Since the last posting, I’ve received some questions for the CPA Pledge Blog.
Caitlin asks, “How do you manage your study/exam prep time with work, kids, responsibilities, etc.”
Thanks for the fantastic question. I am a single father with primary custody. As a parent, student, and employee, I have many priorities demanding my time. On top of this, I am preparing for the CPA exam. How do I manage time? Well, I have a VERY understanding family, whose love and support I owe everything to. That said, here are some guidelines I follow.
1.) Schedule family time first.
This is incredibly cliché, but no one seems to know what it means. Many originations say “family first”, yet this seems to be the first thing to go.
On Sunday, plan your week. Schedule family time. Have a conversation with your spouse, or whomever you owe family time to. Some nights are late. Thursdays, for me, I don’t get home until 10:00 PM. But other days, I’m home much earlier. If I say I’ll be home for family at 5:30PM, it’s as important as any other meeting or appointment during my week. Have an honest conversation about time with your family, and keep your promises.
2.) Exercise for 30 min in the morning 5 days a week.
This seems counterintuitive. You say “I’m so busy and you want me to give up MORE time to do something else?” This works. Wake up 35 min earlier than you already do, and hop on your bike, run, step, or whatever. This is not ‘work out and watch TV’ time. You should be pushing yourself hard enough that you sweat and stink, and you can’t concentrate on anything else. Heart rate should be 80-90% of your maximum for the last 15 min. That’s HARD WORK.
As strange as it sounds, doing this will open up your day. You will get more done, I promise. Both George W. Bush and Barrack Obama work out every day, and their schedule is busier than yours.
3.) Be realistic.
You cannot work a full time job and take 4 night classes. You cannot commute an hour and a half each way and put in 60 hours a week.
Believe me, I know. I also know that some of you are trying to do this.
Have an honest conversation with your employer and your family about your obligations. There is a solution. Find it.
4.) Take a leave of absence, or quit your job.
Sounds extreme, but consider it.
Completing the CPA Exam and your 150 hours is the single best investment of your time and money. If you don’t have the time, make time. As soft as the economy is right now, you CAN get another job. Many will let you take some unpaid leave for a few months. Remember, completing your CPA makes you more valuable for them too. In January I quit my job as a buyer to focus on accounting. Yes, it was a strain on finances. And I loved the job. But working all day, taking classes and night, and communing an hour each way was too much. It was a tough decision, but the right one.
Take a long view of your goals. Getting the CPA certificate is difficult.
Don’t give up on this worthy goal.
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Good news for the CPA Pledge Blog! The Connecticut Society of CPA’s will put this blog up on their website in the coming weeks. Special thanks to Caitlin Bailey, their Electronics Communication Coordinator and Art Renner, the Executive Director of the CSCPA
Caitlin Bailey
Art Renner
This blog was originally Caitlin’s idea. I’ve taken over the project, and am writing independently of any organization. Also…
“The opinions of this blog represent the opinions of the author and are not subject to review prior to posting by the CSCPA or any of its affinity partners. The blog is one of several forums facilitated by the CSCPA to increase networking and sharing of information among young and new accounting professionals.”
