FAR so far

Well the title to this post has two meanings.

It means my progress currently and it also means that the road to finishing up FAR by May 31st looks so far away. I've only watched 7 hours of Yaeger videos and I have 44 more to go. Now that definitely seems doable in 6 weeks right. Well considering the fact that it takes more than one hour to get through one hour of video lets turn 44 hours into somewhere near around 68 hours. I normally pause the video on areas that I need to think about and I take notes in between.

I also need to answer questions not to mention there is a slim chance that I would feel comfortable with taking the exam without CRAM videos.

FAR is the beast. I haven't even made it to the really tough areas and I'm feeling the pressure.

I feel like I need to get back to accounting basics so that will take up some more of my time while I look through my old accounting books.

So now that I've had my break I have to get back to my lectures and keep working hard until I'm a CPA.

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?

MY GET RIGHT PLAN FOR BEC

I have tomorrow off and I’m planning on using my three day weekend wisely.

This weekend will consist of no outside activities other than the CPA. T.V. will only be watched when I’m taking a break and phone calls will be limited to emergencies My plan or as I would like to call it “My Get Right Plan” is as follows

Friday April 1,

1) Complete the Risk Mgmt Questions in the Wiley textbook using the Yaeger minimum question list.

2) Watch 2hrs of the Yaeger Fin Mgmt Cram DVD

3) Re-Do all Financial Mgmt Questions in Becker

4) Do a progress test on B3

5) Re-Watch the Becker COSO videos (I noticed I need to brush up on this).

Saturday April 2

1) Watch Yaeger Performance Measures Cram Videos

2) Do minimum Performance Measures questions

3) Do all Becker Performance Measures questions

4) Watch Yaeger Cost Measurement Video’s

5) Do minimum Wiley questions

6) Do all Becker Cost Questions

7) Do atleast 6 WC’s.

Sunday April 3

1) Do 80 IT questions (no videos)

2) Re-Do all Econ Questions (no videos)

3) Do planning and control questions (minimum Wiley and 85% of Becker)

4) Do alteast 6 WC’s.

I know this plan seems aggressive but I have to do it. I know next week will be busy at work and I won’t be able to be at ease until I’ve completed all homework twice and I’m scoring in the 80’s for homework.

I went back to see my REG performance in the software and each and every category showed that I scored atleast a 80 overall. That’s my plan for BEC.

So time to GET IT RIGHT!

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!!

Whoa....I did It. I passed REG

I know I said that I wasn’t going to check my REG score….but Twitter was jumping.

I pondered, and contemplated and pondered some more.

I then decided I would check it. I text MissGina and told her I was so nervous and tempted to check.

She made me promise that no matter what the outcome I better be determined to beat BEC down on 4/9.

I kindly excused myself (I was at work) and went into the bathroom and had a heart to heart prayer. I told GOD that no matter what I see I have to deal with it and move on.

I walked back to my desk and looked up my section ID in my email.

I went to the NASBA site (hands are shaking and heart is beating fast).

I put in my info and this is what I saw

87!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in shock.

When I first took REG I got a 63. That’s a 24 point improvement.

Getting one under your belt just lets me know that I can do this. Hard work does pay off. I studied so many hours for this test. I did so many MCQ’s that I can’t keep count. I made sure that while looking at Beckers class notes I could fully elaborate on their summaries. I liked to look at it as if someone was asking me about taxes and business law I had to explain it to them.

The key I believe to me passing were the live Becker classes. Yes I know I said that they were a waste but obviously they weren’t. They were definitely pretty boring and my Sunday’s seemed consumed. However the fact that I had to force myself and stay on schedule made me stay on track. I definitely have more drive then I did last year. I also have more confidence. I will be the first to say that I didn’t use 100% Becker and I know that for future tests I won’t. But the software and the trackers really helped me focus on my weaknesses.

Its been 324 days since I sat for my first exam (which was BEC on 4/9/10. Ironically I will be sitting for BEC again on 4/9/11)

Now off to BEC!!! I’m going to put 150% into this.

Study Tip #3 ---Learn How To Say No…..

This week’s study tip is brought to you by our friends and relatives who get upset when we tell them we have to study. We all have them.

The friend who says “ Why can’t you go out?”

The relative who asks” Why didn’t you come to my house for my baby’s birthday party?”

Or the boyfriend/husband/significant other who says “ I feel neglected…put down those books!”

YOU BETTER SAY NO!

Yes we all feel bad and yes some people will feel neglected but aren’t we neglecting ourselves also? They aren’t the only ones suffering!

In order to pass there will be things that we have to give up. We will not be able to make it to every event, or make everyone happy. So saying No is perfectly fine.

So what did we learn today?

ITS OK TO SAY NO!

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!