Recently in Susan Category

With Thanksgiving being one short week away, I am stunned once again at how quickly the semester has flown.  In addition to advising graduate students, I teach the tax research class in the undergraduate and graduate accounting programs.  We are in the middle of registration and admissions for the spring, processing applications for graduation in 2010, setting up for spring orientations, managing the office, trying to help my son manage to get his homework done (an unending struggle) and on and on and on...

So you know what?  It's time to take a breather!!  I give my exam on Saturday morning, and then we have a short week next week.  And about time, too!  The program office will close on Wednesday, November 25^th at 2pm and reopen on Monday, November 30^th at 7:30am.  For students, you are outta here on Tuesday night.  Be sure to use this time to take a breather for yourself!

We host the Thanksgiving meal at our house every year and it is something I really look forward to.  Everyone is so busy that this is the only time of year when we are all able to be together.  I hope that you will be able to spend time with your friends and family as well.  And if you are away from home, call some friends and make your own celebration for Thanksgiving.  But above all, take this time to rest and be ready for the final 3 weeks of the fall semester.  Remember, January is just around the corner...

Have you heard of GASB?

GASB is the acronym for the Graduate Accounting Student Board.  GASB is the student organization for the Master of Science in Accounting and the Master of Science in Taxation programs at Kelley.  If you want a chance to get in on the ground floor and have a hand in GASB's formation (actually, reformation), now is the time.

Jane Lambert and I met with GASB first in early October.  We had about 26 volunteers, which is way above the response we have had in previous years.  We met again last week with (whom I believe) will be the leadership of GASB.  And they have been busy.  They have a rough draft of the bylaws, how the organization will be structured (President, Vice President, etc.), and the subcommittees needed to fulfill their goals regarding networking both within the school and with the accounting community in Indianapolis.

Even if you don't want to assume a leadership role in GASB, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved.  Do you have a contact in the accounting community who would be a great speaker for the MSA luncheons?  Do you have an idea for a volunteer opportunity that would shine a spotlight on the graduate accounting programs?  Ultimately, do you want your voice to be heard?

GASB will have a pizza night on Wednesday, November 18th that will provide the opportunity for you to find out more about GASB.  Don't miss out on the chance to meet more of your classmates, make some connections and have free pizza!  And you are always welcome to come to a regular GASB meeting.  GASB meets the first Friday of each month.  Hope to see you there!

Where did the time go?!? 

I was reading Shannon's blog about the super stretchy laptop cover (which is very cool, by the way) and I realized that it had been a while since I submitted a blog.  Been a while?  Try almost 8 months!!  The keepers of the blog are no doubt quite unhappy with me (I think I feel the evil eye even now), and I can't blame them.  But how in the world did over half a year pass under my very nose?  I'll tell you--WE'VE BEEN BUSY!!

Enrollments are up, so my usually placid summer of cleaning out files and catching up on emails was replaced with advising appointments and screening applicants for the MSA and MST programs.  And you know what?   I love it!  Admissions for the summer/fall 2009 terms were up 18% for the graduate accounting programs which means I get to do more of my favorite thing--meet with students.  It seems that more students are taking advantage of my calendar and scheduling their advising appointments early.

Graduate students will begin registering for spring classes the first week of November.  If you have never met with me, I send you a handy spreadsheet with your schedule plan via email right after your appointment.  We can even work out a long-term plan.  MBA Students:  do you want to see if you have what you need for your major?  I can help you with that.  Have you scheduled your advising appointment yet?  Well, what are you waiting for--time's a wastin'...

 

I was just answering some interview questions regarding the Master of Science in Accounting program and the CPA exam.  The MSA program is one of many tools that will help you for the exam.  The MSA is a great way to get the extra hours you need to sit.  I mean, if you have to take more classes, you may as well take the ones that will benefit you for the exam and earn a Master's degree in the process!

After meeting the educational requirements, the other part of exam is the preparation.  There are several kinds of prep material--just Google "CPA Review Materials" and there are over 427,000 hits!  But there is one precious commodity that you will not find on the Internet--your course notes.  If you're like me, you have notebooks and folders and binders full of pages and pages of notes.  HANG ONTO THEM!!  Those notes are an invaluable resource for you as you prepare for the exam. 

In case someone hasn't told you, CPA exam prep is not for the faint at heart.  To really do well, you need to immerse yourself in the material and basically live it every day, right up until you take the exam.  Yes, it's hard work.  Yes, it's a sacrifice.  But when you find out that you have just passed the last section, there's nothing like it!

So for those of you who are graduating soon (or for those fortunate enough to be finished with classes,) remember:  Those notes are gold!! 

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that we will have a CPA prep course on campus this summer...

It just hit me the other day that, for the first time in a very long time, I DON'T HAVE TO STUDY!!  Even though I had a sizeable break (15 years) between classes, I have been studying pretty much non-stop since August 2000.  I finished by undergrad in December 2003, then started my graduate degree in January 2004.  I completed that degree in August 2006.  You would think I would be done.  Nope!  Now I have to start preparing for the CPA exam.

To be honest, I did take September 2006 off, but I started hitting the CPA review books in October to prepare for a January test date.  For those of you who do not know much about CPA prep, it is a fulltime job.  I would get home from work, eat dinner with my family, then hit the books until 11pm.  I did this 6 days per week up until the night before I sat for each section.  But it paid off.

I did not pass the first section, but I passed the next two (talk about a confidence booster!)  Unfortunately, I did not pass the last section.  But that was okay--I was shooting for 50% anyway.  I studied all summer and retook my last two sections again.  I was once more hoping for 50%, then finish in January.  I took Auditing in October and FARE in November (before I had the results from Auditing.)  I found out I passed Auditing at the end of November.  Then about 3 weeks after I took FARE, I started checking for the score every day.  When I checked on December 23rd and found that they had not yet reported my score, I was disappointed.  I figured they would wait until after the holidays.  On Christmas Eve, I was answering some emails and I thought I would check for the score one more time.  And lo and behold, I passed FARE as well!  My husband called to ask me what I wanted for Christmas and I said; "I'm good!"

So, now I don't have to study--until CPE begins next year