Should I carry on.... or is it time to call it a day

Denise Willett

:crying:I am 49 years old and retaking level 4 after having a year out, i have done the project and both taxes its just Limited Company, Financial Performance and budgeting to do yea I hear you say the main part of level four I have taken Limited company three times now and failed all three times. I am now having problems remembering the variances which is driving me mad. I sit for hours trying to study at home. I am truly fed up.

my company are brillant they have paid for it all so I guess I owe it to them to complete but I work on AP so sont put any of the abve into pracitice.

Any ideas out there how to maek this old thick head remember this stuff??????????????? PLease

Denise

reader

Carry on, definitely, you are so close to finishing!

As far as I'm concerned the hardest thing at level 4 is the project and given that you have done the project it should all be plain sailing assuming you take one exam at a time.

From what I gather it seems like you are studying all three at once or have been studying financial statements and then moved onto budgeting before finishing financial statements.

My advice would be to spend the next 2-3 months preparing for financial statements and then only book the exam when your 100% ready.

Then take a break, then when you get your pass for financial statements start spending the next 2-3 months on budgeting and only book the exam when your 100% ready, etc etc.

At this pace you'll have all three exams done before the end of the year and be a MAAT qualified!

Re: remembering things, it's all about reading the same thing over and over again on a regular basis, e.g. everyday/every other day. And taking breaks when you study, i.e. study for 45mins and take a 15min break and repeating that a few times a day.

Good luck!

Jo Clark

Excellent reply Reader and I agree!

Denise, do carry on and complete the remaining modules and don't forget to visit the forum if you need help with anything We're a friendly bunch of people always happy to help.


JC

Jo Clark

Denise

Do you attend college/training provider or are you a distance learning student? What texts/materials are you using?

The two tax papers you sat, were they before the introduction of the CBAs?


JC

NicF

Denise, I'd also ask what texts are you using? It might be worth getting a book from a different publisher and seeing if that helps. I have both Kaplan and Osborne books and I find that sometimes things make more sense after going through them in the other book. All the books have a slightly different way of explaining things and it might help to approach it from a different angle.

Definitely don't give up just yet though. You are so close to finishing now it would be a shame to stop here.

Hopeipassx

Dont give up, think of the satisfaction when you pass all exams..keep going girl

marinaweg

Hi Denise

I had a big problem in remembering the fixed overhead production variances, until I decided I would write down all the variances everyday untill I knew them inside out. It only took me 4 days, I kept on reciting them in my head when I was driving to work and would double check if I was not sure. You really need to get it in your head what the variance means because you will need to be able to explain this in your exam. I am sitting my financial performance on Thursday and feel much more prepared now. Just do as many practise assessment as possible and you will pass! Don't give up!

guinea pig

Hi Denise,
I sympathise, I'm older than you, and find it much harder now to absorb and retain information - which makes it even more satisfying when you achieve! Remind yourself that you have passed 3 tough units, and try and look at the last ones, one at a time, although you will find that several subjects e.g. ratios, are common to several units, which helps. I'm really struggling with the variances, and have devised a very long-winded way to learn them, using 2 examples, and setting the 3 main variances into a grid. I also found writing revision notes on index cards helpful. Also, there are lots of very supportive people here on the forum.
Good luck
GP

MWAUGH1983

Denise Willett wrote: »

:crying:I am 49 years old and retaking level 4 after having a year out, i have done the project and both taxes its just Limited Company, Financial Performance and budgeting to do yea I hear you say the main part of level four I have taken Limited company three times now and failed all three times. I am now having problems remembering the variances which is driving me mad. I sit for hours trying to study at home. I am truly fed up.

my company are brillant they have paid for it all so I guess I owe it to them to complete but I work on AP so sont put any of the abve into pracitice.

Any ideas out there how to maek this old thick head remember this stuff??????????????? PLease

Denise

Denise, when you say AP do you mean accounts payable or purchase ledger? I work in the same role and you are right it is kinda annoying that you cant put into practice what you learn and plus the job is really dull! lol

Martin

Denise Willett

Thank you everyone who has sent me messages of support.

I am using Osborne Books
I work in Accounts payable am the superizor of six people its a very demaning role but i am moving into management accounts the next few weeks.

I study at college and have a brullant teacher who spent the whole of this weeks class going over three or four variances and I found out that the whole class felt the same.

I am studying now 20 mins a night short sessions and I hope it helps.

Thanks again

Denise

Monsoon

Denise,

Stick with it!

I struggled so bad with variances at level 4 that I nearly quit the whole qualification because I just didn't get it. It finally clicked and I'm so glad I stuck with it. I also felt the same with ATT but by taking it one module at a time and not rushing it, I'm nearly there now.

Glad to hear you are carrying on, and just take it steady good luck!

nonmugglesue

Hi Denise,

I felt the same way, I failed 2 exams and was feeling very low about it but I stuck with it and now I am fully qualified. I agree with Reader, little bits at a time xx

iskcel

Hi Denise

Unfortunately I have no ideas for getting things to stay in your head but certainly don't give up on what you have strived so hard to achieve already.

Do you have anybody else other than your tutor that can sit down and have a look through it with you and maybe give you some pointers? Sometimes seeing or hearing someone's else's point of view on things can make it clearer or easier to remember.

We all have wobbles and consider giving up but remember why you started and how you will feel when you have finished.

I took several years out between level 3 and level 4. When I decided to get on and do level 4 it was hard work and I found it quite stressful fitting in study, exams, home (We have 4 children 6 and under) and work life but I got the majority done. Last summer I failed Financial Statements and decided to take a short break before resitting but that short break grew into nearly 8 months! Last week for the first time in 8 months I decided to have a look at the forums and was inspired to get on and sort my last exam out so I can qualify. I have booked the exam for April, for me that is the bast way to do it. Booking the exam gives me a deadline that I have to work to and this is the way I work best. I may even ask my hubby (he qualified a few years back)for a little bit of help this time!!

The forums are a fantastic place to get support or even to see that others are in the same position as you and your not alone :-)

Good luck with your studies.