Tips for Hopeful CPA's

1.  Make sure you have the right motivation.

We need to start with an important disclaimer- I'm not a CPA.  This it not because I didn't/couldn't pass the CPA exam (that has yet to be determined) but because I realized I pursued the CPA for the wrong reasons.  Want the details?  Go here.

More important than my wrong reasoning is for you guarantee that your motivation is the right one.  The hard part is that you are the only one that can determine if your reasonsing is correct.  The process is.going.to.suck.  I can guarantee that!  So you have to make sure that the reason you want to be a CPA is enough to get you through long hours of studying, missing quality time with family, not seeing your friends, always being sleep deprived, and staring at the most uninteresting side of accounting you've ever seen. 

2. Schedule, schedule and schedule again.


As I said before the process is going to be horrible.  And despite all of the preparing I did, it was more horrendous than I expected.  So prepare ahead of time.

Make a study schedule before you actually start studying so you have a game plan for how many hours a week you will be studying.  And don't just make it in your head, write it down.  Or be true to your accountant roots and put it in Excel.   

Track your progress.  You can see from my posts here, here, here, and here that it really helps to see how you are doing.

Don't be afraid to schedule again if things just aren't working out.  It is always a work in progress that is continuously refined.  My schedule changed quite a bit, as evident here, here and here.

However, I strongly caution you to not reschedule you test date too many times.  I gave myself too much time to catch up on studying and I ended up not being at my prime due to the extra time.  I probably would have been better off to stick with my original date and just take the test.  You will NEVER feel fully prepared, so definitely don't wait for that feeling.

3.  Have a dedicated study space. 

Your couch does not count!  Trust me from experience.  I completely my entire MBA sitting on my living room couch- literally!  Yes, I was even there for class since they were all online.  Studying for the CPA requires a CPA zone.  This sounds corny, but you will thank me if you have created this zone prior to being your CPA adventure.  I realized this too late and therefore creating my space became MUCH more exciting that actually studying resulting in lost hours of studying when I really needed it.

4.  Indulge in items that will make your life easier.

This is not a sprint, but a marathon.  So allow yourself to pick a few items to help you along the way.  For me, I bought a larger purse so I could have my laptop, study books and flash cards on me at all times.  I did flip through flash cards at the doctor's office, pull out my books at a restaurant waiting for a friends, and power up the laptop when I had an unexpected 45 minutes to kill.  This was well worth it!  And I did the extra research to find a cute purse so I enjoyed carrying it around instead of feeling like a complete dork wearing my book bag everywhere I went. 

5.  Have the CPA be your primary focus.

As you can see from my CPA posts, I was also working out with a trainer to try to lose weight.  While working out provided stress relief, the lack of weight loss added back in more unneeded stress.  Do not try to conquer the world while getting your CPA.  You can always do that afterward.  Focus on the CPA so you can pass the first time and be able to conquer the world sooner.

6.  Don't shortcut yourself by getting sub-par study materials.

I was lucky that my employer paid 100% of all of my study materials, but I would have gladly spent my money on the Becker program.  Their program works.  Period.  If you do want they tell you, you will pass.  It is that simple.  And it is guaranteed, which shows you that they mean what they say when they are willing to put their money where their mouth is. 

If you are short on money, you can volunteer to take attendance for your class and receive a discount.  Or give them a call to see if any discounts are available.  But if neither of these options work for you, a little extra money is worth passing the first time.

New Look, New Adventure

So I've been quiet for a while, actually it has been quite a long while. But the good news is that I'm back and at the beginning of a new, very exciting adventure. More on that in a minute.

First I need to catch you up on everything that has gone on to get us to where we are today.

I took REG, my first test of the CPA exam. The experience sucked. The questions kept getting harder, which is a good sign. But only luck would have gotten me a correct answer in the last testlet since I had no clue what they were talking about. So I waited a horribly long time and found out that I passed. *insert crickets chripping* Weird, right? It wasn't "I PASSED!!! Woohoo I'll conquer the world!" It was just "I passed. So what's for dinner?" Literally. And that got me thinking, do I really want to be a CPA? Is this really going to make me happy? If not, then what would make me happy?

So there was some questioning the purpose of life in there, but I determined I wasn't pursuing the CPA for the right reasons. I was doing it because I have worked in accounting for close to a decade (man I'm getting old) and I thought those three letter should be at the end of my name. In reality, Redhead in Raleigh CPA wouldn't make me any happier than Redhead in Raleigh. So the CPA journey ended, and that surprisingly made me happy!

I decided my job was too much work and not enough fulfillment and challenge. So I threw my resume out there on days that were particularly grueling. I got a bite, an interview, and an offer I couldn't say no to. Leaving my job was awkward to say the least. People I expected to support my decision did anything but. And those who I never expected support from were standing by my side. Funny how things work out like that. Good news is that the amazing offer has continued to be amazing and then some. I enjoy my work. I believe in my new company. And I even like the people I work with! Three sentences I've never been able to say at the same time before!

Work was taken care of, but there was a still a void in my personal life. I am lucky to have an amazing husband who was feeling the same way. What would our next step be? Follow the traditional path and get pregnant? Nope, it just didn't feel right. Most people don't know what to make of that sentence but that's the only way we can explain it. It might be right down the road, but today it isn't for us. But the weird part is that we want a child to love. So... drum roll please... we are becoming Foster Parents!

Even Rudy is excited to be the "Big Brother"!

Today is the Day!

This afternoon I am going to conquer REG... I hope at least!

I have been a bit MIA from this blog, but it has been because I've been studying, studying and then studying some more. While I feel somewhat prepared, I also feel like there is still a ton of topic would like to study more. But my brain is pretty close to its capacity, so it is probably better that I'm taking the exam today.

I'll have many more details tomorrow in my weekly update (that will cover 2 weeks since studying became the priority over last week's status). But if you have any good thoughts, positive vibes or prayers hanging around, please send them my way around 2:30!

And the Count Down Begins!

Less than 10 days left until I sit for the REG exam. I'm not sure if I should be scared or thrilled!

BUT, I completed all 1,076 of my required homework questions today. So if I fail, that means I can officially blame Becker, right?

My game plan for the new few days is to complete the following.

-All Supplemental Questions (424)
-All Simulations (9)
-Watch All Final Review Lectures (7 hours and 53 thrilling minutes)
-All Final Review Questions (224)
-All Final Review Simulations (6)
-AICPA Practice Exam

Does anyone have any other last week study tips?

Instant Smile

My weigh-in yesterday really put a damper on my mood. But I decided to use my bad mood to my advantage and tackle R3 (C Corps). I had been dreading this section because it just doesn't click at.all! So last night I spent 3.5 hours trying to make some sense of it. I figured since I had a bad day I might as well work on R3 so that I don't ruin a good day!

But then I saw this guy and instantly smiled!

Ups and Downs

The studying went pretty well this week. I definitely am trying to find the balance of studying enough without going crazy which just results in being unproductive. This has resulted in less hours of studying, but I think the studying that I am doing is much more productive since I'm not forcing myself to sit at my desk forever. But I do have to say that my new desk is making the studying much more "fun". It isn't hard to make it more fun when it is incredibly painful to begin with.

I had 2 great personal training sessions this week. I'm really starting to see progress and the amount of strength I have gained. And I think I *might* even be enjoying the workouts. Not completely sure on that one, but at least I don't hate it as much!

Now I am very frustrated with yet another weight gain this week. I was trying to make good choices with all of the studying sessions, superbowl and other general life complications. It really aggravates me that I've put in so much work in my workouts to still gain weight. At least I'm not desperate enough to call my weight gain muscle. But you can't win them all, so I'm going to keep pushing through.

This week I'm in a training session, so I'm going to struggle to not only eat healthy but also have energy to study in the evening. I'm trying to not let this week's set back with my weight gain discourage me. I really need to stay positive this week since the exam is very quickly approaching.

This Week:
Hours Studied: 17.5
Multiple Choice Questions: 242
Workout Sessions: 2(Personal Training)
Weight Loss: up (don't remember the specific number)

Total Results:
Total Hours Studied: 72
Total Multiple Choice Questions: 1004
Total Workout Sessions: 7
Total Weight Loss: don't want to calculate at this point

New Office In Progress

Friday night it finally hit me that I needed a dedicated study space. The living room couch just wasn't cutting it. I kept being interrupted by Rudy delivery his stuffed hedgehog then platypus then hat and then ball just begging for some playtime. Then Kevin would wander out to the kitchen for water/snack/cookie and talk to himself. For a relatively quiet person, I never before realized how much he talks until I was trying my best to concentrate on the never ending multiple-choice questions. I just wasn't studying well stationed on the couch.

We wracked our brains trying think of a space that I could study until 10pm, since I have been able to go strong in the evenings until then. The typical spots (library, Panera, Starbucks) aren't open that late. But then we came up with the magical idea of creating an office for me in.our.house! We were really thinking outside of the box with this one, but all of the pieces somehow seemed to fit into place.

Here is the office that you have seen before. This truly is Kevin's office and I knew that neither of us would be happy if we tried to share this desk.

So our attention turned to our underutilized guest room.

Well, we would need to start with a desk. So the Craigslist hunt began and I was happy to find the perfect one quite quickly.

Then the search began for the perfect chair. I think this one is going to be the winner, but I'm reserving my final opinion until I see it in the room.

The only question left was what color should we paint the desk. I loved the idea of red since it would match with the existing rug and curtains, but what shade? Clearly, a decision has yet to be made! We'll leave that until after REG is complete.

Here's a picture of the room in progress. (Please ignore the laundry on the bed) I'm really happy with how all of the furniture fits in the room in the new configuration!

One More Change

I changed my REG test date... again! Yes, I know this is getting a bit crazy but here's the progression of events.

Decided delaying the exam a week would be perfect. I would get an extra week of studying and taking the exam on a Monday would ensure the data was "fresh" after studying cramming over the weekend. And I loved that an afternoon time slot was open so I'd be awake and ready for the exam.

Tried to reschedule online but my session timed out. Ugh!

Tried to reschedule again but the afternoon time slot was gone. Decided I could take the exam at 8am despite not being a morning person. Miskeyed credit card info (you know, where you hit submit just as you see the error) and my session ended.

Tried to reschedule again but now no sessions were available on the 21st. Seriously!?!

Rescheduled for Tuesday at 9am paying my fee. This meant I would take 1.5 days off of work to ensure working wouldn't clog my brain by getting between the studying cramming and the test.

Tried my best to make piece with this, which didn't actually happen. Because the next day I checked their site "just because" to see if any of those precious Monday sessions were available. And they BOTH were! So now do I pay another fee to reschedule back to Monday? Or stick to my Tuesday date that I really don't love?

I called Prometric because I really shouldn't have to pay again since those spots really were available yesterday. I couldn't believe how super nice they were to reschedule my exam without an additional fee! Woohoo!

Conclusion: Send good vibes Monday, February 21st from 2:30 to 6:00! I'll need them!

Romantic, Slacker or Smart?

I'm not sure exactly which one applies to my decision to move my REG exam from Feb 14th (Valentine's Day) to Feb 22nd.

I am quite excited to be able to "enjoy" Valentine's Day, despite the studying that I will be doing. Although Kevin and I aren't the most romantic couple. We have been known to tile our backsplash on Valentines Day if that gives you any idea of our idea of a romantic night in!

I did push my exam out over a week. Part of the reasoning is that I'm behind on studying, especially after last week. I'm hoping that by having more time, I won't become too comfortable and not push to study every.second.possible. Only time will tell!

While I hate the idea of putting the exam off, I want to make sure I'm able to get in some decent study time. So hopefully this was a smart decision! We'll see in late March when the test results come back. I'm already dreading that wait!

When It Rains, It Pours

This week has been rough.

First it started out with a work function on Monday night, which made studying that night completely impossible. Then I caught an awful bug, which put me out of commission Wednesday through Saturday. Yes, that was a lot of studying that I missed. Sunday I tried to catch up as much as possible. And then we found out that Kevin's grandpa passed away. Ugh! And to add insult to injury, we weren't able to go to the funeral due to timing, Kevin now being sick and a horrible ice storm on the way. :'-(

So what went right this week? I went to both of my Becker classes, which finally covered topics I was more comfortable with. I kicked butt on multiple choice questions, completing 336 this week! I worked out twice despite having zero energy. And I've tried to keep everything in perspective since life definitely gets in the way of your plan.

This Week:
Hours Studied: 15.5
Multiple Choice Questions: 336
Workout Sessions: 2(Personal Training)
Weight Loss: up .6 pounds

Total Results:
Total Hours Studied: 54.5
Total Multiple Choice Questions: 762
Total Workout Sessions: 5
Total Weight Loss: 2.6 pounds

My game plan for this week is to get back on track and not beat myself up over the hours I didn't study or weight I didn't lose this week.

2 Weeks Down in Reg

This past week I really started to feel the pressure. Not only did I have to balance my studying with life (aka my brothers visiting from out of town), but I also started to realize how difficult this material is. I knew all along that it was tough, but now I'm seeing how tough it really it. But I think I did a great job of studying 24 hours, only 1 hour short of my intended 25! Also I was much more aware of my diet and made better choices. This was essential since my workouts were a little slack this week!

For next week, I'm vowing to get back to my schedule and really focus on making progress with the CPA material. I feel like I'm drowning right now and I really want to conquer some topics (specifically in R3) so I can feel like the studying is paying off. I also want to keep being committed to WW and exercising because those results are always so encouraging!

This Week:
Hours Studied: 24
Multiple Choice Questions: 244
Workout Sessions: 1(Personal Training)
Weight Loss: 1.4 pounds

Total Results:
Total Hours Studied: 39
Total Multiple Choice Questions: 426
Total Workout Sessions: 3
Total Weight Loss: 3.2 pounds

Overwhelmed by R3

Now I definitely felt overwhelmed with R1 and R2 (both on individual taxes), but I felt like they were do-able sections for me. At some point it was possible for me to conquer them. R3 (C Corp, S Corp and Non-Profit) is just not happening. I have been studying on the first section (C Corp) for the last five hours and am struggling. Some concepts I have down pat, while others are still remaining a complete mystery, and there are a few that aren't even ringing a bell! Ugh! I'm trying my best to just keep taking deep breaths and telling myself it will make sense one day. I just hope that day is before I sit for the exam!

Schedule Revamp

I've only been at this CPA nonsense for just over a week and I'm spent. Exhausted both physically and mentally and just done. So I've decided to revamp my schedule since I can't continue at this pace until July. Previously I was scheduled to study 30 hours a week and I've come to realize I just can't do that and stay sane. So I'm eliminating my morning study sessions so I can get a full 8 hours of sleep and increasing my study time on non-class nights. I also have reduced my weekend study hours because they were a bit unrealistic. Here's the new schedule:

Monday: 3 hours in the evening
Tuesday: 4 hours in class
Wednesday: 3 hours in the evening
Thursday: 4 hours in class
Friday: FREE NIGHT!!!
Saturday: 5 hours (broken apart as needed)
Sunday: 5 hours (broken apart as needed)
Total: 24 hours a week

I really would like to make it to 25 hours a week, but I'll see how difficult squeezing in that extra hour becomes. Giving myself this extra breathing room has really helped get some of my motivation back. And my trainer last night even said to me, "I really like your enthusiasm!" Um... I guess that means I'm doing a good job faking it until I actually believe it!

Motivation, where did you go?

All of my motivation and excitement over conquering this week has quickly worn off into exhaustion. I think (or maybe that is hope) that deep down I'm still motivated, but I'm having a hard time seeing it through the sleepiness and sore muscles. I'm hoping that my exercise will soon result in an increase of energy that I keep hearing about. Right now I just feel exhausted and sore... very, very sore! And I'm hoping my body will quickly adapt to my new schedule of evening classes/study sessions. I think it is currently rebelling since it isn't getting the 9 hours of sleep it is used to!

Have I mentioned that my brothers are coming into town on Friday? I'm super excited to see both of them and my brother's girlfriend Mona- love her! It isn't very often that all of us get together since we are scattered across the country. So today I'm trying to figure out how to not be exhausted or incredibly behind in my studying when they get here. Because if you know any of us, you know that Friday night is going to be a ton of fun! Here's a picture of us at the beach this summer to give you an indication of how Friday night will go!

Here's to making it to Friday!

Survived the First Week!

Not only did I survive my first week of the journey to be a CPA, I came out of it feeling encouraged and motivated to kick some butt next week!

Life threw me some curve balls this week. I got all of my ducks in order on Monday night in preparation for my first Becker class for REG on Tuesday. But then it was canceled due to snow leaving little to study or do on Tuesday and Wednesday. I was super nervous (not sure why) for class on Thursday night, but it ended up not being as terrible as I expected. I will even admit that the dork in me enjoyed parts of the class. I was starting to stress about the lack of hours I had logged for studying, but my boss surprised us with a day off on Friday. Normally I would have spent this napping and taking it easy, but I got in 5 hours of solid studying. Saturday I was a true slacker and didn't study at all. But Sunday I was right back on track with 4 hours.

I also have been taking my resolution to be more healthy much more seriously. The main reason for this is that I hate my personal training sessions. I'll even admit I was delighted when our session was cancelled on Monday due to snow. I don't hate my trainer- he is a nice guy. I just hate sweating, "the burn", and all of the moving that is required. All in all, I think I just despise exercise. So why am I doing this?

#1 I read somewhere you retain more information after you workout. I have no idea if this is true, but I like to think my evening study sessions are more productive because I broke a sweat beforehand. So in some ways I'm hoping it is helping me become a CPA.

#2 It's healthy. Simple as that. I figure that if I am busting my butt working out, I really need to make that worthwhile by not eating crap. It really has helped me stay accountable to a healthy lifestyle. I even joined a local gym on Saturday so that I would no longer have an excuse to skip my weekend workouts. And I did much better on WW this week, but I am looking forward to continuing to improve next week! But down 1.8 pounds is a great place to start! I can't wait to be a CPA, but I really hope that when I get there I'll be a skinny CPA! Now I might be getting greedy, but it is a nice thought!

Hours Studied: 15
Total Hours Studied: 15
Workout Sessions: 2 (1 Personal Training, 1 at the Gym)
Weight Loss: 1.8 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 1.8 pounds

And it begins...

... the moment we have all been waiting for, or was that dreading?

Today begins my adventures in preparing for the CPA exams. For those of you who aren't up speed with these exams, there are four exams that you must pass within a 18 month window. So that means if you pass one exam, but haven't passed the other 3 within 18 months then you lose that passing score and have to take it over again. So the name of the game is to pass and pass quickly!

My first exam is scheduled for Monday, February 14th. What a romantic way to spend Valentine's Day! The exam is Regulation, commonly referred to as REG, and covers tax, business law and ethics. Sounds exciting, right?

Because I'm the typical anal accountant, I've planned on my life for the next few months and here's what it looks like.

Yes, it is in a spreadsheet. Yes, it is incredibly blurry because I can crunch numbers much better than I can do technical things. Hopefully that means good things for passing these exams! But as you see my life is comprised of work and then 30 hours of studying a week! Yes, you read that right- 30 hours of studying a week. While I'm hoping that you don't really need to study that much to pass these suckers, I figured I might as well go all out and do everything I can to pass. That way hopefully I can pass every test on the first try and be done with this by early July. Oh how nice that sounds!

In order to make this adventure as "fun" and "exciting" as it can be (if that is possible), I've ordered some new accessories to help me through my journey. First, protection for my laptop who I'm going to spend way too much time with over the next months.
It is the Built Bumper Laptop Sleeve in Black Raspberry. Although one review called the "Pinot Noir", which I definitely prefer since I'll be missing more glasses of wine due to studying than I want to think about! I'm hoping the "bumpers" will give my computer a little extra loving when I'm too tired to remember to not throw my bag around. Speaking of bags, here is my next purchase.

I am so excited about this purchase. I was looking for a bag that looked more like a purse than briefcase to lug around my computer, notebook, calendar, review book, and all the usual purse stuff (wallet, sunglasses, etc.). I figure I need no excuse to not be carrying my CPA-ness with me every moment, so that on that rare occasion I can meet the girls for coffee they don't give me the side-eye for bringing my briefcase along. Because you know they'll probably be running late and then I'll be able to cram 15 more minutes of studying in instead of cursing myself for "wasting" precious study time. I'm also in love with this bag because it is made of denim! Super durable and will even allow Rudy to carry in my bag as he drags it along with sidewalk and up the steps inside the house. Finally, I love the stripes. They aren't boring black or seasonal, which is important because it is going to be attached to my hip 24-7 for at least the next 6 months.

I also bought some fun pens (purple and green) and a new binder! But I won't bore you with my complete nerdiness. You'll get plenty of nerd in the next coming months! Wish me luck with my first night of studying tonight!

Saying No

I knew from the minute I started considering sitting for the CPA exam that it would require a lot of sacrifices. Some of these sacrifices are more obvious than others, like time and sleep. But today I said "No" for the first time solely due to the CPA exam.

I have been coordinating Supper Club in my neighborhood for the past two years. This has been something I've really enjoyed since it has allowed me to meet so many awesome neighbors. And the yummy food has been a great bonus! The next round of Supper Club is schedule to begin in February with all of the advertising, RSVP'ing and Supper Club creating in January- right when my CPA review classes start!

Saying "no" to this responsibility was liberating since I was able to relieve some future stress. However, it was also painful. This is the first real sacrifice that I've had to make since deciding to sit for the CPA exam. In the big picture, it isn't that big of deal. But the realization that this "thing" is going to happen and I better get ready for it is pretty scary.

Not to mention that the delivery of the gigantic stack of review books really helped it hit home that this Spring is not going to be fun... at all.

I'm Approved!

I can now officially try to be a CPA! Doesn't that sound so exciting?!?!

CPA Examination Candidate:

Your state board has found you eligible to take the Uniform CPA Examination.

This is an excerpt from my official notification that my CPA application has been approved and I've been granted access to sit for the first of four tests! I'm quite excited that I made it through the first approval process, but not so excited about the actual test taking. But I guess I should take the excitement as it comes, since I think there isn't going to be too much in this process!

And I am also officially registered with Becker for the face-to-face review for all four sections. Now I just need to finish my MBA so I can have some time to devote to CPA-ness.

I Just Got a Letter!

I just got a letter!!
I just got a letter!!!
Let's see who it's from!

That's right! My CPA application finally made its way back to Raleigh! I'm pretty sure it had quite an adventure since it is pretty banged up. But the important part is that it is here! Hooray! Looks like I'll be officially applied very soon!

CPA Application Frustration

I'm sure most of you have no clue how big of a pain it is to apply for the CPA. I'm still not quite sure why they have to make the entire application so complicated. After reading through countless websites, blogs, and forms, I think I have everything figured out. I have determined (tentatively) when I'll be taking each of the four exams. Figured out when I can apply for each exam since your ticket to register is only good for 6 months from the date issued (which only God's knows when that will actually happen). I requested and received transcripts from the 5 colleges/universities that I have attended. This is when you really regret transferring in undergrad. My three non-blood character references were identified and signed my application. But now my application is somewhere between Chicago and Raleigh (or at least I hope)! It was mailed over a week ago and has yet to turn up. I'm hoping it will be delivered soon so I can put the last finishing touches on it and send it off for review. So if you see my application laying around somewhere, let me know!!!