All posts by allisonguttenplan

Academics, Allison, CPA Exam

Back in the Swing

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AICPA ThisWayToCPA logoHello everyone. I hope you all enjoyed your holiday season and are like me, getting back into the swing of things.  Today was the first day of classes and it seemed to go well for everyone.  This semester for me will be filled with classes, homework, and the all important  CPA exam preparation.

I signed up for an online course and plan to take my first section within the next 2 months.  I applied for the exam over break and am still waiting for approval to schedule my exam.  There are plenty of instructions and information on the CPA exam on the NASBA website as well as the AICPA website.  Please post comments if you have any question about the process.

The classes I’m taking this semester include ethics (which is a required course for the CPA exam in some states including Texas), business communication and corporate governance.  These are mostly electives that I have chosen because I feel they will best help me in my future, on the exam, and in my career.  I also am taking two accounting electives that are more audit focused.

Please post comments of any questions you may have about the CPA exam or courses you can take as an MPA, both core and elective courses.  Thanks!

Academics, Allison, Student Life

Halfway Done and Proud

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Well now that finals are over, I can say that I’m very excited that I have completed my first semester!  It was definitely a challenging week studying for all my finals but now that it’s over I feel accomplished and proud.  Kind of like what Paul said – the more effort you put in, the larger the result.  I am just hoping and encouraging myself that all of the effort I put in will give me the results I want.

Anyway – not much else to report on right now.  Most people (including myself) have left Austin for our  month long winter break.  I am excited to be home but at the same time, I already miss my MPA friends 🙂

I just wanted to mention that although it may seem (from our last slew of posts) that finals are insane, it isn’t really a bad thing.  This is probably the most I’ve studied (at all or at least in a really long time), but honestly I am really happy and feel very accomplished.  You are not coming to the best accounting program to be a slacker.  You are coming to work hard, learn a lot (get your money‘s worth), and get what you can out of your opportunities.  Having said that, I’m glad I spent my free week studying to really get the most out of these tests.  Finals are just tests.  And having almost a week to study for it is a gift – most tests you have to study for in the midst of doing 100 other things.

Also during this break I plan on starting the process of applying and studying for my first CPA section, so I will keep you updated with that process as I get it underway.

Have a great holiday season everyone!

Academics, Allison

Where to study?

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It's finals time!

Now that finals are upon us, I find myself looking for some good study spots.  I have to admit, I usually study in my room, but finding that to be unproductive, here are some other study locations I have tried out throughout the semester:

MPA Lounge: So far, this seems to be the best.  There are tables and chairs when you need a hard surface or want to spread out.  There are also comfy chairs and couches for those times you just need to stretch out.  It is also nice seeing familiar faces, as well as other students in your class that you can study with!  It is conveniently located in McCombs and seems to not have too many other distractions (that I have found yet, although while studying today, the walls seemed so much more interesting than they usually do). You can read another description of the lounge in Karen’s post a few days ago.

PCL: This is basically the main library on campus and is located across the street from McCombs.  It has a plethora of nooks and crannies on its upper floors if you are a hibernating studier.  There is the computer lab on the main floor that has more hustle and bustle for those who need some white noise.  If you like a mixture, you can find a cubby in a row among the stacks where there are people around, but enough isolation so you can concentrate.

My room: This seems like a bad idea, but I honestly do get some good studying done here.  I have my food and the comfort of my own space to spread out.  I would suggest not studying on your bed or with the tv on (which I usually do anyway), but if you are good at concentrating for a periods of time, you might as well stay comfy! Continue reading Where to study? →

Academics, Allison, Student Life

Challenge Yourself and Keep Giving Thanks

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A student in my valuations class taking diligent notes and having fun while doing it!

As I come back from of the Thanksgiving holiday, I realize it is almost the end of my first semester here.  As one of my professors said, it takes forever to get to Halloween, but once Halloween comes, the rest of the semester flies by.

I wanted to talk a little about one of the specific classes I am taking right now.  It is my Valuations class in the finance department.  Finance is not one of my strong suits, I will be one of the first to admit that, but I know its great importance in the accounting field and more in the business world.  I took an intro to finance in undergrad and again in an accelerated course here at UT.  I was very ambitious in making my schedule and decided to take the accelerated valuations class for the second half of the semester.  During orientation, we had a faculty panel when several professors gave the advice to challenge yourself, take the hardest classes you could and the classes in which you are least confident.  Needless to say, I took this advice and registered for valuations even though it was not a requirement for my degree.  (Other advice I was given included to take as many accounting and finance classes you can, as well as to take courses outside of your track i.e. tax classes if you are in the audit track and audit classes if you are in the tax track in order to broaden and deepen your knowledge.)

As the first half of my semester went along, my intro to finance class proved to be a lot more difficult than I had imagined.  The whole time I was thinking – what am I going to do in valuations?!  Why did I ever think I could do more advanced finance when I cannot even do this?!  I ended up doing fine in finance, but let’s just say, not with flying colors. Continue reading Challenge Yourself and Keep Giving Thanks →

Allison, Events, Student Life

My First Blog!

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Bevo, the UT Longhorns mascot, on campus

Hello All – I am very excited to write my first blog as an MPA blogger!  I want to write about some of my experiences thus far as an MPA at UT.

I got here in August, when the Austin heat was blazing in record high temperatures, eager to start classes and get into the swing of things.  Orientation was the first step, which is still one of my favorite events so far.  I was able to meet all the new people I would be spending the next year or so with, and we all took to each other very well! We had a few administrative speakers welcoming us to the MPA program as well as more informational speakers, such as Kathy and Jason (two advisors whom you will get to know very well as an MPA).

We were also thrust into the career recruiting process right away, with an etiquette dinner, a “speed dating” event, and the career fair.  It was helpful being able to meet perspective employers and the recruiters at both the etiquette dinner and the speed dating event before the career fair so that a relationship was already built.  Orientation week was finally over, and I was able to take a bit of a rest before my classes started.

Orientation was a great way to get introduced to the program, UT and my fellow MPA’s. Continue reading My First Blog! →