[Chantel]

Especially if you work out, like to eat a good dinner, work full-time and have a significant other. Im having a hard time fitting it all in and still sleeping enough.

F - F ('12), 90 (Dec '15)
A - F ('12), 73 (Feb '16), ? (July '16)
R - 87 (May '16)
B -

[Anonymous]

@Chantel

I work full time and then some and have a significant other. We live together and have 2 dogs who pretty much are our kids! My first round of testing, I didn't balance my time well. I waited until crunch time to get things done. A year later and I still am only half way through. I think that something finally clicked in me and I decided I am done wasting my time and money on this b.s. and am going to start dedicating real effort to it.

First, it has to be your priority. If your significant other loves you they will be supportive and it is a must if you are going to get this thing done.

Second, ELL is key. Early, Lunch, Late. What I do is get to my office about an hour early and study. If I am not traveling, I bring my lunch and study for another hour. When I get home, usually my honey has dinner ready or cooking. I change clothes and we visit for about an hour and then I study for about 30 mins, eat, and studying another 30mins.

Every time I don't want to study I make myself think about all the things I miss out on because of studying for this test. All the vacations and dog parks and beach trips and brunches and nights out. It helps me get a little more motivated. Also, if it is really bad, especially on weekends. I will let myself do something I enjoy for about an hour. At the end of the hour I say to myself, see if you buckle down you can spend an entire day doing this, not just an hour.

I hope some of this helps!

[nolifecpa]

weekdays:

5am gym (workout for about 1.5 hrs)

630am study for about 1 hr

730am get ready for work

study during work when possible

630pm come home and eat dinner

nap for 1 hr

8pm study for 2-3 hrs

11pm watch tv for 1 hr and sleep

weekends:

7-8am gym

study as much as my brain can take (usually 4-5 hrs)

rest of the night is mine

no kids or significant other but i make time for the ladies

REG-65,71,74,73,70,74,79
BEC-60's,60's,69,71,76*,78
FAR-67,66,65,79
AUD-54,60's,65,83*,69,80
*expired

DONE

[mla1169]

I am guessing there are very few (if any) people who had a tighter schedule than me when I was sitting. One f/t job, one p/t job, 2 kids, girl scouts leader and I was in school for my M.S. Accounting.

1-use and love your crockpot. So much easier to come home to a hot meal.

2-record yourself reading notes or download an audio CPA review. listen with headphones while you are cleaning, vacuuming, gardening, etc.

3-listen to those notes while commuting

4-study at lunchtime. Give yourself at least 2 hours uninterrupted time in the evening to study.

5-sacrifice sleep, its a myth that we need 8 hours. It stinks but it isn't forever. Someday you may have an infant, consider this practice!

6-If you do take the time to cook a meal, double it. It doesn't take much more time to make 2 lasagna's than it does to make one. Freeze the extra for a nice home cooked meal that only needs to be reheated.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[kandisjoy]

This was my weekday schedule before I passed:

6:00 – 7:30: Get ready for work/eat breakfast/tidy up around the house if I have extra time

7:30 – 5:15: Work + driving time (sometimes studied during lunch and/or while at work)

5:15 – 9:00: Study at a local coffee shop – I couldn't get any real studying done at home because my three cats and fiance were too distracting

9:15 – 12:00: Drive home, hang out with my fiance/eat dinner, sometimes bust out notecards for review

I don't need a lot of sleep to survive. It's not fun, but it's what I had to do.

Weekends were when I did a lot of pre-cooking (so that I didn't have to cook so much during the weekdays) and cleaning up around the house.

FAR: 71, 77
BEC: 70, 82
AUD: 62, 78
REG: 71, 68, 85

CA Licensed 11/2011

[Chantel]

Thanks for the responses i feel like my schedule i made out to study fits the schedules/advice given.

@akb9874 im in the same position as you with the dogs and after this last test I took I'm pretty much doing exactly as you. I know I have to buckle down on studying or I'll never pass. I keep telling myself how nice it'll be to get it all over with and the free time i'll have then.

F - F ('12), 90 (Dec '15)
A - F ('12), 73 (Feb '16), ? (July '16)
R - 87 (May '16)
B -

[makinthemagic]

This were my schedules:

weekdays (working):

7:00-wakeup

8:30-5:00-work

5:00-6:00-drive home, get dinner

6:00-6:30-eat

6:30-1:00-study

1:00-7:00-sleep

weekends and non-working weekdays

10:00-wakeup

10:00-10:30-shower, get dressed, breakfast

10:30-2:00am-study (with a short break for dinner)

Bec 4/11/11 91
Aud 7/11/11 75
Reg 8/31/11 80
Far 5/24/11 86
Ethics - 98
California Licensed CPA
Illinois Registered CPA

[Anonymous]

1) Wake up whenever I wake up.

2) Breakfast, relax, check favorite sites for a few hours.

3) When I feel wide awake and ready for a few hours of pure focus I head to my desk to study. No internet, phone on silent. Just my book and flashcards to be written, and my PC laptop which has the Becker software installed on it.

4) Once I'm done with my goal for the day (sometimes I spend an hour finishing a 15 page section (goal) for the day, other times I spend 6 hours doing 50 pages for my goal on that day.).

5) Rinse and repeat everyday.

This schedule works very nicely for me (I'll find out when I get my first FAR score in a couple of days) because I have extremely strong family support. My dad told me not to worry about jobs, money, women, anything. Just study for 5 months, pass the exam and then worry about the rest. (I started studying exactly 1 month after graduating, which I also spent relaxing with family and getting ready for the task at hand aka moving to a state where I knew no one in, no friends, no nothing, just studying).

My situation isn't really comparable to anyone else's. I am extremely motivated (for many reasons that I cannot share on this board) and have nothing in my mind but passing this exam. I finished my 4 year accounting program at a top 10 accounting school in 3 years. I've also never failed an exam in my life, so this has been a very exciting challenge.

The only times I leave the house is for In n Out lunch/dinner breaks and to smoke a cig after an intense study session. It's very difficult to stay sane but I remain focused on the TOH. It keeps my mind from wandering too far, keeps me constantly remembering my notes and flashcards and reviewing them non stop.

Edit: Oh, and try focusing on studying while your homies are in Puerto Rico chilling in a 24 bedroom mansion with a pool, jacuzzi, hamocks, and palm trees. to which you were invited all expenses paid but had to respectfully decline because of studying.

Now that, my friends, is commitment.

[Anonymous]

@cpatime: I think we are living the same life haha. I graduated in December and passing these exams is my job until I start work in July. My daily schedule is basically the exact same as yours lol.

[Anonymous]

Haha that is rad, hope we both pass with an awesome grade in a few days 🙂

The only difference is that I'm not going to start working when I'm done, it's just a hurdle I have to pass in order to reach my main goal.

I hate accounting and I hate everything to do with it, I don't even want to become an accountant. Just doing it all to fulfill my dad's dream.

I'm extremely creative and have a passion for inventions and the sciences. Accounting is such a dead subject to me, but hey, here I am in the same boat so 😛

[Author]

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