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Relaxed, Rejuvenated, Recharged

By on July 28, 2010

This post is being brought to you by the new and improved Calm Carrie just coming off of a ridiculously relaxing vacation.

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Lloyd and I just spent a week in the infamous retirement town of Boca Raton, Florida.  We stayed at a recently renovated resort that was located right on the beach and was the perfect spot for our post-CPA/engagement celebration/summer vacation that I’ve been anticipating for a loooooooooong time.  (Side note: We did attempt to visit the Del Boca Vista Phase III, but, unfortunately, we were unable to locate it.)

In case you hadn’t noticed by my numerous complaints and rants on the blog, the CPA took a lot out of me.  More than I ever expected.  In college – to put it simply – I owned.  I plowed through 18 hours of Accounting, Business, and Spanish classes each semester with internships and a busy social scene on the side without so much as a second thought of it all.  School had always come very easy to me.

But, when I started studying for the CPA, something didn’t click.  I struggled from the beginning.  I lost sleep from the first night I cracked the books (Which, by the way, had never ever been a problem for me before.  Prior to the CPA, I could have come away from the Sleep Olympics with gold medals in endurance, strength, and skill if there was such a thing.).  I had trouble balancing the new 25 hours per week recommended study schedule and spent many nights lying awake in bed considering giving up the entire ordeal.

But I didn’t.  I pushed through despite all my struggles.  Physically and mentally, I haven’t felt completely relaxed since I started the process.  Even after I passed, I still felt rushed and stressed.  On top of that, I got engaged and started planning a wedding.

Anyway, I knew I needed to get away.  I knew I needed to turn off my phones, computer, e-mail, twitter, mailbox, and blog, and recharge myself to my pre-CPA capacity.

Low-key, slow-moving Boca Raton was the perfect answer.

We spent an entire week eating, snoozing, sunbathing, reading books for pleasure, and playing and frolicking in the waves of the Atlantic.  With each passing day, I felt more and more of the CPA anxiety that had engrained itself into me slowly seep out of my body.  By the end of the trip, I’d wrung my body almost completely dry of that stress.  The test finally started to seem like a distant memory. (Side note: The CPA Exam process was totally and completely worth it.  I wouldn’t have changed a thing.  Yes, it was grueling; but, it has made me stronger and better.  Nothing wrong with that.)

It was, hands-down, the most relaxing week of my life.  Well, at least since I became an adult, because, let’s face it, age 6 is pretty relaxing when all you have to worry about are dollies and popsicles.

I’m back.  I’m relaxed, rejuvenated, recharged, and, most of all, happy.

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Categories: CPA, Life, Notes, Travel, Vacation9 Comments

Carrie, CPA

By on June 24, 2010

I’m a CPA!

Woooohoooooooooo!

After all the hard work, long days, and sleepless nights, I FINALLY got a passing score for the last test this week!  (See more of my CPA journey here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  The last one is my favorite.)

This is how it went down:

  • BEC Test: May 2009 – 80 (Pass)
  • AUD Test: August 2009 – 81 (Pass)
  • REG Test: March 2010 – 90 (Pass)
  • FAR Test: May 2010 – 80 (PASS and DONE!)

I honestly have no idea how I got that score on the FAR test.  All that praying really must have worked.  Yes, I worked my tail off, but that test was killer.  Oh well, who cares!  All that matters is that I passed!

FAQs:

So…are you done?  For the most part, yes.  I am done with the actual CPA Exam.  However, I still have to take an ethics exam (08/04/2010 update: Ethics exam, passed!) have a CPA vouch for my work experience, get my initial license form notarized, and send it off to the state board.  But, really, the hard part is O-V-E-R!

Was it worth it? Yes.

What now?  Losing the 8-10 pounds I put on during the CPA exam (actually only about 6 left to go until I’m back at my steady weight).  Enjoying my evenings and weekends.  Doing things I love that I had to put off during the year of the CPA.

Are you going to get a raise?  Not right away.  In my line of work, CPAs are few and far between so it should be …. helpful.

Can you call yourself a CPA?  Not technically.  To my friends and my blog readers, I can.  But I can’t use it professionally until all my admin stuff is completed.  This will take months.  I’ll probably be a full-fledged CPA with bells on sometime in October.

What did you learn?  Work your a$$ off.  When you think you’ve reached your limit, do more.

What’s your new project?  Setting up my new blog, wedding planning, leading a healthy/fit life, and enjoying my favorite peeps.

Categories: CPA, Excel, Notes30 Comments

A Little Less Studying, A Little More Fun

By on May 28, 2010

Let’s recap the test day events, shall we?

  • Successfully took the epically brutal Financial CPA test on Wednesday.
  • The test is 4 hours long.  I left with 1 minute and 45 seconds to spare.
  • The first 3 sections of the test are 30 multiple choice questions each.  Rumor has it that the first section is always medium difficulty.  If you do well, your next section will bump to hard difficulty.  If you do bad, it will just stay with medium difficulty.  This is how my multiple choice sections went:  medium>>hard>>medium  So, I did good on the first section, got owned on the second section, and did okay on the third section.  When I saw the questions go back to medium on the third section, I felt like an idiot.  I almost felt like the test was mocking me.  Whatevs, CPA exam.  (For the record, on my last exam, I was so outrageously prepared, that my sections went medium>>hard>>HARDEST.  And I killed it.  Which is why I was awarded with a 90.  Booyah.)
  • The last two sections are simulations which are comprised of about 6-8 mini-sections of calculations (think completing a trial balance, foreign currency translations, journal entries, statements of stockholders’ equity calculations, etc.), 2 written memos to clients, and 2 research questions.  I hate to put it this way, but the last two sections basically mind-rape you.  I literally buried my head in my hands during the last 30 minutes and wanted to cry.  The fact that my neighboring test-taker was stinking up the room didn’t help matters much.
  • I am 100% certain that I did not do as well on this test as I did on the last three tests.  But I worked my butt off for 4 hours straight, so I’m happy with myself.
  • If I pass, it will be a barely passing score.  That’s okay. I just want a 75 and to move on with my life.  I do NOT want to re-live those 240 minutes of torture ever again.

What’s next? 

  • Letting my brain decompress by enjoying a little mindless entertainment in the form of these two things:

lauren-conrad-sweet-little-lies sex-and-the-city-2-movie-poster

source                         source

  • Operation get my booty back in shape.  I’m hovering around the 140 pound mark right now.  Not cool.  I like to hover around the 133 pound mark.  That’s my goal for mid-July when our beach vacay rolls around.  Have I not blogged about that?  Shame on me.  I’ll post about our beach vacay very soon.
  • Fun, fun, fun.  I’ve requested from Lloyd that we do nothing but have fun (and work out) over the three days.  Saturday, Sunday, Monday will be nothing but fun.  Tomorrow Lloyd is taking me out (what a guy), on Sunday we are having a birthday bash/BBQ for Lloyd’s 31st birthday, and Monday we might go to the pool!  Woohoo!!!!!
  • Operation organize my life.  My apartment has become a warzone during the final throes of my studying escapade.  I did a ton of work on it yesterday.  It’s slowly but surely starting to look normal again.  I am a bit of a neat freak and am not okay with living in clutter for very long.  Watch your back, messiness!  I’m coming after you!
  • Blog more.  ‘Nuff said.
  • Bask in the glory of not having a dark CPA cloud hanging over my head at all times.  Yesterday (the first day of no studying in over a year) was literally one of the best. days. EVER!!!!!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Categories: CPA, Entertainment, Excel, Life9 Comments

Snap Out Of It, Woman!

By on May 13, 2010

Here’s the dealio:  my next (and last, whoop whoop) CPA exam is in just under 2 weeks.

I’m totally not ready for it and that makes me LOL.

You see, I’ve been studying for the exams since March 16, 2009.   Yeah, I remember the day.  Wouldn’t you remember the day you got locked up without committing a crime?

After almost 15 months of studying, my eyes have started to glaze over with every multiple choice question I skim through and I insanely giggle at every mnemonic that Peter Olinto lovingly tells me to remember.  (Peter is my hot, Italian instructor that I spend most mornings with.  He may be coming at me from a pre-taped compact disc, but he delivers a Generally Accepted Accounting Principal like nobody’s business.)

So, yep.  I’m totally half-assing my studying right now.  Wait, scratch that.  I’m giving it everything I’ve got, but after over a year of this bullshiz accounting mumbo jumbo, I ain’t got much left.

But I’m not complaining.  I got myself into this mess.  Sometimes when I’m feeling really low about the whole situation, I’ll try to blame it all on Lloyd.  I’ll say he forced me into it against my will.  Then, he’ll grab me by my shoulders, give me a couple good shakes, and tell me to “snap out of it, woman, you’re almost done”.  (He really doesn’t do that, it just sounded good.  In truth, he tells me every day how proud of me he is and how I’m thisclose to being done and getting my life back.  He’s awesome.)

But seriously, I’m not complaining.  This is my deal.  I’ve gotta get this done.  I’ve gotta sprint to the finish line.  I’ve gotta grab this damned CPA exam by the horns and ride it into the sunset.  I’ve gotta analyze each word and each number in each ridiculous multiple choice question and answer A, B, C, or D with reckless abandon.  I’ve gotta show this beyotch who’s boss!!  And that’s me!

So, that’s what I’ll do. Take this CPA exam and own it.  Just like I did with its brothers and sisters.

See you guys on the flip side (in about 2 weeks).

-Carrie

Categories: CPA, Life12 Comments

Another One Bites The Dust

By on March 24, 2010

In case you didn’t catch my announcement on twitter…

I passed the 3rd section of the CPA Exam!

Actually, I didn’t just pass it…I owned it.  Check the score:

REG Score

I couldn’t believe it when I saw a 90 pop up on my screen!  I received an 80 and an 81 on the first two tests, so this was a pleasant surprise!

ONE MORE TEST TO GO!!!

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Things to look forward to:  after the tests, I will move this blog over to a new blog with a different blog name so I don’t have to live by the pen name of “Carrie” forever.  Back in January, I said I was going to reveal myself and I probably will, but I’m still debating that issue.  I’m also going to be starting up a weight lifting/healthy living blog after the tests as well!  <rant> Although, I’m still maintaining my workouts, they are not at the frequency, length, or quality that they were before the CPA took over.  I’ve gained about 5 –8 pounds.  It doesn’t seem like much, but my pants are starting to get snug and I do NOT enjoy that feeling.  I cannot wait to get back to normalcy in my workouts after this damn test is over with!  </end rant>

Big changes are comin’!

Categories: CPA, Excel17 Comments