September 2016 Student of the Month: Jared Lee

Why did you take Roger CPA Review?

When I first started comparing CPA review programs, I was focused on three things: price, offline lectures (I don’t have great internet options in my area), and overall quality. The Premier Course Package offered by Roger CPA Review was within my price range and I was able to find coupon codes online to help bring down the cost. The Premier Course Package also includes the offline lectures. Finally, after watching some videos of Roger on YouTube, I saw that his teaching style and the video quality were exactly what I needed.

How did you hear about our review course?

I read a couple of blogs while comparing different courses on the market, but the first to introduce me to Roger CPA Review was crushthecpaexam.com.

What was your favorite aspect of the course?

The best part of the course is Roger! He is animated and full of energy – it really helps to have someone excited to teach the topics instead of having someone just tell you to “read this…circle this…” all the time.

How has passing the exam affected your personal and professional life?

Personally, it has been a huge relief. When I first graduated with my BS, I knew that I wanted to become a CPA and I decided that I would do it in 5 years. I graduated in 2011 and worked slowly to meet the additional education requirements in order to sit for the CPA exam and, completing the exam now, I am realizing my goal and I am within my 5 year plan. This has provided me with a great boost of confidence. Professionally, I feel that I have demonstrated a commitment to my own self-development and my career field and I believe that having the CPA certification will help open the door to leadership roles within my company for which I would not have previously been considered.

What piece of advice do you have for other CPA Exam candidates?

“If you study, you will pass!” This is the phrase that Roger says continually throughout the lectures and it is definitely true. I started studying in January 2016 and took my final exam in July 2016 and I passed each section on the first try. While studying, I also worked an average of 45 hours per week and made time for my kids and wife by waiting until my kids’ normal bedtime before going to study. Using the 6 month study schedule provided by Roger CPA Review was the most critical part of my overall study plan. I made the schedule fit my lifestyle and starting time by changing the order of the exams, but I kept the overall structure intact for each exam. My very first night of “studying” was actually spent sitting with my wife to coordinate our family plans for the next 6 months in order to finalize the study plan. Then, I made sure to study every night after work, per my plan. I cannot emphasize enough how important this schedule was to keeping me on track. After watching my scheduled lecture while following along with the text, I would re-read the text and make my own notes to reaffirm my understanding. I also made it a goal to attempt 30 – 50% of the MCQ’s and 10 – 25% of the TBS problems. I made a spreadsheet to check my totals and got to the point where I regularly got at least 70% on each set of questions. Instead of using the Cram products, I spent my last 2 – 3 days before the exam re-reading my notes and working practice questions to really drill in the concepts (make sure to read the reasons why you get the question right or wrong)! Lastly, I told everyone in my family and at work that I was taking the exam. Having people ask about my progress really encouraged me to stick to my plan.

Anything else you would like to share?

I want to thank my wife and family for supporting me on this journey. There were a lot of days when I wanted to quit and my family continually stayed positive and motivated me to finish the exam.

Favorite quote?

“It always seems impossible until it's done.” - Nelson Mandela