You Just Got To Believe You Can
Becoming a CMA professional while working requires a lot of time and effort. The road will not be easy and lots of struggles will come your way when you prepare for the exams. In my case, this endeavor that I decided to work on was a lot harder than any other. I decided to venture on becoming a CMA while I was also on my last semester in my master’s degree in business administration notwithstanding the fact that I was also a family man and a working professional. Yes, that decision was risky taking into consideration that on the same month I will undergo two critical examinations at the same time which are the comprehensive exam in my MBA degree and the Part 2 of the CMA exam. Despite of all these, I have been able to conquer both my MBA degree and CMA examinations.
What I realized during this journey was that every dream that you want to achieve needs a lot of hard work and sacrifices before you can attain such dream. Working on your CMA dream is not a walk in the park but a process that needs a lot of sweat and efforts. However, the same will be compensated once you become a Certified Management Accountant. The main ingredient that I incorporate in my CMA journey was discipline. Discipline for me is about planning, time management, and anticipation of important tasks. Time is not unlimited resource that you can spend when you are a working professional. You need to balance your time properly and anticipate what are your important tasks that needs to be accomplish first. Below are my tips on how to prepare for review while working at the same time.
First, if you are a working professional, make yourself comfortable on the changes of your lifestyle during your exam preparation. Caveat, procrastination and laziness are prohibited at this stage. After which look for that time of the day when your brain works faster that on just a short period of time you can absorb and retain the information you have read. The goal here is about being effective and efficient with your review on a limited time. Second, prepare a schedule or a to-do list. You need to prepare a progressive study plan for the CMA exam and always remind yourself to diligently follow this schedule. As I pointed, planning and anticipation are critical on the success of this journey. Sticking to your planned activities will ease your stress and gives you better view on the things you want to accomplish on the daily basis up to the time you will take the exam. Nothing in this world is impossible to achieve if you plan smart, prepare effectively, and be disciplined enough to work hard for it. Lastly, always believe in yourself that you can pass the exam and never forget to ask for help and guidance from our Creator. Faith in God and confidence in yourself greatly affects your motivation and mental condition. Furthermore, ask for the support of your family, friends, and our Insights team. Their encouragements will give you a huge boost emotionally which can help you successfully hurdle the exam.
To all the working professionals, I encourage you to go out of your comfort zone and accept the CMA challenge. Learning new things while working is not an impossible task. You just need to take the first step towards such goal. If I have achieved my CMA dream, then you can also attain this dream.
About the Author:
Louie C. Borja currently handles bookkeeping and tax accounting tasks for Australian clients. He recently completed his Masters degree at the University of Cebu while also preparing for his CMA examination. He completed his Accountancy course in 2016 at Saint Paul School of Professional Studies, graduating cum laude, and passed the Philippine CPA examination in the same year.
