticking. I feel kind of dumb for skipping them before, but i learned my lesson. This time, lectures, insane notes, lots of mcs and re writing my notes. i also have ninja notes that i will read and write and will use the audio when jeff releases it:-)

BEC- 67, 69

[Journey to Fate]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to update you on how my first week is going with my new approach. I'm following the NINJA study schedule to a t and taking everyones advice from this post. I am hammering through the lectures and let me say…..WOW!!! I can't believe how much more I'm picking up from doing the videos and taking notes from not. I actually feel like im starting to grasp the material and I can pass this thing.

My plan: finish the videos while taking intense notes. do intense MCs. Rewrite my intense notes and ninja notes. Pass the exam

BEC- 67, 69

[sarah210]

@Kricket — Wow, that explanation of your study methods was really helpful to read. I'm pretty new around here, and pretty new to the CPA exam. After I tried just using bisk books for the last two sections (which you can see went badly), I'm starting Becker next week. I am already intimidated by my two non-passes, but just thinking about all the different ways there are to study makes it seem more do-able. A quick question– who wrote the habit book? There are two books by that title on amazon, written by different authors.

REG- 53, 91
BEC- 88
FAR- 62, 85
AUD- 85

Ethics- 93

[Anonymous]

@sarah210 – The author is Charles Duhigg and the full title of the book is “The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business”. It is a great book.

[Author]

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