Since last April of 2011, I have been studying for my CPA exam non stop. This exam has been the most grueling, cruel, and hardest tests I have ever taken out of my whole life.
Now, today I just found out that I had failed my Audit section that I had taken in early January of this year. I sacrificed numerous social outings, commitments, and time to study for this test, and I received a devastating, meager score of 58% on the test.
Now, I sit here in front of my computer screen, taking practice problem after practice problem for my Regulation test. For those of you who do not know, there are four parts to the CPA exam: Financial (FAR), Audit (AUD), Regulation (REG), and Business Economics (BEC). Once I pass a section, I have 18 months to pass the other sections.
I have passed the BEC exam section only.
Now, I feel like I’m not putting in enough time and effort into this test as of this moment. I feel like I need to sacrifice more in order to succeed. My schedule, which includes the following:
- Working 9 AM to 6 PM and weekends during tax season, roughly the months of February through April and August through October
- Coaching on Friday nights and Sundays for games, roughly two hours of commitment each day
- Yoga, every Wednesday night, commuting back and forth takes about three hours of my day
- Surf, every weekend, committing about three to four hours of my Saturday and Sunday.
- Swimming, committing about two hours with the round trip to and fro on a Thursday night.
I feel as though I am stretching myself too thin as of now. I’m not sure how I’m going to do this, but I need to pass this exam. I’ve tried my hardest to study for this exam, but I just can’t seem to get over this hump. I just keep failing. BEC came naturally to me, since there was a writing section in the exam. The BEC test is actually the only section with writing in it. But now, with my Audit score coming in at 58% (on a nationwide curve) I feel as though that I have to sacrifice some of the things I do during the week in order to maximize study time.
I have lost most if not all social aspects of my life. The only things that do keep me happy are first and foremost surfing, and then coaching, and then physical activity, such as yoga and swimming. Perhaps I have to exclude swimming from my schedule of “things to do.” But swimming is one of the major activities that helps me be happy while surfing, because if I’m not catching waves with weak shoulders, then I’m not a happy surfer. On top of this, I do the swimming in order to get my shoulders nice and loose. If you don’t know, my shoulders have gone through three surgeries: my most recent one being October of 2010. I started to swim in order to keep my shoulders strong. So to me, swimming is a must in order to keep my body healthy and injury free.
Or perhaps I’m just making excuses? I don’t know.
Maybe I can cut my surf sessions shorter to just two hours, instead of the marathon sessions of three and four hours? Perhaps that will be my sacrifice from now on. I have foregone “surf trips” with my friends in order to study, so I suppose cutting a few hours won’t make a big difference to me. At least I have two hours of surf under my belt.
Success is never permanent, and failure isn’t fatal. I hope this sacrifice will quash my excuses for failing.
OK.. Motherly advice.. ONE this is just a hiccup in your life..Once you pass the exams..and you will pass! This will all be a distant memory. SO take it easy on yourself. Yes seems like you may have to cut some things out.. So maybe do Swimming every other week and do Yoga every other week. NOT every week. YOU are young and your body will be ok. Coaching is obviously a commitment you made..BUT how long is the season? Maybe after this season take a season off to give you more time to focus on your tests. AND surfing.. oh yes you still need it.. especially since you seem to be stretched thin AND if you are like me. Surfing is what keeps me sane. BUT sometimes I cant surf every week. For various reasons. Yes it urks me sometimes and I have been known to pout when I really want to be in the ocean.. BUT sometimes We have to prioritize. Yes it sucks being a grown ups sometimes! So maybe cut back on surfing once a week. OR one or two hours instead of 3 and 4. Surfing will always be there. That is what I get told when I cant go. YOU seem to have your head in a good place. YOU just need to give yourself some credit. IT will all work out. I don't think you are making excuses.. I think you are over taxed. GOOD luck.. and be good to yourself!
ReplyDeletethanks surfing Grandma! i read this over and over... and i've decided to cut out swimming to just once every two weeks, and surfing just two hours each session. it's the logical thing to do. i can't really back out of coaching since it is year round, and i don't want to let the little 2nd graders down. they are too cute to pass up!
Deletethank you for all the positive vibes!! and nice pun on "over taxed" indeed, tax season is taxing :D
Klaude, bro, I am in the same boat as you. Surf, is what resets me, and keeps me going sometimes. But, like you...I've got SO MUCH going on right now. I have many commitments that I cannot let go of, but instead am trying to be smart about the way I go about getting everything done. Since I cannot surf as much, I play with my indo board. Saves me tons of time, gas, money....and dehydration? haha. I can't go to gymnastics every week like I want to...so I stretch and clear out my living room or kitchen at do it at home. haha...again saving me time, gas, money. And of course, surf...I have decided to limit myself to once a week. I try to get out on the best day of the week if possible. But, the anticipation of getting into the water, having to be patient...it's a good thing :) You are making changes, rearranging your priorities, you are going to pass your tests, and surf will always be there. This will pass!!
ReplyDeletethanks michelle!!! yea, i'm going to stick to what has been working and change up what hasn't been working. i definitely have to stay committed to coaching... and surfing will be cut, especially if it's a "bad day." To me, there are no bad days in surf though. 1 day in the water is always a good day. that being said, this will be my 3rd go around for the REG test. last time i saw you, which was in... may? i was studying for FAR. a whole friggin year committed to this CPA exam, i better pass!! this is where my stubborn personality actually pays off. i can't stop now, i've gone in too deep
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