I am in the home stretch now towards review for the FAR section of the CPA exam. I’ve put in nearly 10 weeks of full time study and am finding that I am scoring quite well on the practice tests. Unless a curve ball comes my way or something else I don’t expect, I believe that a passing grade is well within reach at this point.
I’ve got a full schedule for the next three days of focusing on weak points, solidifying the more complicated sections, etc.
I’m experiencing a marked degree of burnout right now. Its only natural. However, I purposely ordered these exams from hardest to easiest so that as I get increasingly burnt out, the tests get easier. Aren’t I smart?
Talk about a one track mind! I have shelved most every other aspect of my life in these final days. I did the same for the last exam and feel that sticking to a winning recipe is smart. Besides a run in a day or two, I am not leaving the house until exam day. When I finish, I’ll have a decent amount of catch up to do, along with seamlessly moving into preparation for the BEC section, which I plan to take on 11/30 – the last day of testing for this year.
Assuming I pass all sections on the first try, I ought to be done with this cycle by close of January 2010. It will take a few months for the state to send me my application. I figure by mid summer of 2010, I’ll be fully official – with the certificate hanging in my office, etc.
After the final exam, I need to figure my next move. The job market is fairly stale right now, even in the accounting industry – perhaps less than other industries, however. I am hoping for a quick turn around and to rejoin the workforce and start making respectable income again. However, I am expecting to face a degree of stagnancy out there. Finances are still in good shape and the lights will stay on for the foreseeable future, which relieves some pressure. But, once this CPA is done, my objective is going to shift to finding a way to make money – either in aviation, accounting, or both (the likely scenario).
I’ve been giving more thought to the logistics of running my own accounting practice and it excites me very much. There is a book out there that I am going to purchase that is written by a CPA regarding what it takes to begin and operate a business. Its on my list to get that book and start reading. However, like I stated before, I have a one track mind right now. When this test is done and I am an official CPA, I’ll look into the next step on this journey and start educating myself appropriately. “Do what you are doing, while you are doing it” is my motto.