Thread by @AbhinavSekhri94

16th Jan 2020 was the day when I became a CA. Today is the 2nd anniversary of one of the best moments of my life (yet 😛).

I'll try to share a few things that I've learnt (during my exams as well as after becoming a CA). I hope these help.

A thread -

#ICAI #caexams #icaiexams

First and foremost - there is no shortcut to success. How do I know? Because I tried all possible shortcuts and I failed.

Smartwork and luck will play a role only after you've worked hard. There's no substitute for hardwork no matter how much you try. Ye to karna hi padega.

Motivational videos/speeches won't work. They might give you a temporary adrenaline rush but other than that they're useless.

Everyone has different circumstances and different ways of dealing with them. What worked for one person won't necessarily work for others.

Don't copy.

Your ability to stay calm and composed during the exams will decide your success.

If you're nervous, you won't remember what you've studied 2 hours before the exam. If you're confident, you'll remember things that you studied 6 months back (happened with me).

There will be moments when you'll face negative thoughts and self doubts. You can't escape them but you can choose where to draw a line.

I know because I failed multiple times in CA finals. It isn't easy. But giving up is not an option.

Nothing worth having comes easy.

Since I failed multiple times and then cleared with a rank, many people think that I got to know some secret shortcut for success. Not true.

The only thing that I changed was my mindset. I kept my emotions aside and worked in a planned manner.

Make a schedule and stick to it.

If you study in an orderly manner and manage everything properly, you don't need to slog to clear the exams.

All the talks of studying 15 hours a day are nonsense.

I never studied more than 8 hours a day. It is manageable.

Don't count the hours. Make the hours count.

I tried to start a catering business and I also got into options trading during my attempts. Huge mistake.

Distractions cost me more than 3 attempts.

These exams aren't easy. Stay focused. No matter how lucrative anything looks, it can wait.

There will always be naysayers and people who'll try to pull you down. Your friends, relatives, colleagues everyone can add negativity to your life.

There's no escape from it so you'll have to learn to accept it as a part of life and move on.

Let them try. You do your thing.

Your job is to give your absolute best and make sure there is no compromise in your efforts.

Since the results are strict/harsh, doing hard work doesn't guarantee success.

So failing doesn't mean you didn't work hard. Don't be harsh on yourself if you fail.

Life goes on.

Very important - if you fail, invest time in finding out where you went wrong. Don't just get back to studying and repeat the same pattern.

Find out where you went wrong and work on fixing your mistakes/weaknesses.

Failing doesn't mean you didn't study enough. Period.

There are plenty of jobs for capable people. Companies are willing to loosen their pockets for worthy candidates. Work on yourself as much as you work for clearing the exams.

The degree is just your entry ticket. You are the product.

Invest time in making yourself marketable.

If you have the right mindset, you can accomplish wonders after getting this degree. Job, practice, business all 3 avenues are open and they have multiple sub avenues. There is no dearth of opportunities on the other side of clearing these exams.

But first you have to clear.

Lastly, it's an absolutely amazing feeling when you clear - You'll experience happiness, relief, satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment and pride all in one moment.

I was in a haze for a week after the results 😛

Thank you for reading and apologies if I missed something. :)