[FastFalcon]

I started my CPA journey about a year ago. Since then I have graduated, moved, gotten married, and started in audit at a mid-sized, regional firm. My Becker materials expire in 5 months and I have only passed one exam. My exam schedule has gone:
BEC July 2016 (72) October (82)
FAR December (61)
REG January (67)

I have read of longer and more harrowing journeys than my own on this forum, but now I need some advice. I work ~50 hours a week with 10 hours of commuting. My study routine has been to study a couple hours a day during weeknights after long days of auditing and all day on weekends. After months of this and only one exam passed (the least technical one, no less) I feel totally exhausted, miserable, and I don’t see any hope for the future. I’m to the point where I’ve memorized Becker questions and I am not learning anything new. I am dumping my hours of time into studying and not getting any returns come exam day. I feel like I cry on a regular basis because I am completely overwhelmed with the pressure to pass exams asap and do well at work.

Anyone else been there? Anyone else just feel like they want their life back to feel happy/not a wreck again? What changes do I make to start passing the exams? The only thing I know for sure is that what I am doing is not working for me personally, but I don’t know what changes to make. I think my outlook on work/life would improve if I wasn’t waking up everyday still fried from the previous day of full of work and study. But I also don’t feel I can scale back my studying because that will only elongate my overall CPA journey.

Any words of advice appreciated.

[maxb]

try to drown out the noise like checking social media or anything that could make you anxious about things. the less you know about whats going on around you, the more you can focus on the material. i know for me persoonally, sometimes the most random things on social media could distract me for hours (like finding out someone else passed).

[SomeSomeCPA]

I think everyone who doesn't pass all 4 exams on their first try feels as you've described at some point. It took me 18 months to pass the exam and 9 tries. I didn't get my first pass result until 8 months into the process. You're not alone.
One thing I will add is that if you are commuting 10 hours a day and are not utilizing audio notes at least Mon-Thurs you are doing yourself a huge disservice. Enjoy your Friday commute with whatever you usually listen to.

FAR: 39,59,TBD
BEC: 74,79
AUD: 77
REG: September

[tacctfin11]

Take FAR First everything is downhill from there IMO…

FAR- 76 01/08/2016 exp 08/04/2017
AUD- 82 04/14/2016
BEC- May 28th

baby

REG- TBD

[Anonymous]

I've said on a few similar posts to this one but keep pushing forward. I started this journey the summer of 2014 and it took me 3 years. I took the a total of 11 exams (passed 5.. audit twice..). I've purchased Becker and Roger. I've put my life on hold plenty of times. I even had a baby during this 3 year saga.

This exam in not for the weak of heart. It tests your will to the utmost breaking point. I have been where you are. The feeling of helplessness and questioning whether this will ever be over. It WILL. I promise you that. You will get there. Don't GIVE up. Take a day, a weekend, even a week or month of a break if need be to find the courage to keep pushing through. You've passed an exam. One that I personally think was one of the harder ones. You 25% there! It took me losing an exam due to expiration and completely changing my study material to start passing. Oh and the pressure of having a baby. That was a fun stress adder!

[Author]

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