Our Student of the Month for October 2015 is Catherine Petercsak! Catherine switched to Roger CPA Review after trying two other review courses and was able to pass the CPA Exam. As a working mother of young children, she knew that a “can-do” attitude was a must, as well as relying on her family, friends and co-workers for extra support to pass the exam. Congratulations to Catherine and we wish her continued success in her CPA career.
Student: Catherine Petercsak
Exam Sections Passed: AUD, BEC, FAR, REG
Current Firm: Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
University/College: Hofstra University; Stony Brook University
Why did you take Roger CPA Review?
After utilizing two other CPA review courses over a course of 5 years and not making any progress, I needed to move onto something else. I saw a “YouTube” video of one of Roger’s lectures in order to understand a concept while using a self-study review book. After viewing the lecture, he made the material seem so easy to understand. I knew this was going to be the course that would help me finally conquer the exam.
How did you hear about our review course?
As much as I was determined to pass, my husband was just as much determined to help me pass. He googled CPA review course and Roger’s name came up. Third review course was a charm!
What was your favorite aspect of the course?
Roger’s enthusiastic and humorous approach to all the lectures kept me interested in the material. He also has some very interesting, to say the least, acronyms to help remember certain topics. Also, Roger’s approach was not to have the student just memorize the material, but to actually understand it and apply it. He reinforces the topics over and over. For material he introduces at the beginning of sections, he will somehow find a way in later chapters to incorporate previously taught material to the new the topic. He does mini refreshers to make sure you don’t forget a previously taught topic. He associates personal experiences and stories to topics to help break up the material. The CPA exam covers a lot of material and to memorize everything is nearly impossible. Roger makes sure that you not only remember, but are able to apply the material to questions.
How has passing the exam affected your personal and professional life?
As a working mother of young children, finding the time, energy, and strength to study was challenging. There were a lot of sacrifices made, but I knew had to do this for both myself and family. I know someday I will be an inspiration for my children and never want to hear them say “I can’t do it.” If mommy can do it, so can they. I was surrounded by supportive family members and co-workers who would never let me give up. If you want something bad enough, you can do it and will find a way to accomplish it.
What piece of advice do you have for other CPA Exam candidates?
If a candidate really wants to pursue an accounting career, whether private or public, having a CPA credential is must have and it only gets harder as your work life and personal life evolves. The sooner a candidate gets it over with, the better. Even though you may fail a part once, twice, three times or more, still persevere and never give up. As Roger says, “If you study, you will pass!”
Favorite quote?
"Everything happens for a reason!"
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