It all felt like a dream, sitting on my friend's couch in Spain exactly a month after taking my exam, I clicked the "Score" button and there it was...my passing score for BEC! I can honestly say that I got choked up in that moment, knowing that of all the hard work, stress, and lack of free time that I had endured over the past 6 months was actually worth it!! In the beginning of January, I had set out to pass all 4 exams by July in order to take the summer off to travel before starting my full-time job in the fall. And now I can't believe I actually did it! I took my last exam on July 1st, and set off for a month-long trip to Spain on July 6th which was nothing short of life-changing. After many years of studying throughout college and for the CPA Exam, and multiple part- and full-time jobs, I finally had the chance to experience an entirely new culture. More than anything, I was happy to be able to focus on what I was doing "today" rather than, what was happening tomorrow or next week.
One overarching piece of advice about this exam that I can offer is to solidify your end goal way before you start studying for your exam, and work backwards from there. Throughout the exam, I had many people telling me, "you're studying too much", and "you should take a break", but nothing anyone said could deter me from my goal. In the end, no one but you is responsible for your own success, and I truly believe that I couldn't have accomplished my goals had I not worked hard and persevered over the past 6 months.
Everyone is different in how they deal with life's challenges, and the CPA Exam is no different. If you are confident in your study habits, you should try to assimilate them into your study plan instead of changing them drastically to what everyone else is telling you to do. For example, I set myself short-term goals, such as finishing two Becker sections a week while also working part-time. This way, I felt accomplished at the end of every week knowing that I had set out a goal for myself and had successfully completed it.
My next challenge is starting my full-time job at PwC in New York this fall, where I will work towards my year of experience in order to become a fully-licensed CPA!
I would like to thank all of my friends and family for putting up with my complaining and lack of free time. I would also like to thank Janice Amatucci, Lauren Matullo, and everyone at the NJSCPA who have been so instrumental in helping me in my journey to become a CPA!
For all those who received passing scores this past weekend, congratulations! And to all those still working towards their goal of passing the CPA exam, please don't give up! At times, it may seem like an impossible and never-ending process, but it will all be worth it in the end! And please don't hesitate to reach out to me for any questions about how I prepared for my exams, or about coping with the stress of the exam in general. I am always happy to help out a fellow future CPA!
Recent Comments