This is the last part of the 3-part series on how I achieved my ultimate goal of becoming a Certified Public Accountant in the Philippines.

This has become a 3-part series because I wanted to emphasize that studying for college and board exams are two different things and as per my experience, it both requires a different mindset.

Part 3: Taking the Licensure Examination

The night before the licensure exams usually varies per person and writing this I can see a movie scene that's passing from window to window showing how diverse every student is. Some can't sleep because of the anxiety of what will happen tomorrow, others are already peacefully sleeping because either they wanted the rest for tomorrow's exam or they already gave up. But there will always be some who still want to cram up until morning to absorb as much as they can before the exam.

As for me, I remember sleeping at 9 to 10 pm because as I've said in my previous articles my day usually takes place between 6 am to 10 pm. This was one of the tips my professor gave me to condition your mind to be able to think during the board exam hours. The board exam hours for the CPA Licensure Exams is usually 8 am to 4 pm, so I patterned my study plan there. I need to be able to train my mind to think and solve during those hours. It helped a lot because, during the board exam, I was awake and alert. I can't speak for the night owls but for me, I didn't adjust much.

I woke up as early as 5 am because the last thing you need to do is be late. NEVER BE LATE, okay? It's not only that you'll have administration problems, but you need time to rest and internalize before you start the exams. I have taken dozens of exams where I felt that my life depended on it and when I enter the room, I don't bring anything. I just sit, meditate, and pray. My prayer would always be the same, ever since college, I don't pray to pass the exams. I pray that God will give me and my classmates the best condition or version of ourselves. I like to think that I always do my best and my best is enough, I just need to be in my best condition. In this way, if I don't pass, I know that I can improve and work on it, to be a better version of myself.

On the day of the exam, my father accompanied me to the designated school, we just ride public transportation. Before entering the school, I already bought my lunch, so that I don't have to go out during lunch break plus the queue during lunch would be so long. Of course, I bought my ultimate comfort food, Jollibee! Just their Spaghetti and spicy Chickenjoy make my day!

In every exam I took in college, whenever I received the examination paper, I don't look at it. I just put it on my table close my eyes and just breathe for a moment. This is so nerve-wracking because you get to hear the reaction of your seatmates while you sit there breathing. After 30 seconds to a minute, I open my eyes, fix my pen and calculator and I tell myself "Let's conquer the world!" while gripping hard on my pen and doing the fighting gesture in k-dramas, I don't know why I always say that to myself but whenever I do, I feel my energy rising and I feel like I can do anything and can actually conquer the world in my own little way.

While going through the exam, I just answer chronologically, if I had a difficult time with a certain question, I'll skip it and save it for the end (just make sure to not skip everything, okay? lol) When I finish everything, I don't pass it immediately, I make sure that I maximize the time, there were subjects in the board where I answered for almost 3-4 times, just to make sure I wrote and shaded the correct answer.

After the exam, I donated everything that's with me. My pencil, sharpener, eraser plastic envelope, I even gave away my calculator to another student because I said to myself, I won't take the board exam ever again. I trusted myself and I know I did my best. A bit bold to be honest but just practicing law of attraction! A lot of people will talk about the exams and in this modern age, there were tons of group chats discussing questions and answers, for me I didn't open any of them because I think it would just cause me anxiety and I didn't need more of that.

Taking the exam is nerve-wracking but waiting for the result of the exam is NERVE-WRACKING!!! It was intense and for us, we had to wait for a week and it was the longest week of my life. I tried my best to clear my mind of it, I hang out with friends, go to places that I love, do the things I love and I just made myself busy to forget that I am waiting for the results.

On the day of the results, I was not opening my data or my wifi, me and my friends had an agreement that we wouldn't check our name on the list of passers and we'll just wait for a call or a text saying that we passed. My father noticed how anxious I was and we decided to watch a movie with my whole family! I remember we watched Joker and to be honest, I didn't remember anything except for the staircase part. After that, my mind is filled with anxious thoughts.

After going home, the result is still not out, which is a bit disappointing because we expected the result in the morning. The result was released late at night, around 9-11 pm, and it was true that I didn't open my phone, I was just on my MP3 player playing some songs when my aunt called me saying I passed before I can even check it out my cousins and siblings are already rushing to tell me I passed the exam. It was a surreal moment, I thought it would be like a firework moment, where everyone is shouting and celebrating but it's more of hugs, smiles, light taps, and just knowing that your family and friends are proud of you. That made my journey so worth it.

For all the future CPAs reading this, it will be a tough journey. A lot of sacrifices would have to be made for our profession but after all of that, I am now helping my family with the expenses, I can inspire people that if I can do it, you can too and those things made my journey worthwhile.

For my college journey: https://read.cash/@deedum/my-college-journey-e5a201ba

For my CPA Licensure Exam Journey: https://read.cash/@deedum/how-i-studied-to-become-a-magna-cum-laude-5fbf84e1

See you around! 🌤

Rooting for you, future CPA! 💕