STUDY TIPS

System
System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
edited 10:25AM in AAT student discussion
Hi all,

As a couple of us have been saying that 'it is x weeks till exams'

I am doing the Costing and the Financial Statements. I would say I do between 15-25 hours at home a week, but still feel I am struggling with a couple of sections. ie: Cashflow statements, I just can't get the hang of them.

Anyone else feel they are putting in lots and lots of hours and getting nowhere. The last 2 weeks, I have come home from work had tea and sorted whatever I need to and sat down to college work and not really known which area to look at.

Anyone help cause I feel not at all confident about either exams at the moment

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    Hi

    I know exactly how you feel. I am doing PEV and PCR in June and I have spent the whole of the Easter hols (as I only work term time only) doing revision and exam papers and I can honestly say I feel fed up at not being able to learn it. I don't think it helps that 2 of my children are just whipping through their revision.

    My advice to you is just to keep at it. I know DFS is alot to absorb, but it does click all of a sudden. Costing I will let you know.

    Best of luck
    Eva 8)
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    First of all, You do not need to put that much hours for cash flow exam. my advise to you is keep revising past exams, untill you feel confident that you can actually do it with out looking at the answers.... Good Luck.


    Eden
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    wow really, the college I go to said we need to be doing 3times the amount of hours we do at college and we do 7 hours a week..

    I think the main worry on a few people's minds this year with the DFS is there are not past papers to go off this is the first year at International Standards. Maybe it is the fact I am working too hard or not having enough time out away from it.

    At present if I am not college working I am packing to move house this Friday(could not have come at a better time hey) making Wedding Invites for my dad eerrrrrr for me Sunday afternoon at the gym and that about it.

    Eden have you done the exam or you been given good tips. I think the Cash flow will just slip into place and stick at some point.

    Be interesting to know how many hours people who have passed did at home.

    Regards
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    Hi

    Don't know how other people feel but my worst enemy is me! I keep flicking from being happy I've done enough to panicking that I'm far from knowing it inside out yet. I hope a few more weeks graft will put me right. But everyone sounds like there doing loads so I am encouraged that I am not the only one with massive bags under my eyes.

    Torix
    PS Congrats on the wedding Angel I have to do my invites soon too.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    I passed these papers recently. All you have to do is carry on as you are doing. Put in the hours with past papers, in the beginning you will need to look at the textbook or notebook to see the the step by step approach for example a Cashflow question, Consolidated Income statement and Balace sheet. But once you get the hang of it, you will be more systematic in your approach to answering the questions.

    It's a fact that the mock papers and past papers are a very good likeness to what is going to come up in the exam, also AAT lead you to the answer, so no need to feel pressured or afraid, in PEV they will break it up for you, for example they will tell you to calculate all those Material & Labour hours (Std budget for actual production)and OAR. So that you can use this information for the variances which will be asked in the second part. I am now doing ACCA and this is not done at this level, they expect us to know the system of calculating the variances and just ask us for the Volume or Price variance and we should know how to get there. I am studying Business Tax at the moment and they just ask to calculate the Corporation tax liability, without first asking you to calculate the Capital allowances, lease premium, IBA's first, they expect us to know the approach already. So AAT has helped me learn this type of things beforehand to apply at ACCA level.

    Good luck with your studies.

    Nafisa
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS
    ToriT wrote:
    Hi
    Torix
    PS Congrats on the wedding Angel I have to do my invites soon too.

    Gosh I wish it was me, my father is getting married in July and has asked me to make them.

    when you getting married? We have had a new house instead big move is this Friday. Daunting cause of how little college work I done this week.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    I'm getting married in september Angel - so I have a while yet but there has been lots to organise which puts pressure on the study.

    I hope your house move goes well, at least we have something exciting to look forward admist all the lovely revision.

    Best of luck for friday :wink:
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    Wow!!!! 15 - 25 hours per week??

    Isn't that a bit over the top??

    We did personal tax in december, I know its not the same with regards to the amount of information to take in, but apart from the lessons and the homeworks we were set, I think I did probably an hour and that was on the night before the exam!! The exam itself only took me 45 mins to do!!

    Surely you can't need to that amount of studying at this moment awhen there are still about 7 or 8 weeks left before the exams!!

    Is it me or does every do that amount of studying for these exams???

    Thanks

  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS


    15-25 hours per week is far too much for AAT I believe. I dont even do that much for CIMA, only in the run up to the exams! I think I done about 10-15 hrs per week when I was doing AAT and my short-term memory is far from great.

    You can "over-study" you know - cramming your brain with far too much info and it all becomes a mish-mash.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    By doing over 10 hours a week is not advisable. If i did over 10 hours a week, i would just become tired, fed up and forget what i have just done.

    It will probably be better to do bits in sections. For example an hour or two a night - but don't just stick to the same subject all night.

    I have been doing 20 minutes of learning IAS' and ratios during my dinner break and it is amazing how much i have picked up so far.

    I think its also important to have some "Time out" time as, after all, you can't let this take over your life!

    Good luck to everyone for their exams - and don't panic as its not the end of the world if you don't pass first time round (although it would be a lot less hastle!!!)
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    Don't want to start a debate but I think doing that many hours isn't so bad. Yes time out is a good idea but I am doing loads of hours at the moment to get lots of practice questions done.
    I did this last exam time and I found ECR relatively easy. I'd rather go in with confidence than worrying I haven't done enough. Plus its not just about passing exams you need to be able to apply your knowledge to the work place and when I cram I forget it the next week.
    I think I must be getting old - at uni I could revise the week before for 5 exams no worries now I need 3 months planning - oh dear! :( Wish my brain was as quick as you guys still. Your right though we wont die if we fail.

    Torix
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    I think everyone is missing the point with regards to the hours you're putting into your studies.

    No one is the same and everyone has a different approach to studying. Whether you do an hour a week or 25 a week, you need to feel that you are benefiting from those hours that you're putting in otherwise, yes, you will be tired and fed up etc. You're not doing yourself any favours and in fact you demotivate yourself and this will lead to a panic closer to your exams.

    You might consider staring at your books for 10 hours as "studying" but are you actually taking anything in?

    My evening classes last about 2 hours per lesson, so I aim to review my class notes and do questions in 3 hours at home following each lesson. I also do a catch up of everything I've learned which I aim to do about 4-6 hours on a Saturday. I review class notes, I read the past papers and I attempt questions from both the past exams and text book.

    This is just an approach that I know works for me and admittedly I do have days where I can't be bothered and so I do more hours to catch up!

    Do how ever many hours you are capable of doing but always plan it and reward yourself on a job well done. This will motivate you for your next study session!

    Good luck to everyone!
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    Wow, i have just read how much time people are putting in on their study!!
    I am doing home study and i haven't even began to read to BTC book yet! I just Finished the DFS book last night, but i lterally just read it i haven't answered one question yet! I'd best get my finger out!!
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    I think that amount of study time is way too much, i do the equivalent of my time at college outside college. Doing that much studying cant leave you time for anything else!!
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:STUDY TIPS

    Hi

    I am feeling the same!! I am working 3 days a week, and I have two young children. the last thing I feel like doing is studying, with cashflow statements, my sister gave me good tips. she is a CA. if you make up a ryhme for each initial of the headings, it is easier to remember. You are studing 15-25 hrs a week, I am studying 4-5 hrs a week, I think you will walk it.

    Cally

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