[June2016]

Hi for anyone that is studying full time or has studied full time.. what do you get done in one day?

What is your schedule like, how many hours of studying?

[JohnWayneIsGod]

What I get done in one day typically varies. I use sticky notes on the computer to make an study agenda the day before. That agenda usually has me looking over flashcards in the morning while my brain is still waking up. By around afternoon I'm doing questions. Questions are usually something where I'm weak, so it is often book-ended by reading and then review of what I did wrong. I just finished some questions for leases, but I feel really good about it. Each day I try to devote some time to Cash flow statements, Non-profit, and Government accounting. By about dinner time, I take a break and then do whatever I felt I I couldn't get done during the day, and make a new agenda for the morning so that I can do it all over again. Then I review some more flash cards before bed. As I sleep, I dream about accounting. No joke. I have dreams about it.

FAR - 80

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

-John Wayne

[Anonymous]

Quite honestly, I can't study for more than 5-6 hours a day. That's probably towards my upper limit. It's just a LOT less stressful studying before you start work but everyone can only keep their nose in an accounting for so long a day.

I just finished my FAR exam. I used to get through 2 lectures a week. That meant I'd spend 1.5 days just reading the book/ watching the lectures and the other 1.5 reviewing/ doing the HW.

Once I was done with the actual readings and work, my review phase consisted of me doing at least around 50-100 MCQs a day which was especially time consuming in the beginning when I'd spend a long time on each question since I didn't know the info very well at that point. Later one, towards the last 1-1.5 weeks for review I did 150 questions a day. In addition, I'd do some kind of reading pretty much everyday. That means I either read and took notes on 12-15 pages on ninja notes per day or went through parts of the chapter I wasn't sure about.

In total, I probably spent 4 hours per day during the review phase.

[June2016]

Thanks for the response.

I just feel like I am not doing enough per day and should be doing more since I am doing it full time right now.. for example if I am reading a chapter in my book, I read a little and then I just can't tolerate reading any more about accounting. Maybe I need to divide the chapters into smaller sections and alternate between reading, watching lecture, MC.. instead of trying to do 1 activity all at once.

[JohnWayneIsGod]

I feel you. There is so much, even after a day of good hard work it sometimes feels like it isn't enough.

What you said about dividing it up sounds like a good idea, and it is what I do. My sister is a teacher, and she advised it as it is a better way to learn and retain information. After-all, what is the point of all of that work if it will just be forgotten? Then you aren't learning, your are just meeting benchmarks. I also like to break up how I learn. Some flash cards…some questions…some reading. I even come on here and do questions asked by others because they are like pop-quizzes. Don't forget to take breaks. A walk…a workout….anything. The brain is like a muscle, and like a muscle it can get tired and needs rest.

FAR - 80

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

-John Wayne

[12tang]

I have been studying full-time and it was rough at first. I felt like it was taking WAY too long to get through the material… I slipped up and have days where I didn't study… The most I have done is 7 hours. My sweet spot is right around 4 hours. Anything more I feel burns you out.

I was working through 2 chapters a week and because of those non-study days, I had to work through 3 chapters in a week at the end. Nothing started to come together until a week ago when I hit my review phase. Now, a week leading up to the exam, it's a real struggle to not forget the vast information that the AICPA has burdened us with… Seriously, I'll nail down a chapter and if I let too many days go by, it's forgotten again! Argh!

Using Becker self-study
FAR: (82) 175 hours - 1st attempt
BEC: (XX)
AUD: (69) 45hrs of study - 1st attempt
REG: (XX)

[lavendersky]

i totally can relate to each one of you. Tbh, I feel like studying as full time creates more time for procrastination b/c knowing that you have all the amount of time to study for the exam. And lets be honest, there are a million of things that we rather do than studying for CPA. I too, feel so annoyed at the end of the day when I didn't get much studying done. I can't study focus for too long either. I do a couple of M.C ques and then get distracted. It is hard, I know!!! But once time hits me, I start to get on top of my game! I think the closer I am to the exam date, makes me get anxious and focus more.

FAR- PASSED
AUD- PASSED
REG- PASSED
BEC-

You got to do what you have to do!

[Tncincy]

Procrastinate is an understatement……I am supposed to be studying full time and every single day something is going on that either need my attention or get my attention. I know I know studying must get my attention.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Skynet]

Remember, the CPA exams is a marathon not a sprint. A good tip is to work a few subunits of a chapter unit per day making sure to understand the materials. You need time to absorb the materials. Finally, repetition will be what makes it stick so you will have to continuously drill the materials.

[Skynet]

Also, if you don't waste time by Fawning over the Roger Phillip guy unlike the other CPA Candidates, you'll get more done too.

[trish_1234]

I quit my full time job to study but mostly bc I hated it. I work only 25 hr a week and find that I procrastinate a lot more. Too much time is bad. I was way more efficient when I had no time to sleep. I study abt 4 hrs a day and when exam day is coming up I cram 14 hrs a day for 4 days. It was an adjustment bc in college I crammed just the night before the exam. I found that it is easier to study if I work problems instead of reading. I read for a short period of time and do endless MC

AUD 69, 92 7/15 Gleim and Ninja test bank
FAR sometime in 10/15 Gleim
BEC not taken
REG not taken

[tcheney3]

Two chapters a week and a week and a half for review is the perfect amount. If you aren't working I suggest doing 4 hours a day with one day off. For the working group I would say 2 hours during the week, 3-4 hours on weekends with one day off. See how you do on your first test and then you can either back off a little or ramp it up.

BEC - 82
REG - 86
FAR - 85
AUD - 84 and I'm out!!!!!
Ethics - 95
In Skynet's Honor:
Act I: Shutdown Skynet and prevent Judgment Day.
Act II: Add a comma and three letters to my title.
Act III: Time Travel and marry a young Denise Richards (and prevent subsequent plastic surgery),return to present.
Act IV: Serve as Successor to Elon Musk as CEO of Tesla.
Act V: Ensure Judgment Day has been stopped. Utopia achieved.

[Author]

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