Seems Like Forever

Seems like forever since I posted. I'm going to make it my business to post here atleast once a week. This blog is like therapy to me.

**** So I'm winding down on my FAR studies*****

I will be starting my CRAM this weekend. I've got alot of work ahead of me but atleast I have 6 weeks to do it. Some may say thats too much time to review but hey that's what I'm doing.

I NEED to pass FAR on my first try.

I remember writing down my goals in January. I bought a picture frame and wrote down 5 goals for 2011.


I wake up every morning to this frame and I make sure I see it everyday. This has made a difference. Obviously I want to be done this year but passing three this year will make my day!!

The support I've received from my twitter friends has been so encouraging and there is no way I could stay as motivated as I have. I'm still plugging away and I will until August 28th.

Work has been pretty busy for me. I've taken on more responsibilities (which isn't a bad thing) but it can be a challenge when your studying. I'm also waking up earlier in the mornings to try and get some study hours in. I've also limited my lunch time gym workouts to 3 days a week. I'm confident that I will be able to pull it together. It's all about repetition!

On another note, I've decided to take Audit most likely 1st to 2nd week of November. I don't even want to put the idea of a FAR retake on the table because I'm going in there like I already passed.

So that's what has been up with me. What's been up with you??

REVAMPED.....

The only things will happen is with a plan right?

Yes that’s right. So without further ado here is what I’m going to do to ENSURE I get through FAR and understand it enough to pass.

I will be done with all lectures by July 9^th.

Between July 9^th and July 23rd go through the Becker questions AGAIN. Rewriting my notes and making key points stick until then. I will make a list of all the areas that stump me and the areas that I take too long to answer questions. As I feel comfortable with the material I will cross it off the list.

From July 24^st through August 10^th do the Roger CRAM. While doing the Roger CRAM I will be doing the corresponding Becker questions and Wiley questions.

From August 11^th through the 19^th go thru the Becker questions again and Wiley questions for the same chapters.

August 19^th to the 28^th (REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW). I will be throwing in atleast 5 TBS days in the mix. I will be going over all of my weak areas (the areas that I had on my list) every single night (atleast 5-6 questions from each) while also going over the important points for my strong areas.



I will be doing the Wiley online test bank as well.

So there it goes……

What’s your study plan?

These Next Two Weeks

These next two weeks to say the least will be intense. I will studying until I can't take it anymore. I already told my co-worker I won't be enjoying lunch time gossip or shopping. It's strictly FAR. I won't be tweeting while I study. And I will be drilling FAR in hard. I will leave a day a half to get some much needed fun time in though on May 20-21 with a friend...you know who you are...lol (stay tuned for pics and details..) but I will still be studying that weekend also.

I WILL be done with FAR studying by May 18th. That gives me 13 days to review. Which in my opinion is enough time to cram it all in. I plan on blogging a bit more frequently just to hold myself accountable. Even if its really quick its something to track my progress.

As long as I continue to do cumulative reviews I feel confident. I did a cumulative review tonight and although I have areas to work on, I actually retained and understood more that what I thought I did (never underestimate yourself!!!!!!)

I also have to do two TBS days. I mean FULL TBS DAYS! These FAR sims are pretty nasty...LOL. But nothing I can't beat.

So that's my FAR plan. After this is Audit (which by the way I will be starting my review on June 6th ) and then hopefully I will be D-O-N-E.... I can feel it!

What's your study plan?

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!!

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.

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!

SMART Goals ( I know I'm SMART)...LOL

Goals

I was reading one of my many favorite blogs here and I read a goal about SMART Goals.

I know about SMART Goals. I remember one of my classes in my MBA was practically focused around SMART Goals. The whole time I’ve been studying for this test I always say “ I just want to pass, I just want to be a CPA, I just want to get a raise, I just want to get a new job, I just want to be able to start a business and help others” but I never really set a date. Like an actual deadline. The rate I’m going with my statements above could lead me into definitely passing but who knows when?? Just imagine, what if everyone who went to college and said I just want a degree, but they didn't set a goal. That would mean I could take 6 credits a semester and take ....ummmm..... about 10 years to get a Bachelors (insane right!!) Well that's how I feel coming to the realization that I really didn't set a date.

So today I’m setting my SMART goals

Specific- I WILL Pass the CPA. It is important because it will allow me to be a better provider. I also would like to use my designation to educate those less fortunate and also to give back to my community. I would also like a significant pay increase. With the latter being the least important currently.

Measurable- I will measure my progress by practice tests. I will also create blank outlines and fill them in with information related to each topic. I will compare that to the book and gauge my results. I will also take atleast one practice test consisting of 30 questions from the sections that I’ve reviewed so far on Sunday’s. I will utilize my Wiley Test Bank, CPAreviewforfree.com and my Wiley text book for questions

Attainable- I will obtain this goal by studying a minimum of 3 hrs a night and a minimum of 4 weeknights. I will allow myself one night off a week (thats only if I've done reasonably well during the week) My real goal is 4hrs a night however I will be realistic and not lie to myself. I will answer atleast 25 questions a day (25-30 questions is being pretty lazy but I want to keep goals realistic) ( That’s 750 questions/ month. If I take 8 weeks per exam that’s 1500 question!!). If for some reason I can not study 3hrs a night I will have to make it up the next day. I will either have to add that on to my study time during my night time studying or forgo going to the gym during lunch or if I don’t go to the gym I will go to the cafeteria and study forgoing my time out with co-workers. I will make flash cards for my weak areas and I will make double flash cards for areas that I’m very weak in (i.e. I will write the same flash card more than once and mix it in so that when I’m reviewing there is more repititon). I will keep a log of all of the questions that I missed.

Realistic- I will study a minimum of 25 hrs a week. I can obtain this if I do 3 hrs a day during the week and 13 hrs during the weekend. On the weekend I can do 4 hrs in the early morning and the remainder spread out during the day. I will allow myself to 45 mins of surfing the internet and tweeting when I get home but that’s it!! If I can do it at work that’s better that will give me more time to study at home ( I know I shouldn’t do it at work but oh well I’m being realistic…LOL) My other free time during the weekday is geared towards studying. On the weekends I will surf the internet for no more than 2 hrs/day (if that). That time is allotted to blogging, tweeting, or whatever else I want to do. Everything else is devoted to studying.

Time- CPA by 4-13-2011 (My Bday). It has to be by this day because I don’t want to have another non traveling nonexciting uneventful boring poor or penniless summer or spring!!! I cannot afford to pay for NTS’s every month!!

Reg 11/29/2010 – Retake

Studying Begins on 10/31

Goal of 100 hrs

24 hrs of video (Roger Lecture)

76-80 hrs of reviewing and answering questions

Study Plan is to be done with videos by 11-18. That leaves me 11 days to review for REG. This give me sufficient time to do atleast 1 practice test (which I plan to take on 11/22 or 11/23 this will leave me enough time to pick my face up off the floor if I do poorly or not to my liking on the test) and MQ’s alteast twice. I will have two weeks off from work from 11-15 thru 11-30. This leaves me with ample time to study. I will take no longer than three days to do MQ’s for each section. I will take two full days to practice sims. I will complete atleast two sims from each section.

Yaeger CRAM

I just ordered the Yaeger Cram for REG and BEC. Next week I'm going to pay for BEC again and reschedule for the end of August. I also have to see what the hell I did with my FAR NTS. That was a dumb move to pay for it before I knew my results. But hey you live and you learn. I think it expires at the end of October. If it does I'm going to have to take it then.

I managed to type up my notes last night for Corp taxes and go over the questions again. I didn't do the 4th video but I will tomorrow. I felt myself losing concentration and I didn't want to torture myself and risk losing the ability to understand just because I'm trying to meet my goal. Atleast I met one goal. So I'm going to give myself a pat on the back for that one.

**Determination IS Key*** without that then what the hell do you have????

So This is the Plan for This Week

So My goal is to finish Corporate Taxes this week and review partnerships questions.

Saturday night I went out to dinner with two of my coworkers one of whom is a CPA and sometimes it really pays to get out there and see what life is like on the CPA side. Guess what??? It looks pretty good. I needed that extra push and this spark to get me going again. So every week I'm going to make a study schedule and really really really put 110% into not breaking it. I'm also going to do atleast 20 questions a day in addition to my daily studying. My goal is to study atleast 2hrs a day during the week and atleast 4-5 hrs a day on the weekend. I'm realizing that the key is to retain info not so much strive for 1 million hours of study. Because you can study a ton and still fail ( hmmmm yeah I know the feeling).

Ok so let the adventures begin.