The best advice I could give any student.
I qualify as a Chartered Accountant in 1997, 6 months after my 25th birthday. I started my ICAN from the ATS stage in September 1993. I went through ATS 1, 2 and 3, then ICAN PE1, 2 and 3. This was in the time when you have to sit for all the papers in a level. If you sat for 4 papers and pass three, but have double stars (**) in the fourth paper, you will have to re-sit all four all over again even if you had scored 100% in each of the other 3 papers that you passed. If you had one star (*), then you will be given 2 chances to re-sit that one paper which you MUST pass within the next 2 diets otherwise, you will have to re-sit all 4 papers in that level all over again. Note: one (*) is marginal failure while two stars(**) means bad failure.
To the best of my knowledge, I never won any ICAN prize as a best performing student. This means that I wasn’t an exceptional student but an average one. The strategies I used then are still relevant today.
1. Set a fixed reasonable time to finish the final exam: I was 21 years old when I started ATS1 and I set the goal of becoming a Chartered Accountant at age 25. I missed that goal by 6 months. Well, that was not a bad one. To be honest, it was stressful, but the prize was worth the stress. Set a fixed time to finish the final exam
What did I do then,
These were my secrets:
2. Have fix timetable to study every day: I was working full-time job when I started my ATS exams because I had to pay my bills and also pay for my exams and lectures. So, I had a fixed time I studied every day. Two hours minimum daily will be a good starting point which you can gradually increase as you go along.
What happen if you find that you are struggling to keep up with the timetable you have set for yourself because you are either tired, or getting bored with studies or for any reason whatsoever. Now, to make sure that you keep to this time schedule, this simple strategy will work like magic for you.
Any day you failed to study, give away N500. Use it to buy goodies for your colleagues at work or for your family members or your neighbours. For every day that you miss your study for any reason whatsoever even if its a legitimate reason like having a meeting in the office, church, club etc, just give away N500. If N500 is too small and does motivate you, then increase it to N1000. If that is still too small, then increase it to N1500 or N2000 or N5000 or N10,000. I guarantee that you will start taking your studies seriously no matter what legitimate reason that may come up. Try this approach for the next 7 days and see how it goes.
3. Start each study day by going through the questions that the topic covers: For instance, if you are dealing with ‘Sources of Finance’, read the questions on Sources of Finance first before watching the videos or reading the texts that cover that topic. After watching the videos and/or reading the texts, then go back to the questions and try answering them. You will be surprised at how your brain will start recalling the solutions and how your retentive memory will be enhanced.
Attempt the weekly questions that we post to the forum.
If you failed to attempt it, then penalise yourself again by giving N500, or whatever the amount that will make you kick your butts and start working.
4. Never miss a diet for any reason whatsoever except its a matter of life and death issue: I sat for every diet from the start of ATS 1 to ICAN PE3. I failed my 1st attempt of ATS. I repeated a paper in PE1 and repeated PE3. Each time I failed, I registered for the exams the following diet. So you can see that I wasn’t exceptional but an average student, so you too can do it. When I don’t have the money to pay for the exams, I resorted to borrowing from my company cooperative society. Borrow fund from friends, family, cooperative or the bank if you have to. It’s an investment.The problems and challenges of life will not go away so don’t postpone your exams. It only get tougher if you push the exams forward for any reason.
If you are a very busy person, then write at least a minimum of 2 papers every diet. What is important is that you are making progress every diet. Remember, “you never win the game you didn’t participate in” Never skip exams or miss a diet again.
5. I never attended any ceremony between 1994 to 1997 while my exams lasted: I bought gifts and send to those concerned which I sent with an apology. I also reduced my activities in the church to just Sunday attendance and some weekly services only. I was forced to reduce my activities in the church because I missed many lectures because of church activities and consequently, I failed my 1st attempt of the ATS1. If you follow this advice, you don’t have to feel guilty about reducing your church activities because you will be more useful to your church and to your God when you pass your exams. Your earning potentials will increase and of course, your tithes and offerings will also increase when your income goes up as a result of your much-enhanced qualification. I understood this principle only when I failed the first ATS 1 exam I attempted.
Cut off all “owambes” These are items like naming ceremonies, weddings, birthdays, extra church activities, etc. Send your gifts to the hosts with an apology that you have an exam to write. If they mean well for you, they will show understanding with you. After your exams and if you pass, you will have all the opportunities to attend all the ceremonies that you wish but for now, you are on a Mission called “Mission Critical”.
These secrets help to complete ATS 1 to 3 and PE1 to 3 within 9 diets (4 1/2 years). So, follow them and achieve success in ICAN May 2017 Diet Exam. As you can see, its probably a very simple one but they work wonders.
Start immediately and start today.
To your exam success,
Tayo Stephen, ACA
P.S. Recently ICAN sent an sms to all the students that they should strictly study ICAN pack to prepare for their exam. Actually is a good advice that if you have the time to go through the entire pack and if you need any clarification what will you do? You know I can exam in not about how far but how well.
Furthermore, we have summarized everything in the pack in our comprehensive video lectures that have helped lots of students to pass their ICAN exam with additional FREE support like asking the lecturer questions in our support forum, access to comprehensive exam likely questions that might come out in your exam including the soft copy that you can print out and use it as a note. Click here now to join our FREE support forum that have helped thousands of students to pass their ICAN exam
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