I Passed BEC

I just checked my score and I passed!!! I'm super excited.

I first took BEC on 4/9/2010 and failed with a 69, then a 64, then a 70 and then finally on 4/9/2011 I passed with a 75!!! I'll take it. So thats four times!! Determination is key.

Now I can get some sleep.

I'm so happy.

Waiting Game...

Well its about that time. Score Releases have begun. And I'm ever so patiently waiting for my BEC result. Initially I was really nervous and literally shaking but now I just want my score. Usually by this time I would be zoning out or putting the books down but I'm wide awake. My adrenaline is fired up. Hopefully in 24 hours or less I will know if I'm a 50% CPA or not.

In other news tonight has been the most productive in a long time. Maybe because I'm in the home stretch to studying round 1 for FAR. If I want to pass I have to get through these questions atleast 3 times. I pushed FAR back until August 28th. I need all the time I can get because this one has so tricks up its leaves. Anyway I digress.......

So good luck to everyone!!! And to all my #twudygroup friends no matter what happens dont give up. We are going to get through it!

BEC Recap and Moving Right Along

Well BEC was today.

It wasn't horrible but there were some tricky questions. It did seem that the questions were getting harder but I will say that I had a nice amount of theory questions.

I have no choice but to wait until June to hear my fate. Until then FAR bootcamp begins tomorrow.

I have Becker class in the morning. I have to really be on schedule for this one. No room to slack. After REG I was planning on having my Sunday's to study all day but since getting my REG grade back I decided to give the live classes a shot.

I'm already thinking about if I should get the Cram for FAR. Actually let me rephrase that, I know I'm getting the Cram I just have to determine which provider. I've already decided hands down that I will be getting the Roger Cram for audit but for FAR I'm not sure yet. Any ideas or preferences?

TBS Day for BEC

I've decided this coming Sunday I will be doing at a minimum two written communications from each module. This really helped me in REG. I will post an update on how it goes.

In other news BEC is moving right along. I feel confident but I definitely need to do a good final review. Tomorrow I will be reviewing COSO at lunch and watching  three hours of cram lectures at night while taking good notes. Thursday I will do questions from the cram lectures I watched. Friday is a repeat. I WILL BE GETTING THROUGH THE ENTIRE CRAM BEFORE SUNDAY!! Here's to studying!!

I Don't Mean to Complain But I Need to Vent......

I don’t want to sound like a complaining brat…. But I really DON’T LIKE BEC!!! Every time I start to feel confident something comes to totally knock me down. I try to convince myself that I’m overreacting but I can’t help to feel this way.

I guess this all stemming from today’s lunch time studying. Budgeting and forecasting totally took advantage of me. I don’t know what it is but I was getting all the calcs wrong. I specifically remember working through them last time and getting them correct. Its like I never learned this stuff.

I basically spent a hour and a half trying to figure out four problems. That seriously is not funny. That means I have some huge deficiencies in that area. The fact that the text book is so vague doesn’t make it easier. I need to get it together and I need to get it together quick. I only have 12 days left and I still need to do the IT module. I will only spend another day on this chapter and then IT for two days. After that its review, review, review. Hopefully I won’t get slammed on the exam with those budgeting questions. No matter what I’m going to keep at it.


Maybe my brain is just off today. I sure hope so!

Checking In and Decisions

Today was another BEC class.

It felt good to be ahead of the class and use class today as reinforcement. I must say that the reason I'm ahead is not because of Becker but its because of Yeager. Yes I swore before that I was done with them but let me tell you, the 2011 version is so much better! Cindy is the main instructor. Economics last yr in the 2010 course was beyond horrible...I would say to sum it up it was wretched! Phil must have had a lot of complaints becAuse they totally switched it up this year.

Anyway, I decided on a number of things this weekend. One being that Im putting 150% into passing by this summer. And when I say Summer I mean I will be done with all tests before the 4th of July. I just missed out on my bff's bday party which included a photo shoot just to study. I have to prioritize. I must say that my level of being this focused was not this high last year.

Secondly I decided that I will NOT be doing live classes for FAR and Audit. I've decided this because I NEED my Sundays to study. FAR is a time crunch no matter what so sitting in class for 8-9 hrs where the instructor is just reading from the book is not a good use of time. I believe I can do this on my own. I have the structure and determination and will inside of me to stay on course.  I've also decided that I will use Yaeger as primary and Becker for HW . I made this decision because Cindy's teaching style is exactly what I need. She breaks it down so that it makes complete sense. I will do the Yaeger minimum questions and all Becker HW. If I have time I will go back and do the Wiley questions not listed as minimum. I will also be using Kaplan audio for daily reinforcement.

So there it is. It's amazing the clarity you get in a week.

Me and BEC

It's that time again and its Me and BEC.

I'm a week ahead of my schedule which is great! I did what I had to do so that my Becker live class could be a review today.

Can I just say that Becker gets two thumbs DOWN from me when it comes to cost accounting. The way that they explain cost accounting is just really bad (that's just my opinion). Thank goodness for my old notes or else I would be royally screwed.

Other than that my studies are going good. My REG score should be coming out in about a week and a half and my nerves are already bad. I'm freaking out already. I don't know if I'm going to check my score before or after BEC. Checking scores before another exam can be a serious confidence boost or killer. I do feel pretty good about REG but I still have that doubt in me ( I know I know thats not good...but I do).

This weeks plan is to cover B2 and B3. There are 520 homework questions O_0. That means that I will be studying during lunch atleast 4 days and on Saturday.

The $464 Master Plan

The number represented above represents the amount of exam fees I just paid this morning.

I paid for BEC and FAR. Once I get my NTS I’ll be scheduling BEC for April 2nd or 3rd (preferably April 3rd). FAR I’ll be scheduling for May 31st. I want the last day of the window!

BEC’s schedule is going to be very rigid for me. I don’t have any wiggle room. I want to be finished reviewing by March 20th. That will give me two full weeks to review. I realized that two weeks is the perfect amount of time to review. I feel that if I take too long to review I forget. I like things to be fresh in my head. The last thing that I want to feel is super stressed and lost while reviewing BEC (i.e. BEC 1st, 2nd, and 3rd try).

I will also be attending the Becker live classes on Sundays. My goal is to be ahead of the class so that when I’m in class it is basically like a reinforcement class for me. I’m not sure if I’ll get the Becker Final review for BEC yet. I’ll determine that soon. I’m also going to be supplementing my studies with audio lectures.

Today I’ll be starting B1. Since I know that my weaknesses are cost accounting and variances I’ll be doing the homework problems at a minimum of three times. I'll also be working the Wiley questions also. (However I will say, that I feel that the Becker questions are more indicative of the actual test. Not all questions but the majority).

As far as written communications I will be nailing down exactly what the examiners want. BEC here I come!

Here we go again

Well after literally feeling good about my new approach and study habits BEC conquered me again. I got a 70... this is the first time I got out the 60's. So in a sense I did improve but I didn't cut it. I already shed my tear but I'm definitely taking some weeks off to regroup. I also pushed REG back to January. There is no sense in rushing now when I don't have the drive or energy to. I will get through this test but right now I don't know when.

BEC Has Come and Gone and Other Thoughts

Well BEC was Saturday. I studied all day Friday and then ended up coming down with a bad cold on Friday night. I took some NyQuil and was determined to get a good nights sleep. I woke up feeling like $10 million dollars. I was so well rested! I woke up at seven and reviewed my notes and did questions. I then went back to sleep at around 10am and woke up at 1pm. I left for my test at 3 and at 4:51 I began.

As far as the test....I really don't know what to think. These tests have you feeling one way and then the results say another. Whatever happens I will accept it but I will always know that I put my all and just didn't go in there arrogant or ignorant. But one funny thing was that I told myself I would take my time and read the question atleast 2-3 times since I know I have a tendency to rush. Well I had about 2 mins on the clock and I knew I knew the answer to this question but I just couldn't get it...and at the last minute I figured it out!! I wanted to jump out my seat and do a dance. (So hopefully thats a good sign) I will not check any scores until after REG

Something else I'm coming to realize...I know you always hear everyone say "If you study you will pass" and I definitely believe this to be true.....HOWEVER, I also believe that this test has some luck included. I mean seriously we all know that there are different versions out there and that some questions are pre test and some sim's are not graded. There is no way that we can be experts on everything and sometimes we may get lucky and get something we are comfortable with and sometimes we will get something that makes us cringe, with that said, I think I'm going to take this into consideration and put this into perspective. Just my thoughts....

Off to REG (by the way I already watched 4 hrs of the ROGER Reg and I'm done with individuals) I learned more in 4hrs with ROGER than in 11hrs with Yaeger) I'm learning that compressed materials is working for me and I need to do questions and read between the lines. For me its better when I can cover an entire section (or most of it) in a shorter study session (i.e. 4-6 hrs).

Sleepy Quick Update

Ok I'm tired as a mutha and I need some sleep. So I'll try to be detailed...

So basically I took a practice test (a full 90 questions) and got a freaking 67% (dayummmm) can I get out the 60's please??? I took another little test (only 25 questions) and got a 76% (but that is just barely passing)

Anyway, what really pisses me off is that when I go over my wrong questions I just want to kick myself. Most of the time its not that I dont' know it. It's that I read the question wrong or I rushed through it.

I've been making a flash card for those questions that stumped me and for those questions that take me a while to answer. I'm planning on taking atleast two more practice tests before 10-30. These flash cards have really really helped me. I go through them atleast once a day.

The Wiley book said I should be getting 80's on the test.

I'm going to watch the full ROGER Cram again before my test. That's just going to be so that I can pound in the materials and this weekend I'm planning on re writing my notes (old and new) and taking another practice test (probably Sunday)

Anyway I can't think straight now because I'm so beat.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated and good luck to everyone taking the test.

My Best Friends Name is Repetition

Repetition...do you know her??


Well I know her....she's with me all the time.

On the train, she is there

In my mind, I'm using repetition over and over again when I'm trying to get a hold on this stuff

At home I have a stack of flash cards and repetition is flowing with me again.

I realized that I can't pass this test without her!

Repetition is big and bulky but its Ok because she always manages to make her way into my bag.

Repetition taught me to use flash cards atleast twice a day and she said to write down everything that I can't explain to someone else.

Repetition said to answer as many questions as you can and make a list of all those that you get wrong.

This is repetition

Getting my BEC on.....

No big update today. I'm still studying for BEC. I ordered the Roger full REG course yesterday (and I got a free Cram with the purchase, and I get to use it for any Cram of my choice)...very excited about that!!!

I'm getting better at my calculations and better at retaining info. I plan on taking a practice test next weekend. Depending on how that goes I'll start my studying for REG. No matter what I'll definitely be studying for REG before 10/30.

Other than that everything is going good!!

I hope everyone is doing well also (hey friends!!)

So Far

(LOL...Just looking at this makes me look like a slob....but when I'm in study mode there are papers everywhere)

So far I'm doing better with BEC. I was about to have a little melt down yesterday because I felt like I couldn't remember jack! I took a break for around 8 hrs and started studying late last night. Finally things started to sink in. It wasn't like I was just reading as before. I also made a ton of my own flash cards. I have the CPA Excel Flashcards, and they are good. But I realize that I need more of my own in my own words.

Tonight I'm going to crack the books open again. I'm realizing that late night studying is doing me justice.

I'm going to watch the last CRAM video tonight! Then I'm going to do atleast 35 cost accounting questions. Honestly this is the only section where calcs make me cringe! But I'm going to work on getting my calcs down to 1min- 1:45min. I'm going to pass this time!!! One page at a time.

Headache

Ok so I just did a ton of multiple choice for FAR and I have headache. I once heard via twitter or somewhere that if your not miserable your not passing. Well guess what??...I'm miserable. But it will be worth it.

In other news....BEC was released today, and guess what I'm not checking it. After checking my REG score and failing by 12 pts that really affected my BEC studying so I'm not taking the risk. I have come to the conclusion that I won't be moving on to Audit until I get these three under my belt but I'm still not brave enough to check my score. Call me a chicken but it works....

BEC Part 2

I just scheduled BEC round 2 for August 30th. My plan is to start studying financial management and cost accounting first and planning and measurement (since those were my problem areas on my score report). I'll study IT, business structures last. I'm so determined to kill this test!!! I'm actually getting motivated and excited now!! Hopefully I can turn this 69 into a 96 (or atleast a 85).