[Anonymous]

I have this neighbor that lives on the floor above me at my apartment building. She knew I majored in Accounting in college. She’s a former CPA that let her license lapse. I occasionally run into her about 2-3 times a month in the hallway or the elevator. Every time she sees me, she ALWAYS says, “Hi!! So, did you take the CPA exam yet?” I refuse to tell people anything until I passed everything. It’s no one’s business to know that I’ve taken this test so many times already and failed multiple times and am still working at it. I just tell her that I’m still reviewing and will take it when I feel I’m ready. I tell her that exact same thing every time, but she’s still insistent and keeps on asking me if I took the test. She even asks my parents as well when she sees them, but my parents are the same way. They don’t want to tell anyone I failed because it’s not something that we’re proud to say and frankly, it’s no one’s business. But she still keeps on asking. Now, I understand if they ask once in a blue moon, but she literally asks me every times she sees me and my parents. It’s the first thing she asks when she sees us. It’s annoying and it’s putting pressure on me.

Does this happen to anyone here as well? What do you do about it?

[yankeeaccountant]

Two things I would change about my CPA journey…of course this is all hindsight…but here goes:

***wish I had found Roger earlier

*** Wish I hadn't told so many people–HUGE mistake. I am tired of answering the q's, mostly because I am tired of hearing myself say that I have to take it again!!!

[Veronica75]

As hard as it is, we shouldn't worry about what everyone thinks. We all know how hard this has been.

It became hard for me to keep it quiet. Why has my social life ended? CPA. Why did I gain ten pounds? CPA. Why is my house a wreck? Why can't I drive home to visit family more often? Why can't I cook everynight like before? Why does the dog look sad like he hasn't been to the park in forever? CPA!!!!!

Glad I'm finally in the home stretch! 🙂

FAR - 79 (2x)
AUD - 81 (expired), 77!
REG - 74! omg (3x) 87!!!!!!! I'm done! OMG!
BEC - 81 (4x)

[Anonymous]

Dudes and dudettes….

I swore I'd not tell anyone at work but then I was outted because the boss referred everyone to me for questions on the reimbursement policy. Oh well. People ask me or mention it and are largely positive and encouraging.

But really, OP the neighbor of yours is interested in your life and you. She's not like some people I know who ask to revel in your failure, she seems generally nice and eager to see if you passed. There are worst things than someone taking an interest in your life.

P.S. you have some very respectable scores, nothing to be ashamed about. Use her questioning like NBA players use the crowd….for encouragement.

CPAPending

[Anonymous]

@CPApending- It's very hard to not be ashamed of my scores because every single CPA or former CPA I know personally has claimed they passed on first attempt. It is not until I joined this site where I realized that my situation is normal. Weird, I know!

[OnMyWayToCPA]

I have to agree with Veronica, why are so many worried about people knowing that you failed? There is only a 40-50% pass rate every quarter afterall…

I started a new job in September and was already taking exams. I was very open with my coworkers about the process even though I hadn't known any of them for very long and hadn't yet received any of my scores.

To me, its more stressful trying to hold back a secret when that secret takes up so much of your life. Plus I recognize the fact that none of these people want to see me fail, so they have actually been great motivators for me.

BUT, I will agree that its annoying when certain co-workers are repeatedly asking about my exam scores when I've already told them the date that scores will come out. I don't necessarily expect them to remember the date. But they could at least remember that fact that I have already told them…

B - 79 PASSED (1/4 there!)
A - 77 PASSED (1/2 there!)
F - 79 PASSED (3/4 there!)
R - 83 PASSED (DONE!!!!!!)
Review Course: Lambers , Wiley and Ninja

[Anonymous]

CPAMan, I'll take your scores any day. It's not how many times you took it, it is that you perserveered.

We have one motto in our household and it (it's now coming back to haunt me) is “NEVER QUIT”. When I coached my daughter's Church soccer team (supposed to be a relaxed, no pressure league), we left the huddle each time by putting hands in and yelling “NEVER QUIT”. I know the other coaches, players and parents thought “what a tool” but I did it for a very specific reason….not to motivate them to win, not to intimidate, for the kid’s futures. I often wondered if any of them had listened until I saw a kid from the team when eating lunch at school with my daughter. This little boy came up and told me “Coach, I’ve never quit”….almost made me tear up. No one listens to me…not my kids, not my wife, not even my dog but I got though to this kid who remembered our war cry of “NEVER QUIT”. 😀

Now when I get tired and want to give up studying my daughter tells me “Remember Dad, never quit”. Then she added in—all on her own, which is pretty remarkable for an 8 year old—“it’s easy to say ‘Never quit” when something is easy but hard when something is difficult”.

So I say forget how many times you took it. You’re almost done and you didn’t quit. No shame in that at all.

[Anonymous]

p.s. one of my great motivators for taking this beast again is that I quit (thanks partially to a career change out of Accounting) and never completed it. It has haunted my being for 12 years now.

I will beat this and I will pass and then I will probably fall over from a heart attack the next day from all the stress and sedentary lifestyle of studying. But I will die as a CPA!!!!! 😀

[Veronica75]

Well said CPApending! It's easy to get down during this exam. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions. But taking a deep breath and keeping things in perspective, looking at the big picture of where this fits in life, that really helps me.

I love your cheesy motto. 🙂 Your daughter sounds like a very smart and thoughtful little girl. No doubt because of the good example set by her dad! She will be so proud of you when you pass, too!

FAR - 79 (2x)
AUD - 81 (expired), 77!
REG - 74! omg (3x) 87!!!!!!! I'm done! OMG!
BEC - 81 (4x)

[Anonymous]

@CPApending- Yeah, that's what motivated me too. That's how I boosted my FAR and AUD score. I originally gave up, then 3 months later, I was like, “Why did I give up?” So, I got back on my feet and became more motivated than ever. It's all about motivation.

[Anonymous]

My first time through I used Becker live classes, way back when in 1994. I had just graduated with my undergraduate degree in 3 years, so I was burnt out. I had just gotten married, so I had given up all hope of life! 😀 (Just kidding). I had just started my first full-time job in Accounting. Etc. etc. etc. I put in the time for most of the classes but I was so exhausted from all of life’s events that I was just doing that, putting in time.

This time I am more mature and I am dedicated. It’s not a question of if I will pass it, but when. I am studying actively and I know when to quit—like last night when I read a sentence to my daughter from her Math homework it didn’t even make sense. I was so tired, my mind had checked out. I went and laid down on the couch to watch some TV before bed…..I put the TIVO on 4x fast forward to get through the commercials and was SNORING asleep before the TIVO got through the set of commercials. 😀 So there was no need to study.

I’m writing the notes (as opposed to just reading Becker and doing MCQ’s). I’m rewriting the notes. I’m using two sources, CPAEXCEL and Wiley for extra test bank questions. I’m hammering the MCQ’s over and over again. I am waiting on Auditing score releases next Monday….hope it worked. It will be a sincere demotivator if it didn’t. I take BEC in four weeks.

[Anonymous]

I'm bumping this thread because I told my neighbor a few months ago that I passed. After all, she constantly kept asking me, so I finally wanted to keep her quiet. So, I told her I'm done. She was like “Congratulations! That's great.” And from that day on, she acts aloof with me and is not that sociable. I don't know what happened. Can't win with people today!

[sarah210]

Can I tell you how hopeful it makes me feel when I read posts like this one and then see in the signature portion that the person has passed, finally? It makes me feel like this really is doable. Thanks for making my day a little bit better, @CPAMan.

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

Ethics- 93

[mena je twa]

CPA MAN – Reading from your post, i think she was interested in you…. Now since you have passed, she knows that you will go for bigger & better things…How do she look? IS she young or old?

Licensed CPA, Texas - 2012

[Anonymous]

She's about 10 years old than me, is married and has kids. So no, I don't think she's interested in me. 😀

[nearly_there]

I like it when people ask me about the test. I generally like to talk about it, becuase it makes me more eager to go home and study instead of doing something else more fun. At least that's how it was for the past 9 months.

FAR - 85 November 2011
AUD - 81 January 2012
REG - 68 March 2012
BEC - 86 April 2012
REG - 92 July 2012

[Author]

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