Meet CTA Yvonne - She wasn't a perfect student

Study Coaching: accountingstud...
I wasn't the perfect UNISA CTA student... and I passed... it might motivate you a little!
For those of you doing other qualifications, CTA is the 'Certificate in the Theory of Accounting'. It's a postgraduate qualification. As a distance-learning student, there's about a 10% - 15% pass rate. You have 4 majors at postgrad level, and you have to study and pass all 4 in one year. If you fail one, you repeat them all. It's a killer.

[@conniemane2804]

This was me for test3 but I'm bouncing back. I have test4 in 2days. Thank you Yvonne It's 2020 and this is so relevant

[@sage_bs]

“... from the day that I started I was behind...” That line hit home! I just discovered your channel (you’ve scored yourself a new subbie). Going to hopefully be doing CTA next year, thank you for this.

[@ipelengmanthaaa49]

Hey, did you eventually do CTA, if so, how was the journey?

[@sage_bs]

@@ipelengmanthaaa49 hi. I attempted and abandoned mission 😂. Pro tip: don't fall behind and if you do, focus on the next units otherwise you'll forever be delayed. I took this for granted. Also, ensure that you study daily, doesn't have to be for 6 hours but set enough time out for studies where you will be focusing on the theory. Ensure that you do practice questions to apply the said theory and you should be fine. All the best, don't take this for granted, it's a lot of work but if you manage your time well you'll reap the rewards. Stay consistent!

[@blackamericanlesbianprofes4357]

Thank you for sharing your study experience. I am a USAF Veteran now mature (age 34) International Undergraduate student in the UK. I have been struggling with my studies and I put much effort but my tests and exams are low scores. But I have not given up. I keep wanting to learn my degree program BSc Accounting and Finance, I find it interesting especially Accounting and Auditing. I have been trying different studying and note taking to see what is best for me (I am a tactile/hands on learner, followed by visual learner), and I feel I have found a few that work for me such as mind maps, and watching KZbin videos (which a stranger replied to my comment on an article on LinkedIn and suggested I do). Also I have been suggested by people in my life to get assessed at the Learning Difficulties Services, and I have learned I am Dyslexic (struggling with understanding in my own words, some memory and some phonetic sounds). I have subscribed to your channel just now because of your detailed visual explanations.

[@hermonisaaks1342]

New semester and I'm coming back to this brilliant woman who inspire so much...sometimes we need to learn what we already know...💕

[@accountingstudyadvice]

Ah thanks! I wish you well for the new semester! And you know where to find me if you need help ;)

[@jozsefszabo6157]

Super sound advice. Thank you for sharing Yvonne. That`s priceless wisdom.

[@satarumbwa]

Hi Yvonne, I am starting my CTA journey today. I have found this very useful. I just subscribed to your mailing list. I am definitely going to come here as I walk through the next year. Keep on inspiring.

[@liinanunes1394]

Thanks Yvonne. You just got me there... thanks

[@pieteretzebeth9046]

Ahhhh, Thanx sooo much! Doing CTA next year, and i must say Im a bit scared... but this helped me alot!

[@kristinadlamini175]

Thank you so much. I've been struggling so much now I'm more motivated.

[@zakhelembhele7046]

You know Yvonne, I don't even think I'm being driven that much by what you're saying (well maybe I am), but your authenticity is just on another level. Hayi bo Yvonne, I am suddenly asking myself a question - what on earth would stop me from winning this game if? I'm left with one module to finish my degree, and I finished all the other modules in 2019 already. But, just like you, I am so drained but just can't quit. Remember I've failed this module since 2019 second semester. Look you may not have failed the way I did, but what you're saying is so relevant to me and my situation. It's like you thought about me first. Just for you, I am showing up, bring my fight back again and I will report to this thread when I'm done in December! Thank you Yvonne.

[@accountingstudyadvice]

You're so right... our fights may not look the same, but that feeling of "I AM SO DONE WITH ALL THIS STUFF! WHY ISN'T THIS OVER!?"... yeah, I know that feeling well! Alrighty, definitely something you need to be looking at in your situation is... what needs to CHANGE! :) When we're hitting our head against the same wall, we have to ask ourselves... do we need some DIFFERENT tools? Take a look at this video, if you haven't... I know you're not in CTA yet... but the underlying message may be very relevant for you... kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZPKlZJ7pK-DbKs

[@Angel-cq9if]

Hry Yvonne just discovered your channel a doing CTA this year and I feel so overwhelmed 😔 😪 am studying for test4

[@luyandakwinana2881]

Hi Yvonne Im a Bcom law student at UNISA. I dont think I'm on track to become a CA. However, this is so inspirational. Thank you for sharing. Tha

[@sibatsomo3065]

I seriously needed this , We're gonna write dp test 1 in a few days and I was feeling completely hopeless as to how I'll pass. My emotions have been everywhere. I'll just gather myself and just work.

[@abigailwilliams9201]

Thank you for this Yvonne❤

[@xoliswakulashe4502]

Thank you Yvonne ❤️

[@bathinimontymodise533]

Thank you thank you thank you

[@mphomudau5146]

I have 3 supps writing from 25-27 November AND I'M JUST TIRED, SCARED AND STUPID

[@BUNEMO]

Love your voice

[@accountingstudyadvice]

That's the sweetest thing! Thank you! I'm always so worried that by the time my students have gone from first year to their Board exams, they're going to be SOOOOOO sick of my voice! :)

[@BUNEMO]

@@accountingstudyadvice 😆😆😆😆I highly doubt it.

[@rdhokotera]

Really inspiring 😍

[@nthabianisha9601]

Currently doing my CTA as a part time student and I am writing test 2 tomorrow ...feeling so overwhelmed and i let my emotions drive me for so long and i keep making excuses for why i didn't study...to be honest i have so much time but i don't have motivation to do this anymore I am behind and I can never catch up at this point I don't know how I will prepare for the final exams 😢

[@accountingstudyadvice]

You CAN catch up, and you CAN do this... but it sounds like you need some changes in how you're thinking, feeling and studying. If you want to walk away from your qualification journey because it's not something you want anymore... that's fine! Don't let people tell you that it's not. Our dreams CAN change. HOWEVER... that's really different from kinda giving up because we don't think we CAN do it, and walking away with that feeling in our heart of 'what if...?'. The rest of your life is a LONG time to wonder what you COULD'VE done if you'd gotten your head in the game. You CAN do this. But are you GOING to?

[@HassanThelander]

Hey yvonne, just wanted to know is it possible to self study CTA? Im studying ICAEW so I will only have to worry about 2 advanced technical papers and 1 application&professional skills paper. Probably sounds ridiculous but tuition is quite expensive so just wanted to know what you think? Thanks for the videos

[@christianmaterial2417]

I am doing my third year, supposed to do my CTA next year but i don't think i wanna do it anymore. Is there an alternative route i can take, any other Accounting related field that i can take. Finance forensic or Finance management or even banking?

[@accountingstudyadvice]

Hi hi... there are TONS of options for you :) I think the starting point is to identify why you want to make a change. If it's a goal you've had for a while, it's important to interrogate why you want to change that goal. If it's out of fear of failure because you've heard so many horror stories of how long it takes and how horrible it all is, that's totally understandable, but, in my experience, walking away out of fear leads to a lot of regret, and a sense of inferiority. It's not intentional, and you don't HAVE to have the qualification, but it's really hard to walk away from something we really wanted because of fear, and NOT feel like we 'gave up', or that we're clearly not capable. Most students who've walked away struggle with a sense that they're not 'good enough', because if they were... then clearly they would've achieved their goal. If this is your reasoning, I advise you to do quite a bit of soul searching and thinking, to either decide to face that fear and overcome it, or if you do choose to take a different path, that walking away from this path won't haunt you. :) If, of course, you're walking away for other reasons, then take time to research what you WANT to spend your time doing, explore a little, find out more about different fields within finance. Coming out of a very rigid journey path, means that we're very quick to want to jump into another path. We like the sense of comfort that the qualification path gives us: "As long as I pass everything, I'll have a good job, be financially stable, and safe". It's a little like jumping out of one relationship, and then getting into another one... a rebound relationship :) We like the IDEA of the qualification, and we feel safe, we feel like we need the stability and safety of someone telling us "As long as you do this, you'll be ok". The 'real' world isn't like that. We have to make decisions while standing in the middle of a lot of chaos, without really knowing where that decision will take us. We have to choose in the face of the unknown. Unlike the CA qualification path, which has very narrow options, so we've never really been required to make decisions ON OUR OWN! (Sounds weird, I know!). Making the right or wrong decision is more about how we DEAL with what happens after we've made the decision :)

[@djgulston]

So what is it that makes it so difficult? Is it the sheer volume of the work? How different is CTA compared to undergrad?

[@accountingstudyadvice]

SUCH a good question! The super-simple answer is that although the topics are 'familiar', the types of things they want you to DO with the stuff is TOTALLY different. Eg: In undergrad, you needed to calculate stuff, in CTA, you need to explain to your client how and why to calculate it, and how it applies to their business. Totally different skill, which we haven't really worked on before. We're used to format, calculation, technical, detailed thinking... and now we need to focus on application, integration, problem-solving and communication. It's like saying in undergrad, you had to calculate it, and in CTA, you have to paint a picture of it. The skill shift is just that great! Same topic... totally different skill. And we really struggle to bridge that gap. We still focus on the calculation... and we don't realise how crucial the other skills are :)

[@djgulston]

@@accountingstudyadvice Thank you for the detailed explanation! So, does the workload remain relatively the same compared to undergrad?

[@accountingstudyadvice]

@@djgulston That's really going to depend on you. CTA only has about 20% more stuff in it than you cover in 3rd year... so you're not actually doing much more than you already have. The challenge is that so many students study off-by-heart, or focus on memory of details, that when they get to CTA, they kinda have to start everything again. IF you study 3rd year properly, you can save a HUGE amount of time in CTA and get to questions faster, and everyone will tell you the way to pass CTA is... QUESTIONS!

[@djgulston]

@@accountingstudyadvice Super helpful! Thank you so much!