Achievement Unlocked: CPA

October 2015 made a mark not only in my life but also on my name. It’s now three letters longer. I’m still in cloud 9 as my mind is still freaking out. I’m in the state of, “ I can’t believe that this is happening! OMG! Can you please wake me up from this dream? Can you please pinch my arm because I asdfghjkl can’t believe that this is for real!”

I can’t give you the exact formula of passing the boards but I’d like to share to you how things happened for me.

Last May, I had to give up work to review for the October 2015 CPA Board Examinations. I decided to enroll at the Professional Review Training Center (PRTC) in Cagayan de Oro City. I would recommend that you’d also choose this review center. You won’t regret it.

I’d say that having your classmates with you during your review is a must. In the first months of my review I was so motivated that I’d wake up at 6 am so that I could prepare for my 8AM-5PM review classes but as weeks passed I could no longer wake up at 6AM because I got used to studying until 12 midnight. So I wake up at around 8AM and yes sometimes I’m either late for my review, I don’t attend classes and usually it’s too late to eat breakfast. 8 hours of review made me feel sleepy especially if I haven’t looked into the topics that we were about to discuss as the other topics weren’t discussed in our undergrad or perhaps I just wasn’t paying attention back then. My classmates and I even came to a point where we’d do shifting in attending classes. :3 (Van, thank you for reminding me to sleep well. )

In college I wasn’t the type of student who’d stay up all night to study. I’d prefer to study during the day and sleep at 10 AM. I’d say no to eyebags. Yes! :)) Things changed during the review as I had to study until 12 midnight. (Don’t waste your time!) If I’m not in the review center, I’m in my room studying from 6 am to 12 midnight straight with lunch and dinner breaks and no other.

My advice? When you review, read like you’re reading the Bible. Read like it’s your first encounter with the topic and take notes. I used a big notebook and divided per page into two. (First half are for the terms and the second half are for the definitions) I have 8 notebooks in total which makes it one notebook per board subject. This will make studying and wrapping up before you take the pre-boards and final boards easier. I promise :) I love the theories portion of the review because it makes solving problems easier.

Pray. Pray the rosary every single day. You’d be amazed that during the review everything will feel lighter and you won’t feel pressure at all. You will be at ease. Your heart and mind will be at peace. Listen to songs. My playlist then was full of songs by Himig Heswita and other instrumental songs. Classical music can help big time! Celebrate Mass every Sunday or everyday as well.

Once in a while go out and de-stress. Dine out with your friends! My support system then were my KKP family. <3 Things felt lighter after spending time with them.

During the first pre-boards, I made it to the top 50 in our review center so that motivated me to do more in the final pre-boards (As I could remember I made it to around the top 60) and in the actual boards. Just don’t break your momentum!

During the review, various companies offered job opportunities and it was tempting to process application forms and attend interviews but then I had to make a choice. I had to finish my review because for me failure wasn’t an option as I already had my share of failures in college. I don’t want to repeat the review process. It’s consumes time, energy and spirit.

Be inspired when you wrap up the topics and take the actual boards! <3 (P.S. You know who you are and thank you! :* )

A day before the actual boards, I visited Carmelite to pray with my ever supportive college classmates. They were constantly asking if I’m okay and I just said yes. I didn’t feel pressured on that day as everything felt lighter. I knew that I still had to wrap up the topics for the exam on the next day tho. :))

Anyways, I took the exams with just 3-4 hours of sleep and finished the first theoretical topics in two hours each which was supposed to be taken in about 3 hours per subject. My friends were shocked when they knew that I finished for two hours. :3 They told me that I should get nervous because I finished it an hour earlier but I knew that I was able to review my answers thrice and erasures were not allowed!

The killer subject for me was Practical Accounting 2. When I took that exam I wanted to cry on the spot and give up . When I tried to solve a problem, a thought would just pop up out of nowhere like, “Is this really my profession?! Am I really sure about this?! God help me! “ HAHA! Well, it’s a good thing that I didn’t stop trying. Whenever I come across a problem that I know how to solve but my answer cannot be found among the choices, I pray and hope that as I continue trying I will soon come up with an answer. When I finished taking the P2 exam, I felt like I was about to get a fever. My body was so exhausted (because I didn’t eat much), my brain was hurting and my heart felt uneasy for the first time. I still had to wrap up the topics for BLTX on that night so once again I took the exam with 3 hours of sleep. (Cin, thank you for taking care of me.  :) )

After taking the boards, I told myself that I wouldn’t look at the result the moment it is released thinking that at some point I could actually fail but people were there to cheer me up and assured me that I will make it.

The results came out at around 2-3 AM. I woke up by 3 AM since my classmate called me and told me that I passed. I called my mother and she screamed! The internet connection was so slow then. I only had 3 hours of sleep and I wasn’t able to rest after the results came out since I had to eat breakfast with my classmates. My hands were shaking like crazy! :))

I wasn’t supposed to take that exam since I felt that I wasn’t ready but my mother told me to take the exam since it was already paid for and there could be a chance that I would pass. So, I took the exam.
Do eat during the review and when you take the boards. This I didn’t do. :)) So people were telling me to start eating more since I already passed and I was already too thin. I’m sure that this process affected my weight.

I wouldn’t make it this far if it weren’t for my God, my family, and friends. There were times when I doubted myself but people were there to support and encourage me that I could do it and that I will make it.

Now, things feel light and heavy at the same time. Why? Because I realized how much I am loved even if sometimes I’d question it. Heavy because everything is in front of me. Now I have to decide which path to take. It’s either I’d pursue JVP, Law school, Design School, Prof Ed, or work. I don’t know yet which path to take but I’m still praying for it.

If you feel like giving up, think of the reason why you held on for so long. Four years of learning a new language wasn’t an easy journey. Think about the people who never stopped believing in your capabilities. Think about your God. He blessed you with talents and gifts. Do your best for His greater glory. Aim for the stars! Have faith and don’t ever stop trying!

I pray that whoever is reading this would get something out of this entry and I do hope that you’d make your story memorable like I did. :)