[Getting a CPA]

How do you stay motivated? And how do you pick yourself up and move forward?

And specifically, what is your amended study strategy? Anything less than a 75 is a 0, but you can’t possibly repeat the same schedule, can you?

BTW – the title to this thread is meant to be absolute, positive reinforcement – like “The Biggest Loser”.

Fall 7 times – get up 8 🙂

Thanks!

[ImaCPA168]

@memmy29

Don't lose hope. You still have time. Think positive. I'm terrible with JE's, too. I'm an auditor..have been for 6 years. So I have never prepared or posted a journal entry in my life.

This is how I attacked the JEs:

I made JE's for as many problems as I could not limiting myself to just the TBS. When I did MCQs, I would make JEs for the MCQs after I answered it just to see if I knew where the debits and credits went. If you do this, you'll start seeing patterns and get more comfortable with making JEs in no time. Then when you have to do multiple or more complex ones for the TBS…you have your basics down.

I also just straight memorized the JE accounts for the TBSs that I practiced. If it's a pension TBS, what are all the relevant JEs? I'd make a list of all the JE/general ledger accounts and memorize them. Same for sale of fixed assets… operating leases/capital leases…troubled debt restructures…whatever you come across in practice. I especially focused on memorizing the ones that I sucked at and couldn't figure out the JEs easily. Because if I could figure it out in practice, then I could probably figure it out at the exam. Then I just prayed and hope that I would either get easy TBSs or at least a couple TBSs that were the same/similar to the ones I memorized.

Make sure you always nail the research.

Good luck. Come back and tell us you passed!

B - 83 Done
A - 88 Done
R - 81 Done
F - 77 Done

Ethics - Done
Attest Hours - Done

Licensed-May 2013!

[ImaCPA168]

@memmy29

Don't lose hope. You still have time. Think positive. I'm terrible with JE's, too. I'm an auditor..have been for 6 years. So I have never prepared or posted a journal entry in my life.

This is how I attacked the JEs:

I made JE's for as many problems as I could not limiting myself to just the TBS. When I did MCQs, I would make JEs for the MCQs after I answered it just to see if I knew where the debits and credits went. If you do this, you'll start seeing patterns and get more comfortable with making JEs in no time. Then when you have to do multiple or more complex ones for the TBS…you have your basics down.

I also just straight memorized the JE accounts for the TBSs that I practiced. If it's a pension TBS, what are all the relevant JEs? I'd make a list of all the JE/general ledger accounts and memorize them. Same for sale of fixed assets… operating leases/capital leases…troubled debt restructures…whatever you come across in practice. I especially focused on memorizing the ones that I sucked at and couldn't figure out the JEs easily. Because if I could figure it out in practice, then I could probably figure it out at the exam. Then I just prayed and hope that I would either get easy TBSs or at least a couple TBSs that were the same/similar to the ones I memorized.

Make sure you always nail the research.

Good luck. Come back and tell us you passed!

B - 83 Done
A - 88 Done
R - 81 Done
F - 77 Done

Ethics - Done
Attest Hours - Done

Licensed-May 2013!

[Anonymous]

Great thread.

I hope I don't become a repeat offender! I failed FAR today with a 60 after months of study 🙁

Life sucks right now, but I gotta keep on plugging for AUD on May 10th…

[Anonymous]

Great thread.

I hope I don't become a repeat offender! I failed FAR today with a 60 after months of study 🙁

Life sucks right now, but I gotta keep on plugging for AUD on May 10th…

[Anonymous]

If you are having trouble with journal entries then I highly recommend the book “The Encyclopedia of Journal Entries”.

https://www.aipb.org/continuing_education_files/continui_encyje.html

bnrhilton told me about it and it was a life saver!

[Anonymous]

If you are having trouble with journal entries then I highly recommend the book “The Encyclopedia of Journal Entries”.

https://www.aipb.org/continuing_education_files/continui_encyje.html

bnrhilton told me about it and it was a life saver!

[Tina82]

Memmy29, what helped me a lot with Becker is actually re-doing and following along with the examples in the book on paper before I do the MCQs (this might be silly but I use plain white sheets to draw arrows & notes next to the numbers). It helped me tremendously. As few others posted, I try to do full JEs for the problems and not just what the answer requires. At first it seems time consuming but after doing a few, you become much more efficient at solving the problems. I also try to re-read the book on sections that I still don't get without taking any notes to understand the “big picture” better. Sometimes I get too lost in the details (hope that makes sense). We'll see how it works out on the actual exam, but doing it this way actually makes things “click” for me.

Good luck!

R - 74;88
A - 84
B - 74;89
F - no study = 67; May 15 = 87 & done

[Tina82]

Memmy29, what helped me a lot with Becker is actually re-doing and following along with the examples in the book on paper before I do the MCQs (this might be silly but I use plain white sheets to draw arrows & notes next to the numbers). It helped me tremendously. As few others posted, I try to do full JEs for the problems and not just what the answer requires. At first it seems time consuming but after doing a few, you become much more efficient at solving the problems. I also try to re-read the book on sections that I still don't get without taking any notes to understand the “big picture” better. Sometimes I get too lost in the details (hope that makes sense). We'll see how it works out on the actual exam, but doing it this way actually makes things “click” for me.

Good luck!

R - 74;88
A - 84
B - 74;89
F - no study = 67; May 15 = 87 & done

[Anonymous]

FAR was my first section so failing it kinda setsp up a damp mood for the rest of the exams. I really really really don't want to have to study that huge crapload of stuff again.

[Anonymous]

FAR was my first section so failing it kinda setsp up a damp mood for the rest of the exams. I really really really don't want to have to study that huge crapload of stuff again.

[Anonymous]

@determined – I failed FAR with the same score. I can't believe we have to restudy for this exam! It's the SIMs that killed me…

[Anonymous]

@determined – I failed FAR with the same score. I can't believe we have to restudy for this exam! It's the SIMs that killed me…

[Last Chance CPA]

No offense to anyone, and I wish everyone the best…

BUT what is the threshold for each person? At what point does each person say “I am not meant to be a CPA”?

We all want to be CPAs and motivation/ambition are non-issues. But maybe some of us are not meant to be CPAs?

My threshold is FAR x 3….I fail FAR 3 times, I will abandon the exam. I won't call it failure, but rather my own limitations to not be able to pass this beast.

Note: My situation is different from others, as I already have a great job (non-accounting) and am 36 years old.

Again, I don't mean any offense and am not trying to demotivate anyone, but was wondering what everyone's threshold is….

FAR - 76
AUD - 75
BEC - 75
REG - 76

Now I need some experience!!! And some networking...

[Last Chance CPA]

No offense to anyone, and I wish everyone the best…

BUT what is the threshold for each person? At what point does each person say “I am not meant to be a CPA”?

We all want to be CPAs and motivation/ambition are non-issues. But maybe some of us are not meant to be CPAs?

My threshold is FAR x 3….I fail FAR 3 times, I will abandon the exam. I won't call it failure, but rather my own limitations to not be able to pass this beast.

Note: My situation is different from others, as I already have a great job (non-accounting) and am 36 years old.

Again, I don't mean any offense and am not trying to demotivate anyone, but was wondering what everyone's threshold is….

FAR - 76
AUD - 75
BEC - 75
REG - 76

Now I need some experience!!! And some networking...

[MintsRGood]

@Last Chance Have you considered that FAR is just your section from hell? We all have one! How do you know that you won't go “one and done” with BEC and REG? How do you know that you won't nail audit next time? A 71 is very close so it's not like you don't have what it takes! How are you studying? How many hours are you putting in? How are your practice MCQS/SIMS going? Are your study sessions focused? Be honest with yourself and evaluate your prep before throwing in the towel completely.

My point is that if you quit the entire process simply because you are struggling with FAR, you are selling yourself short!!!! Think about why you are pursuing this and what it means to you. You can do this!

My threshold/tolerance for quitting is zero, which is why I haven't given up yet!!! I'm simply too stubborn. I've worked too hard and put in too much time to just walk away at this point without the cash and prizes! I don't want to feel 3 inches tall when people ask me at weddings/baby showers/cocktail parties etc. “You work public accounting, right? Are you a CPA?” and have to feel like shit when I say “no”. At least now I can confidently reply, “I have one section of the exam to go, I'm almost there!”. I can tell my niece and nephew (11 & 9) when they get older without any BS why it's important to work hard to accomplish a goal, to see a task through to the end, and that your goals may be challenging but it's better to swing and miss than to never get off the bench. That's why I won't quit.

I read the following quote at the Navy Seal Museum over the summer on vacation and immediately it struck a chord with me, “The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!”.

We are NOT cowards and we are NOT weak, so let's get to work and get this done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK

[Author]

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