Lack of motivation. Help....

nicfan1

I'm really struggling at the moment to stay motivated. I have passed PTAX & ICAS so far & am due to sit BTAX next week. Just not feeling it anymore, I don't work in an accounts role & I'm finding it so tough to keep up with the amount of work level 4 requires. Juggling work, kids & home life is challenging enough without the added pressure of studying too. Really feel like giving up!! I know I'll regret giving up in the future though, just don't know how to get my motivation & enthusiasm back. Any suggestions?

AATchick

Hi nicfan1, I completely understand how you feel, have no advice I'm afraid but just wanted to say I feel the same! Have a toddler, also working and got so much on, any little time I have spare I tend to catch up on housework or sleep!!! I have passed credit control, failed budgeting and currently awaiting budgeting resit result as we speak. It seems like such a long road ahead. Will be watching this post with interest xx

nicfan1

Thanks AATchick, good to know I'm not feeling like this on my own

ChrisJ30

Hey guys and girls, I started level 4 mid January. I go to evening classes. Started with financial statement, which I believe is one of the hardest. I don't work as an accountant but I do work in finance (I do client compliance job which I took to get my foot in the door). There is a big step up from level 3 to 4. Up to this point I haven't failed an AAT exam yet but I haven't taken a level 4 exam yet.

Rather than the periodic AAT magazine we seem to get I would rather they spent subscription money improving their online study support i.e a webinar for each level 4 module like there was for level 3. It is good to have two practice exams but as I saw with level 3 sometimes the exams are completely different.

nicfan1

Hi CPJames, I found the Personal Tax exam really tough going, there was only 1 practice assessment online (for the correct FY) so did not really offer a good variety. In practice I completed the PTAX exam in plenty of time yet in reality I ran out of time & missed the final question. I found the paper to be a lot more in depth in terms of computational questions & therefore more time consuming. Fortunately I passed & actually did pretty well, but there was only a 40% pass rate overall at my college. Business Tax is the one I'm struggling to get into, I'm feeling 50/50 at the moment which clearly isn't good enough to attempt it - this exam had only a 30% pass rate for the rest of my group who sat it in Jan & it's supposed to be easier than PTAX - so it doesn't fill me with much hope.

I agree with you with regards to the monthly magazines along with socks, magnets, pin badges etc. I do feel they should offer more practice assessments rather than spend their resources on tat!

I also haven't failed an exam (yet

AATchick

Hi nicfan1, how are you feeling now? How did your Btax exam go? X

nicfan1

Hi AATchick, I didn't sit it. I haven't been in college for two sessions, my tutor has been really supportive (He is letting me put BTAX to one side for the time being). I'm going in tomorrow to try and get back into Budgeting and prepare for the exam next month. Have you had your budgeting result back yet?

AATchick said:

Hi nicfan1, how are you feeling now? How did your Btax exam go? X

AATchick

That's really good you're getting that support, sounds really encouraging. I failed the budgeting resit so am trying for a third time this coming Monday morning. Hopefully I'll pass this one!! Xx

nicfan1

Awww sorry to hear that. Good luck for Monday!!! Third time lucky xx

AATchick

Thank you :-) if you want to chat any time then feel free to message me. Idve taken more budgeting exams than I cared for lol so if you need to chat about that or anything else you're very welcome xx

nicfan1

Thanks, may well pick your brains about the written questions :-( my exam is in April so a few weeks away yet. Really hope you do it this time. Let me know how you get on x

ChrisJ30

@nic and AATchick

Have either of you taken the FSTM exam yet? Got mine next week and wondered what to look out for particularly.

nicfan1

Sorry CPJames I don't start FSTM until mid April. Good luck though!!