Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Believe yourself!

"Think twice before you take up Chartered Accountancy.. Its a five years commitment.. easy to get in but difficult to get out" these words were told to a student who had just topped the district.. I was just sixteen then.. just a kid.

The next two years in Bangalore just flew by. One of our seniors had got the prospectus of CA. I ran through the syllabus.. PE I syllabus was quite doable. PE II was a little scary with so many Acts and Final seemed impossible. The teachers at college used to tell us how difficult the course was and how low the pass percentage was.

I had made up my mind to become a Chartered Accountant and luckily didn’t change my decision..

“If you don’t get a rank, you will repent”. These words by my bhaiya still ring in my ears. Two years back someone advised my to think properly before taking up the course and now there was someone who believed that I could easily clear CA exams and wanted me to target a rank..

After this I always prepared with the “Rank” in my mind. A rank in CA became my dream which finally came true in all three examinations I appeared in. In fact I had already thought of writing "3 Ranks and the means" in August 2009 itself. Confidence really made a big difference.

I have found many students lacking self confidence. They just dont believe that they can pass CA exams. They start preparation well in advance, take up tuitions, study till late night and do everything possible under the sun to prepare for exams and yet do not clear their exams. One reason why they fail is lack of confidence. Their mind is packed with fears and doubt. They doubt their own ability.

“People say passing both groups is impossible”
“Exemption aagaya toh bas hain (I just need exemption in couple of subjects)”
“ I may have to write again in November (even before may exams start)”
“ The pass percentage is very low this time.. Don't know if I can pass”

These are few thoughts that keep oscillating in students mind. Its not that students don't want to pass. But somewhere in their subconscious mind the fear of failure persists. This seriously hampers preparation and the exam attempt which finally affects the results.

You can walk on a 20 feet plank on ground. If the same plank is kept at height of 100 ft connecting two towers you cant walk. The plank is same but the fear of falling dominates your ability to walk. And finally you won’t be able to walk. Similarly fear of failure dominates your ability to prepare and write well in the examination.

Have faith in yourself. Believe that you can pass the exams with flying colors.

Just knock the T off the CAN'T.


If you don’t believe yourself, nobody else will..

What I did and What I did not..

In the blogs that follow I would be writing what I did and what I didn't do in all these five years of CA course. Securing a national level rank was never ever in the list of things which I believed I could do. I did not even feature in top ten in my 10+2 exams. Then what made me secure Rank 1 in CA PE1 and Rank 4 and 2 in PE 2 and Final respectively.