[Anonymous]

I’ve got 2 exams left and 8 months to pass them. For the past month though I’ve been battling a stomach ulcer that was partially due to stress. Although I haven’t felt stressed, it’s obvious that my body felt otherwise. I’ve taken a break from studying to allow my body and mind to rest and get healthy again. What are your tips for staying healthy while studying for the exam?

I work full-time (leave 7am and get back home between 4&5), but need to find time to balance work, working out and passing these last two exams! I’m used to spending at least an hour at the gym everyday, but don’t know if that schedule is really manageable with everything else going on. TIPS PLEASE!

[nicole2035]

i can't eat fast food bc it literally makes me sick to my stomach, best thing I started doing was ‘juicing'. Freeze the fruit a head of time so you can buy in bulk and won't need ice. I freeze bananas and strawberries, but you can literally do the same thing for any fruit. All i really need is protein powder and soy milk. I usually add kale and spinach (you can get a family bag of these 2 mixed for ~3.00)The protein powder is optional, but it's more filling. Some people use silk tofu, which i heard is a pretty good substitute. I make sure I eat calorie dense foods, like peanut butter or avocados because they're filling, ready instantly, and good for you. Of course I limit how much of it I eat. I know all this sounds super healthy, but the stress from the test actually makes me not want to eat, that's why it's easy for me to eat the healthy stuff over bad bc either way i don't have an appetite. Eat just to have calories and energy.

i make sure i always do something to keep stress at bay, which is tough. i would literally wake up stressed before my day started. Every morning i go for a run on the treadmill at my apartment's gym for only about 15 minutes, i do this usually at about 5am, and do some yoga poses then start studying for at least an hour, later go to work. I do this daily and it's better than nothing. You have to do something realistic, going to the gym and doing cardio and weight training just won't fit everyday with studying being #1 priority

[Anonymous]

You always have to stay healthy, seriously.

The anxiety and panic attacks come out on the internet when us prospective CPAs start talking to each other.

It's a hard balance, you will always feel like you could always have done more to prepare for the exam and that you're not even close to knowing as much as you need to know. But if your body and mind aren't healthy, I don't know how anyone can expect to pass or even think passing is worth it if thats what it takes.

If you're cutting back on sleep to study, is that extra hour of studying you put in par to the hours of sleep you lost REALLY helping you? You go through the next day tired and foggy, then try again to study in the evening when you're already tired. How much did you LEARN and RETAIN from that sacrifice, I doubt its much and I doubt its worth it.

It's crazy reading through the posts of the people cutting back on sleep and exercise and drinking all sorts of coffee staying up late and waking up crazy early, all stressed out from their jobs and then adding more stress from studying. You have to put in HARD WORK to pass, but you're not helping yourself by sacrificing your health. If you can't manage to take a break in to exercise or just relax there's something wrong.

If you're mind and body aren't healthy you aren't going to pass anyways, so get a full nights sleep, get some exercise in and get to work on learning that material.

You'll be able to learn and study SO much more effectively if you're healthy and rested. Way better chance of passing if you're maintaining a balanced healthy lifestyle while you're studying then if you're having stress freakouts and going on all night coffee binges to stay up to study.

[Anonymous]

You always have to stay healthy, seriously.

The anxiety and panic attacks come out on the internet when us prospective CPAs start talking to each other.

It's a hard balance, you will always feel like you could always have done more to prepare for the exam and that you're not even close to knowing as much as you need to know. But if your body and mind aren't healthy, I don't know how anyone can expect to pass or even think passing is worth it if thats what it takes.

If you're cutting back on sleep to study, is that extra hour of studying you put in par to the hours of sleep you lost REALLY helping you? You go through the next day tired and foggy, then try again to study in the evening when you're already tired. How much did you LEARN and RETAIN from that sacrifice, I doubt its much and I doubt its worth it.

It's crazy reading through the posts of the people cutting back on sleep and exercise and drinking all sorts of coffee staying up late and waking up crazy early, all stressed out from their jobs and then adding more stress from studying. You have to put in HARD WORK to pass, but you're not helping yourself by sacrificing your health. If you can't manage to take a break in to exercise or just relax there's something wrong.

If you're mind and body aren't healthy you aren't going to pass anyways, so get a full nights sleep, get some exercise in and get to work on learning that material.

You'll be able to learn and study SO much more effectively if you're healthy and rested. Way better chance of passing if you're maintaining a balanced healthy lifestyle while you're studying then if you're having stress freakouts and going on all night coffee binges to stay up to study.

[cool_kid]

Eating healthy and exercising are very important and go hand in hand but exercising regularly is especially important. Studying and preparing for the exams can be stressful and getting proper exercise definitely helps when it comes to managing your stress and elevating your mood. I also feel that it improves my level of confidence as well.

[cool_kid]

Eating healthy and exercising are very important and go hand in hand but exercising regularly is especially important. Studying and preparing for the exams can be stressful and getting proper exercise definitely helps when it comes to managing your stress and elevating your mood. I also feel that it improves my level of confidence as well.

[Author]

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