[Anonymous]

Does/did anyone else have a difficult time adjusting to life after passing the CPA exam? After spending over 3 years of my life with the CPA exam on my mind; always having it as a thought of something that I need to be doing, I’m having a rough time adjusting to not having to study for it anymore. My finished basement flooded in August, so I’ve been working on that. I’m finishing my graduate degree, trying to get back into a routine at the gym/better minding my diet, have a litter of kids to look after, etc. I find myself sitting around, not really knowing what to do even though there’s a ton of stuff I could be doing. Anyone else?

[Anonymous]

I haven't passed yet (hopefully tonight!) but this last section destroyed me. I watch a lot of Netflix because although the laundry is piling up I don't know what to do other than think about the exam. I'm a very fit person and don't think I've worked out in six weeks…

[Mjganier]

I went through that after college. I was still in banking at the time and didn't have a point in getting my CPA then. It took 2 years after college that I found things that I enjoyed doing again. Otherwise I sat around watching netflix or hulu and doing exactly what you're doing. And then I got my current job as an auditor and started studying for the CPA and I know it's going to happen again once it's done. But since then, my fiance and I have bought a house and there's a ton of remodeling I want to do so that should keep me busy through this year. Just know you're not alone!

FAR 8/18/2014--87
AUD 10/18/2014--78
REG 11/24/2014--76
BEC 2/28/2015--76

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"-Albert Einstein

Study Mats: Cpaexcel study text and EQ, Ninja MCQ, Ninja notes

[TNCPA16]

Ha, I'm not even halfway done with the CPA exam and I am already thinking about “what next.”

[Anonymous]

My journey lasted from May 2011-July 2014. Like you, I have tons I could be doing, but often feel stuck and unproductive. Having too many options is very hard after having only one for a thousand days. Eight months post certification, and I'm still adjusting to this empty space in my life. I swear it's like stolkholm syndrome.

Sometimes I just sit at home in the quiet, sipping a cup of tea and thinking. For 3+ years there was never any down time, never any quiet, and it's nice to be able to just do nothing guilt-free. Usually after an evening or weekend of peace, I'm able to construct a plan for what to do next and how to fill the empty space for a while.

I think the most important thing is to not judge yourself. You've put yourself through a lot for a very long time, and it takes some time to snap back into a “real” life. Congratulations and good luck.

[mommyof3texans]

This happened after I just finished my MSA in September, which is probably why I jumped right into the CPA process. I didn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't writing a paper!

BEC - 02/21/15 - 82
FAR - 05/29/15 - 82
AUD - 07/09/15 - 93
REG - 11/14/15 - 80

All done!!!

[Herbieherb]

That feeling of wanting to accomplish more ended after 4 or 5 months. I wanted to do CMA, CIA, EA, CFE, law school… I ended up buying an xbox 360 lol…I felt lazy and guilty for not studying… Fast forward three years, I had to do 40 hours of CPE…I got so frustrated to concentrate and take these quizzes. Glad the exams are over, enjoy life you earned it 🙂

NEW YORK- DONE

[Rocky123]

I felt like that at first too. I finished my final exam last November. Sitting here today, it feels soooooo good to be done. Now I've been able to enjoy time with my kids and my boyfriend. I just got a new job so I'll be focusing on that. Plus I'm going to start working on CPE's by this weekend.

It takes a little time to adjust. But being done is the best feeling in the world…..

The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground.

AUD-PASS
BEC-PASS
REG-PASS
FAR-PASS

Rocky123, CPA

[LKD CPA]

This post jumped out at me because I am very much in limbo here too. I am waiting on my last score (hopefully) and have been puttering about. Because of major ethical/legal issues I quit working just under two weeks ago and have since been looking for a job. I will be finishing out my dual major program and getting my MBA, but classes don't start until May. Until then, I've been doing a lot of what the others are doing – running after my kids, exercise, cleaning, random painting, etc. Something I've done that I've gained a lot of interest in is volunteering with the local VITA program. It gets me out of the house a few days a week, I can contribute to those in need, and it's relevant to the field of accounting. Win-win-win. Anything to keep from going crazy.

FAR: 74, 83
REG: 76
BEC: 77
AUD: 89

[Martin]

I still wonder why our brains do not enjoy studying. There is a very low % of people who actually love acquiring new info, and they are usually top students from ivy league colleges. We live in a first world country where education is easy to attain yet only 20% to 25% of Americans have a college degree. I wonder why evolution, and God did not equipped us with a gifted brain. I guess this batch of humans do not require a big brain to survive in our habitat.

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[tomq04]

I've had struggles getting up and going in the morning (I also have a sleepless 7 month old), but had no problems when going full bore. “No problems” is an exaggeration, I had tons of problems, but I kept getting up and chugging forward. I still feel that I am decompressing even though it has been 6 months.

That being said, I have been focusing on an at home business buying/selling/repairing washer/dryers, and I just finished a book(let) to teach the basics of bookkeeping for a similar business. That should be getting posted on my inspirations blog (recraigslist.com) next month. Along with that I am now setting up a website, planning for a remodel of my shed to turn it into a nice home office, and at the same time doing much needed deep cleaning of the house closets, and gardening and landscaping will be hit hard in April.

Just reading that list makes me tired, and I realize that despite feeling “lazy” my wife and I have been kicking some serious ass.

REG- (1) 76
FAR- (2) 64, (5)74, (7)83 (Over achiever!)
AUD- (3) 70, (4) 75
BEC- (6) 75

[mw798]

CMA…if the CPA material is still fresh in your head I say go for it. It's like BEC and FAR all over again.

[Author]

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