Don't Read ! Ask !

Earlier in my preparation I used to sit and read and read and read...
When I am trying to answer the questions now , I find some questions confusing . It only means I didn't grasp that particular point. Memorizing is all together different , but if we don't understand what we are reading it will not give any kind of remembrance and it will not help us to answer the questions.

I find it useful to ask questions about each and every topic I am reading. For example if I am reading internal control, Instead of reading traditionally I ask myself what is internal control? Take the title and make it a question and ask your self what is it? And if you cannot answer it properly then read the topic and then ask your self the same question.
When you are reading for the first time this increases your enthusiasm and if it is second time it helps to revise.

Perform

I am adding a new word to my philosophy which was the only one I missed. We need to perform well to pass. I know if we do all the other things Read Understand Revise Retain Practice we will perform well. But training ourselves in exam conditions is also very important. I wrote many small exams but didn't wrote a practice exam. I know sometimes it may be just coincidence that our badly performed simulation picked out but still I decided to train myself for the worst. 
Again saying : I won't sleep till I become a CPA.

Too many cooks

In my last attempt for Auditing exam , I used ebay bought Kaplan study manual, Kaplan audio and flash cards,  Borders bought Wiley study manual, Audible bought Wiley audio, Online ordered Bisk's Self-Directed - CPA Review Software, and handed down Becker books. I balanced one leg on Kaplan and one leg on Bisk and kept my fingers on Becker and Wiley. And finally my result came with a whopping 67 . And I understood the meaning of the idiom ' Too many cooks spoil the broth' .Lets re-frame it as

Too many CPA Reviews will make you fail

So the morale behind my own story is - Don't ever do this. Ask for opinions, read those free materials they provide, test their free software and then decide one material and stick to that.Too many Study materials

• Waste your time 
• Create confusion on how they cover the topics
• They will make a hole in your purse 
• And finally you won't finish a single material

I already tried all these brilliant approaches and made myself a sacrificial lamb , So save yourself from this kind of stupidity.

Flash cards FAQ's

If you are in the stage of asking, what are flash cards ?
Please click here

Where and when  is the right place and right time to revise points or use flash cards? 
And my answer is any where, any time, when your hands are free to turns those leaves..
You can keep those cards on your dining table or on your coffee table.. If you are constipated you can carry them to your restroom . (But don't stay constipated, drink a lot of water, its good for exam preparation)

Do I need to prepare flashcards myself?
As we have many CPA reviews which are good enough to buy, they will save you a lot of time , but they don't cover each and every topic and point. If you find any important point that is missing, you can prepare a flash card for that point and attach them to your pre-printed flashcards.

Preparing your own flashcards is also a good practice, when you have enough time, cards prepared in your own handwriting, in your own mother tongue ( while writing in your own words or language make sure you don't change the key words) and in own words are worth the effort.

Which CPA Review's flashcards are good?
I am using  flashcards of Kaplan CPA Review and they are good. But I don't think Becker's, Wiley's or any other review's flashcards are bad. It is better to have flashcards of the same CPA review material you are using. Since the topics, language and the coverage is same. Its not important which review is, but how you use them is vital.

Can I use online flashcard programs or digital flashcards?
Yes, there are many online websites which offer free flashcard software and databases. You can also use your power point presentations or any downloaded flash program software.


We should figure out which time and place suits us most for revision. For some people, it is dinner time , for others while they walk ( got this tip from CPA student's friend Donna Harding ), while they cook and before they sleep.

I tried a new method last night, got inspired from Donna's tip to revise them while taking a walk, As I can't go outside since the allergy season is high, I attached my flashcards to my refrigerator and by the time I finished preparing dinner I completed my Sampling flashcards. Make a note in your calender  to revise them again before you take your test. Time to revise works inversely with the number of times you open them to revise.

If you have any other question or idea to share, don't hesitate to type it in the comments section. It may help a student.

Useful  Links :

•  http://studyskills.suite101.com/article.cfm/ten_top_revision_tips
• http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-revise-for-exams/
• http://www.flashcardmachine.com/
• http://www.flashcardexchange.com/

smart preparation

My cousin's wife saw me a month ago and she said "  you look disturbed.. If you prepare in a mind state like this nothing will make sense when you read. Try to relax and settle all your inner worries and then read. You don't have to read 24 hrs a day to understand or pass. If you decide to read a particular day, allot some hours and focus on studying and understand what you read.

I cried a lot that day looking at myself and what I have become. Blame on everything family problems, health problems, relationship problems name it ! But the truth is nothing will help you to pass your exam. The only thing that helps is a person or a word or a quote and your study material and practice problems and the time you invest in them.

Just keep away from all the shit that don't even inspire you to reach your goal. The goal being a licensed CPA and getting a good job that pays well and satisfies your life being a professional. Rest is pure malodorous pile of shit. Ignore my anger . I normally don't use much bad words but sometimes the point that I want to communicate doesn't reach well if I say ' There will be one time when you have to stand alone , make sacrifices , be challenged... '  OK I think you got what I mean.

Realization

After I passed my BEC exam and its almost an year now ( sounds more like B.C.). I sat before books like a lost soul, making unfruitful attempts to get something inside. I failed AUD and REG and after my last attempt a month and half before I started preparing for AUD. After ten days I realized that I haven't read anything fruitful again and decided to end this crazy preparation and not to rest till I become a CPA.