[Ajaz0810]

So I got married in the beginning of June and love my wife very much but I believe this test has taken a toll on our relationship and Ive only been studying a month. It feels like I need to fight my wife to get the time to study. She interrupts me when I’m in my room alone study by starting to talk, and when I tell her I need to study I feel like I’m being a jerk. I do work 40+ hours a week so when I get home I start studying right away but she just wants to do other things with me. When I get a weekend off I want to spend it studying 8 hours a day but when I tell her I’m going to study she seems to not like it. I try to tell her how hard this test is and if I don’t study then I will fail and she says she understands but I feel this test is having a strain on our relationship. Anybody else have this problem?

FAR 62, 66, 78
AUD 66, 55, 74, 72
BEC 79
REG

[mtaylo24]

I try to keep this journey as far away from my wife and son as possible. Luckily, my wife is a RN and has night shift. As soon as my son goes down I have time to study. I don't get much done the days she's off, so I know where you're coming from. The thing with these exams is you will Never ever ever ever have the ideal perfect situation. Family, friends, work, and other things will get in the way. You just have the squeeze in your studies and find a ideal plan for your specific situation.

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[tough_kitty]

I've been thinking – you gotta promise your wife something… “honey, as soon as I pass all 4 parts of the exam, I promise I'll buy you a nice piece of jewelry (or whatever you know she wants), but you gotta be really patient with me”. Women like nice & expensive things, so I'm sure it will be a good incentive for her to be more understanding…

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

I've been thinking – you gotta promise your wife something… “honey, as soon as I pass all 4 parts of the exam, I promise I'll buy you a nice piece of jewelry (or whatever you know she wants), but you gotta be really patient with me”. Women like nice & expensive things, so I'm sure it will be a good incentive for her to be more understanding…

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[calicpa]

my girlfriend is totally supportive of me passing. she wants me to pass, she wants me to achieve my goals. i just show her how big the cpa books are and she understands that its a long process. she doesn't bother me when i'm studying cuz she usually has work to do at the same time and when im hungry she cooks me dinner, well eat and chat for a lil bit then get back to work. down a** chick.

If she was to study for a tough exam, i would be totally supportive of her too. I wouldn't make her go out if I know she had stuff to do.

BEC - 84, 4/6/13
AUD - 77, 5/28/13
REG - 83, 4/12/14
FAR - 83, 10/3/13

Ethics - 90% 4/24/13

150 unit education requirement met!
Work experience met!

[calicpa]

my girlfriend is totally supportive of me passing. she wants me to pass, she wants me to achieve my goals. i just show her how big the cpa books are and she understands that its a long process. she doesn't bother me when i'm studying cuz she usually has work to do at the same time and when im hungry she cooks me dinner, well eat and chat for a lil bit then get back to work. down a** chick.

If she was to study for a tough exam, i would be totally supportive of her too. I wouldn't make her go out if I know she had stuff to do.

BEC - 84, 4/6/13
AUD - 77, 5/28/13
REG - 83, 4/12/14
FAR - 83, 10/3/13

Ethics - 90% 4/24/13

150 unit education requirement met!
Work experience met!

[UCFCPA]

I just got married in December (before my FAR retake and before starting a public accounting job in January). The way I managed to study and still spend time with my husband was this: I woke up 2 hours early every morning (5am), studied then and got it out of the way (I put lectures on 1.25-1.5 speed on my VLC player), went to work (full time plus during busy season), then came home and the evenings I fully devoted to my husband until the last 2 weeks when I studied evenings too. I never studied weekends either until the last few weeks. I was able to completely study for FAR in 2 months using this strategy, and it was the most productive way I had studied yet! You can tell because that was my highest score. I feel like I was a lot happier because I was able to balance studying with spending time with my husband.

REG (8/7/12) 77
FAR (10/4/12) 70 Retake 5/25/13 84!!!!!!!!!
AUD (11/2/12) 78
BEC (11/30/12) 82

[UCFCPA]

I just got married in December (before my FAR retake and before starting a public accounting job in January). The way I managed to study and still spend time with my husband was this: I woke up 2 hours early every morning (5am), studied then and got it out of the way (I put lectures on 1.25-1.5 speed on my VLC player), went to work (full time plus during busy season), then came home and the evenings I fully devoted to my husband until the last 2 weeks when I studied evenings too. I never studied weekends either until the last few weeks. I was able to completely study for FAR in 2 months using this strategy, and it was the most productive way I had studied yet! You can tell because that was my highest score. I feel like I was a lot happier because I was able to balance studying with spending time with my husband.

REG (8/7/12) 77
FAR (10/4/12) 70 Retake 5/25/13 84!!!!!!!!!
AUD (11/2/12) 78
BEC (11/30/12) 82

[neika822]

I agree with others that you have to find a balance. Thankfully, my live-in boyfriend works varying schedules. Sometimes he'll work until 10:30, sometimes until 8, and sometimes until 6. When he does those late night shifts, I take full advantage and study until 9:30 or so. If he gets out at 8, I try to compromise and stop studying around 8:30 or 9. The other days when he gets out at 6 are rough since we live in a one-bedroom apartment. I'll put my headphones in while he watches tv or I'll try to study in the bedroom (which is tough for me since I like our table).

I do get up at 5am and put in a good hour in the morning, and also ~45m at lunch time. I had a conversation with my boyfriend beforehand that this year will be the year I pass my exams. He had been there with me the first time (in 2010/2011) when I tried to pass and saw that I was failing miserably. So I think he's cheering me on from the sidelines and wants me to study.

That said, my first exam this year, I gave myself Friday nights off from studying. This time around, I'm studying mostly everyday, but I'll quit around 8:30 or 9 and devote that time to him. Does he complain? Sure, but I know it's only a moment of weakness and that he truly wants me to devote my time to passing. I'm on my last exam and honestly could not imagine studying without him there to pick up my messes, clean up, cook, and be my cheerleader (*sappy moment*).

Can you head to the library straight after work and put in a few hours there? Then you can head home and have a late dinner with her? Maybe you need to sit down with her and have a conversation again. Explain that if you don't put the time in now, you'll have to take it again and again. If you can study effectively and efficiently, you can try to make this process shorter. Good luck!!!

R - *77*(02/'13)-Becker & NINJA
A - 71('11); *87*(04/'13)-Becker & NINJA
F - *76*(08/'13)-Becker & NINJA - "server upgrade" survivor
B - 60('11); *82*(10/'13) -Becker & NINA

DONE, DONE, AND DONE.

CPA in Massachusetts; issued 01/24/14

[neika822]

I agree with others that you have to find a balance. Thankfully, my live-in boyfriend works varying schedules. Sometimes he'll work until 10:30, sometimes until 8, and sometimes until 6. When he does those late night shifts, I take full advantage and study until 9:30 or so. If he gets out at 8, I try to compromise and stop studying around 8:30 or 9. The other days when he gets out at 6 are rough since we live in a one-bedroom apartment. I'll put my headphones in while he watches tv or I'll try to study in the bedroom (which is tough for me since I like our table).

I do get up at 5am and put in a good hour in the morning, and also ~45m at lunch time. I had a conversation with my boyfriend beforehand that this year will be the year I pass my exams. He had been there with me the first time (in 2010/2011) when I tried to pass and saw that I was failing miserably. So I think he's cheering me on from the sidelines and wants me to study.

That said, my first exam this year, I gave myself Friday nights off from studying. This time around, I'm studying mostly everyday, but I'll quit around 8:30 or 9 and devote that time to him. Does he complain? Sure, but I know it's only a moment of weakness and that he truly wants me to devote my time to passing. I'm on my last exam and honestly could not imagine studying without him there to pick up my messes, clean up, cook, and be my cheerleader (*sappy moment*).

Can you head to the library straight after work and put in a few hours there? Then you can head home and have a late dinner with her? Maybe you need to sit down with her and have a conversation again. Explain that if you don't put the time in now, you'll have to take it again and again. If you can study effectively and efficiently, you can try to make this process shorter. Good luck!!!

R - *77*(02/'13)-Becker & NINJA
A - 71('11); *87*(04/'13)-Becker & NINJA
F - *76*(08/'13)-Becker & NINJA - "server upgrade" survivor
B - 60('11); *82*(10/'13) -Becker & NINA

DONE, DONE, AND DONE.

CPA in Massachusetts; issued 01/24/14

[Iron_Victory]

Getting married 11/8/13. She has been VERY supportive of my study needs. I love her very much and do as much as I can to return the support.

CPA exam = Short Term

Marriage = Long Term

Even though marriage is long term that doesn't give you license to neglect it in the short term.

Your wife wants to spend time with you but she knows the need for you to study. Here is what I suggest since your marriage is new and essentially in the incubator stage, it is very fragile early on. For every hour you study “Bank” 15 minutes of time to spend with your wife during the week. So every 4 hours of study time would give her 1 hour of time for you guys together. Allow her to use this on weekend nights or broken up through out the week as she so chooses (dinners at home, TV time, family time etc.) as long as it is reasonable and doesn't prevent you from completing the hours you need to study.

AUD - (74),78
BEC - 85
FAR - 86
REG - 84

[Iron_Victory]

Getting married 11/8/13. She has been VERY supportive of my study needs. I love her very much and do as much as I can to return the support.

CPA exam = Short Term

Marriage = Long Term

Even though marriage is long term that doesn't give you license to neglect it in the short term.

Your wife wants to spend time with you but she knows the need for you to study. Here is what I suggest since your marriage is new and essentially in the incubator stage, it is very fragile early on. For every hour you study “Bank” 15 minutes of time to spend with your wife during the week. So every 4 hours of study time would give her 1 hour of time for you guys together. Allow her to use this on weekend nights or broken up through out the week as she so chooses (dinners at home, TV time, family time etc.) as long as it is reasonable and doesn't prevent you from completing the hours you need to study.

AUD - (74),78
BEC - 85
FAR - 86
REG - 84

[nbad311]

I got married in May and yes, it's been hard. Maybe I wouldn't call it as much “hard” as I would just plain sad.

Luckily my husband is a CPA so he's “been there done that” and understands what it takes. He actually stays on me for studying with quite the iron fist and I'm pretty sure he/his support is the main reason I've been able to pass any of them.

I say it's sad because sometimes I feel so distant from him, and I just want to hang out and be newlyweds but I know I can't forfeit study time. Also it's sad because there are no bones about it, I can be really bitchy when I am in hardcore study mode and it really ruins my mood and he has to deal with it.

On weekdays, can you study on a lunchbreak (+1 hr), stay ‘late' at work for an extra hour and study there (+1hr), and then maybe invite her to a Starbucks after dinner to read/browse the web while you study for another +1 hour? Something like that can get you 3 hrs/day on weekdays without cutting into too much of “you + her” time.

For weekends, can you wake up early (earlier than her), get in 2 hours, make her breakfast, and then make it a point to do a dinner date (or lunch date) on each weekend day? Make up for getting in weekend study hours by making the time you DO spend with her extra special. And of course this all requires you to be superman, pretty much! 🙂

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[nbad311]

I got married in May and yes, it's been hard. Maybe I wouldn't call it as much “hard” as I would just plain sad.

Luckily my husband is a CPA so he's “been there done that” and understands what it takes. He actually stays on me for studying with quite the iron fist and I'm pretty sure he/his support is the main reason I've been able to pass any of them.

I say it's sad because sometimes I feel so distant from him, and I just want to hang out and be newlyweds but I know I can't forfeit study time. Also it's sad because there are no bones about it, I can be really bitchy when I am in hardcore study mode and it really ruins my mood and he has to deal with it.

On weekdays, can you study on a lunchbreak (+1 hr), stay ‘late' at work for an extra hour and study there (+1hr), and then maybe invite her to a Starbucks after dinner to read/browse the web while you study for another +1 hour? Something like that can get you 3 hrs/day on weekdays without cutting into too much of “you + her” time.

For weekends, can you wake up early (earlier than her), get in 2 hours, make her breakfast, and then make it a point to do a dinner date (or lunch date) on each weekend day? Make up for getting in weekend study hours by making the time you DO spend with her extra special. And of course this all requires you to be superman, pretty much! 🙂

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[mla1169]

Ajaz, you agreed to make Saturdays and Mondays your time together, and then told her you had to study this coming Saturday?

You're clearly sending her mixed messages, no wonder she's getting frustrated. I'm not sure her level of understanding is the issue here. I'd be upset with anybody, let alone a spouse who doesn't keep to his/her word.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

Ajaz, you agreed to make Saturdays and Mondays your time together, and then told her you had to study this coming Saturday?

You're clearly sending her mixed messages, no wonder she's getting frustrated. I'm not sure her level of understanding is the issue here. I'd be upset with anybody, let alone a spouse who doesn't keep to his/her word.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

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