What you wish someone told you when you first started? - Page 3

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  • #179322
    Nivek
    Member

    Hey everyone, I am just beginning my journey towards becoming a CPA and will begin studying for FAR in a few days. I thought it would be interesting to ask:

    What is the one thing you wish you knew, or could go back and tell yourself when you first started studying?

    Thought it might be a fun question for us newbies to read

    I look forward to contributing to this forum,

    Thanks

    Officially done.

Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 58 total)
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  • #613686
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I think how much you have to cut out of your life depends a lot on how much is there to start with. For the parents who work full-time, have long commutes, and little ones underfoot, I know that your ability to take any time off from studying will be very different from mine. Especially the single parents. If you get to brush your teeth one day a week without listening to audio at the same time, then it's a blessing!

    But for people whose lives are less full to start with, they may be able to accomplish more studying by having official breaks/time off. For me, if I intend to be studying all the time, I will get little done, because all the other things in life become interruptions instead of having time scheduled for them. And…I just don't have the mental stamina for constant studying. That's not a fact I'm proud of, just a fact. In college, I pushed myself past my limits, and since then, I've been unable to do it. Might be something I could “train” for, but not something I can do right now.

    So I think the key, in being the newbie reading this thread, is to assess your life and see what you can do and what you need to do. If you are aiming for 100 hours of study for a certain exam, spread over 5 weeks, then plan out how you can get 20 hours a week. And adjust your plans as life proves that something does or doesn't work well. If you think you can get 2 hours after work every day, but find that you can't study after work, then start getting up 2 hours earlier, or making better use of your lunch, or working harder on the weekends, etc. If you think you can study 10 hours a day Saturday and Sunday, and skip studying on the weekdays, but found that after 6 hours, you're burnt out, then find a way to get 8 hours during the week.

    And if you're like I was in college, or like the people on here with busier lives, and you honestly only have 20 hours a week that isn't already devoted to work, school, sleep, kids, etc., then you may need to literally use every spare minute you have. But even then…quality matters more than quantity. If it's midnight and you've been up since 4am and you can't study, then sitting in front of the books for another hour won't help you…but getting another hour of sleep might make your studying the next day more effective.

    The key is to find what you need to do. It might take awhile to figure out what that is, but figure it out. It might be essential for you to go to the movies once a week to relax, or to banish yourself from all movies in order to study. Just varies from person to person!

    #613687
    Jennifer241
    Member

    One more thing

    DON'T ask if blah, blah, blah is going to be tested! #1, we cannot disclose anything we actually saw on the tests, and #2 if it's listed in your study material it could show up on your test. So why would you not want to study it?

    AUD - Jan 9,13 Pass
    REG - Aug 30,13 Pass
    BEC - Oct 26,13 Pass
    FAR - Dec 4,13 Pass

    Licensed CPA in the state of Oregon

    #613688
    smp73
    Member

    Not sure if this has been said already…but here goes.

    Do not expect everyone and their brother to be excited for you when you pass all four parts and are finally a CPA. Very few people realize how hard the exams are and just how hard you have to work to pass them an be licensed. If people are not as excited for you as you think they should be do not take it personally! Be excited for yourself, treat yourself to something nice but do not expect people to drop everything and party with you, although it would be nice if they did!

    NYS CPA License # 113563
    CIA: Done as of 2/15/14

    Training for a half marathon post studying!

    #613689
    Faintear
    Member

    Keep Calm

    Stay Cool

    Don't Panic

    Enjoy the Ride

    #613690
    nolifecpa
    Participant

    1. know how YOU learn best (audios, flash cards, taking notes, reading the book, etc)

    2. don't ignore sims. sims used to be worth 30% and 10% of it was WC. now sims are worth 40% with no WC

    3. take FAR first. not because its the “hardest” but because it has the most material and if you're up against an 18 month window its easier to study for 5 chapters instead of 10. BONUS: the BEC book looks soooooooo much smaller than the FAR book

    4. if you want a topic to show up on the exam, don't study for it!

    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

    #613691
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    “4. if you want a topic to show up on the exam, don't study for it! ” LOL I love that one @nolifecpa. Way too true too…

    #613692
    snb
    Member

    – Do comprehensive tests/look over previous chapters as you go throughout each section. It will help keep the material fresh and the review time at the end will be much easier.

    – Budget at least an hour EVERY SINGLE DAY. Whether it's getting through a lecture or doing MCQ – at least spend an hour a day.

    IL
    FAR (2/20/13): 76
    AUD (4/8/13): 78
    BEC: (5/20/13): 86
    REG: (7/10/13): 76
    Ethics: Done
    Operation "Hurry up and pass this thing before we have our first baby in October" COMPLETED

    #613693
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    No matter how smart you are, at least somewhere in this process you will doubt your own intelligence.

    #613694
    peetree
    Member

    “No matter how smart you are, at least somewhere in this process you will doubt your own intelligence.” I wish I could hiya this twice.

    FAR 02/21/13 - 95
    REG 07/02/13 - 87
    AUD 08/02/13 - 94
    BEC 08/30/13 - 85
    Ethics Exam - 90

    Illinois candidate awaiting his license

    Used Becker Self Study | Ninja Audio | Becker Flash Cards | Ninja Notes | Wiley Test Bank

    #613695
    Zaq
    Participant

    How I felt after my first FAR exam: https://i.imgur.com/f9FW2.gif (SFW)

    FAR: 50, 76!
    REG: 74... (ouch baby, very ouch), 76!
    AUD: 65, 91!?
    BEC: 80! Aaaand doneskies!

    May 2012 to August 2013. Can't believe it's over.

    #613696
    nbad311
    Member

    No specifics about any exams here, just my 3 general overview comments:

    It's likely going to be harder than you imagine. Unless your study skills are 110% and have been since high school, you are going to have study more than you anticipate and develop very good study routine/level of self-discipline!

    Don't get caught up in office supplies. God, I do this all the time and it's so lame. “Oh, I need a new notebook” “These highlighters are going to help big time”. Yeah, no! Putting in the raw hours is what's going to help you learn – not the new goodies you just got!

    On the positive side: If you put in the time, the results WILL come; you'll likely be too focused on the missed questions or how few chapters you've gotten through to notice. But step away from it all once every few weeks, and reflect on how much progress you've made. A little self-pat on the back every once in a while is deserved when you spend so much time busting ass studying!

    REG - 65, 70, 80!
    BEC - 35, 62, 79!
    AUD - 73, 75!
    FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

    #613697
    NVCPA
    Member

    If studying for this exam does not significantly change your life – you are not studying hard enough. Prepare for change.

    FAR - 80
    AUD - 73,73,73,82
    BEC - 84
    REG - 73, 81

    Ethics - Done

    Experience - Enough for a bunch of us to get certified.

    DONE! Thank god for this forum!

    #613698
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I wish someone would have told me to order the Ninja 10 point combo…

    BEC – 65, 67, 48*, 80 (May 13)

    FAR – 64, 63, 57*, 83 (April 13)

    AUD – 67, 65, 73, 88 (May 13)

    REG – 78 (expired 2.28.12), waiting on score (August 13)

    *Had already paid for the exams when I decided in 2011 that I was no longer going to study for the exam. So, I took those exam sections just for fun.

    #613699
    overapplied
    Member

    Slowly work through every section of the study material and write it out. If you do not understand the concepts that are in the section seek additional sources of information in regards to that material. You have… textbooks from classes, books that professionals have written about topics (there are droves of books that have been written about every facet of the exam). Some people are better at teaching/writing/communicating to _you_ in a manner you can understand. Find them, it is worth it!

    AUD - 75 - 07/06/2012
    FAR - 72, 74, 82 - 05/30/2013
    BEC - 84 - 01/16/2013
    REG - 60ish, 84 - 08/16/2013

    CISA - Passed

    #613701
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    The best way to guarantee yourself a mistake is to do math in your head. Use the damn calculator.

Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 58 total)
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