"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."

Hi my name is Samantha and I've been using Yaeger CPA review since September 2011. Its been a hard long road since this summer when I sent out my NTS. It's partly my fault for never really understanding the rules of the NTS, but I'm upset all my college classes and accounting club missed this topic as well. I thought that by picking all four tests at once meant that I was allowed to pick and schedule when I wanted to, but I was so wrong. I never planned on starting a test till the end of November, but I was forced to take all four in the small 6 month window in NJ. So now after that mess I had to take all four by Febuary 1st, 2012 or lose all the money I paid. I also found a full time job that started in September and it's been very hard trying to find that happy place after a hard days work and then coming home to study for a couple of hours. Then repeating over and over again. It is very hard to simply adjust to that then add it the amount of material you have to know for each test. I've found the hardest part for me is getting started, but once I get on a roll it's hard stopping.

So I began my journey in September studying for FAR first. I decided to take what I believed to be the hardest one since it has the most in it. However I didn't give myself quite the time I should have thinking that I could "wing" it. I followed the videos and tried to do as many mc on the Wiley test bank. But when I left the exam at the beginning of october I didn't feel confident that I passed and I happened to be right. My score wasn't great and it was hard seeing that and then picking myself up to do the next one. I just kept myself motivated by reading this quote by Zag ZigLar,"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." I even keep it at my desk at work when I start to feel down and overwhelmed.

So then I began trying to cram for AUD since I was told that taking AUD after FAR would help with studying since some of the materials overlap. It did help a lot and I liked studying for AUD, but then I found myself with an hour left in the test room at the end of October not sure what to do. I had rushed through it thinking I masted that test, but my results came back and I had missed the mark by 15 points. I was so surprised since I left thinking that would be the one I would pass. It was blow to my confidence since i had convinced myself i did well enough, but it taught me for the next time not to be so cocky about it.

Then at the end of Novemeber I sat for BEC. I wasn't too sure what to expect from it, but it seemed to be the Frankenstein test since it covered all sorts of topics. I liked that one since it was a change of pace, but as I was taking it I took too much time. I was thinking I would use all the time in BEC unlike when I took AUD. Well as I was going through it I realized I had wasted so much time looking over answers that I had to rush the third testlet and rush through the written communications. I missed passing BEC by 10 points. It was another hard blow to my confidence, but here I am trying to pick myself up and learn from each of these poor mistakes I made.

Next I take REG on January 16th. So far I've been going through all the handouts, taking notes, rewriting the notes, watching all the vids, and simply doing mc over and over. I'm really hoping that for the new year I can start off fresh with passing REG and then back tracking to finish and pass the other three.

If I won the contest of a whole new 2012 Yaeger set it would make things a lot easier since I wouldn't have to pay again for them and then put that extra money back into signing up for my new NTS, but this time I would only be doing either one at a time or two at a time, never again will I try an cram all 4 in 6 months.

Once I pass the exam it will be as if the weight of the world will be lifted off my shoulders and then I can finally just enjoy working as an accountant and not have to worry about studying anymore!

Finally with the new year comes a new years resolution and this year mine is to pass this exam during this one year so I'll never have to worry about the 18 month rule and then it's over and done with and by then I'll have my one year experience in public accounting to receive my CPA lisence. I will be trying my hardest to make all this come true since you really can't let it all go to fate, I've learned that it really does pay off to put as much effort into something because you'll get get it back and more in rewards!!! Thanks for reading about my journey so far and I hoped this helps someone whos also feeling what I felt after not passing yet! Good luck!

-Samantha-