BEC 2016 Update

Many people reach my blog by searching about BEC on Google (“How can I pass BEC,” “Why did I fail BEC,” “BEC Study Plan,” etc.). Therefore, I thought I would write this updated post for 2016 with some helpful information instead of just complaining about BEC (you can read complaining here). I have included resources that I found helpful for my own study plan. I am not affiliated with the AICPA, NASBA or the CPA Exam. This is not official at all; I am just a CPA candidate writing on a personal blog. You should do your own research and double-check whether the information presented here is correct and still applies. 

This post contains my BEC Strategy, A Closer Look at BEC (Content Specification Outlines) and My Study Plan, CPA Exam Resources, and BEC Resources!

Back to School Supplies for Accountants

Schools started on Long Island last week and NYC this week. How can you tell? The increase in traffic, of course! It is also getting cooler these days and I have such an urge to buy school supplies. There's something about fall and school supplies! Why leave all the fun to the kids? Yes, Accountants – You should have some new supplies this fall! 

OK, notebooks and other supplies may be considered low-tech compared to your cell phone, tablet or laptop. But I find people pay more attention when taking notes in a notebook as opposed to a laptop. Don’t you hate giving a presentation to a conference room of people who are typing away on their laptops? You hope that they’re taking notes on what you’re saying, but they are more likely responding to an e-mail. How about when you are explaining how to do something to a colleague and they just stare at you and nod? Fast forward 3 hours later, and they completely forgot everything you said. To prevent them from asking you a million questions via e-mail, rip out a page from your notebook and give it to them to take notes. 

Wise people have said that you retain more information when you put a pen(cil) to paper, and the science now proves it. Check out this article entitled “Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away” which references a number of recent studies that prove this theory. 

It’s Time for Turkey Meatballs!

It’s almost time to start making fall comfort foods! Even though the meteorologists are forecasting 90 degree days this upcoming weekend here in New York, it was a little cooler earlier in the week. And the cooler weather made it the perfect time to try spaghetti and meatballs. 

I usually make my meatballs with ground beef, Greek-style with mint (like my mom does), but I decided to try ground turkey this time and make it with more of an Italian flavor. Giada has a good recipe that I based this on. I like some of her recipes, but I find her annoying. I grew up in a predominately Italian neighborhood (people who recently immigrated and also people whose families have been here in the US for a couple of generations) and nobody pronounces spaghetti as “spa-GHEE-TEE,” ever. Maybe it’s a dialect thing – she’s from Rome and my friends and old neighbors are from Southern Italy? Or maybe she likes to over-enunciate her words? In any case, she adds ketchup to her turkey meatballs, so I wanted to try that here. Let's see how that works.