[pi15]

I’m at the point of where I’m not sure if I should give up studying for CPA.. I’m sure many of you have had the thoughts. I used to be very motivated to study and after fail after fail, I’m starting to wonder if it’s really worth the stress and missing out on life. I’ve never been a good test taker but I knew if I worked hard I could maybe get by. I’m so close to passing but I’m burning out getting these 71s to 74s. I try new ways to study and sacrifice some fun. I know the test doesn’t define me, but it’s starting to get to me mentally and with my self-esteem. I did take a 6 month break last year due to new job and the break helped. And then life and work gets in the way, it’s so frustrating. And fyi, I’ve been at this for about 6 years, which is pretty sad. Just ready to burn these books and call myself dumb as a brick. The other half of me might think I’ll regret not getting it. Catch 22. I’m just so done… End of rant.

[ML]

First of all, I’m glad you decided to rant because just getting things off your chest in general helps. I don’t know your situation or circumstance which may attribute to your difficulty in passing the exams but I am also not one to judge. I don’t think intelligence has massive influence on the exams but I do truly believe hard work and persistence does. I can understand that the constant 70s definitely is heartbreaking, frustrating and exhausting. Regardless if you pass or fail the exams, the entire process is just exhausting in general. Having that said I think you should take a short break but I don’t think you should give up. Short break, I mean by several weeks to a month. Any longer and I feel you might get comfortable and it’ll be much harder to ramp up the effort again to study. I’m not sure what review courses you use or what method of studying you use either but I can tell you right now the strategy that has worked best for me is simply just crunching out MCQs till my eyes bleed. I don’t watch the videos and I may skim the book but only if I struggle on a particular subject. I work full time and often with overtime so I don’t have the luxury of sitting there watching the videos, reading the book and then doing the homework. I go straight to the MCQs and start crunching it out. Of course this approach may not work for everyone but it seems to be one of the most common approaches for a lot of members here. Either way, I just wanted to tell you not to give up. Plan your exams accordingly and try to take them within a reasonable amount of time if one another. Too much time in between exams should be avoided unless you don’t have a choice. Like for me I usually take a two week break before I start ramping up studying for the next section. But I swear once you pass that first section and you get that momentum going and morale boost you’ll feel much better. Best of luck friend

FAR - 7/31/14
AUG - ???
REG - ???
BEC - ???

"These are the precincts of pain. A goddess lives here. Her name is victory." - Unknown

[ReggaeReg]

Hey There,
My journey too has been 6 years and I've tested 16 times. I gave up once. But I came to my senses because it was incredibly hard for find a job I knew I was fit to do…all because everyone wanted a Controller/VP of Finance with those 3 letters. I decided, after getting thrown into a awful job…it was time to dedicate. Its been 14 months of constant studying and I regret none of it. Passing my first exam made me realize all the hard work is worth it. My confidence soared and my momentum has been fantastic. After passing FAR, I passed AUD and BEC quickly after. I had a burnout with REG and failed – but it did not break my spirit. Even if I get my final score back as a fail…it still won't break me. I hope you find that strength to keep going. I promise you can do it. If your current study method is not working, change it. You get out of this exam what you put into it. You will make for an inspiring success story one day. All the best.

[Kim]

i took me 3 years to pass all 4 parts. i thought of giving up practically everyday being burned. I passed 3 exams this year. Making notes on the problems i got wrong and putting the most important things that I had trouble up on a wall at home. Studying on the commute to work, lunch and back home help a lot too. I used NInja for the MCQs and Gleim for simulations.
I received so much help from this forum. If you feel you haven't gave a 100% do not give up. It is a long journey but trust me it is worth it! Hang in there!!

[Author]

Replies