Boring...

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 103 hours/Waiting Begins...
REG: 10 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 383

8 hours of REG lecture and 2 hours of book changes and updates have left me exhausted! I had such a hard time at work today...blah!

Just making a quick post to say it feels great to be studying for my final section and I really hope I can pull this off and pass! I have impressed myself by actually diving right into the material rather than spending 2 weeks avoiding it like I have for the other sections...I just don't have the time to spare this time. REG certainly scares me because it seems as though it has now become the toughest section. I enjoyed my Tax and BLAW courses in college though, so I am hoping I can get through this material ok. Lectures are obviously boring, but I am so accustomed to that by now.

I spent 2 hours updating my entire book with all these little changes...dates, values, wording...it was annoying, but I am thankful Becker keeps on top of changes and corrections in their material. I hope anyone else using their material remembers to update both their program and their book.

Ok, movie night with the hubby...I am taking a break for the evening and then back at it tomorrow...

REG

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 103 hours/Waiting Begins...
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 373

Sitting at my computer getting ready to pop in the lecture CD for REG and just realized how time has flown since I started this journey back in January! Wow! I felt like it was going to take forever to get to this final section, but here I am.

Again I am using Jeff's NINJA study framework for REG. I really like it a lot and feel like it is better than the study plan Becker suggests. If anyone is curious, head over to http://www.another71.com/ and check it out. I believe Jeff has the framework available for free. There are tons of suggestions that are really great! Basically I am going to watch all videos for the entire book. Then I am going to go back through and take notes section by section and do the MCQ as I go. Then I will rewrite my notes for entire chapters and go back through the MCQ. I usually only have enough time to go back through the ones I marked and I wait to do the supplemental questions at that time. I also have Jeff's NINJA notes for REG and will go through those regularly...

I also wanted to share a really great song that I listen to during study breaks. It helps me get my mojo back and is a great motivator...check it out! http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/open-happiness-butch-walker/id309023289?i=309023338

AUD IS OVER!

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 103 hours/Waiting Begins...
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 373

Just finished my exam! I am glad that is over! 
I missed work today again because I am still not feeling well. Thankfully I felt well enough to take this exam and I really had no other choice... 
Post exam feelings:

I feel a lot better about my exam today than I did about either of the others. I am just not sure if that is a false sense of security since perhaps the reason I feel better is that I have been through this twice already and have 2 passes under my belt. Who knows?!

I think the MCQ went as well as they could given the nature of AUD questions. It seems like I could eliminate 2 answers easily, but deciding between the remaining 2 was challenging on several of the questions. It was a matter of "choose the BEST option" so that caused me a little difficulty. I also had one question repeated 3 times and another question repeated twice within the same testlet! I really hope I answered those correctly! I averaged right around 30 minutes per MCQ Testlet.

SIMS...those things are just plain not fun! I was super lucky to have 2 research ones (I hope they both count!) and I really think I nailed them. I was careful to read them carefully and get right down to what they were looking for. Those didn't take much time. Out of the remaining 5 Sims, I found 2 to be pretty fair, another to be manageable and the other 2 were pretty bad...I had to really guess on those last 2, but I didn't leave anything blank. I feel like one would need to have some solid auditing experience to be able to really nail those. I spent 1.5 hours on the Sims.

So with 1 hour and 7 minutes left on the clock I ended the exam. I could have sat there for that hour staring out the Sims, changing my answers, second guessing myself, trying to pull answers out of my head that just weren't there, BUT I felt like I gave it my best effort...I really hope I PASS! I feel like it is possible, but either way, what is done is done...

Moving on to REG tomorrow. I don't want to lose momentum and I know REG is going to be a challenge. A lot of other candidates over at another71.com have indicated that REG (especially the Sims) is a beast! If I take a break now, I will truly regret it...

Happy studying and good luck to anyone else taking this journey!

Tomorrow is exam day!

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 96.5 hours/Scheduled 7-26
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 366.5

Wow! There is a lot of info here! Not nearly as much as FAR, but still a lot to keep straight. I hope I can pull this off tomorrow. I have completed my final review of everything and tomorrow I hope to be able to understand some of my weak areas a little more (A-4). Overall I fell pretty good about the material...another week and I would feel great, but that is not going to happen...

I did lose some study time because I was sick last night and today. I missed work, but had a hard time using that time to study. I am not sure about making it to work tomorrow as I am stll not feeling well and don't want to risk missing my exam because I didn't rest. We shall see how I feel in the morning...

My test is at 5:00pm and I can't wait for it to be over! Wish me luck cause I will need it :)

Down to the wire...

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 74.5 hours/Scheduled 7-26
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 344.5

I have really been working too much in these final few days before my exam. I worked today and will work Monday and Tuesday (exam day) too! That was not wise of me, but it really comes down to the fact that I moved this exam twice...so planning ahead didn't really work out...

As for studying, I was struggling these last few days to really get through the rest of the material. I have yet to finish final review of A-5. That is my plan for tonight. I am honestly feeling so much better about the material in this section of the exam. I feel like it is the "easiest" section as my readers have indicated by their votes and the passing rates also indicate more people pass audit. None of these exams are a breeze though, so don't underestimate what it takes to pass...

Happy studying!

Exam day is fast approaching!

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 63.5 hours/Scheduled 7-26
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 333.5

Quick post to say studying is going well. I am on track, but it is taking longer to get through A-4 than I anticipated. I am wrapping that up first thing in the morning. Then I should be able to finish A-5 as well. I feel really great about A-1 through A-3 and know A-4 needs more work. I have to say that I am sorta enjoying studying for this section! Don't get me wrong, it stinks, but it seems to be going far better than BEC or FAR. I really think I can pull off a pass!

8 days remaining...

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 55.5 hours/Scheduled 7-26
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 325.5


So I packed up my car with my dogs and computer and headed to our new house for the weekend...I fully intended on studying a good 12-16 hours while I was there. My husband starts his new job today, so we were getting him situated in the new house with just the essentials until we actually move in September. We are not going to actually move until after my REG exam...but his commute would be 2+ hours each way if he waited to move...

Well, I decided to set my computer up (not a laptop) and try to get in some studying and realized I forget the power cord! So that totally blew my plans for studying and needless to say I was not going to drive all the way home to get it! I did finish A-2 and most of A-3 and so my goal for today is to finish A-3 and A-4. I don't work today, so I should be able to accomplish that...

Happy Studying!

I have serious commitment issues!

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 45.5 hours/Scheduled 7-26
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 315.5


Ok, so there is just far too much going on this week for me to really have enough time to finish preparing for the Audit exam...so I decided to move my exam again! This is typical me...wasting money on exam fees and then wasting the extra time I paid for...oh well...

Good news for my husband and I this week! We found a home we both love and are signing a lease tomorrow!! We are so excited to move into a nice big house with our own yard! My dogs will be so happy :) See? I really am pretty busy with life this week...(I am trying to convince myself these are valid excuses for changing my exam and ignoring the fact that I spent 2 hours on another71.com today!)

I just really want to pass this thing! I am hoping I didn't go too far into July that I am going to struggle with time when preparing for REG on 8-31. I will have to stay on track from tomorrow until REG or I am going to really regret it come score release time in September. I would love to actually meet my goal of passing all 4 parts before I start my job in October!

Where did the week go?!

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 40.5 hours/Scheduled 7-18
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 310.5

So it turns out that giving myself an extra week to study resulted in me not studying much at all! I hate when I do that to myself, but I just could not focus when I sat down to study...I really should have packed up my stuff and headed to Starbucks or something, but instead I sat at my desk glued to the another71 forum, facebook, my iPhone, really any distraction was easily welcomed...So now I am stressed because I only have a week left, I work through Saturday and am not even close to prepared...

I did finish A-1 completely. I took my own notes right on the Becker flashcards as well as made my own cards, did all the MCQ and averaged 82.6% which I am very happy with. I really didn't find the questions very difficult for A-1, so I am hoping to finish A-2 as easily tomorrow after work. I am getting back into the groove of things, but it was difficult.

In other news, my husband landed a nice job that he starts the day I take this Audit exam! Now we are in a scramble to move, which we have planned to do anyway, but it is more of a rush so he can avoid a 2 hour each way commute! We looked at some homes for rent and found one we both love, so I am hoping we are able to get it...we currently live in a condo we bought literally three seconds before the market crashed and now we owe more than twice what it is worth! That is a harsh reality for us and so many other people right now...

Good luck to anyone taking exams this week!!!

Change is Good...

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 28.5 hours/Scheduled 7-18
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 298.5


I just plain cannot focus! I have felt overwhelmed about having to scramble in this last week before my Audit exam, nothing is sticking to my mush for a brain :(  In my insane rampage, I really haven't accomplished anything in the way of learning this material...

So then yesterday I became desperate and decided I was going to HAVE to change my exam date and if that meant driving for 4 hours to a testing center, then fine. I checked the Prometric site several times and was not having any luck finding a test date anywhere :( Then I decided to check the center I normally go to once again and a spot on July 18th had opened up!!! I grabbed it as fast as I could! Best $35 I have spent lately...then I took the rest of the day off from studying because I felt like I deserved it...riiiight! I need to really push myself to make these last days count.

My goal for tonight is to finish my initial review of A-1 and all the MCQ. I also need to FOCUS...

Life can change in an instant...

BEC: 111 hours/Score: 79
FAR: 159 hours/Score: 78
AUD: 22.5 hours/Scheduled 7-11
REG: 0 hours/Scheduled 8-31
Total Hours Sacrificed: 292.5

Last Saturday (June 25th) my husband's Aunt suddenly passed away. She was young, full of life and beautiful. Everyone that knew her was shocked and terribly saddened by her passing. My husband and I left the very next morning for our home town (1,000 miles away) to support our family and to say our farewells. Her  presence will truly be missed every day...

Needless to say, studying was not my priority last week at all. We returned home Saturday night and pretty much slept the day away on Sunday. I hoped I could move my Audit exam forward by 1 week, but there are no test dates available...so I must try and cram like crazy this week and give it a good effort next Monday. I am very prepared for the fact that I will likely have to do Audit over, but that is ok...being there for family was far more important.

On another note, my husband got a job offer after almost 5 months of being unemployed! It is a decent offer too and so now we must scramble to find a place to move to...life is certainly hectic!

I wanted to thank everyone for your support through this exam process. It means a lot read your kind comments and shared stories of struggles and success! THANKS!