Tori is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

Hello everyone,

Time for an update on my progress-

Now that the euphoria of passing BEC has worn off, the reality of studying for another section is upon me.

I am now back in the saddle facing a long ride toward a rematch with REG. I started on Professional and Legal Responsibilities and was thankful that the material was still quite familiar.

In fact, I read through the chapter, and answered the questions in the Wiley book, then breezed through the MCQs in the online test bank and scored high 80s and 90s on all the question sets I did on the topic. It almost seemed too easy.

My last attempt at REG yielded a 68 to which I can say I was sorely disappointed in myself. So now, I am convinced that I have to strive for better results in practice than I did my last time around.

After I got through the first chapter in my book, I took about 2 days to let things really sink in and then did another set of questions to see if the material really stuck. Once I was satisfied with my retention, I moved onto the next chapter in my book, Federal Securities Acts.

This chapter has proven to be a little trickier than I remembered on previous attempts and has taken a number of days to get through. I don't really remember feeling so dumb about the requirements for exemption from registration or the elements of liability to third parties for negligence and fraud.

However, I do remember a lot from the NINJA Notes and Audio. Now, I have been working to fill in the details on these topics and am nearly through with the chapter.

This was also one of the many chapters that I have taken the steps to outline and summarize on my own in my own words. As I work through the multiple choice questions from the Wiley test bank, I will continue to take note of the answer explanations when I get a question wrong.

I know that the strategy of repetition in learning is tried and true. As such, I will continue to employ that strategy for reviewing the material. There are 2 main differences between this attempt at REG than my previous attempts.

I am going all Wiley! That means that I am not bouncing between two different software programs and different types of answer explanations, and different books.

In addition, my old review course would flag material as ancillary, thus reducing my expectation to come across certain topics on exam day, only to be slapped in the face with the reality that if material is in the review book, you will face the material in the exam in some form or another.

Because I am going all Wiley, the presentation of the material is reversed and places the business law topics at the beginning of the course material and taxation topics at the end. This means that even though all the material is going to be covered, the taxation material will be fresher in my mind than in past experiences.

I really hope that these changes in my strategy are enough to put me over the 75 threshold come test day.

One last quick note about studying during the holidays. I have mentioned this before. If you are studying during the holidays, make sure you are giving it your full attention.

If you take along your materials to study on your holiday vacation and you are studying while spending time with your family, you are likely cheating yourself and your family. My suggestion is that if you are going to visit with your family, visit with your family. When it is time to study, lock yourself in a room and really focus on getting through your material.

If there is one thing I have learned from experience, it is that you will need to make the most of your time. Study with a focused intensity, and when celebrating the holiday with your family, enjoy it. Then get back to studying.

I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. Catch you next week.

Tori