3 sections and haven't written one note - Page 2

It just makes way more sense to read the material for yourself. Otherwise, I'm spending 5 hours per chapter simply trying to highlight and write random side notes that don't end up helping. So then I have to go back and spend an additional 3 hours reading for myself…not efficient.

Your thread is spot on why each person needs to find the study method that works for them. I passed all exams on the first time with strong scores and I also didn't type or study notes. I tried for AUD, since the material is so wordy, and found I was copying verbatim and not remembering what I wrote the page before. Note copying takes significant time so after the 3rd chapter (Gleim has 20 chapters) I scrapped note taking and went back to my original method which was reading the book, MCQ, and SIMS. My team lead is taking the exams and she must do the lectures, she reads a page and it doesn't stick in her brain at all. We study flashcards together on lunch breaks and I was amazed at how little she could retain even though we did the same cards every day. I watch a lecture and I'm thinking what's for dinner, should I e-mail my buddy about the movies, should I check another71…. basically I'm not focusing on the lecture. Brains are wired so differently!

This looks like a good place to reference my My Little Pony thread! https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/different-learning-styles-explained-the-my-little-pony-way

I'm a HUGE fan of reading the material myself. I can't take notes when I read, just doesn't happen, but the idea of the lectures just puts me off. Even in college, half the time I'd learn from reading the book instead of from the professor. So, for those who don't take notes and don't like lectures and are second-guessing themselves, you can do well without any of those things – first-time pass for all 4 for me. Now granted, I did *try* to take notes after seeing everyone swearing by it, but I don't attribute a single point of my scores to taking notes, cause I barely did it at all and I'm not a notes-learner.

EDIT: @Kimboroni I can't believe I'm watching My Little Pony. 😐 Thanks, haha.

My gift to you, Lilla 😀

Writing notes helps me, since there is a mind-body connection that helps you learn the material when you hand write the information. No lectures, just read the book, do some questions, write some notes.

But I also did all of my studying while watching TV. I would never recommend that as a study method to someone else just because it works for me. It helps me focus better for some reason.

So, yeah, it's all about what is effective for you.

@ liz18lsu – Everyone has their own study habits and strategy. Some people need notes and some don't. Some people study by pounding mcq's all day long. So don't feel bad. For me it's pounding mcq's but also listening to audio lectures. Sometimes just reading the material just doesn't stick and for me taking notes sometimes is a hassle. But with the audio, I listen to them over and over again and often times without knowing i am able to recall things that I haven't even thought of before or be able to recognize them in questions.

Another TV studier! That is amazing. I don't admit that to hardly anyone. There are certain items I can't do with TV (but do well with music), but for the most part I do better with at least TV noise in the background…which is ironic because I don't actually do a very good job watching or following most shows or movies. In that regard I am actually “watching” more TV now than I normally would.

I don't take notes until I am beating up the MCQs. Then I keep writing every time I miss something – and for me it does help me learn the concept better at that point. Sometimes that means the same concept is getting written over and over. Very rarely do I do notes on the first time through the material. To be honest it distracts me.

Great to hear all the different styles!

FAR was my first exam and I only did MCQs on cpareviewforfree.com. If something confused me I googled it. By my 3 rd attempt at AUD, I needed Wiley, ninja notes and my own notes. I'm not a fan of note taking at all but if can't deny that the one time I did, I got my highest score.