[Anonymous]

I only have one exam left (REG) but I’m having a hard time studying for it. I find myself finding every excuse not to study. For the last three exams I have put aside my social life and pretty much just study all the time and it has me burnt out.

Not sure if it is a good idea to take a break.

[Anonymous]

Im on the side of taking a week or two break..you would be surprised but how refreshed you will feel and atleast for me more motivated to get back at it full bore.

Going through the motions wont help you. I need to be 100 percent commtited..plus you have 4 qtrs to knock it out in.

[HoosierDaddy]

I think its great that you already completed three parts of the exam Angie. That is a huge accomplishment. BEC is supposed to be one of the easiest sections, so at least the hard stuff is behind you.

You said in an earlier post that you don't know if you will use your CPA, but take it from someone who is 5 years out from passing the exam, it will help you in many ways for the rest of your life. Just in a professional setting being able to use CPA after your name lets people know that you are a professional that can handle complex tasks. It's earned respect. You may want to move up in your organization in the future and the CPA can only help.

What kept me motivated through my exam study was fitness. Working out for even 25 minutes on your study days on treadmill/elliptical/bike/pool will give you a boost of endorphins that will make feel good and clear your mind.

If you can get to the gym right after work, you will be more ready to study when you get home. The key to not getting tired from working out is to eat healthy. Bring some protein bars to work or eat something light with protein every 3-4 hours to keep your body running at peak performance.

Hope this helps. Take a week or two off and get back at it!

-Passed all four sections of CPA exam in 2010 using Becker.
-Former Seasonal Audit Senior with Big Four accounting firm.
-Plan to sit for Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)

[spikesrd]

I'm in the same boat. I took REG on the last testing day of 2015 and failed with a 73. With the holidays coming up I decided to take the rest of the year off and get back into it in January. That didn't happen because of year-end close and audit keeping me swamped until mid-Feb. Long story short, I ended up taking a 3-month break with one exam to go. Started back studying last week and I really feel like the long break helped me with the burnout I was feeling at year-end (graduated from a MACC program in Dec on top of working full-time). I'd be freaking out if this wasn't a retake though. The material is a lot easier to retain the second time through and I'm a lot less stressed about whether or not I'll be able to get through it all.

Do whatever you feel will work for you. One thing that always works for me when I don't feel like studying is just rewriting Ninja notes until the study juices begin to flow. Do that for a day or so and I guarantee you'll be back in the study spirit. It's like doing low intensity cardio until you decide to start sprinting with MCQs and reading.

“The reward for work well-done is more work.”

BEC - 05/26/2015 77
AUD - 07/27/2015 88
FAR - 08/31/2015 80
REG - 11/30/2015 73, 04/18/2016 80 Done!!!

[Author]

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