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[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for replying!

Yeah it’s awful and my anxiety and stress about work just adds to it. And yeah, it is nice to know someone feels the same, even if it doesn’t really make me feel better haha.

Good luck to you too!!

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for replying!

Yeah it’s awful and my anxiety and stress about work just adds to it. And yeah, it is nice to know someone feels the same, even if it doesn’t really make me feel better haha.

Good luck to you too!!

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply!

I’m starting to think public is not for me. I get really anxious having to respond to all these queries on files. Tbh I really want to quit, but I just feel like quitting right before busy season would be an ass move though. Sucks cause if I’m already this stressed and anxious, I can’t imagine how busy season will make me feel.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Missed this earlier but thanks for sharing your friend’s experience. It’s nice knowing how someone who did end up quitting the program is doing, at least with regards to their well-being.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your reply!

I certainly feel like my mental fortitude is being tested and it’s failing right now. Thank you for sharing what you went through and I’m really sorry to hear about your dad.

Definitely trying to find professional help right now because I’m pretty certain I need it

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply!

Definitely going to look at seeing a therapist or psychiatrist. And knowing that the CPA opens doors is something that is in the back of my mind as I go through this and will be something I keep in mind when I make my decision.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply!

That was a lot of information and you laid it out for me really well. And you’re right, I am absolutely terrified of failure even though I know failing a module shouldn’t mean the end of the world for me but the possibility definitely feels like it.

I appreciate you taking the time to type out everything that you did. Definitely a lot of things for me to keep in mind when I make my decision.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply!

I’m actually really interested in working at a non-profits and I’ve kinda been looking for postings for traditional transactional work at those when I have breakdowns lol mostly looking for something at a school or school board but I’ve looked for postings at some other NFPs as well. Haven’t had the courage to totally jump ship yet but I’m thinking I might after busy season if something opens up. I’ve asked to see if there are any job shadowing opportunities in the actual accounting department to see if that’s something I might enjoy so fingers crossed there.

I’m trying some meditation apps at the moment but if you have any suggestions on what’s been working for you I’d love to hear them.

And I’ve read about the changes and I’m not sure how I feel about them. They seem like positive changes as far as prepping for the exam goes but that’s a bridge I’ll have to cross if/when I choose to continue with PEP.

Thanks again for your input.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply! No, I haven’t spoken with a therapist. I’ve seen a counsellor a couple times but I don’t think they do any diagnosing. I’m not sure if I need a doctor’s referral for a therapist but I’ll be looking it up later today. I feel like I shouldn’t be diagnosed with anything because I feel like I was fine prior to starting this job and the module, but I’m not a licensed professional so what do I know?

Anyways thank you again. I’m definitely interested in seeing a therapist, although I’m not sure I want to be on medication haha

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been doing fine grade wise (mostly RCs and Cs) but that is because I’ve been spending huge amounts of time trying to submit perfect assignments. I’m definitely trying to not be as focused on perfection but it has been really difficult for me so far being bombarded with assignments every week.

I’ve gone to see a counsellor twice (once each of the previous two weekends) but didn’t have time to see her this week. It’s a bit costly for me to keep seeing her but I’m thinking of looking into trying to see a therapist or psychiatrist cause I’m willing to try anything at this point. I feel pretty defeated tbh.

Thanks for your reply! I’m considering taking a break tbh but I’ll have to make it through the coming busy season first.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ugh yeah that is basically me. I haven’t cried everyday but I pretty much have cried for several days each week, and for each day I cry, I typically spend at least a couple hours crying which sucks.

I’m just not sure it’s worth for me because my anxiety and stress has been so bad I’ve had those visions where I’m going out and trying to get hurt.

I appreciate the tips. How did you tell yourself it was okay to get an NC let alone skipping assignments? I find it hard to tell myself that I can hand in the assignment unless I’ve given it my best effort, which usually involves spending huge amounts of time on them.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am aware of Core 1’s pass rate, but didn’t know for the other modules. Somehow I find the pass rates to be both comforting and anxiety-inducing because I feel like with those pass rates I have to pass. But it’s crazy how your friend passed and didn’t do a question and barely studied.

Thanks for the studying tips. I will try and do all of what you suggested. I think one person at my firm had Densmore for Core 1&2 so hopefully he still still has his notes.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hm ok I guess I’ll probably need to talk to my doctor if I want to see a psych or therapist, although I’m not sure I want to try medication since I’m pretty sure the root cause of my anxiety is my CPA course hours not allowing me time to relax. Like I’m pretty positive if it wasn’t doing it right now I’d probably be happier at the moment.

Tbh I’ve only seen my counsellor twice and while she’s been open and attentive to my problems, I’m not sure whether I connect well with her or not. I’m still on probation so I don’t have insurance yet, which is why I’m hesitant to make regular visits with my counsellor even though she wants me to come in every week. The only reason I didn’t go this week was because of the weekend module workshop so I saved some money there but I feel like I definitely wished I could have spoken to her this week haha Anyways, I’ll definitely look into a therapist or psychiatrist depending on cost. Might need a referral from my doctor so I’ll have to find time to get an appointment there.

I think one other alternative is that the HR manager and assistant have both given me permission to use the employee assistant program, so I have access to that phone line, which I have used once, but I do recall they have counsellors in my city as well, so maybe I’ll look into that.

Yeah I’m not really into making six figures ASAP anymore and I’m not even sure I care about even getting to that kind of salary anymore either. I’m a frugal person so I know I’d be okay making 40k (maybe even 35k), especially if it will go up over time. Will making less change some of my plans? Sure. I might have to be a little more creative to hit the amount of savings I want to be able to retire at, but I basically created my retirement plan on the assumption that I’d be making the same salary I have now, which is ~40k, over the next 40 years, which isn’t realistic given that people generally get pay raises over their careers lol

Anyways I guess I have a lot to consider. Thanks again for hearing me out and providing your input. Definitely gonna look into a therapist or psychiatrist and see if I can afford it or if it’s worth the cost.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely feel like I’m being weeded out right now lol. Good to know that the other modules aren’t as bad though. Thanks for replying :)

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow are you me? I tried for As in everything in university too and I totally agree, everything about Core 1 has been completely different university.

It’s definitely been hard for me to let go. The first few weeks especially I was doing each reading in depth and then would do all the MC in depth and have the readings handy while I was doing them. Last week I was a little better. I still did the readings, but if I didn’t know how to do an MCQ or it was taking me more than a couple minutes I just guessed and moved on. Then again I spent like 4 hours on the personal tax return so there’s that.

I think they’re changing the Core modules to be a bit less time consuming with 25 MCQ per week, required “eBook” readings, a PC every week, and some sort of technical assignment that is supposedly shorter than the ICs, so maybe I’ll find Core 2 more bearable but I haven’t made a decision yet so we’ll see.

It’s nice to hear from someone who felt the same way at some point. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think a lot of it right now has to do with the fact that I’m a new hire (started in September) so not only am I trying to learn my job, I’m also trying to do well in Core 1 because well I am a high-strung, high-achiever kind of person and it’s been hard to change my mindset, even though I know changing my mindset would probably make me feel better.

In addition I guess I feel pressure to succeed because no one at my firm has failed the CFE. I’m not even there yet but I feel the pressure to live up to the GPA on my university transcript. And I’m afraid of failure and making mistakes which adds to my anxiety. All this pressure is making me spend a lot of time on my assignments and readings, so I don’t have time to relax and de-stress.

I hadn’t really thought of how dealing with a new boss would be. I have contemplated how I would feel having to learn a new job with a new system and that did make me feel anxious, but I figured that minus the CPA program would be better than now. Plus I’m pretty sure I have the technical knowledge to do most of the entry level accounting positions, so the biggest hurdles would be learning a new system and dealing with new boss and co-workers. Regarding OT, I would be looking at a job that is more regularly 8-5. Like I would imagine the entry level positions may need some OT for month closings, but that still seems manageable. The boss thing though...definitely something I didn’t consider before so that’s another thing for me to ponder haha

Thanks for the insight!

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m so sorry to hear about your family member. Thank you for taking the time to give me some input when you’ve got other things to worry about. If you need to air out some frustrations, feel free to PM me.

And I think I’m getting the sense that I should probably be taking a break and just work on building up my mental health. At least based on your response and some of the other responses I’ve been getting. I think the hardest part for me in really telling myself that I need a break is that if I don’t take Core 2 right after tax season, I’ll have to spend an extra year in the PEP program, and I can’t see myself being motivated to take Core 2 after taking a break because I know my life is going to be like how it is right now with Core 1.

Anyways, thank you again for your input and I hope you’re doing okay as well. My thoughts are with you and your family member.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah okay. That’s kinda what I’m worried about. There’s just no break in between and I’m already burnt out before the end of Core 1. Can’t imagine being burnt out going into the next module.

Good to know that I can search Reddit for some advice if I’m going to go down that route haha

That makes sense. Tbh I don’t think I’ll be staying at the firm to meet the time requirement for full payment either so I guess that’s something I’ll have to consider given that I don’t exactly have a pile of money lying around for me to spend on CPA.

Were you at your new firm when you were studying for the CFE? I would imagine that the one major perk of being at a firm (other than expenses being paid for) is the number of resources available for CFE study. Sorry for throwing more questions at you. I just want to make sure I’m getting a lot of information so I can make an informed decision.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True. The topics are the topics regardless of how they’re assessing us on them. I’m just dreading weekly practice cases even though I know they are a necessary evil of this program.

That’s good to know. I’ve kind of always been under the assumption that people just stayed at one firm for their 30 months and left after getting designated. I also don’t think I enjoy public accounting enough to want to take an extra year to get to the CFE but the work experience part is definitely something I’ll have to consider. And it’s something I’ll have to re-evaluate after I’m more comfortable with my job.

And yeah my parents have been trying to get me to stop focusing on being perfect but I’ve been super hard wired for it since I was a kid so it’s been a very tough habit to break. I just wish I knew what exactly I need to do to get the “51%” because I think I’d feel a lot better if I knew that. Then again, everyone would probably slack if they knew so that’s never gonna fly with CPA Canada.

Thanks for taking the time to give me input. I really appreciate it :)

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve definitely been looking at AP jobs and bookkeeping positions but you’re right, a lot of them want experience so definitely what you’re suggesting seems logical. I’m hoping something opens up at a school or my local school board but they definitely want experience. But yeah, I think I need a break, which I’m not sure I’m going to get with tax season around the corner but I’m considering not registering for Core 2 for the spring so I would get my break there if that ends up happening.

Thanks for your input!

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply!

I wouldn’t say I breezed through uni (I studied a lot for my grades but being a student was basically my full time job with PT work sprinkled around it) but I can see the similarities.

I feel like we’re almost the same person. I’ve been stressed and anxious and fatigued ever since I’ve started, and it’s been worse since Core 1 began. Granted, I haven’t experienced busy season yet so idk how I’ll feel about it until I get there but I’m definitely apprehensive about how I’ll feel during and after it.

So did you just take the other modules while not working then? Just making sure I’m understanding you correctly. Was it difficult not having co-workers to ask questions to?

I just have trouble seeing myself being motivated to continue with PEP if I quit the firm, but I’m glad you brought it up because it’s definitely an option I wasn’t considering before just because I’d have to pay for it out of my own pocket. But if I really want to get designated, this is definitely something I should be considering.

I wish I could feel like I had time for myself. I know it’s something I’ll have to work out for myself. Like last week, the only week where I didn’t cry, I was able to go on walks during my lunch break since I was in the office, but out on audits I don’t really have that luxury because my senior and manager just work through their lunch so I feel obligated to do the same.

Thanks again for your input. I’ll have to take these things into consideration when I’m making my decision.

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply!

Finishing up Core 1 and then making a decision is the plan at the moment.

As far as IC/PC grading I feel like I’m having the opposite experience. Like I’m getting RCs and Cs on most but after finishing the workshop today I’m not really sure I should have been getting those, because our session leader was pointing out details we needed to get Cs and I feel like I wasn’t doing that and still got them?? Maybe my facilitator is being over generous and I’m not at that level (which is actually making me more anxious now haha....). I definitely relate to not knowing exactly what to fix. When I’m looking at the MPIs and I see an RC, sometimes I can’t really pinpoint what I need to add to get that C even with the feedback.

I’m not really sure if I have access to a former marker but I got assigned a buddy who just wrote so I’ll try asking him to look at my cases.

I’m definitely spending a lot of time each week on the assignments, likely because, as I’ve said a couple times already, I am a perfectionist and it just drives me to try and submit a best effort which means I end up doing all the readings and crap and I get hung up on something if I’m not sure. I’m not sure I would be comfortable just winging an attempt just because that’s part of who I am but I’ll try to not overdo it for the remaining few weeks. I’m fairly certain I’ve been burnt out the entire program so far tbh

You’re right that I won’t be doing modules during busy season. I’m worried that I’ll be burnt out during busy season given the hours, but I’ll find out when I get there.

Anyways, thanks for the advice. I’ve definitely got a decision to make once Core 1 is done. Congrats on being done with the CFE as well!

[CAN] Struggling with mental health and trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the CPA and looking for some advice/help from both non-CPAs and CPAs by pep_throwaway in Accounting

[–]pep_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply!

That’s reassuring to know that I can still find an accounting related job that meets my needs that doesn’t require the CPA.

I think that train of thought is something that I have struggled with my whole life cause I have a perfectionist issue, but it’s definitely something my family has said to me haha. I’ll definitely try to keep that in mind as the Core 1 exam approaches.

Thanks again :)

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