0:00
But I turned out to be 85
0:02
I, like, screamed, and my wife came out of from the bedroom
0:08
Like, what happened? What happened? I was like, oh, my God. Like, I almost smashed my glasses on the table and hold my face
0:16
I'm, like, so excited. And my roommates, like, what, what happened? You guys, okay? And then turned out, I said, I'm finally done
0:23
And, like, this is way past. Welcome to episode 15 of the CPA exam experience podcast from Super Fast CPA
0:31
I'm Nate. In today's interview, you'll hear me talk with Michael. Michael is a Super Fast CPA customer and now CPA
0:39
Like all the other interviews before this, I really like this interview. What I like about Michael's story is he kind of felt like for him personally in the beginning
0:49
that he just wouldn't be able to pass the exams. Once he started with the study process, he felt really overwhelmed with how much material there was
0:58
and really struggled with coming up with a way or an effective format of learning the material
1:04
in an effective enough way to actually be able to pass the exams
1:09
And so he failed a few sections up front the first time. Then at some point came across Super Fast CPA
1:16
And he is someone who, you know, a lot of our customers, they don't even really watch
1:20
the study hacks videos. they just use the tools for the on-the-go study, which they're very effective for
1:27
That's what they're made for. And that's enough. That gives them enough. That's all they need
1:31
And then there's another section of our customers that just really struggle with the study process itself
1:36
And that's kind of what our study strategies are for that you learn in those videos
1:42
And so Michael is someone, as I was talking with him, I could tell that he had spent a lot of time watching the videos because probably
1:52
his biggest overall struggle in the beginning was just creating an effective daily process
1:58
And I think he'll kind of say that in his own words. And that is what, that's what our videos
2:04
really helped him with was crafting a daily process that finally worked. And once it clicked for him
2:11
he went from feeling overwhelmed and just kind of defeated in advance by the exams
2:17
Going from that to the opposite, where he felt confident like he was in control. He just
2:22
just knew that passing was going to be a matter of time at that point. And he even describes kind of
2:27
this idea I've talked about in the past where when you really get your study process grooved in
2:33
and you just know that it's working and you know exactly what to do each day when you sit down to
2:37
study, just knowing exactly what you're going to do when you sit down to study, that just turns
2:43
the study process from this awful thing that you dread to something that you can almost look forward
2:50
to because you just know that day after day, as long as you do the daily process, now that you've
2:56
got it figured out, you're going to pass your exams. And that's kind of the process that Michael
3:01
talks through or describes. And you can just see the different light bulbs that came on for him
3:07
as he kind of talks through the discoveries he made about what needed to change with his daily
3:12
process. So again, if you're going through the study process yourself or you're gearing up
3:17
you're about to start the study process anywhere in between, you'll find this episode very
3:21
valuable, very helpful in figuring out your own daily study process. Now, one other thing real
3:27
quick, if you find this interview helpful or you've listened to a few of the past interviews
3:32
or maybe it's one of our sample problem walk-through videos on YouTube, if you found one of our
3:37
free content things helpful, all we ask is that you recommend them to a friend that's also
3:43
working on their CPA exams. I personally think that these interviews with past super fast CPA customers. These are some of the most valuable things you can find
3:53
online about the CPA study process and they're completely free. So recommend those to a friend
3:59
that is working on their CPA exams because they will find them just as helpful as you have
4:04
We've also been doing these problem walkthrough videos on YouTube. Those are only on YouTube
4:09
So find our YouTube channel and subscribe to those so you know when those videos come out
4:13
And I just want to read one of the recent five-star reviews we have on the podcast
4:18
So if you find these helpful, please take a second and leave a review on the podcast
4:24
So this is from Derr Lopez. They said, if you're starting out or still have tests to pass in your CPA exam journey
4:30
listen to this podcast. More importantly, watch the hour-long free video. Nate's video is the best thing I did for my studying after spending so many extra hours
4:38
studying and failing. This podcast outlines the same great study plans as in the video
4:43
I subsequently purchased his materials in the app. Functionality and AICPA standards aligned notes are great
4:50
So thank you for that review. However, you guys watching or listening to this, please take a second, find the podcast, leave a review
4:57
because we can see that we're having thousands of listens to these, but there's still only
5:03
right around 15 reviews. So please, if you found this helpful, just take a second, find the podcast on the podcast app and
5:11
leave a review. And again, he refers to our strategies, the superfast CPA strategies a bunch in this interview
5:19
And so if this is the first thing you're watching from superfast CPA, the first thing you've come across
5:25
the best place for you to start is one of our free study trainings. That's a one hour training
5:29
What we're teaching you how to do is how to have the perfect two-hour study session with your review course
5:35
It doesn't matter what review course you have. It works. The strategies work with any review course
5:39
You just take the study materials you already have and you'll just be using them a little bit differently, but it's drastically more effective
5:48
And our claim with this is when you follow these strategies or this study framework, you can get more done in two hours than somebody studying four or five hours the normal way
5:57
Once you attend one of these free trainings and you see the process explained, it will make sense how that's possible
6:03
So to register for one of these trainings, you can just go to the link below in the description, or if you're listening to the podcast, you can just text the word pass now, one word to 4222, or you can just go to our site, Super Fast CPA. It's easy to find a link. So all that being said, let's get into this interview
6:24
Let's start at the top. When you started studying, how did that go? Did you just kind of get your review course and just kind of jump into it? Or how did you study? How did you start
6:33
in the beginning? Yeah, I guess it was in 2017, after I got married
6:39
Things started to get settling down a little bit. I said, hey, after seven years out of college, I really want to get the CPA done, at least
6:47
give a try. So at the beginning, I tried the Glyme, the program
6:53
I actually purchased a while ago before I decided to really do it
6:59
So yeah, that's how I started. Just only use Glyme for... far. I mean, like, how did that go? Did you, when you started studying, what was your study
7:09
process each day? And did you feel like it was working or did you feel stuck a lot? Or what was it
7:14
like in the beginning? Yeah, I'm totally just very random. I feel like still waking up like 7 a.m
7:22
I go to work. When I come back home, it was six, seven after dinner, everything. And I just go to
7:29
climb, do a couple of questions and then watch the lectures. time just passed by so fast, two hours, and then time to sleep and repeat Monday to Friday
7:39
Yeah, and I'm like, I don't think, because Glym has this deadline, and also you cannot move
7:46
on to next unit until you pass to like 75 or 70% of correctness
7:51
And I just have so much hard time. I keep falling behind because I couldn reach 75 percentage And then that just become so frustrated I scheduled a far first test in December It actually for five weeks I started and I still in like the first half of the whole
8:08
course. Yeah. I have to push it into March next year. And then finally I couldn't push later
8:17
anymore and just have to take it. But I'm just keep falling behind. And then the weekend before the
8:23
test, I still have the whole government section still like blank. I didn't even touch the
8:29
question systematically. So I just look through all their textbooks really quick, watch
8:37
a couple examples, and then just go to the exam. And then really, like, I think I got like 52
8:44
That was actually, I didn't feel I did too good or too bad. It's just kind of weird. And I actually
8:52
it gave me a little bit confidence because, hey, you know, you are so lost in the review process
8:57
and you're out of college for seven years and you got 52
9:02
Yeah. So and the other thing I feel like I didn't master the hardest question yet at that point
9:09
unless you got 52. What, so you failed far and then and then what happened after that
9:15
Yeah. So I feel far the first time. I think I run into super fast CPA
9:21
I think I read your story online. I forgot exactly weird though
9:26
Probably a YouTube ad. Yeah, probably YouTube, I think so. Maybe. And the story really, like, caught my eyes
9:34
Because I think back then I was really goal-driven. I really wanted to get it done, get it passed
9:40
Especially, I feel it's really overwhelmed. Back then in college, some of my classmates, they took the test
9:47
And it's feel like, yeah, so smart. I feel like this is only for people who are really smart
9:53
Like they get things at the first time. And then only them, they can pass
9:58
I definitely am not those kind. And I read your story. You say you took one, I think it was far and failed by two points
10:07
And then you pass the rest in three months. I say, hey, I definitely want to check it out
10:13
So I think I watched your video. It really makes a lot of sense to me
10:18
I still remember after I watched the first training for 30 minutes, I took a lot of notes
10:25
Just you told us briefly what was your theory. And I told my wife, I said, hey, I'm pretty sure I can pass this test
10:35
Because if I can have a blueprint or something people show me what they've done and they did it
10:43
I'm pretty good at following. And I won't give up. I feel like, hey, this is really making sense to me
10:49
I really want to follow these guys' theory. And that's how I get into super fast CPA
10:57
Nice. So then how did you kind of apply the strategies? Like, how did you study and change after that
11:08
Like, what did you do? Yeah. So the first, I watched all these supplementary video
11:16
as you suggested before I jump into anything. And then the first action I did was to wake up early
11:23
So I started instantly, try to wake up at 5. At beginning, I made some mistake like here and there
11:28
in terms of how to use the software, the main core software
11:32
and super fast CPA. But the one thing I did was I consistently wake up at 5 a.m
11:40
That gave me a lot of time and energy. Just between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m
11:45
nobody bothered me. That's just beautiful. Like, help me so much. And the other thing is, since I live in New York
11:53
I take the subway every day. That's easily, like, an hour each way
11:59
So sometimes I listen to your audio. I put into, like, 1.5 speed or two speeds when I
12:08
every day do that. And during my breaks, walk to the bathroom
12:12
walk to walk outside a little bit, just hold my phone read like one page of your notes or do five questions
12:19
Nice. I remember everywhere I go, I do that, reading in line, do five questions and read some notes
12:27
like all the time constantly. That's it. That's, yeah. And I mean, you feel like that helped
12:34
It just kind of keeps it on top of your mind and eventually start realizing, okay
12:39
I'm understanding this stuff. Yeah. And one thing, especially after I feel the far first time, one thing you point out is that you want to master the topics like generally, you do not want to focus on just one thing like the hard thing
12:57
For example, the earnings per share or dilutive earnings per share. Because you never know maybe you don't get tested on that or one, two questions
13:06
And then you forget the most basic like conceptual questions. Yes. So that gave me the idea that I want to read the notes or the audio, listen to it over and over
13:20
Because your notes is very like tight, which is very like, how do you say, like make me feel like if you read over and over and over give you a lot of confidence
13:33
It's like a frame. You have a big picture in your mind and beginning
13:38
and then you feel like this is something you can do it. Rather than you look at a textbook, like 300 pages
13:45
you feel like this is so overwhelmed. I can never totally understand and memorize 300 pages
13:52
Right. Charts and examples. So for me, if you give me this frame, I feel very confidence
14:01
I know this is the big frame. I just need to admit or, like, you know, keep practice
14:08
into each part that give me a lot of confidence that's first thing is mentally and then
14:16
over and over and over you you started getting it especially as you your theory is to do the
14:22
questions like every day in the morning yeah and you will know which part you don't understand and
14:29
once a while you read the notes oh that's why i got that wrong that's why i didn't understand now i
14:35
do. So it's really helpful. Nice. So then what happened you did you retake far? Was that your first one
14:44
that you? Yeah. Or where'd you go from there? So I think I took the second time. I still didn't
14:52
like dive into the material from super fast that deep yet. But I know the overall concept. I thought I knew
15:00
but I still didn't though. I took the second time for far, I got 72, I think
15:05
And then since I already registered for REC, so I have to took the Rack
15:12
And then I happened to be past Rack, the first try, which is 77
15:17
Nice. And then at the same, I took the Rack in July
15:22
and then I took Farr again in September. And then that time I got 81 or something
15:27
I think for Rack and Farr, the question from super fast, like on the app, like every five questions, that helped me a lot
15:38
I think for those two questions, I really used a lot of these. One is the audio from you and the questions
15:46
Yeah. And for the third one, I took audit. Audits, it was kind of challenging
15:53
I thought it could be a one pass but actually I feel at 71 I was kind of frustrated and I really actually rewatch your training video about how to use the material
16:06
And then I find out, and you also mentioned that to read the notes more than listening to
16:13
the audio or something like that, but maybe not, but somehow it just clicked to me and I
16:20
started to read the notes a lot. like for audit I just keep reading the notes over and over and over the second time I took audit I got like 79 so I passed that
16:31
for BEC the same way the most important as you mentioned before in the last weekend before the test I always took tests on Monday as you suggested Monday morning
16:41
take a half day off and do that that helps a lot yeah I remember for the audit the second try the Saturday or Sunday
16:51
I will spend four hour in the morning at home, five to ten, I eat breakfast, and go to a
16:57
Starbucks, and near me carrying my laptop there, just keep generating, I think, was how many questions
17:06
It was 50 questions at one time? I mean, I normally say 30, but..
17:11
30, yeah, 30. It's been a while, sorry. I just keep doing 30 questions over and over until I just couldn't do it no more
17:19
Like, yeah, really, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. I said, this is it. I cannot do no more
17:26
Yeah. Repeat on Sunday and then Monday morning on the train. I will look at the notes, the flash card
17:33
I generate myself. As you said, whichever you don't understand, make a flash card
17:39
I read that and do a couple rounds of questions on the app before I just go into the test center
17:47
but yeah there's so many things I did I followed your tips I just trying to remember them all yeah oh that's
17:54
awesome and I mean it's good to hear because I just I think it's just kind of a formula of uh you know
18:00
the getting up early what that kind of does is as long as you do it each day it just kind of
18:07
guarantees that you're consistent with your main study session and then for me studying from my phone
18:15
throughout the day. That was just the only way that I had to fit in another, whatever it was
18:21
one, two, three hours, you know, listening to audios when I could, doing questions on my phone
18:28
And I had review notes from somebody else and they were like a Word document
18:32
And I had to download this other app just to try and look at it. So anyways, that was honestly why that's kind of how I came up with these tools for Super Fast CPA
18:42
It was like, I need, I want mini quizzes that are five questions at a time, review notes that just work right in the app, and then audios, obviously
18:52
And it's kind of all those things put together. Yeah, each part is just as important as the other part
18:58
And then, like you said, writing the flashcards for, that is how you really start to understand the things that you personally struggle with
19:07
Right, right. And I think it's not really, I also try like the flash car from Becker at the beginning, like for far
19:17
So I purchased their flash car. But the thing is that since it's not yours, it's like covers everything
19:24
Especially that one hour before you step into the test center, you have like 200 flash car from Becker
19:30
It's kind of hard to like grab anything. It kind of only make you nervous because you have 200
19:36
You only watch 10. What if it has nothing on this 10
19:40
But rather if you make your own flash car and you can even favorite whichever one you want to review later
19:48
So that's really great. An easy accessibility to the phone for Super Fast EPA
19:54
I think it's so crucial. I try so many things. I try like another 71
19:58
But I just feel it's kind of, I mean, super fast TV is way more easier to access
20:06
and then make you want it to actually do it. Yeah. Yeah
20:11
And that's something that we don't talk about because it's not, you know
20:17
talking about usability is like something that person's not like interested in
20:21
But even if there's like studies on this for when you're designing an app
20:26
but if it takes like more than five seconds or 10 seconds
20:31
to get into whatever it is the app's supposed to do, people will not use it, you know, because it just takes too much time
20:40
So that's, yeah, that's why we made it. So it opens, you press what you want to do, review notes, audios, or take a quiz
20:47
Anyways, I, yeah, appreciate you bringing that up. So let's, so one thing I've been asking people is, what do you think was kind of the big
20:56
just the thing that kind of changed things for you when you really started to make progress
21:01
versus when you were struggling in the beginning? I'll say the small, well, first of all, the most important is, for me, is to wake up early, to follow your leads to say, like, wake up early, you secure your daily session
21:17
And then the feeling that 7 a.m. you walk out the door, you feel like the main session is behind me. You feel very good
21:24
Otherwise, you worry the whole day, hey, there's a meeting, or there's a deadline I had to do over time tonight. So maybe I cannot study for CPA
21:34
So you just have to get it done the first thing, and you feel so good. It's like going to gym or something in the morning
21:39
It's done. Yep. And then the rest of the day, it's just five minutes here, five minutes there
21:46
And actually it's fun, and it builds momentum. Exactly. Yeah, and that makes me feel kind of looking forward to the next day, rather than, oh, my God, I have to study again tomorrow
21:58
Kind of for me, looking forward to the other day. Yeah. Yeah. So that's really big thing. It's the phone, I think, because the phone is always with you. And you can always do some questions, renotes. Yeah, all the time
22:16
Yeah, man. You're like, you're saying all my ideas. That's exactly. Yeah. And it's awesome. Glad to hear that
22:25
And another thing I think is mentality-wise, you mentioned one time before, you are studying, you are studying. You are studying
22:31
for the exam, your goal is to pass the test. Your goal is not to become a college professor
22:39
I forgot which, yeah, which section, I think it was audit. Because audit, after I feel first time
22:45
I feel like, oh, this is like no good. I feel so frustrated and everything. Because maybe I try
22:51
to really like become a college professor that way study. I need to understand this. I can
22:57
teach the class of this part. But hey, all you need to
23:01
for me back then was do 30 questions at one time over and over for review for the second
23:09
time and that's made me pass on audit the second time yeah yeah to make a mental decision like
23:18
you are studied to pass you at least at this moment you will learn everything right but like through
23:25
your career yes it's not like you pass the test hey I can do everything now I understand everything
23:31
It's not like that. Exactly. Yeah, and that's such a, that is such a big mindset shift for people
23:40
But it is. It's like you can get good at answering questions
23:45
And the way that you see questions is just like contextually or conceptually different
23:51
than if you were trying to explain an entire topic. And that not you know you going on test day You don give a lecture on it You have to just answer the question you going to see And so the way you prepare for that those are two different things Right right Yeah Nice That a big point for me
24:08
Yeah, I mean, you're basically just rehashing all the ideas I'm always saying in these emails
24:17
So that's good to hear. So what was it like the day you got your fourth passing score
24:23
Do you remember that? Oh, yeah. I remember. I think I was eating dinner
24:28
Every time I did some mims online, like when you check the score, you're kind of excited, but you're scared
24:35
That was totally mean. Because I was, if I failed at BEC, I'm afraid because I passed a bar and rack in the same quarter
24:45
I'm so afraid. I'm going to lose those big ones at one time
24:49
I don't, but it turned out to be 85. I like screamed and my wife came out of them
24:55
And from bedroom, like, what happened? What happened? I was like, oh my God
25:01
Like, I almost smashed my glasses on the table and hold my face
25:06
I'm like so excited. And my roommates, like, what happened? You guys, okay? And then I'm finally done
25:13
And like, this is way past. Yeah, because I felt, I thought I could fail BEC just because I don't know, really
25:23
too much. I'm sure, especially those writing assignments, I mean, essays. But hey, so I pass and I feel just happy, really happy
25:37
And I call my mom, tell her, and she's really excited for me
25:42
Yeah, because passing the test is one, the biggest part for me
25:49
And back then I still have to work on the education hour
25:52
and then work on the work experience requirement. But this is definitely the biggest achievement for a long, long, long time
26:05
Most important is I feel your methods or mentality, not only apply for CPA, but applies for a lot of other
26:16
If I were to take, let's say, CMA or CFA, as I emailed you one time before
26:22
I'll definitely use the same method. Yeah. Because it's just reconciled me
26:26
Everything. Nice. Yeah, that's awesome, man. I'm glad it could help, you know, in whatever way it did
26:35
And that is a, that's like a top three moment for sure, is like, was getting my fourth
26:40
passing score because it was just so much time and energy going into it that
26:46
And it's just such a relief to know that you're done. And it's like the reason you did
26:52
a master's or whatever, all your graduate credits, whatever you did. There's a lot of requirements just to be able to take these exams
27:00
And so, yeah. Yeah. Passing them is big moment. Yeah. And just want to have those three letters, three letters up to your name
27:09
That's definitely so cool. It is. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And people in kind of in the accounting world, you know, you know what that means
27:19
Or like at any firm, there's just. all the staff are always talking about it's just different the people that are CPAs you know and then
27:28
you know the ones that aren't it is it's just a big difference all right man well uh we kind of went
27:34
through everything do you have any other tips like test day tips or any last words for anyone
27:41
else that's still working on their exams maybe i can say just based on my experience
27:47
uh CPA exam is really the whole process is very overwhelming it's easy to
27:52
you get overwhelmed or lost, like at any point, even you pass one part, two parts
27:58
Like for me, I passed far on the rack. I feel like, oh, these two are the hardest
28:02
The other two is easy pass. But how do you do me a hard time? So most importantly, I think, is your study method
28:11
You have to stick into a stick to one plan that worked and worked for other people
28:18
and to try the proven method rather than you try to figure things out yourself
28:27
One thing I regret is if I really dive into Superfast CPD as early as from the very beginning
28:36
one thing I would change is to shorten the like scheduled exam closer to each other
28:44
Oh, yeah. Yeah, sometimes I schedule exam like three months out and during the second month I will feel like oh I still have to wait for
28:55
one more months I just want to take it like tomorrow right so yeah um just so many things I wish I
29:02
could change uh so that I could pass the far like faster that could change a lot of things
29:09
follow your the plan so yeah I think that's the tip from my experience try the plan read
29:18
the how to study the plan from SuperFa at beginning and they stick to that
29:24
And I think the whole process will become much more smoother and you will feel less overwhelmed
29:30
That's how I felt. Yeah. Well, thank you for saying that. And everyone listening, take his advice because I get a lot of emails even from people that
29:39
have purchased, you know, the course and everything. And they ask me a lot of things that are that are in those videos
29:45
And so most customers get a welcoming. email that should say the first thing you should do is watch all the study hacks videos first
29:52
because that's where I'll you know the whole framework is like in those videos so yeah all right
29:59
Michael well thank you for being on here I think this will be really helpful to people that are
30:03
still working on the exams and thank you yeah yeah I mean it was really it's especially
30:11
helpful because you basically like I just said a lot of people will email me stuff and I'm like
30:17
okay that that's in the videos and so i just it's really good to hear somebody that
30:22
you really watched everything and i could tell you like internalized kind of what how i say to go
30:31
through it and that it you know it really helped so it's yeah it's good to hear and i'm i'm
30:36
you know i'm glad it helped that's that's awesome that you got done yeah yeah me too okay man i
30:43
appreciate it thank you for doing this Okay, so that was the interview with Michael. Like I said, like I've said on all these other interviews
30:54
if you have listened this far or you watch the whole thing on YouTube, I am guessing that you found
30:59
that pretty helpful. There was a lot of good insights that he had going through the study process
31:04
And again, just the process of going from being feeling stuck, overwhelmed, like it was too much
31:11
like he couldn't possibly pass these four exams, to just making some small tweaks. You know
31:17
there was nothing absolutely revolutionary in there. But it was just making these small discoveries, these small tweaks that took him from, you know
31:27
that feeling stuck and overwhelmed like it was impossible to feeling confident and in control
31:32
of his study process and then just knowing it was just a matter of executing the daily process
31:37
and he knew he was going to pass his exams. So again, if you would like the specifics of the study strategies he keeps mentioning from us
31:45
the best place to go is one of those free one hour webinars. You can get that at superfastcpacpa.com
31:51
slash pass now or find the link below in the description or just text the word pass now to 4422
31:59
Thank you for watching and listening and I will see you on the next episode