- Hello and welcome.
I'm Roger Philipp of UWorld Roger CPA Review.
Today I wanted to talk about how to stay motivated
during this pandemic.
Now 2020 has been a challenging year for us all.
With everything that's going on in the world right now,
I know it can be difficult to stay motivated to study
for the CPA Exam.
But in many ways,
this time can also be a blessing in disguise.
And you go, "What? Why is that?"
Well, it's the perfect time for you to focus
on your personal and professional goals.
And there are many ways that you can stay motivated
in order to start or continue on your CPA licensure journey.
First of all, you can do this.
It's not an IQ test.
You don't have to be a genius to be a CPA.
It's a test of discipline.
If you study, you will pass.
Our job is to teach you what you need to know
to help you accomplish your goal,
which is to pass the CPA Exam.
So you need to look beyond your short-term goals.
Look at the long-term goal,
which is setting yourself up for success.
So keep the big picture in mind.
You also need to reestablish why you're doing this
and communicate that to people that are close to you.
That way, they understand and can be supportive
of your goal.
Start by setting up a study schedule and stick to it.
They've done research and said that if you start studying
every day at the same time,
it takes you less time to get into the material.
So the first time, you're getting your pencil
or this or that, it takes 15 minutes, then 10 minutes,
then a drink of water, five minutes.
Then finally, you can start studying a minute in.
For me, when I started working at Deloitte,
I was studying for a part of the exam
and I would get up at about 5:00 in the morning.
Crazy, right?
I'd study from 5:00 to 7:00 when I was fresh,
but then at the end of the day, I was kinda tired.
But I figured, hey, at least I'm still getting paid.
But the point is, I wanted to study
when I was gonna be the most effective and efficient,
so I got up early.
So set up a study schedule and stick to it.
Another good thing is to study with buddies.
So in other words, get study buddies.
One would be like a support network.
Another way would be through Zoom.
I used to study with a friend.
We'd meet at the library and we'd do our own studying.
But if I had a question, I would ask him
and he would explain it.
If he had a question,
he would ask me and I would explain it.
And you think you understand something
until you try to explain it to someone and then you realize,
"Maybe I don't understand it so well."
But it was nice because then I felt like I wasn't
the only one giving up my life.
We were kinda studying together but doing our own thing.
Find a review program that keeps you motivated
and engaged in your studies.
We at UWorld use an active learning methodology.
What that means is,
we believe that you learn by doing.
And it helps students master complex accounting concepts
through active participation.
So we're not just up there reading out of a book.
Instead, we're actually teaching it to you
step-by-step-by-step so you understand it.
So when looking for a course,
look at the lectures, the content, the technology.
Our lectures are engaging
and they utilize active participation.
We try to use as many senses.
So I tell my students, "Listen, see it, say it, write it."
All of those senses, the more senses you use,
the better you're gonna understand, learn it, and retain it.
Our content, we have a top-quality team.
Our question answer explanations map exactly
to the content and the AICPA Blueprints.
And the Blueprints are what the AICPA puts out
and it tells us what's gonna be tested
and how it's gonna be tested.
Is it multiple choice, task-based simulation,
a document review, the way it's gonna be tested.
So we set up our content to exactly mimic that.
Also, our signature technology.
We've spent millions of dollars in designing the technology
to get you efficiently through the study process,
and the benefit is, that way you get through it quickly
and you can get back to your life.
Reward yourself.
What I mean by that is,
small rewards along the way.
Let's say, for example, you're studying and you go,
"I'm gonna take Saturday night off, woohoo.
I'm gonna party," even though there's nothing to do
during the pandemic but study some more.
Also, set small goals.
So like, "When I finish this chapter, I'm gonna go
for a walk and get a nice scoop of ice cream," for example.
But the little short-term goals
will help you accomplish your long-term goal
of becoming a CPA.
And again, I keep saying, keep the big picture in mind.
Now people have asked me,
"Hey, should I wait to sit for the CPA Exam
until this pandemic is over?"
No, no, no.
The pandemic has been a huge disruption, right?
It's very isolating.
But there's no better time than now
to take that time alone and focus in on yourself,
set the goal, and pass the exam.
Take the advantage of the extra time you have,
build a study routine, stick to it.
Because we're not, a lot of us aren't commuting to work,
a lot of us are not traveling for business anymore.
That means you have more time to focus on this goal.
The pandemic is uncertain.
The economy's uncertain.
The times are all uncertain.
But the CPA Exam credential is not.
Firms are still expecting you to have your CPA.
So at this time, we have no friends, no social life,
no dinner dates, so all the more reason
to prepare for your future now
by studying and becoming a CPA.
Now in these uncertain times,
having your CPA gives you lots of benefits.
First of all, job security during an economic turndown.
We know that there's a lot of unemployed people out there.
Generally, if you have a CPA,
you're very, very marketable.
Professional edge during a highly competitive time,
great on your resume.
I remember hearing the average person
changes careers five times.
Well, every time you go for interviews,
you've got a beautiful resume showing that you're a CPA,
which makes you much, much more marketable
no matter what you wanna do during your life.
But the longer you wait to start studying,
the more difficult it will become.
And why is that?
Because it's a highly academic exam.
That means the closer you are to being a student
or to graduating from college
that you sit and study for the exam,
the better you'll do on the exam.
Because it's rare in the real world
when someone comes up and says,
"Hey, Rog, the internal control structure element,
is it control environment, B, risk assessment,
C, control activity?"
It doesn't happen, right?
But 50% of the exam says, "Is it A, B, C, D?"
So that's why we encourage you to study closer to school,
to graduating, than many years out.
Now keep in mind the importance of the credential.
First of all, it'll make your parents proud.
"Oy, I'm so proud of you, you're a CPA.
You're not a doctor, but you're a CPA."
It's the gold standard in accounting, right?
It helps unlock your career potential.
A lotta firms, for example, won't promote you to manager
until you've actually passed the CPA.
Real-world practical skills,
and it helps in making complex business
and life decisions.
Just in studying our material,
you'll learn so much about understanding
the business environment, investments, economics, right,
'cause economics, micro, macro's on the exam.
You'll understand about recessions,
business cycles, and so on.
So it just helps you to be a better businessperson.
It also, as I said earlier, makes you more marketable.
It's also recognized globally.
The CPA Exam is now given globally,
so everybody wants to become a U.S. CPA.
Now how will passing the CPA Exam change your life?
It's gonna change your life in great ways,
as it did for me.
First of all, credibility, right,
it gives you that credibility.
"Oh, he's a CPA, he must be honest."
I'm so proud of my CPA certificate that when I die,
I'm gonna put it on my tombstone, right?
Here lies Roger Philipp, CPA, fully depreciated.
It's also respected by the business professionals.
It's also very prestigious.
It opens up doors to new job opportunities.
For yourself, it's a sense of accomplishment,
great for career advancement.
But for your family, more money, right?
The average CPA makes about $1 million more
over the lifetime of their career than a non-CPA.
Also, you're working with incredibly smart,
ambitious, successful people.
When I worked at Deloitte, for example,
I worked with all these exciting, ambitious,
motivated people who I'm still friends with 30 years later
because they've all gone off to do wonderful things.
For me, the CPA certificate allowed me
to start my own company and help over 200,000 students
accomplish their goal of become a CPA.
So it's given my life meaning and purpose.
And because of that,
I've made a difference in people's lives,
which gave my life the value that it means.
Also, there's a song a guy James Taylor, he sings,
♪ The secret of life is enjoying the passing of time ♪
What it says is, life is gonna keep going by.
It's up to you to set some goals
and enjoy your success.
That's the key in life.
So in conclusion, remember that the CPA Exam
is not an IQ test.
It's a test of discipline.
If you study, you will pass.
You are capable, you're smart, you're strong,
you've got this.
But don't put this off.
Prepare now and it will provide you
a much better quality of life.
Thank you, good luck, and stay safe.