[IwannaBaCPA]

I have been so inspired by everyone on this forum and have appreciated this wonderful support group for the last 7 months! So before I rant, I wanted to say thanks!

Ok, I need someone to come to my house and light a fire under my butt! I have literally 0 motivation to study REG, which is my last section (as long as I passed AUD…). I get home from work and have about 6 hours planned for studying and I sit down at my computer and before I know it 3 or 4 hours have gone by and I haven’t spent even a minute of it studying! I just can’t get over this hump…I KNOW I need to, but I am really really struggling…

Anyone else struggling with motivation this week?

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Anonymous]

yes yes yes!! I also tell myself every day I'm going to come home from work and study for 4, 5, 6 hours,etc. and end up with a half hour (if I'm lucky. well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little)! This (BEC) is also hopefully my last section (if I passed REG), and am feeling quite restless. I begin grad school this fall, so I really kind of need to pass these now, but I need to focus in order to do that!! I keep having to alter my schedule of what I'm studying each day b/c I keep procrastinating. I would also appreciate any advice! Maybe if I hear enough times that I need to just study and not waste time it will help 🙂

REG is so many details, I feel for you. I just took it 2 weeks ago, and did not enjoy studying it much.

When is your exam?

[IwannaBaCPA]

My exam is 8-31 and I have barely gotten my feet wet with my Becker materials…the more I procrastinate, the more anxiety I have and the harder it is to study…although I'm not glad you are also struggling, it is good to hear I am not the only one!

Btw, I hated studying for BEC! At least you don't have SIMS to worry about…I hope you and I are able to finish this and see passing scores next month!

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[yankeeaccountant]

Iwannabacpa,

typically my motivation speeches are accompanied by some funny remark and maybe I would reference a funny movie, but you caught me at a bad time. I am less than 24 hours from REG myself. So, I am in serious mode.

Ok, here is the mom in me. I am probably in the age range to be your mom. Yikes! Well, just git ‘r done. You don't want to be in a position of regret, nobody does. Life is so much better when we have choices, it isn't fun when we are backed into a corner. Although, we can all rise to the occasion, it is just easier if you just git ‘r done. I wish I had a good accent to back that up, but I am from Chicagoan, who nows lives in the south. I just can hide my city ways!!

I think I have said before that I have older kids. I will tell you that I do regret not finishing this when I was younger. I feel like I have to study twice as hard. Life gets in the way, and it can be so distracting…do it while you can. I am giving my son the same advice. I keep telling him to go right to Grad school after graduation. You have been so fortunate to pass two on the first swipe–why not keep the pace and finish them all on the first swipe. Only 10% of the people who sit for this exam do that. Nice company!

ok, that is all I got. I need to review my notes now. I know you can do it.

[Anonymous]

@Iwannabacpa

Mine's also 8/31. It's “nice” to know I'm not the only one procrastinating on this last one, but REG is not simple (as if any of them are) but if you really commit now you can ace this exam. You can do it! Go straight to your studying material! Do not pass your email inbox! Don't check the weather! Don't pass go! Don't collect $200! Ok, I think I'm getting a little carried away 🙂 (although studying may seem like jail to some) I'm going to listen to my own words. By Sunday night I hope to have listened to all the lectures. That is a reasonably attainable goal, considering I have a major other obligation this weekend.

I'm grateful for no sims. I'm a writer, so hopefully I'll nail that section.

@yankee

Although your words were intended for Iwannabacpa, I took them to heart too -thank you! I also have passed so far on my first try and am so thankful, but realize I must put in the effort to get this done now before grad school or else I'll regret it!! I can't imagine “tax season” (now, Sept. and Oct. for entities on ext.) and grad school and studying for CPA exam. Oh no!

Good luck tomorrow!!

[Mitzie7]

Muhammad Ali once said, “I hate every minute of training, but I said, “Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.””

I know that is a sport reference but I keep repeating it to myself to help motivate me to study. I will suffer now to get the reward at the end. Of course, I should be studying right now ….. 🙂

AUD 74, 83
FAR 75
REG 71, 71, 70, 86!!!!!! 🙂
BEC 85

[yankeeaccountant]

@acct

Congrats to you….and keep it going, you are almost there. Yahoooo! Good luck with REG this weekend.

P.S. thanks for listening to what I said, half the time I don't think my kids are hearing me. !!!!

[kb24]

@Iwanna

Yankee already gave you the Mom talk so I won't repeat what she said, but she is absolutely right. I will pass on a few points that helped me get going, though.

The last thing I did at every study session was to decide what I was going to do when I began the next one and left a note on my desk so I didn't forget. I also got everything set up as much as possible before I left. For example, if I was going to read text, I left out my book with a bookmark in place, a pad of paper with a pen for notes beside it, and my highligher (I know Jeff doesn't like it but highlighting helps me focus). If I was going to do MCQ online, I had scratch paper, pencil, and calculator all ready to go. This helped me minimize the chance of getting distracted before I got started.

I wouldn't let myself check email, this forum, or anything else on the computer until I'd worked at least 2-3 hours. You might want to set a shorter time if you're not studying all day like I am, but I didn't feel as guilty if I spent too much time doing something else if I knew that I'd already gotten some significant studying done.

When I thought I couldn't stand it anymore, I'd set a time for 15 minutes and do a few more MCQ. Sometimes I'd get a second wind and work even longer, but even just an extra 15 minutes helps.

Finally, when all else failed I'd remind myself that if I didn't put in enough work now I'd be doing this all over again in a couple of months. That was usually enough to get me back to work.

Good luck.

FAR 4/1/11 - 89
AUD 4/15/11 - 85
REG 4/29/11 - 80
BEC 5/13/11 - 85

[IwannaBaCPA]

I can't think all of you enough!!!! All of your advice really means a lot and your encouragement has helped me so much! I am having a rough day…

@yankee: Thank you for giving me the motherly advice…I needed it today and the fact that you know exactly what I am going through is the difference between listening to your advice and brushing it off (as I'm sure your kids sometimes do…). I appreciate your support so much 🙂

@Acct: I need to remind myself that I had a goal to pass this thing before I start my Big 4 job and I can't do that without studying! I hope we BOTH have a great exam day on 8-31! Good luck!

@Mitzie7: thanks for the inspirational quote. I appreciate you taking time from your own studying to share it 🙂

@kb24: I am still in complete disbelief at what you pulled off! Although I would like to have this over and done with, I can't imagine the discipline it must have taken for you to pass all 4 exams in 1 window! I KNOW I couldn't have done that! You inspire me to push myself harder though…

Starting tomorrow, I am going to force myself to unplug the internet for at least 4 hours so that I can focus on studying. I think my biggest issue is that I felt like this for maybe a week after each of my other exams, but I had the time to slack and still did ok, but this time I don't have as much time to spare…I feel really stressed!

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Author]

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