After I graduated college last year, I enrolled at a review school. Everything was fine, but I believed I was not that focused. I was late in enrolling in a review center that's why my seatmates were not my friends. I was in the back row too. 

And some reasons that were beyond my control, like my heart. So that's why I believe na hindi ako naging focused that time. I was lazy that I did not pass any preboards in my review school. I asked God for signs if I will pass the boards, one of them is my Preboard results and from that I got super nervous. Come board exam, sobrang cramming and procastination ginawa ko. There was also a time that I did not sleep or I lacked sleep tapos exam na kinabukasan. That's how stressful my October 2016 board exam. After that, deep down I knew something was wrong. 

The results came, MY NAME WAS NOT ON THE LIST. That's the biggest heartbreak I will never forget. It teaches me lessons I will always remember. I verified my grades, I found out I am a conditional examinee. Unfortunately, Law got me. 63, 2 points na lang CPA na ko. Hinila pa niya yung Tax ko. So I have to retake both to pass the CPALE already. 

It took me 1 month to recover and gather some motivation. I decided to work tapos self review and I'll take the boards on May 2017 kasi by that time wala pa yung mga bago. But come May 2017, wala pa din ako naaral. Nagleave ako sa work 1 month before boards. Pero napanghinaan ako ng loob. At sobrang na-stressed ako sa accounting firm at hindi ako nakapag-aral gaano, I decided to rest na muna. Sabi ko this October 2017, I'll take the boards kahit added na yung mga bago. Isusugal ko na to.

That's when I needed new review materials because my review materials from my review center are from the old syllabus, wala pa yung mga bago. I decided to self review because wala akong naipon sa work na pangreview at ayokong manghingi sa family kasi nahihiya nako. I asked from friends who were enrolled in different review centers for some of materials lalo yung mga bago, pinaphotocopy ko. But then I became lucky, I was hired by an Australian Accounting Firm na malaki magpasahod. So I decided to take it because it was a great opportunity for me and I needed the money to finance my review materials at yung pamasahe papunta sa mga friends ko para magpaphotocopy ng ibang handouts, ako kasi dumadayo talaga kasi nahihiya ako sakanila. Sabi ko I'll really study na this time kahit working. Determinado ako. Self study + Work.

Then I discovered Owly. Dito nagbago yung review habit ko. Pag nasa workplace whenever I have idle time, nagsasagot ako nang practices sa website. Hindi ako pumapayag na di ko masagutan at naiintindihan lahat yung free practices ng icpa sa Tax at RFBT. Sa owly din ako nagpreboard exams, yung sa challenges. It really helped me. Lalo yung sa tutorial ng RFBT at Taxation new topics. Summarize na kasi so maiintindihan mo na ng konti yung concepts nung new topics and for me that's enough. Alam ko sa sarili ko na sa new topics, as long as may alam ako, okay na ko dun. Hinasa ko yung sarili ko sa old topics. Tinapos ko reviewer book ni Soriano for RFBT sa bahay, sagot ng practice sa icpa naman sa workplace pag break time. Na-asssessed ko kasi yung sarili ko sa mga practices na free sa icpa, nalalaman ko yung topics na mahina ako tapos after work pag-uwi yun ang aaralin ko sa bahay. Pati na din sa Taxation, ganun ang ginagawa ko everyday. Kahit nakakapagod kasi pagod na utak sa work, pagod pa sa pag-aaral pati katawan dahil sa byahe because 2 hrs byahe ko papasok at pauwi sa work. And thank God!!!! Never akong nagkasakit kahit sobrang hinang hina nako ng mga time na yun. And I know deep down sobrang inspired ako by His grace na ginagawa niya akong strong that time.

Here comes the board exam, October 2017. Sobrang nagself doubt din ako nung una, intimidated by the new topics and knowing I was just self reviewing. Walang nagtuturo sakin, ako mismo inaaral at binabasa ko. But then I was renewed, asked for signs what do I do. Tapos lahat ng signs ko puro positive, parang sabi niya itaya mo na anak. Tutulungan kita. I decided to FINALLY take the board exam. Eto ang miracle na nangyare nung boards, while answering I am saying "thank you papa God", "you are so great", "I'm blessed". Turns out halos naaral ko yung sa RFBT at nasagutan ko nang maayos yung ibang questions sa Tax. I did have enough time to review my answers too, so sobrang blessed ako dun palang.

Results came, BOOM! Finally I can call myself a Certified Public Accountant already. And I thank you Icpa/owly for the free practices in your website and the tutorial. It really helped me, inspired me and some of us working girls, that we can do both. As long as you are motivated and determined to do it, kaya naman pala.

I hope you read my story owly/icpa. I want to thank you wholeheartedly. Who would've thought, yung patago kong pagsagot sagot sa icpa sa office pag break time at lunch time ko nakatulong sakin. Whenever my free time ako, yung sa browser ko nakaopen ang icpa. Haha!

I just want to also leave the phrase "There is no such thing as Failure, only delayed Success"

To God be the glory!!

Thank you,

Ria Pett D. Mariñas, CPA

PSBA-Manila

October 2017