[jlee1086]

One of my biggest weaknesses is indecisiveness. This is my biggest roadblock to making a proper plan. To give you an idea of how bad it is, I regularly eat at I-don’t-know restaurant.

A tutor gave my a template for a study plan. Long story short, it leans towards me taking FAR in early July. But I can bring myself to register and I can’t seem to stick to it. Every time I pencil a time, I’m always scared I made the wrong decision. If this a normal school exam, I would have a much better chance of passing. Even in classes with minimal structure (professor doesn’t collect homework), the decision is already made for an exam date. But even with live courses, CPA reviews still don’t have as much structure as let’s say, the SAT.

How do I overcome this problem? Also how do I fit in continuous review of preview material in a way that would prevent memorizing a number of MCQ’s?

FAR 57 (11/2014), 64 (1/2015), 79 (7/2015)
AUD 68 (2/2015), 79 (11/2015)
REG 79 (1/2016)
BEC 81 (4/2016)

[Anonymous]

This is going to sound harsh, but the only way to get over it is to simply do it. Schedule a date. Determine you're going to go do it now, and don't do anything else till you do it. If you simply can't make a decision, toss a dice. If you're not working, then whichever number rolls on the dice is the day of July that you'll take your exam. If you can't pick a time, either, then roll it again, and the closest time available to the number on the dice is what you'll do. (So, first roll is 5, you're testing on the 5th; second roll is 3, you're testing at 3pm.) The only way to get it scheduled and to get past the fear of scheduling is to just simply schedule it.

You might also consider meeting with a counselor to help get to the root of why decision-making is so difficult for you. Learning to be able to make and own up to decisions will be important for your career progression as well, so it's something you would do well to work on.

[y_u_no_pass]

I agree, I am to a certain extent the same way. And you just need to schedule a date. I didn't study at all until my exams were scheduled, because some of us are procrastinators, and that is okay. That just means we have to create real or imagined deadlines in order to get things done. Also, I found this one oh so relatable.

https://imgur.com/gallery/mVtXKZG

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[Anonymous]

Don't give yourself an option. As soon as I get my NTS I look at the score release timelines and schedule my exam for the day that works best for me in relations to the score release and adequate study time. I aim for 6-8 weeks per exam. Once its scheduled you either study or you don't but the ~$200 you have already spent scheduling your exam should be some motivation. Doing this keeps me on a set timeline for my exams, if I don't pass one I rotate it back in on the next NTS and keep moving. Once you've broke a study, exercise, etc. routine it is always harder to get back into the routine so I don't allow myself to break the routine.

Good luck and get it done or have this haunt you forever.

[jlee1086]

@Lilli. I know my problems with decision making stems from anxiety. People tell me not to worry all the time. If only it was that easy. I feel trapped by my brain but unfortunately, the only people in my life who understand that don't live with me. Being the oldest didn't help either. In school, I had no help navigating the system. So every decision I made carried a lot of weight and when I made the wrong one, it felt like the end of the world to me. I had wanted to see a counselor for some time after failing FAR but I had no insurance for 9 months. Problems seem to have a way of popping up when you have no safety net anymore.

If there's anything positive that came out of this, the exam is forcing me to admit I need help managing my chronic worries. If I grew psychic powers and passed everything tomorrow, I might feel better for the next few years but it wouldn't solve the problem. Now that my insurance kicked in, I can start working on it soon.

I'm also not the best at bouncing back from curve balls. I wanted to spend some time on sims at Barnes and Noble after work. I go there and find that I left them on my desk. It was game over and time to go home to distractions.

FAR 57 (11/2014), 64 (1/2015), 79 (7/2015)
AUD 68 (2/2015), 79 (11/2015)
REG 79 (1/2016)
BEC 81 (4/2016)

[Skynet]

You can have the most perfect plan and still get off track.

All of us have gone through it or are going through it now.

You have to just dive in head first and continually adjust as you go. There will setbacks, roadblocks, and Murphy's Law will be in full effect. There's no way around it. If you asked all those who have passed or are currently taking the exams, they will tell you he same thing. Life happens and you have to ask yourself “How bad do you really want it?” and those who wants it bad enough will do whatever is necessary to pass.

[Author]

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