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The sun is out on another beautiful Saturday afternoon and there isn’t a cloud in the sky on this picturesque summer day. All across the city, people are flocking to the beach, partaking in some day drinking at a patio bar, or simply enjoying this nice weather that only graces the Midwest for about three months a year tops. So where can I be found on this gorgeous day? Indoors, obviously. Because I’ve decided to start studying for the CPA exam.
Stupidly, I’ve decided to take on this endeavor during the summer when the weather is really nice and everyone else on Earth is outside doing something. That decision was made by the same brilliant mind that decided to put off taking this exam for two years after graduation instead of starting to prepare for it during my last semester of college when I had ample time on my hands to do so. In order to keep myself from completely losing my mind (and all the information I’m trying to retain along with it), I make a concerted effort to avoid sitting by any windows while studying.
I either find a cubicle desk at the library or go into a designated “Study room” in order to isolate myself from everything. As psychopathic as it sounds, I study more efficiently when my surroundings closely resemble a mental ward. Even the slightest glance at the outside world causes an overwhelming case of FOMO that completely derails my concentration.
As I mentioned earlier, I’m studying for the CPA exam, which is an absolute bitch of a test. Often times I find myself oscillating between understanding the material really well and struggling terribly with it on any given day. On this particular day, the material seems impossible to understand and I am completely bombing my sets of practice questions. Between this and only getting a 65 on the first section I took (for the CPA you need to score at least a 75 to pass each section of the exam, and there are four sections you have to take) my confidence has reached a new low and my frustrations are skyrocketing.
Self-doubt begins to creep on. “Am I really this dumb? How in the world did I manage to graduate with two accounting degrees from Illinois? Or get and hold a job? If this is any indication, I must be terrible at accounting?” When you’re studying for an exam like this, the Scaries aren’t exclusive to Sundays. They come at you at any time and they are relentless. Someone send help.
Sometimes I’ll take little breaks or get distracted for a while and peruse my various social media feeds. It helps break up the monotony and helps prevent me from turning into Jack from The Shining. For this break, I’ll take a look at some Snapchat stories. Let’s see, here’s one of people getting drunk on a rooftop. Here’s another one with selfies at a baseball game. And here is one full of Snaps taken on a boat with girls in bikinis sailing around Lake Michigan. I think that’s enough Snapchat for now. Any more and I’ll start bashing the corner of my textbook into my skull until I bleed out. Hey, I should try that! Maybe that’ll help transfer some of the material into my brain, like an osmosis effect.
I tell myself this will all be worth it. That this short-term sacrifice will benefit me immensely in the long run. I have plenty of people in my life, including my parents, who are a testament to that. But damn, it’s hard. A weekend studying is most emphatically NOT how I want spend my free time after a week of work. I realize that no one is forcing me to do this and I can just stop if I wanted to, but I can’t allow myself to do that.
I’m fully aware that nothing good ever comes easy. Part of me just wants to punt this responsibility to Future Chris and let him deal with the consequences so I can go out now and do whatever I want. However, the other part of me is prevailing in knowing that Future Chris needs this now so that he has more opportunities to better his life and the lives of those who will hopefully be around him.
Shoutout to everyone else in this situation right now. Whether you’re studying to become a Certified Public Accountant like me, preparing for the Bar, or taking on any other sort of professional examination, you’re not alone. We’re all struggling and it fucking sucks, but we can do it.
You’re smart and hard-working enough to have gotten to whatever point you’re at now, and you’re sure as hell capable of getting through your struggle to succeed and accomplish your goals. Now go out there, decline any event invitations you have, tell all your friends you can’t hang out, and hit those books hard! Oh, god, that’s so depressing. Please send help. .
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@ArrowZeppelin
ArrowZeppelin
I heard this. I’m working full time and working on my Masters full time in hopes of avoiding student loans. It’s a struggle to pass on happy hour each weekend to go dick around in excel sheets at some shitty coffee shop.
This hits home. The R is studying for the series 7 at 2 hours a pop no problem. Meanwhile I can barely log 30 minutes studying for the LSAT. If I’m sitting near the AC and there’s a bottle of cab sitting in the peripheral, how can I be expected to be productive when there’s thousands of shows that I haven’t seen on the flix?
Unless you’re gonna be able to get a 165+ on the lsat, don’t waste time studying for it. Most law schools are struggling to fill seats, and a 150 will get you in a lot of schools. I applied to six with a 155, and was accepted to all of them.
I feel for you. After for struggling for two years I finally passed the last section last May. Everybody feels dumb when they study for the exam so don’t worry.
Studying for the exam is different than studying in undergrad or a MBA program. My biggest advice to you is to do MCQs until you can’t stand it. The questions are so recycled you’re bound to see variations of the same question while taking the “real” exam. Also, flashcards. The exam tests your ability to retain information so run through flashcards whenever you have a spare minute here or there.
And good luck. See if you can beat my personal record of getting a 74 on FAR…twice…and it causing you to lose credit for the first exam you took.
Appreciate the comment. I have actual nightmares about your last paragraph happening to me in real life.
Good luck man. I studied for the CPA my first year out of undergrad and that whole year is basically a blur. It’s a bitch of a test, but it’s one of those tests where there’s a direct correlation between the amount of time you put in and your results. Do every question in the Becker test bank at least once and you should be good.
Just gave me PTSD of studying for the CFA. Good luck to you
At least it’s only 4 parts. Getting an FSA has more than twice as many with pass rates hovering around 30% for each (meaning my dumbass is taking each one multiple times). I guess I’ll just have a social life in my 30’s instead of my 20’s…
Heard that!!
Best of luck getting your ASA done by 2018 and FSA by 2022 otherwise we need to take 2 more prelim exams
I can’t believe I forgot about the actuarial exams when writing this. Those sound like absolute monsters that require a level of concentration and dedication that I simply don’t possess. Good luck and god speed to you.
I studied for and took the CFA level 1 this past June. That was one of the hardest bouts of concentration I’ve ever had. 6 straight months of studying every single day. I studied more for that one exam than I did my entire undergrad career.
And you get to repeat that times 10x for level 2
That’s what I hear…. Not complaining though b/c I got myself into it. Nothing I was forced to do.
I’m studying for the Bar right now. Fucking shoot me.
Damn I relate- went through this with the GMAT last year. Now I’m just nervous for night classes and even less time on my hands
Second. Studied for the GMAT for a month straight. Lost motivation real quick and it’s now been a month and a half since the last time I studied. Good thing I didn’t actually sign up for a test date yet…
I did the same thing (live in Chicago and went to U of I). It’s that constant battle in your mind of wanting to go out because you’re tired of studying but knowing that going out will ruin any chance of studying the next day. Good luck.