First, bear in mind that you don’t need to know whether you’ve passed or not. If you studied hard, used the CPA Exam tutorials and worked the practice questions, you deserve to celebrate! You’ve reached a major milestone. Have some fun!
Here are seven great ways to celebrate surviving the CPA Exam. You can adjust them to your personal style and preferences, but, each of them is sure to boost your spirits, refresh your mind, and renew your motivation.
1. Throw a party with your friends.
Make a special effort not to talk about anything related to the exam, or the profession in general. Be sure to invite the friends you’ve been neglecting in favor of studying. Inevitably, your friends will ask if you passed the exam, or whether they can start calling you a CPA just smile and tell them that discussing anything CPA is off limits at your party.
2. Take your partner out on a date.
Chances are good that your significant other has been patient, supportive, and even helpful during your study sessions. Reward that wonderful person for their efforts with a nice, candle-lit dinner, or some other date you know they’d particularly enjoy. At the end of the date, make a special point of telling that person how much they’ve helped you.
3. Catch up on your favorite movies and TV shows.
You probably haven’t spent much time watching television or movies in the past few months. Remind yourself how relaxing it can be! Throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave and curl up for some much needed entertainment.
4. Get away from it all.
Choose a destination, and go for it! Changing your environment can be very therapeutic. Even a short weekend trip can rejuvenate your strained brain. If natural settings help you relax, plan a camping trip. Or, if you’re a more urban person, visit a big city you’ve never explored. (Id like to recommend San Francisco!) Of course, you can always plan some fun in the sun at a resort or beach. The point is to get as far away from the CPA Exam as you can afford to.
5. Pop the cork!
Nothing says celebration like popping the cork on a bottle of champagne (or a non-alcoholic alternative, if you like). Just hearing that distinctive sound, followed by a long fizzy pour into a glass can be incredibly satisfying. Even more satisfying is the knowledge that you’ve earned it.
6. Buy yourself something nice.
Some people call it retail therapy. Most people simply call it shopping. Whatever you call it, you’ll be giving yourself a nice reward for a job well done. Take a trip to your local mall, boutique or electronics store and stimulate our economy!
7. Sleep late.
This one is simple. Many CPA Exam candidates sacrifice sleep to gain extra study time. While we tend to discourage this practice for its inefficiency, its probably not going to stop anytime soon. With this in mind, sleep may be the best reward for your hard work. Getting caught up on that lost rest may be the best thing for your mental and physical health. So, go ahead and catch some zs.
No matter what you do, you should make sure to take some time to reward yourself for your successes. If you focus solely on the work and forget to reward yourself, you’ll rapidly grow discouraged with the entire process. Discouragement is something that you simply cannot afford.
But, don’t spend too much time patting yourself on the back. Chances are good that you still have CPA exam parts to study for and pass. Even if you have taken all 4 parts of the exam, you still need to learn about and go through the licensure process. But, that’s for another day. For now here’s to you!