Kim is a weekly Another71 Facebook blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam.

Ah yes… there are advantages to the last few days prior to a test date. For starters, the momentum begins to build inside of us to know that we are getting so close to “sitting in the seat” and then to a few hours later to actually being able to walk away from the testing center.

Another advantage is that the studying that we do during those last few days prior to taking a test is most likely to be what we can recall during the test. So having very thorough review during those last few days and hours before our test is helpful.

Wikipedia defines ‘short term memory’ as ‘the capacity for holding a small amount of information in mind in an active, readily available state for a short period of time.’ And ‘working memory’ refers to ‘the structures and processes used for temporarily storing and manipulating information.’ I’d say we rely heavily on both of these types of memory, wouldn’t you?

Since my grown kids will be in and out of the house throughout the holiday weekend, I’m trying to secure a good plan of where my ‘escape’ will be in the house so that I can have quietness when I study. Plan B is to come to work and study. So I should be covered.

And here’s to our spouses and significant others who also have to make sacrifices during holidays while we are studying (and throughout the whole year too!). I laughed when I read Kricket’s comment that her husband had forbid her to buy a turkey.

It reminded me of one morning this week when I was trying to sneak out of bed at 4:30 a.m. instead of my regular 5:00 a.m. to go study and my husband said, “Don’t come to me when you fall out from lack of sleep.” So I listened to him and rested a little while longer.

And that brings me to the next challenge of the last few days before a test date: Building our ‘sleep tanks’ up some. While I know this is so important, I find it challenging. When we work full time jobs and have families, there are just too few hours in a day. But, I’m going to try and do better about getting rest right before the test this time and hope that it makes a difference.

It’s also important to stay well and I’m trying to stay very mindful of that. Since there is a definite connection between stress and sickness and because we are all under a SLIGHT amount of stress, we must be vigilant to ward off illness so that we can perform our very best on test day.

I talked to Jeff one day this week to get some last minute study tips, and I’m following that plan of attack. We also fit in some great conversation about the farmland in Tennessee (ha!)

Looking so forward to driving away from the Prometric testing center next Tuesday afternoon.

Hats off to all that we have to be thankful for and to lots of study time this weekend!

Kim