[outrenthome]

Hello everybody!

I’m studying for the CPA exam (duh) and I have already passed FAR and AUD on my first try. I’m currently studying for REG and I feel like I’m taking forever to get done with all these exams. I took FAR on August 30, 2013, AUD on November 22, 2013, and I scheduled my REG exam on February 24, 2014. I know I have until May 2015 to pass the remaining 2 sections, but I feel like I’m breaking down to misery. I seems like it takes me at least 2 and 1/2 months to prepare for each section. I also have a husband and he’s very demanding. Plus I work at a small CPA firm. This is my schedule:

I wake up at 8am and go to work at 9am

I have a 15-30 minute lunch break in the break room of the office with my boss and co workers. My boss likes to have “family lunches”. I can’t study during this time as we don’t really have a lunch break after all…

I stop working at 6pm

I stay in the office, open my CPAExcel book and website and study until 11pm.

I come home to my husband at 11:30pm.

We go to sleep at 12:00am

And the cycle repeats.

After many arguments with my husband, I decided it wasn’t worth it going to the office to study on Sunday. So I decided to stop doing that and spend time at church and have brunch with friends instead.

I feel like I am stuck in a rut. I feel like I’m enslaved by this exam and it’s sucking the life out of me.

I need a hug… 🙁

Maybe I should take more of a risk and confront my fear of failing by taking the exam earlier, even if I don’t feel prepared?

I dream of the day when this nightmare will finally be over!

[Anonymous]

I understand. I was a great student in grad school, before marriage and kids. I am not at my best while studying for the CPA exams and I hate it, but I have just come to realize that it's not the end of the world to fail one and have to retake it. There are so many more important things. As long as I finish in teh 18 month window I don't care if it takes me the whole time. (Hopefully that won't happen though) I am fearful of having to make decisions regarding employment changes once I pass the exam. Maybe that could be part of it for you?

[Tncincy]

Oh men, you can't live with them, but you can't live with out them.

@outrenthome, I know how you feel. I don't think husbands really notice anything until you are consistently busy. Stick with the cpa exam, go to brunch on Sunday, and study Sunday night. You might not get intense study, but you can do notes, note cards, audio….all don't have to be lost.

Instead of doing crosswords ( I love crosswords) in the bathroom, I leave a mini clip board and 10 note cards and re-write them. After I write those I switch to anew 10. tedious but you have to do what you have to do…..be creative.

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

[Tncincy]

Oh men, you can't live with them, but you can't live with out them.

@outrenthome, I know how you feel. I don't think husbands really notice anything until you are consistently busy. Stick with the cpa exam, go to brunch on Sunday, and study Sunday night. You might not get intense study, but you can do notes, note cards, audio….all don't have to be lost.

Instead of doing crosswords ( I love crosswords) in the bathroom, I leave a mini clip board and 10 note cards and re-write them. After I write those I switch to anew 10. tedious but you have to do what you have to do…..be creative.

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

[Anonymous]

Wowzer! I sure hope you aren't staying in the office until 11pm alone! Your schedule sounds extremely packed, and with a needy (I say needy because all men are needy) husband that has got to be difficult. I sat and passed both REG and FAR around the same time as you, and just recently took BEC a couple days ago (probably failed that one…waaaah!), and I agree with you that it feels like we are taking a much longer route than those who have passed all four within 6 months. The fact of the matter is that we all have different schedules, commitments, etc and this exam requires you to learn how to balance everything without considering jumping off a cliff.

My husband is extremely supportive of me, but he's very needy and he requires a ton of attention. What worked for us for the last three exams was to mark one day a week as a NO CPA crap day. On that day we didn't speak about the exam, and I did not study in his presence. If he decided to take a nap, I studied during his nap and stopped as soon as he woke up. I also didn't let him forget for a second how much I appreciated his support. Greeting cards, edible arrangements sent to his office, impromptu middle-of-the week date, etc go a loooooong way. I also like tncincy's idea of studying in the bathroom. I also use the car ride as study time. Obviously I'm not reading material in the car, I just talk to myself the whole way to work and from work about a CPA topic. Sounds crazy I know but it worked for me.

Keep your head up girly!

P.S. Before you fall asleep at night (if he is up) dedicate 5-15 minutes where you ask him about his day, what he wants to do next week, how is he feeling at work, ask him ANYTHING about him.

[Anonymous]

Wowzer! I sure hope you aren't staying in the office until 11pm alone! Your schedule sounds extremely packed, and with a needy (I say needy because all men are needy) husband that has got to be difficult. I sat and passed both REG and FAR around the same time as you, and just recently took BEC a couple days ago (probably failed that one…waaaah!), and I agree with you that it feels like we are taking a much longer route than those who have passed all four within 6 months. The fact of the matter is that we all have different schedules, commitments, etc and this exam requires you to learn how to balance everything without considering jumping off a cliff.

My husband is extremely supportive of me, but he's very needy and he requires a ton of attention. What worked for us for the last three exams was to mark one day a week as a NO CPA crap day. On that day we didn't speak about the exam, and I did not study in his presence. If he decided to take a nap, I studied during his nap and stopped as soon as he woke up. I also didn't let him forget for a second how much I appreciated his support. Greeting cards, edible arrangements sent to his office, impromptu middle-of-the week date, etc go a loooooong way. I also like tncincy's idea of studying in the bathroom. I also use the car ride as study time. Obviously I'm not reading material in the car, I just talk to myself the whole way to work and from work about a CPA topic. Sounds crazy I know but it worked for me.

Keep your head up girly!

P.S. Before you fall asleep at night (if he is up) dedicate 5-15 minutes where you ask him about his day, what he wants to do next week, how is he feeling at work, ask him ANYTHING about him.

[Author]

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