[Anonymous]

I’m struggling with finding study time and could use some advice. I have a newborn baby (2 months) and going back to work full-time. I’m going to start studying for BEC and would love to pass before April. But with a newborn, I am on her schedule. I can’t necessarily study after she goes to sleep because I need to sleep. So for any working mom’s out there… how do you find the time?

[Anonymous]

Do you nurse? My mom had 8 kids, so always something going on, but she always nursed for awhile, so for about 20 years she was either pregnant or nursing. Anyway, she used nursing time as time to study things which interested her, since for 20 minutes or so she knew she'd be sitting down and holding still. Might be a way to get some studying in that's aided by your baby's schedule.

[Accountant183748]

I like Lilla's idea! You can listen to NINJA Audio while nursing then you and baby can both learn the materials! haha 😛

I think we need a little more information to give better feedback: will you be working full time? will you have someone to take care of the baby while you study? about how many hours does the baby sleep through the night?

It's hard to find time to study and requires a lot of sacrifices (mostly sleep, which you are probably already sacrificing for the baby).

My off the bat suggestion is to get up when she wakes up and study before work like 4am to 7am depending what time you go to work and what time baby wakes up. I don't know if you are nursing, but my sister recently had a baby and the baby eats every 2-3 hours, by the time she finishes nursing, washing bottles, etc the baby is already hungry again!

[Trees202]

I'm a FT working “mom to be”!. (omg, cooking babies is WAY more exhausting than I ever imagined.)

I just failed BEC. Studying during the first trimester was a nightmare. As soon as I get home from my 11 hour day, all I want to do is sleep. Now I have to retake it when I'm around 19 or 20 weeks; and if I fail that… AUD expires and I'll be in the same boat as you–trying to test with a newborn.

I'm really hoping that I get a burst of energy early in the second trimester. I guess I should just be happy that I wasn't puking all over prometric during this last one.

I'd try to utilize as much work time as you can to study. Listen to audio in the car/train on the way to work. Study over lunch. Study when your boss isn't looking 😉
Is baby at daycare while you're at work? The daycares I've looked at are the same $ rate for a “full day” regardless of when you drop baby off / pick baby up. I know you probably want to spend as much time as you can with baby, but if it works out, maybe drop baby off a little early / pick baby up a little late to get an extra hour of study in. Even typing that, I'm cringing b/c I know as soon as I wasn't at work, I'd want to go get my baby…but I'm assuming part of the reason you're getting the CPA is to be able to provide for baby… so missing a few hours here and there will be for the greater good!

Good luck!!

[Missy]

My kids were 10 and 16 but I worked full time and was in grad school when I took the cpa exams. Here's my advice:

Newborn baby, eh maybe wait on the exams. You'll never get these precious moments back enjoy every one of them. Nobody ever wishes they worked or studied more hours when baby rolls over or sits up the first time.

That said if you are DETERMINED to do this now:

Accept any and all offers of help, even from your husband's crazy aunt. Someone wants to bring you a home cooked meal, or fold a load of laundry, or play with baby for a few minutes say YES.

Housework……eh. Let it go. Your house won't be spotless. If you can swing a housekeeper do it (not that expensive, like $50 every other week)

Dinner, nobody perished for eating too much take out for a few months. If you do cook, double or triple the quantity and freeze for another meal. Get paper plates and disposable cups. Sanity trumps the environment for a few months. If you have a crock pot it is your best friend.

Get audio lectures and listen where and whenever you can. I fell asleep listening to it hoping something would sink in. I listened as I folded laundry and walked the dog too.

Read auditing to baby. He or she just wants to be held and hear your voice. Who cares if its Brown Bear or Qualified opinions? Not baby!

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Texasmom]

When I first started on my CPA journey I got pregnant with my son I think a month after getting my AUD score of 74 and failing FAR twice. At that point I knew baby was #1 priority and I wouldn't have the time and energy to take care of a newborn, go back to work full time after my maternity leave and study for the CPA exam so I put it off. I didn't have any tests I had passed so it's not like I was under the clock. Fast forward a couple of years later my son is now 3 years old, I started to sit for the exam last year and have completed 2 sections with hopefully another one out of the way and one more to go. In my opinion I would spend as much time as possible with your baby, it's hard to get them on a sleep schedule right away anyway so you will be so exhausted and stressed, that can't possibly be good for baby and you. If you wait until baby's older you can have your significant other help you by taking baby out while you study so you can actually get some studying done. If you can put off the test, I would say put it off for about a year or so. If your tests are expiring then yes, that is a whole other beast. To me the first months were kind of a blur just from lack of sleep and exhaustion that I wouldn't even dream about trying to study for the CPA. Hence the reason why we're putting off baby #2 (God willing) until this is all done.

FAR - 84
REG - 72, 73
AUD-
BEC - Sept 2016

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Here's a little more information about me:

I am nursing and my little girl feeds every 3-4 hours during the day and longer at night. She doesn't sleep through the night yet but we can get a good 6 hours of somewhat restful sleep (I still check to make sure she is breathing) and then I feed her and get about another 2 hours in. Some days I feel great, some I don't – just all depends. Sleep is a luxury for sure! I will be going back to work full-time in a couple of weeks and my husband will be on his paternity leave starting then for at least month. After that time, our little girl will be in daycare 5-days a week, all day. Unfortunately, we don't have family where we live so we are basically on our own.

During the day, when the baby is awake I am either nursing, changing, or playing with her. Only when she sleeps do I feel like I have some time but usually my time is filled with even the basic needs like showering, bathroom and eating. Then maybe my house chores but I have learned to live with a messy house except fortunately I've hired house cleaners long ago and I love those house cleaning days. Basically, I don't feel like now I'm missing those big moments but I will as soon as I go back to work. Me quitting work is obviously not an option, especially if I'm trying to be a CPA.

From all of your suggestions, I think I will try to fit in studying when I can. Listen to video's when nursing when walking her and our dog. Read to her some fascinating CPA Topics. And maybe some study time before she wakes up if I can get up myself. Honestly, I'll probably have more time studying at work then when I'm at home with her – during lunch and in my office looking like I'm actually working 😉 But I will also have a new boss when I get back, so maybe not.

Trees202 – My 2nd trimester was much better. But after failing AUD during my 1st trimester (horrible time to test!) I couldn't focus anymore on the exams which is why now I'm trying to get back into it. Pregnancy really does crazy things to your brain (baby brain is so true!) plus all the preparation for when the baby arrives. I just recently feel like I've got my brain back.

I figured I should try now and if I can't get my study time to work then I will put it off some and see how it goes. I would like to be done with the CPA exam for baby #2, when and if that may be. I was hoping to be done with baby #1 but here we are.

Again thanks for the advice from all of you!!

And my little girl is awake…. gotta go 🙂

[Namstut]

This it definitely tough and you are brave studying for a CPA with a newborn. There is no way around it – you just don't sleep. My kids are now older but I was getting my Masters when my son was a baby and I was on a 3-4 hour sleep schedule. Even now with 12-14 hours at work I only have time to study at night so back to 4 hours of sleep. It's exhausting but doable. Good luck!

AUD 7/6/16 Passed
BEC 9/3/16
FAR TBD
REG TBD

[Author]

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