[D]

Hello, so I just began my studying for REG (this is my first test in the process, btw). I am using Yaeger lectures w/Wiley book. Jeff’s NINJA notes tell us to take tons of notes and nail the vidoes. My question for you all is: How did you go about taking notes? Did you highlight things in the book and then write next to them as well, or did you use the book as a reference but write in a separate notebook? The latter is what I am doing.

I ask this because watching 2 sections for Module 35, which should have only taken me 172 minutes (~3 hours), actually took me closer to 5 hrs!! This worries me because I don’t want to run out of time for MCQ and note re-write, etc., just because I’m taking forever to go through the lectures, I want to have plenty of time to nail the MCQ on the testbank.

I’ll watch/listen/write, pause, finish writing something that was too fast to jot down so I don’t get behind, then hit play…. on and on… then at the end of the section he asks you to go back through the MCQ he covered… which also takes extra time.

Do you all think this is effiecient? Or is there a better way for me to be doing this ? Any input is greatly appreciated!

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AUD - 74, 77! (1/2016)
BEC - 80! (5/2016)
REG - tbd (8/2016)
FAR - tbd

Study materials: NINJA MCQ/Audio/Notes

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"
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[jenuno01]

I don't start taking notes until I am on review stage (last two weeks or so before my exam)… I do this because at this point, I know which sections are my weakest and need extra note-taking. Also, my notes are very condensed and are based mostly on the MCQs that I got continuously wrong.

Class of 2012

[D]

Hmm thats a different approach. So do you just go through your lectures / videos and book without really taking any notes and just highlighting? Then re-read later?

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AUD - 74, 77! (1/2016)
BEC - 80! (5/2016)
REG - tbd (8/2016)
FAR - tbd

Study materials: NINJA MCQ/Audio/Notes

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"
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[Anonymous]

I do what almost exactly what jenuno does. For the first section I sat for, I took detailed notes the first time through the lectures. By the time I went to review them during the couple weeks before the exam, I had so much unnecessary stuff written down that my notes were no longer clear and concise. I would recommend doing MCQ's from the book at least twice and keeping track of your answers. I compared my answers the second time through with those from the first time through. Any I got wrong twice, I made notes on b/c clearly I was having issues grasping those concepts.

[D]

Ok, so for when you are in review stage and you are taking notes on the topics you are weakest at, did you learn you were weakest at those while doing MCQs? Sorry if thats a silly question.

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AUD - 74, 77! (1/2016)
BEC - 80! (5/2016)
REG - tbd (8/2016)
FAR - tbd

Study materials: NINJA MCQ/Audio/Notes

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"
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[mla1169]

I think it was Jeff whose opinion on highlighting still makes me chuckle. Something about making the words a pretty color doesn't help you to understand them any better 🙂

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

@Txcpagal – not a silly question at all. Yes, doing the MCQ's is what helps you gauge what your strong and weak areas are. For instance, when I did MCQ's on inventory valuation for FAR, I got most of them correct the first time through the MCQ's. I clearly grasped those concepts without having to do much studying for them. However when I looked at the notes I had taken the first time through the videos, I realized I had just wasted a lot of time writing stuff down that I already knew. With as much material as there is in FAR, you need to not only be effective, but also efficient.

Are you studying for your first section? One good thing about getting that first one out of the way is it will help you to see what study techniques work best for you. If you would feel better about taking notes the first time through, I would say go for it. You are the only know who knows your style of studying.

[jenuno01]

@apband – yep that's exactly how I take my notes! I used to tAke an insane amount of detailed notes starting day 1 of study just realize To realize I had forgotten all of it during my review week. I mark all the questions I either get wrong or find the most challenging or got correct for the wrong reason, etc. Then during my final review stage, all my notes are based on those questions.

Class of 2012

[jomarie]

I write notes as I'm listening to the lectures. Then I go back and review my notes along with reviewing the chapter.

Started sitting in May 2002, on and off. But since 2008 I've been nonstop and my scores are....
AUD - 39, 48, 56, 65, 68, 73, 76!!! (Finally passed in Oct 2011!!!) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
REG - 75 (Lost Credit) 72, 68, 73, 75 (Passed again in Aug 2011) Becker, NINJA, & Wiley
FAR - 65, 68, 75 (Lost Credit) 68, 73, 73, 80 (Passed again in May 2012) Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
BEC - 65, 68, 71, 72, 72, 71, 76 (Lost Credit)- 70, 76!!!! I AM DONE!!! - Roger, NINJA, & Wiley
After 10 long years of studying, I AM DONE!!!! Finally a Licensed CPA in the State of New York!!

[D]

@apbandj- I agree that many of the notes I just started taking, I already feel like when its time to go back and re-write, I'm going to just feel like a lot of it is a waste. Yes, this is my first section- and Yaeger has us go through taxation first, which interstingly enough I still have a decent grasp on (even after being out of school for almost 3 years).

I'll probably begin to chill out on the notes, still taking some, but not writing down EVERYTHING… since after all- it is in the book. I know Jeff says something about making the words pretty colors, and I agree I won't learn it unless I write it and study it, however making them pretty colors helps me to know what Yaeger suggested we focus on. 🙂

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AUD - 74, 77! (1/2016)
BEC - 80! (5/2016)
REG - tbd (8/2016)
FAR - tbd

Study materials: NINJA MCQ/Audio/Notes

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"
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[HustlinHustlin]

I know this is an old post, but I still ended up coming back to it. It was kind of my goal to take crazy amounts of notes and then type them up but I'm finding myself just copying down the whole book and never getting to actually do the MCQs. For those who have Becker flashcards or Ninja, do you suggest using those for a basis as notes?

B 71 - 79 EXPIRED
A 69 - 75 EXPIRED
R 65 - 48 - 45
F 56 - 61 - 65 - 64

Becker, Wiley Test Bank, Wiley Text and Ninja Notes

"The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream" -311

Experience - Done, like WAAAY done.
Still need 30 more credits, in basket weaving (gotta love new CA requirements)

[ReneeNC]

For REG, I took notes as I watched the lectures. Then, I re-studied the areas that my MCQs showed I was weak in. When doing the Wiley questions, I took notes from the relevant Wiley sections on questions I didn't know (there is an icon to click that brings up the text.) I also made all the flashcards in CPAExcel, and used those to review weak areas as well.

For BEC, I am skipping the lectures and simply using the Study Text, unless it is a weak area or has calculations that I don't understand. I wasn't making flashcards at all (except formulas), but now I am going back to writing them for the areas I am not 100% on. I am still taking notes from the Wiley text on MCQs I don't know, but I am hitting high 80s on the questions so far, so I don't have near as many notes from there.

Maybe it is overkill, but I have to pass the first time, because I can't afford to re-take the sections! LOL

REG - 89
BEC - 82
FAR - 87
AUD - 81
Used CPAexcel, Wiley Online Practice, and NINJA!

[jeff]

“Repeat after me: PUT THE HIGHLIGHTER DOWN”

Or…continue to paint the gray paper with pretty, pretty colors 🙂

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[jeff]

Doh- I accidentally Hiii-yah'd myself. I feel like one of those Facebook people who always like their own status update.

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[Author]

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