[ SECRET POST #3094 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3094 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 020 secrets from Secret Submission Post #442.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 2 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

I need some perspective

[feotakahari]

Most of the people I knew in college were either literature majors or slackers who were doing terribly in school, so I don't have a lot of perspective on some things. I'll put my question in a reply. Does anyone else need perspective on something?

Re: I need some perspective

[feotakahari]

For context, I just graduated from college. I need to take one more ethics class before I can qualify for a Certified Public Accountant license, but that's delayed really late for some reason (class starts on the 29th), so I'm in limbo at the moment, hanging out at my parents' house to save on rent. I'm doing some chores around the house, but my primary responsibilities are 1): get a real job, not this temp agency that never calls me, and 2): study my ass off for the CPA exam.

The exam book I'm studying from recommends one hour of study a day over two months. My mother said I should be studying a couple hours a day, so I bumped up to that. Now my father says I should be studying a "bare minimum" of six hours a day.* He says that's reasonable because he spends nine hours a day at work, and my mother just wants me to pass the exam as soon as possible so I don't have a large employment gap on my resume.** I'm a bit skeptical, though--working for eight or nine hours is one thing, but it seems like there'd be a drop in comprehension and information retained after several hours of learning the same subject.

I don't have a lot of people I can compare myself to.*** What do you folks think is a reasonable amount of time studying each day?

* To be precise, he said that's how long I should spend studying and looking for jobs. The last time I spent hours looking for jobs, my mother told me to stop, so I assume he mostly means studying.

** It would be ideal to pass before the end of December, because in 2017 the licensing requirements will change and I might need to take more classes. If I take parts of the exam before the end of August, and I fail those parts, I'll get the chance to retry them in November or December.

*** My brother double majored in astrophysics and classical literature, gave the graduation speech at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and made so much money teaching rich kids how to get better SAT scores that he could afford to buy a Prius straight out of college. He seldom leaves his room, but supposedly he's spending all day in there studying for the bar exam. My mother says she doesn't compare me to him, and she apologizes every time she does.

Re: I need some perspective

[iceyred]

First of all, don't compare yourself to your brother. That is the road that leads to madness.

Are either of your parents CPAs? If they are, then their advice might be worthwhile. If they are not, then you should study as much as you think you need to to pass.

While you are waiting to take this exam/last class, volunteer at something. The food bank, the humane society, it doesn't matter. It'll get you out of the house a couple of times a week, and when employers want to know why you have a gap on your resume, you can explain the situation and point out that you filled it with volunteer work.

I have had absolutely terrible luck with temp agencies and don't recommend them. Print up your resume and hand it out at a couple of places where you think you'd like to work. Get on LinkedIn and join a couple of groups related to your field. Call your university's employment office. All of this is more useful then sending your resume out into the Internet Void.

Re: I need some perspective

[shortysc22]

I suppose I can offer a little perspective about studying for a major exam. I just took my engineering license exam last October. Again, I was working full time, but I studied for 3 hours twice a week and about an hour every other day.

I think it really depends on how much you personally feel you accomplish while studying. Any more than 2-3 hours in a sitting for me is useless.

I second volunteering and also ask if any friends/family know somewhere that's hiring temporarily because you never know who will put in a good word for you or if an office just needs part time help.

Good luck on your exams!!

Re: I need some perspective

[(Anonymous)]

I think the only perspective you need is to listen to follow the advice of the person who actually created the material. Your parents are not the experts here.

Re: I need some perspective

[(Anonymous)]

Your father is being absurd. There's good research to suggest that studying for hours on end is inefficient, since you end up expending more energy on maintaining your concentration than on actually mastering the material. Study for a couple of hours, then go out and take a walk or do some other form of exercise that you enjoy, do some routine tasks, or read a couple of journal articles. Then take another hour to do a couple of self-quizzes. Repeatedly testing yourself may be the most important thing you can do.

Re: I need some perspective

[(Anonymous)]

I think others have said this, but I'll second the fact that studying without a break is counter-productive. Iirc, the average time a person can go at one shot is about two hours, and then their concentration declines too far. This figure varies, so pay attention to yourself as you're studying.

For me, it's actually more like an hour, and then I have to take a break. Go with what your body says, but I suggest taking a break at the two-hour-mark at the very least.

Someone suggested testing yourself, which is a great idea. Something else you might want to try is "teaching" the material. If you have a friend who's willing to listen, explain what you're learning to them. They don't have to know what you're on about, just provide a sounding board. If you don't, that's fine - teach your empty room and try and pay attention to whether or not you make sense (where might a student get confused, etc). It's a great way to tell if you've got this stuff down.

Re: I need some perspective

[(Anonymous)]

Your dad sounds like a bit of an ass. Depending on what he does for a living, it's unlikely he does it flat out at high intensity for 8-9 straight hours because that's not how most jobs work. There are down times, coffee break times, variation in tasks that keep it from getting too monotonous, etc.

Study at the rate you feel is most effective not just to take in information, but understand and retain it. You'd also be doing yourself a favor if you scheduled 30-60 minutes light exercise every day. Walking is good, and it'll give your brain a break and let it process what you've learned.