Introducing NINJA CPA Blogger Kristen!
Hello fellow NINJAs!
I wish I could say this was my first time with Another71, and that I was a new NINJA, but it is not the case. Like some of you, this is not my first rodeo, but I am back to take the bull by the horns!
A few years ago I started studying for my exams, and my very first day I thought, “THERE IS NO WAY I WILL EVER LEARN ALL OF THIS!” And I worked at it, hard.
I started with AUD as I had no experience or classes in that area and, after my first exam, I got a….74. Ouch. Back to the books, study study study, and I got a……74. Tears.
Third time was a charm; I did well and passed with a high 80’s score.
Next came REG, which I had touched at various points, and I passed that. That was my confidence booster. BEC was third. My first time through I again missed it, barely, with a score in the 70s. Second time through I got it and did well. And right when it was time to start studying for FAR, I was burnt out.
I work full time, have two boys who play three sports per year, and actively volunteer. I was done.
Fried.
A goner.
I needed a break, and my AUD score was on the verge of expiring, so I decided to put a pin in it.
It wasn’t long before I had the nagging feeling of defeat, and I decided to buy into the ads about getting your Master’s in Accounting and simultaneously getting your CPA. “Two birds with one stone,” they said. “Get credit for your hard work!” they said. The answer is, no. I couldn’t juggle all of those balls. Once again, my CPA went to the wayside, and all of my passes became expired.
I decided, it is what it is, and I am going to do really well with my task at hand. And I did. I received my Master’s Degree in Accounting with all A’s and one B, as a full-time working, sports-running, school-volunteering mom. Add in a new husband and step-son and all of their life moments as well.
It has been a wild ride these past few years. But here I am, stalking the website and reading about exam updates, because there is a nagging part to me that simply cannot leave this challenge incomplete. I can’t let the sweat, tears, and massive investments in wine go to waste!
I look forward to sharing my experience as I battle one more time for this certification. Message of the day is the definition of perseverance: Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Cheers, Kristin
