[Minimorty]

Okay, let me first start off by saying that I am a big fan of the Ninja notes. The are very clear, very concise, and I think they are a great way to review all of the material. I used the Ninja notes as a review on three of my sections, mostly in the last two weeks of studying and predominantly while I was on the go. Ok, so I hope I have established that I am a big fan and I think everyone should buy the Ninja notes.

That being said, I am noticing a trend that has kind of been bothering me for a couple of months now and a recent blogger’s post nudged me in the direction of bringing this up: rewriting Ninja notes. While I think this is a great thing to do to keep the material fresh once you already have built the foundation and understand the concepts, I am getting the sense that too many people are utilizing this as a primary study method to actually learn the material. I’ve seen a number of posters who are scoring in the 60s who think that rewriting the Ninja notes is going to help them learn a concept that they have been struggling with. The Ninja notes provide a very high level review of each of the concepts. To really understand the concepts and be able to apply them in a way that the simulations require, you will need a much more solid grasp of each of the concepts. By rewriting the notes, you are basically taking something that someone else understands very well and just rewriting what the words say. Sure, you will remember some basic concepts and may even be able to regurgitate certain rules, but this alone is not going to provide you with the depth of knowledge necessary to get you through the simulations.

The Ninja notes are your friend, but, like most friends, they have their limitations. The Ninja notes are most useful once you already have a solid understanding of most of the concepts.

[pacific1]

mini – I have to agree with you. I love the NINJA notes but to me they are a basic overview of all the concepts which is great when you have time to read a little here and there they reinforce what you have been learning. But what is in the NINJA notes may not be things I need to really focus on so I have my own notes for that as well. To me the best way to learn a concepts I am struggling with is to do more questions on it and really think about all 4 answers, the right and wrong and think it out. Rewriting notes is a good thing, but I think it is more of a reinforcement of what you have been studying, I think the true learning comes from doing more and more questions…just my two cents.

[jeff]

The NINJA notes probably fall into the “cram” category of review materials. I think people re-write them because they didn't take notes themselves (I've spoken to a lot of people on the phone and some people just plain hate taking notes and won't do it) so they re-write the NINJA notes instead.

Also – I think people re-write them in lieu of just reading them because they absorb it better.

Can you pass just with NINJA Notes and Wiley MCQs? I've gotten e-mails from people who have done it.

Is it a best practice? No – they are intended to give you that extra boost on exam day to get you that 75 (or 92).

-Jeff

[Jennifer241]

Reading the NINJA notes without having studied anything in a review course is pointless, it is to narrow to teach you the topics firsthand. I use NINJA notes to re-affirm something I am studying that doesn't make sense. Some of time I just don't grasp a topic in my studies, so I figure that when I do the MCQ's it will solidify things when I read the details to the questions that I get incorrect. Sometimes this works, sometimes it makes things more confusing. When things get more confusing, I turn to the NINJA notes.

I am a very blunt-to-the-point kind of person, don't fluff things and tell it to me straight. NINJA notes do that for me.

I read the NINJA notes and a lot of times I think “Why didn't they just say that in the first place”.

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

[Author]

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