My CPALE Era

I just got back from a 3-day straight CPALE exam. The last day was yesterday and it's D+1 today.

My Thanks

First of all, I have to say that I am really thankful to God for helping me survive not only the 3-day nerve-wracking exam but also the 1-year review and the 4-year formal education that needed to happen before I get to acquire that prestigious license.

I also am very grateful to my Mama, who sacrificed a lot of things. Her support cannot be measured and she never fails to prove time and time again that she is a supermom and the best mom in the world. She just went home today after spending 4 days here in Davao with me and my sister to cook me my meals and the baons I brought to the exam. I could never do any of this if not for her. Her strength is what keeps me going and her support never stops me from making me think that I never have to worry about conquering the world if she is by my side. 

My sister, who is a busy corporate girlie but is also there for me. In my months of review, I would've been a starving helpless child if it wasn't for her home-cooked meals. Her physical presence keeps my feet in the real world and stops me from flying off somewhere unadventured.

My father, my angel. He is in heaven now but I know he and God were with me while I was answering those exams. I honestly feel like he whispered answers to me whenever my brain just feels blocked. I am where I am now because of him and though he may not be with me, my mom, and my sister anymore, we always think about him and he is always in our hearts, in our dreams, and in our thoughts.

My Thoughts

Anyway, now that I'm back after my journey up the high CPALE mountain, I cannot help but look back on the things I have been through. It was a very exhausting journey but, you know, it's hard not to miss it, too. It was a version of me that I really liked because she was so hardworking, and smart, and she can solve any accounting problem because she's reviewed, like, a million things and answered a billion reviewer problems. It was the peak of my accounting expertise.

I will honestly miss my routine, of course--regardless if I was also miserable those days. Here was my routine if you were curious (disclaimer: I can't include the time for each activity because every day is a different day. Sometimes I wake up at 5am and end my day at 9pm, and on other days I wake up at 12pm and sleep at 4am the next day):

• I wake up
• I study for hours until my intermittent fast is over (I fast 18-6 every day)
• When my fasting is over, I either cook or reheat what my sister prepped
• I eat breakfast
• I clean up the table
• I go back to studying again 
• I eat dinner at around 3-5pm
• I study again until nighttime
• I either take a bath or a half-bath, depending on the state of my hair
• I study again
• I go to bed and scroll on Tiktok for hours
• I pass out, sleep, and do the same thing again the next day

There are many things I do in between like feeding the cat, taking naps, and watching TV shows. Oh! And before I forget, here are all the shows I watched during my review that kept me out of the mental illness universe (In chronological order, as far as my memory can handle):

• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (so freaking funny, can't wait for the next season)
• Keeping Up With the Kardashians (enjoyed it at first but cant continue, they're so out of touch)
• Superstore (fun!)
• PEN15 (wanna watch it again!)
• Succession (can't wait to finish coz I stopped when it was already 3 weeks before CPALE)
• The Office (duh)
• Parks and Recreation (of course, it's a staple)

And finally, here is my study routine:

• Upon waking up, I immediately go to YPT and start my time (I like it when I get past 16 hours)
• I choose a subject to focus on for that day. My decision range from choosing a subject that I am currently sad about to choosing a subject that I want to get done with so I can already focus on the hard ones (AUD, FAR, and MAS as the easy ones to get done and AFAR, RFBT, and TAX being the hard subjects)
• ReSA videos and handouts first, and reviewers next, if I can fit them on the same day

So yep. That's what I've been doing every single day for the past few months. It was tedious, to say the least, but it was the most I have ever done on self-improving, and I just love how I was building my knowledge and character while reviewing for the CPALE.

Final Words

I will truly miss my CPALE era. It was very memorable and it's the most productive I have ever been. It was the most I have ever spent with myself and I have to say, I do enjoy my company. I'm actually pretty fun to be with, except when I'm crying and irritated because of some hard topics.

I was at my most independent during this era. And while I lived with my sister, I spent most of the day alone with the cat and just reviewing morning to night. Thank you, Charlotte, for keeping me company and for working so hard and achieving so many things.

I also cannot forget the people I met online because of this review. Even though I do not know their names, it really helped to have conversations with them in the Resa Batch 45 Telegram group. Some of the people I can remember are Irah, " . ", Eve from the online lectures who makes a lot of jokes and makes the lectures super fun, Jessa, too. Just, you know, EVERYBODY! And this is my goodbye to the online review world.  This has been "minji, cpa" and I am now signing out of Telegram.

I also achieved so many things during this era and a lot of the Big 4 firms wasted no time trying to recruit me because of my preboard results, which I'm listing below:

• ReSA 1st PB: Top 11 (Top 1 in Tax)
• CPAR 1st PB: Top 14
• ReSA Final PB: Top 6 (still Top 1 in Tax I can't believe it)
• CPAR Final PB: Top 3 (100% in Aud)

So yeah. This is the end of my CPALE journey. I'm still praying that I pass and I keep telling God everything is in his hands now. I trust everything to him.

My adulting life is about to start soon and I am just getting ready.