NJSCPA Exam Cram Blog

THREE DOWN, ONE TO GO!

So, in the midst of an EXTREMELY long week, scores for January tests were released this week. So, I've been finding time in the day to impatiently check for my audit score. This morning, after a particularly long night last night, I opened up the Nasba site and there it was, a PASS for audit!!! whohooooo!!!! This was exactly what I needed to make it through the last leg of busy season. 

Becker hasn't been going so well for me since I've been working so much I haven't had the time to try and do the homeworks, and now I even have to miss class tomorrow to work.  Thankfully, I have all of March to make up for what I'm missing this month. Hope that it's enough time.

Since scores came out, I want to hear how people did!! Hopefully you had the same success I did!! Please let us know so we can all share in the happiness and excitement (and for those of you who didn't pass, we can all commiserate because so many of us have been there before). 

Have a great weekend!

Busy Season Update

Hi everyone,

It is officially busy season.  Between work and travel, I've found it hard to find time to study.  Even worse is the fact that I've come down with a cold.  It seems like I am going to have to put my studying on hold for the time being.  I guess if I had to get sick and postpone studying, this would probably be the best time.  Right now, I'm taking a busy season break from studying.

Next up is Regulation.  Any advice or approach would be greatly appreciated.  I will try to use busy season to become more familiar with the tax forms and code sections, so hopefully this will help with this section of the exam.  However, it looks like I will also try to spend study time creating a note sheet and an outline to see if I really understand the material.

Good night.  I'm going to watch some Becker lectures before taking cold medicine and knocking out for the night.

Good luck, and good night.

Kunal

My thoughts on CPA class

So I've now had two weeks of the live in-class CPA review. When I first signed up one of my coworkers told me that before every class I should read the chapter or not bother going to the class, I thought he was a little bit crazy. However, now after two weeks of class I think that there was something to his suggestion. Reading, or at least skimming the chapters that are going to be covered before class would prep you for class so that its not the first time you're hearing the information. To add to the work, I was thinking during class yesterday that I really should reread the chapter today or some of the points that did't fully click yesterday rather than waiting til next month when I'm reviewing everything. Rereading it now you'll have the instructor's voice in your head explaining things, but since they go really fast through some parts, you can take your time and really make sure you get it.  So that's my new goal for the week, I hope to reread the chapter and do the homework today and at some point this week skim through the two chapters for next week. 

Have a great week everyone, good luck studying!

New day, new class?

So I started my review class for FAR this weekend.  Was my first in-class CPA review.  I'm not going to lie, it was a little hard to sit there as the instructor was telling everyone about the exam, the utter basics,and me sitting there knowing almost more about the format than the instructor since I've taken it so recently. And then comes the line 'In the unlikely case that you follow the Becker method and fail an exam..." talk about hard to hear, I did it, I followed it, and yea, I failed FAR once already. No one else in the class was going to know that, but it was hard to hear and realize you're one of those people who HAS failed.  Otherwise, here begins balancing studying and CPA homework along with busy season. It's a delicate balance that I'm going to try to learn how to do. 

Anyone have advice as to how to balance busy season work and CPA classes and the homework?? I find it so easy to just tell myself, oh after busy season ends I'll catch up on the homework I may not get done right now, or I'll wait til next month to deal with the simulations. This week especially is hard because its my birthday, and really now, who wants to sit and deal with the CPA on their birthday weekend. It's hard enough to be in busy season, working a long day on your birthday. Add the CPA to it? Ugh.

If I come up with any bright ideas or methods as to how to balance it I'll be sure to post it. Until then, I would love to hear some people's stories and experiences with classes or exams or studying! I'm sure there are others who could relate, we're all in this together.

Have a great week!