Sometimes when you are studying for the CPA exams, it feels lonely. You may have a supporting significant other, family, or workmates as it was the case for me. [I know, I am lucky!] However, there were times when I still felt like nobody understood what I was going through. There were times when I wanted to discuss my feelings and thoughts about the exam, but I felt nobody would understood because they were not taking the exam. In addition, even though people are supportive, they have more important things in their own lives that they are caring about (as much as you are caring for your CPA exams!) So, where do you find people who are also going through what you are going through? People whom YOU will believe that they understand exactly what you think and feel? Where will you find people who will say things and you will go, “oh, exactly my thoughts, I guess I am not weird!”?
Online CPA forums as Support Groups
Online forums may be helpful. The ones that helped me the most are the following two:
Jeff’s blog at another71.com. You can see the old posts/comments, or you can go to the new forum platform that he has built. This guy has done great things for a lot of people through his website. It was inspiring and at the same time scary to read his story, and other people’s stories. But at the end of the day, I felt much better after reading a few posts. There were also times when I laughed so hard at things people say, I lost my breath! Whatever the case, if you feel like you have nobody to talk to, and you cannot talk to me 
or people here, you can always jump over at Jeff’s site, and you will be able to find people or people’s footprints that will lift you up.
CPAnet.com is another site with great forums that I visited whenever I wanted to see what like minds were talking about. I read a lot, but didn’t comment much. Again, it was helpful to go to a site that is dedicated to helping people like you and I.
I must issue a small disclaimer!
The forums can be addictive. You may end up wasting a lot of precious study time! So, as everything else, do it in moderation. Do it at your own peril. As a smart CPA candidate, you are expected to know when you have been motivated enough or supported enough to go and study!
In addition, at forums, as in all good places where people are gathered, you will find some not-so-nice people out there. So, you have to control yourself and have the thick skin to tough it out if people say nasty things. Remember, eyes on the goal: passing the CPA exam. Don’t let trivial things take away your focus.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found that helpful.
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