[Anonymous]

For those who passed all 4 parts, how much of your life did you give up? I work 40 hours a week and because of that, I feel like I have to devote all of my life outside of work just to study. I tried adding just a few hours of enjoyment per week just to relax a bit, but I end up feeling more overwhelmed afterwards because I’ve wasted those few hours and now I have so much studying to catch up on. I’ve been giving myself 2-3 months to study before I take one part of the exam, but I feel like I need to use every single minute of my free time to study or else, I’ll fall behind. I can’t give myself just a few hours per week for myself. It’s crazy. Heck, I just took FAR a week ago and after I took it, I felt like those 20-30 hours of studying per week for three whole months weren’t enough. So, now I think there’s a chance I might’ve failed it.

So, I’m just wondering. For all of you who passed, did you have to literally give up your whole life just to study for this exam? In other words, was your life like this…. Work, eat, study, sleep….Work, eat, study, sleep…. And so on?

[Last_First_MI]

Like Peter Olinto said there is an inverse relationship between doing well on this exam and happiness. With the sheer amount of material on these exams looking at them at least everyday and review review review is the only thing that helped me.

[herbert7890]

I pretty much gave up 80% of my life while studying for the CPA exam.

FAR 88 - BEC 86 - AUD 90 - REG 85

[Anonymous]

I am really really really glad that I wasn't the only who felt that way. I was playing tennis yesterday and the day before, I felt really guilty.

[Herbieherb]

I did it all within 8 months. In between windows I would have normal life. Aud was Aug 1… Aug 2- Sep 30 or so I didn't study, even took a vacation to Hawaii… BETWEEN Oct 1 – Nov 30 I studied hard core for reg and.BEC…maybe 4

off days in that whole span. Dec 1-31 did nothing lived normal life… Started FAR studies Jan 1. Went out on weekends in Jan, took few days off.but come.Feb..no breaks or anything. So oct, nov, and Feb were like hell study sessions. Everyday

3-4 hrs on weekdays, 6-8 on weekends. Working full time too. WAKE UP, WORK, EAT, STUDY, SLEEP

NEW YORK- DONE

[Anonymous]

@Herbieherb- I'm trying to do it all in 10 months. 3 months for FAR, 2 months for AUD, 3 months for REG and 2 months for BEC. No vacations in between and it feels it's not enough.

[Herbieherb]

I forgot to add in my audit prep time…i started around june, took off a lot of nights and weekends but July was hard core. Aud and BEC don't need so much time…reg and far I felt I could've used another month each. I feel I lucked out on reg/BEC in one window…cut my time in half :)..my job isn't very stressful I have normal hrs 8-5 M-F, no weekends. You can also enjoy Saturday nights if you study during the day

NEW YORK- DONE

[Anonymous]

Short answer – the better part of a year. Was it worth it? Abso-friggin-lutely!

[2010Please]

I won't lie; it was absolutely horrible. I had not planned to work while I was studying for the exam, but I just happened to have a job offer right after I applied for my NTS (to take all four parts within six months). I'd advise anyone to get this thing done BEFORE you begin work, if at all possible. Having all of the responsibilities that go along with having a family, home, job, graduate courses, plus studying for the CPA exam…it can be overwhelming. Yes, it did take ALL of my time outside of my other duties (ones I couldn't shuck off on someone else) as a wife, employee, and mother, so that I literally had no free time. Yes, it was work, eat, study, sleep (and not a whole lot in the sleep category), work, eat, study, sleep.

My husband and I actually moved a recliner from our living area to our master bathroom (sitting area) for me to have a quiet place to study (out of the way of household traffic). We just recently moved the chair back down to the living area – AFTER I got my last score. Sitting in it right now in front of my TV. AAhhhh, what a feeling to be out of the bathroom study cave and back to living amongst my family!

I hated every minute of taking the exam, but I am glad I held out now that I passed FAR in February. I think I am a better accountant for the experience. It helped me see things I had not seen with my education and work experience alone – helped synthesize material in a way. The only thing I wish I had done differently would have been to spread the sections out over a year instead of six months (since I was working)…I literally got sick from exhaustion and was in no shape to take FAR when I took it in November 2010.

Hang in there, and good luck to you.

AUD 92, REG 85, BEC 90, FAR 85
Ethics 100
Obtained License 7/11/11 🙂

[wantmylifeback]

I have no clue how many hours I've devoted to the exam. But I do know that all I've been doing is working or studying since October leaving me with no time/energy to exercise and thus I've gained 15 lbs!! Horrible!!

BEC - 83 (10/22/10)
REG - 87 (11/30/10)
AUD - 76 (02/26/11)
FAR - 79 (04/26/11)

[Herbieherb]

yes i gained 20 omg…10 lbs just from studying FAR Jan-FEb. I hit the gym today but man I still got the munchies!

NEW YORK- DONE

[Anonymous]

I passed all four between October 2009 and August 2010; I took off four months or so during busy season.

Here was my daily schedule:

5:00 am- gym

7:00 – 3:30- work

4:00- 9:00/10:00 – study

Sleep, reset.

Long story short, it was terrible. But totally worth it.

Doc

[32CPA]

Still taking it but feel experienced enough to speak. I failed FAR this past summer before passing any… my study began March 2010 and I will take my final (hope) May 2011.

You tell me if I gave up anything.

Full time tax job at fortune 500 with 3 busy seasons per year. Married with 2 year old when I began… wife wanted a puppy over the summer which meant I was in charge of all training bc… oh yeah she was pregnant with my son who was born Jan 2011. that's right… didn't have enough on my plate so I needed a freaking puppy on my plate taking her ouside every 30 minutes when she had worms while trying to study for BEC. I tried to have it done in early January before my second son was born but that didnt work out. Now I'm studying again.

When I began I made a promise to myself… I would NOT let this exam stop me from being with my kids. So I would study from 5am till my son woke up. Play with him till I go to work. Study during lunch. Leave work hurry home and eat with my son then do bedtime with him. He goes to bed and I study till I pass out… wake up, rinse and repeat. Now I have a 3 month old in the mix.

Despite all this I have been very happy, had the best career year performance wise, been the best dad one can be ( only studied 4 Saturdays away from son)… and I can say I am genuinely happy. stressed? unbelievably. happy? hell yeah.

All I have given was tv at night and some sleep. of course I said no to a lot of nights having fun. But as a dad, I wasn't doing much anyway. I just gave up my relax time.

And I am VERY proud of myself for all I've done while not sacrificing my family time. I am very close with my son and he has no idea daddy is doing this. Very proud of that.

BEC - Pass 10/2010
FAR - Pass 10/2010
AUD - Pass 11/2010
REG - Pass 05/2011

[zooyuka]

Given the fact that they've already passed and are still posting in threads like this. I would say not much. 😉

BEC 71,77
REG 65,85
FAR 7/1/13
AUD 8/24/13

[Anonymous]

I passed all 4 sections in 8 months the first time around. I was working 40 hours a week and not only I gave up most of my social life, but I also had to implement several things to save time to study:

– Bought CD audio lectures to listen while commuting to work (average of 2 hours per day)

– Quit going to the gym (bought an exercise equipment to work-out at home)

– Saw my boyfriend only once a week

– Ate dinner while driving home from work (I know, sounds irresponsible, but it was mainly sandwiches / snacks)

– Took my notes everywhere (car wash, oil change, and even to some social events)

I was pretty much eating, sleeping and breathing accounting!

[jelly]

A bunch, but probably not that badly – my friends from back in those days still talk to me and we hang 🙂 I would say it was about 18 months for me, 15 months from the first to the last (repeated 1 part).

I had a lot of support and helpful circumstances going on during that time. I lived at home with my folks, and they left me alone. (I'd clean and help out with laundry, but they did all the cooking and shopping). Of the 2 different places I worked at, the first place was slow and you were encouraged to study. The second place had clients who started around 830, and then kicked everyone out at 5pm. It was a short commute also. I worked Saturdays for a few months, but by then I was up to AUD, which I didn't find too difficult b/c I audited at work. When I took public transit, my study notes accompanied me.

I woke up very early in the mornings to study, i.e. like 430am or 5 (and then out about 745). TV is pretty bad at that hour, and it was even worse during the writer's strike. On the weekends, I went through a strange hermetic cycle of studying, snacking and napping. I went out probably a few times a month during the weekdays, and then just for a few hours during some weekend evenings. I often felt guilty going out, but then I was miserable while studying, so it was quite tortuous!

At this point in my life, I'm not sure I could pass again! My job now is interesting, although somewhat stressful, but the hours are fairly flexible. I live on my own, and have figured out cooking & cleaning on my own, but I'm not sure if I could be as disciplined as I once was. (I am trying very hard though, as I am learning a challenging language, which is why I like this forum).

Couldn't pass again!

[Author]

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