[Anonymous]

What does anyone do when they gradually start losing motivation for getting through this labyrinth called the CPA exam? Drink alcohol? Do some 420? Pray? Hook up? Go shopping?
Eat? It’s so easy to lose motivation and just say “f*** it, I don’t care anymore.” I’m only one exam into this thing and I am already at that stage. No amount of positive thinking seems to get me over this hurdle. I haven’t quit, and I won’t quit, but on the other hand, my days of efficient studying and studying for long hours are gone. I haven’t been able to get up the stamina to do those anymore like I did for my first exam. I work full time and just sorta do CPA stuff for most of the evening after coming home from work and on the weekends. I need to find the motivation again. I don’t want this to get away from me. I’m already way older than the average CPA exam taker. How does anyone do it? At the rate I am going, it’ll be another few years before I’m done with this thing.

[Anonymous]

Finding a way to eliminate the “non-enthusiastic” days would be good.

I think for me, even taking all four sections, and receiving four Certificate of Attendance sheets (Ribbon of Participation!!) is slightly motivating.
Usually if someone has enough time, they can do just about anything. At least the AICPA doesn't bar someone after X number of attempts at the CPA exams!!
That's a real good thing!

[Missy]

When you push yourself to do this even when you really don't want to, that's when it all starts happening. It's like going to work on a 70 degree day in February, you know you want to skip it but you go anyway. And you're right it's not necessary for a lot of people but someday there may be a job you really want and the cpa is just about the only thing that separates you from your competition. I found it to be a very small investment of both time and money that ultimately helped me get the job I have now which is where I'll likely stay until retirement.

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

[waffle_house]

@taayllorr

Thank you, your post was motivating

[RyonT]

Well, I drink. When I got my score last week, I didn't study until this past Monday. I have been studying basically everyday since the begining of November and once I got that 67, I just needed a break. This past week though has been good. I finally feel like I'm getting things that I was struggling with. Taking a couple days when you are on a time crunch may not be the best idea, but I feel like it helped me get back my motivation.

I don't really need the letters for my current job, but it has been a goal of mine since I graduated (I'm 35). Plus I have a few friends back home that see me as a bit of a f**k up. It would be nice to prove them wrong.

[taayllorr]

Ha – thanks @waffle_house glad you thought so…

Hard to tell if that is a sarcastic comment, but either way. I saw the word 420 and thought this is my kind of thread. I've seen posts that say never to smoke or smoke only after done studying. That's nonsense to me. It keeps me level, allows me to enjoy my life in the moment. You can do anything you put time into. External factors are all subjective. Don't let people psych you out! If you fail, try a little harder. Understand that the way you were approaching these exams doesn't work and adjust! It isn't a walk in the park. Just gotta give'r!

[A]

I'm a week out from FAR and I have the attention span of a hamster. Yesterday I double-checked the CO licensing requirements and realized this truly is the very last thing I have to do aside from submitting the paperwork. It helped perk me up a bit, but this morning FAR seems like the freakin' Himalayan mountains standing between me and a license.

Arg…

I just need to pull up my big-girl pants and make the most of the next seven days.

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[Anonymous]

@mecrushya – I hope you CRUSH your last exam. FAR could almost be broken into 2 separate tests, with the amount of material you have to know for it. I'm gonna retake it later this year. I'll do better. My score in the low 60s was because I burned out. Once I hit the last page of that thick, gudgy, cumbersome FAR review book, my brain shut off.

[Anonymous]

Somehow, the more stressful life gets, the better I do. I found out I was pregnant unexpectedly almost a year ago and with only one exam down which was set to expire that spring, I felt, well, screwed. I contiously heard people tell me a) how hard it would be as a full-time working new mom in public accounting b) how hard it would be to be a mom because I'm so young (I'm 25… not 16) and c) how I better pass my exams before I have the baby.

Well, in ideal world, id be sitting here, writing this to say I'm a CPA. Real world, I passed two exams while 8 months pregnant and then my son came a month early. And thus began a new life. Maternity leave came and went, and I soon found myself back in the office (trying to remember how the hell to log on to my computer), let alone talk about that god damn exam.

I miracously passed another while working 6 days a week and having a young baby at home. I think it was mainly because I didn't want to see another question on CAPM in my life.

I have one more exam left, and I'm taking a final stab at it before it changes. Who knows, maybe I'll be done, but maybe I won't.

I guess to wrap this all up, it wasnt motivation that got me here. It was perseverance. I had every excuse laid out nicely in front of me to quit. But I've always been taught that even when your backs up against the wall, you keep throwing punches, even half ass ones. It'd be great if we were all motivated 24/7, but that's not reality. Never will be.

Keep pushing forward. Even tiny steps forward are better than going tiny steps backwards.

[A]

I spent about 6 hours yesterday writing the last half of FAR Ninja notes and this morning, my MCQ trending averages are up about 10%. This was just the shot of motivation I needed, as I was rather depressed last night about the odds of success on this rushed attempt. If this trend continues over the next two days (nothing but MCQs and a daily re-reading of notes), I just might have a shot at a passing score on Friday.

I hope everyone sitting for sections this week are seeing improvement and building more confidence in these final precious days of review.

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[Author]

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