The CPA journey was never a smooth sailing ride for me. 

I have struggled, succeeded and stumbled many times. I spent 6 years in college. Yes, 6 years. My first school was in Laguna (my hometown) wherein I spent 2 years of their BSA program. 

At first, I had no problem. I was a dean's lister for 4 consecutive terms. But then, my first failure came. On our summer class of that year, the dean announced that in 2 days, the qualifying exam will be held. It was totally unexpected for they did not conduct this exam to the previous batches. I failed by a 1 pt difference. 

At that time I did not know what to do but to cry. I felt that the world crashed and I thought that maybe my CPA dream was over. But I stood in what my heart wants me to do. After a month of looking, I found a school in Manila. The chairperson required me to retake all the accounting subjects that I have already took in my previous school. Luckily, I have surpassed all the challenges on my first 3 years on that university. But on my last year and last semester, I got sick. I have to be hospitalized and thus, I was fetched by my parents from Manila back to Laguna. I was absent for 2 straight weeks. This made me hopeless and frustrated again. 

There was never a moment that I did not think of what I'm supposed to be doing if I did not get sick. When I came back to school, there was just a few days left before the final exam. I did all the missed quizzes and assignments; studied all the missed lessons - it felt like a marathon. Then the final exam came. Yet again, I failed by a 1 pt difference on the review subject. But thank God, all who failed on that subject was given a second chance of retaking the exam. I passed and graduated.

On the same year I graduated, I took my first review in my first review school. All went smoothly but on the second month, I got sick again. This time because of chicken pox. This caused me to accumulate 3 weeks of absences in total; and for which I was not able to take the first preboard exam. I was reluctant to take the CPA board exam on that year due to all the missed lessons and lost study times. But I took anyway. 

Then, I became a conditioned examinee. Due to this, I was very eager to take the next exam on May 2016. I reviewed again in another review school (my second one) and retook P1, P2 and BLT. Sadly, I did not pass despite my average being 79, because I got 64 on BLT - (1 pt difference from the CPA title). I was really depressed and frustrated. This made me doubt my ability and I thought that maybe being a CPA is not my destiny. If it weren't for my parents and friends who convinced me to take the exam again, I would not be a CPA. So for the last time, I enrolled and reviewed in my third and last review school, retook all the new set of subjects and thankfully passed. :)

So for those of you who did not make it the first time, don't be afraid to try until you succeed. Giving up is the true failure. If you give up, pain will not be temporary; it will be forever. Dear CPAs in transit, aim high! Persevere and be consistent in the efforts that you do to reach your CPA dream. Don't mind the people who are doubting you. Let the critics be critics. There are more people who believe in you and most importantly, always believe that you can. :)

Gogogo lng po.

salamat poo rito nakakainspire po :))

I was actually having anxiety during the first week of my college as a BSA student. My university has a retaining policy in which we need to maintain a grade of 2.25 in all our subjects but in case we fail, we only have one chance to re-take that particular subject. We also have a qualifying exam before we can proceed to third year. Thinking of all of these things really caused me fear and anxiety, then I began to think about my plan B or my "fallback" in case this doesn't work. However, I reminded myself of how much I wanted this, and prepared myself about the possibility of having a hard time and if the path that would lead me there will be full of twist and turns, so be it, I have already made a decision to reach my three-letter dream no matter what. I will not give up and will remain persistent. Right now, I am still adjusting and conquering challenges day after day, and if a first year like me continue to motivate himself how much more you, in their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Padayon!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

thank you for this