Memories (15/365)

Day 15 of Project 365

I’m a licensed Certified Public Accountant and here’s my story.

College? What to take?

I went to College not knowing what course to take.  I just went to school anyway and picked a course that was practical.  I decided to take “BS Management.”

I underwent  enrollment process and had a couple of interviews from the Dean.

“You scored very high in the entrance exam” she said.  Why don’t you take BS Accountancy instead?

I wanted to say “Okay, whatever” but I just blurted out “Really?… Okay” I said as I just don’t care what course I’m taking.

I went to college in the humble city of Bacolod, my hometown.  It is still considered a province.  I wasn’t exposed to other career opportunities and I took a safe turn, and took accountancy.  I figured, a lot of businesses would need accountants.  They need people like the future accountant me.

I went to rigorous Accountancy training in La Salle Bacolod.  Our school was known for a good Accountancy program.  It was a struggle for me since I was juggling lots of extra co-curricular activities like being involved in Student Government (but I stopped), dancing a lot and cheerleading, handling the events for JPIA (Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants) for a while and organized JPIA night and production night.  I even joined a beauty contest because no one else in my batch would join.  I guess I just have big balls to try to do anything no one would.

On my first year, we have this “qualifying exam”.  If you fail this exam, you can’t proceed to the second year of the Accountancy program and you’d have to shift to another course.  I took the exam but I was already thinking of shifting courses.  I was considering “nursing” at that time.  Until the result of the exam came and I saw my name on the “passers” list @_@  Before there were 5 sections but it got narrowed down to like 50 (ish) remaining students.  Some were crying and I was being ungrateful for destiny’s gift and I wanted to shift.

Passing the qualifying made me decide to stay.  I mean, some people wanted this so bad.  I didn’t want it as much, but I got in.  Destiny must be telling something.

More struggles in the second to fourth year but I am not a quitter and I pursued Accountancy with my whole heart.  I even had to quit dancing partly because I am struggling with Accounting classes and partly because of my hyper jealous boyfriend who doesn’t want guys holding my butt when we’re doing stunts.

If there was one thing I regret doing in college, that was giving up DANCING.  I regret it like crazy.  I love dancing, and that’s one thing I’m certain I’m good at.  I wasn’t even that good in Accounting.   If I worked hard, I know I can still juggle the two.  But I don’t know what happened.

Graduation and CPA Review

I did it! and the next step is to pass the CPA Board exam!  But first, I need to go to a CPA Review School.  I won a scholarship for a review school in Iloilo.  I won this through winning the title “Miss JPIA 2002”  (yes, the beauty contest I joined – I won).

I wanted to study in Manila though so I gave this scholarship to someone more in need than me.  I honestly forgot who OMGG… It has been a long time.  But, I’m definitely sure that he passed the board exam and I am so happy I helped someone achieve this dream To me it was nothing, but to him, it might be everything

CPAR

CPAR stands for CPA Review School of the Philippines and one of the owners is Mr. Conrado T. Valix, author of Financial Accounting texbooks for accounting students.  His book became our bible as we studied.  I met a lot of people here and got exposed to other CPA students.  I am super friendly ^_^ but sir Valix often call it “paduding”.  There’s no direct translation but it’s close to being “friendly” and “flirty” ~_~

Sir Valix, along with the other reviewers of CPAR were awesome.  I think I enjoyed the new environment too much that I wasn’t able to focus much on the review. – I FAILED.

Yes, I failed my first CPA Board Exam.

Take Two.

I didn’t give up.  I know I was just a little bit distracted.  On my take two, I really focused but this time, it was also more relaxing.

I did very well this time that I got in the top 100 (topnotchers) for the mock CPA Exam.  I got invite letters from SGV asking me to visit them for interview.  and I scored a spankin 94 on the CPA Board Actual Exam.

One thing I learned is to never give up no matter what.  Learn from your mistakes and try again.  One of my friends took the exam 5 times.  and she passed the fifth time.  As long as you want it, pursue it… over and over again

3 years then

3 years after, I decided to let go of being an Accountant and try Internet Marketing, Digital Entrepreneurship and Blogging

I loved accounting at that time.  But, I found a new passion – blogging, photography, travelling, being adventurous and the internet and social media.

I missed those days though so me and my friend Charm decided to visit our review school CPAR and UST.  UST is where we stroll around if we want to de-stress.  What a lovely campus

back then there were no:

facebook

twitter

and I wasn’t blogging.

a lot of things could happen only in 3 years and I wonder, 3 years from now, what would I be doing?

What would you be doing?

This is Charm – looks like we’re in some place other than the Philippines, but we’re just chillin’ in UST

Good thing the guard let me in, it was a school day Saturday and I was wearing off shoulder top and shorts

Sir Valix.

We kinda disturbed him from work

This is mang Cards who always cooks for us when we join sir Valix for lunch XD

la la la… those were the days