Ganeshbabu K (Audit and Tax Advisory) (48564 Points)
Replied 11 March 2013

How to manage Professional studies while working!

Thanks to RG SIR Fotr this wonderful article

Hi,

Over a period of time I have observed that continuing professional studies along with job is a very tuff job. In my life I have face the same situation and managed the same pretty well. Hence I thought let me take this chance to share my experience with you all.

As per my personal opinion it is not impossible to manage your job and studies both at a time provided your time management complements your time schedule of job.

I would advise you to just focus on what you want to achieve keeping in view the time you have in your hand after your job. Just imagine you have near about 4-5 hour in your hand after your office time. According to me by applying some method or time management and determination you can easily manage around 3 hours time for your study.

Trust me it is difficult but not impossible. I worked full time while getting my Law qualification so I know how difficult it can be. I used to study during lunch sessions and during travelling. I would also advise you to plan your weekends well in advance from your study point of view.

I can think of few tips from my personal experience which are given below:

MORNING STUDIES

For students who are working along with study the point below becomes very important. I would advise you to get up earlier in the morning and utilize your morning time for study. I know some of the students prefer late night study. But for working students the same is not advisable because of evening office tiredness.

Just trust me even just waking up an hour earlier could make a difference to your studies. So make a mind set to wake up early in the morning. This could help to get you started. I'm sure that it would be difficult in the beginning, but after a few weeks, you'll settle into the new routine.

UTILISE THE DAY TIME

I would also advise you to make full use of day time for your studies. You may use your lunch time for studying or discussing general topics. Always have your materials readily available so that you can study at any given time.

One more important thing regarding above 2 headings is always use the morning time for preparation of important topics and chapters. You may finish general topics in day time by discussing them with your friends or colleagues doing the same course.

TIME MANAGEMENT IS MUST

Yes as we all know managing studies with job is a very tuff task unless you have a well organized time table to manage both. So in this manner again time plays an important role. The importance of time can also be realized from the above two headings.

However if you are engaged in part time job yes you can have reasonable time to study. On the other hand if you are engaged in full time job you have to plan your studies out for effective utilization of your limited time.

STUDY DURING COMMUTE TIME

It is not easy for everyone to concentrate on study while travelling. However your travel time which is lengthy can be very handy if you can utilize it for your study. It is all about mind set once again. Select simple and interesting topics to study during your commute time. Again for this a proper schedule and planning is required.

FEW GENERAL POINTS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF WHEN TIME IS LESS

1. For some time you have to plan your leisure activities or in other words all you need to prioritize your activities. You may postpone few activities till your exam gets over.

2. You may study on a neutral place instead of your home. Getting out of home helps many people. Since being at home can often be distracting as you want to take care of things that can wait.

3. You may also utilize your working time towards your studies. While on work you can discuss topics with your colleagues who are doing the same course. In other words working as a group also helps.

BENEFITS OF STUDYING ALONG WITH JOB

I know for some student study with job is a very difficult situation. However there is another aspect of the coin which needs to be discussed. There are certain benefits which are attached with study along with your job. Some of them are:

1. You will understand the value of time because without understanding the value of time you can’t manage your studies with job.

2. You will learn how to effectively utilize limited to achieve higher goals

3. Your vision and view will be broaden because you develop the ability to achieve more in short period of time.

4. You will develop the ability of multi tasking which is very imp in today’s time.

5. You will learn how to utilize your work experience in your studies.

PRE-CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDY WITH JOB

Let me sum up the discussion by mentioning some of the pre-conditions for successful study with job. These pre-conditions are:

1. Effective utilization of time.

2. Pre-planned schedule for the day; like what to study and when to study.

3. You must plan your vacations and holidays well in advance from study point of view.

4. Stick to the basics of study because you don’t get time for experiment with your study.

To find out basics of study kindly refer the link given below:

BASICS OF STUDY PROFESSIONAL COURSE !!!

In the end I would say it is all about being dedicated and finding a balance. Many would say it requires "sacrifice" but to be honest I don’t think so. If you want something bad enough, then you shouldn't think of things you're giving up as a sacrifice. You're simply prioritizing according to your short and long term goals. I've seen many inspirational examples of dedication and prioritization.

You are requested to please share your views.

Thanks

RG-A hELPING HAND

2 Like

Ganeshbabu K (Audit and Tax Advisory) (48564 Points)
Replied 11 March 2013

Managing Your Studies with a Full Time Job

Thank you CMA.CA. SANJAY GUPTA sir for providing nice article TO ALL OF US

I have been asked many a time by many CCI members and students “How to Manage Your Studies with a Full Time Job?.” I am writing this article to try and remove some doubts associated with “Continuing your studies along with a job”. I am writing this article purely based on my experience and my observations in case of some other peoples.

Some of the disadvantages which we always find are:

1) Very little time to study.

2) Physically demanding.

3) Effect of Mental Stress Associated with Job.

Look, managing your studies with a full time job is difficult, but it is difficult because we think so. In fact I will say doing a full time job helps you in your studies. Now the question is how? Let’s check out.

Advantages of Studying with a full time job:-

1) Security: - Yes it will be most beneficial in your studies. When you are already on a full time job, you will have a sense of security. You don’t have to worry about passing to get a job. Most students put a lot of stress on them by thinking they have to pass to get a job, to start earning their livelihood. When you are employed you don’t have to worry about that part. And this works in your favour, it makes you relax and enjoy your studies. I have seen this happen not only with me, but many others too. So being employed works as boon for you.

2) Value of time: - Since time for studies is very less you will start to give more value (Importance) to time. It is a well known fact that when things are scarce we tends to give it more value, we emphasize more on its proper utilization. Student who is only studying tends to think I have got lots of time and most often do not utilize the time properly. To the contrary when someone studies along with a full time job knows the worth of time and ends up utilizing it lot better.

3) Experience helps: - Practical experience of being in job also helps in your study. When your area of work and area of study are same, your job will be very helpful in your study. Say if you are working in Accounts & Finance department and you are pursuing CA/CWA, you will get lots of benefit from your on job experience. Say if you are looking after direct or indirect taxation you will be better prepared to face taxation exams. When you start studying you will come to know that you already know a lot about the topics of your syllabus because of your job requirement. When you do something practically it stays embedded in your mind for long. So from this perspective also job is helpful in your studies.

4) Enjoyment in study: - Sometimes when you study of hours you can loose enjoyment factor. For doing anything effectively you have to enjoy what you are doing. Because of Job you will get less time to study. So ultimately you will be able to enjoy your studies. Because you study little and study tension free you will able to enjoy and ultimately make your studies more and more effective.

So we can see that Studying along with a job is not that bad and if anything the job helps in our studies instead of hampering it. But ultimately it all boils down to your point of view. Be positive and take it in your stride, it will make a lot of difference.

Some tips for managing your studies along with job:--

1) First and foremost, study to understand the topic and to learn, not only to pass the examination, as if you perceive your study to help you in your future jobs and assignments.

2) Make a habit of studying at least 1-2 hours daily depending on time at your disposal. Even if you study for half an hour make full use of it.

3) Utilize your holidays and leaves properly.

4) Plan how you are going to approach your syllabus. Because of time constraint it might not be possible for you to complete your syllabus. So plan accordingly, which chapters are important and to be completed first. Plan in advance and study accordingly. For planning use scanner and also check current question paper patterns. Proper planning is most essential in cracking professional examination.

5) Make your own notes of what you study. It will help you in revising in short span of time. Self made notes are also easy to understand.

6) When exams are nearing try to increase your study time compared to earlier.

7) Be relaxed and confident as you have managed lots of things in practical field.

8) During examinations be relaxed. Ultimately those 3 hour will matter rather then the time you have spent on your study. Being relaxed will make you do better in examinations.

So just enjoy your studies and your job. Be positive and be successful in life.

Last but not the least I will end this article with a few lines in our beloved language “HINDI”……

“Raah mein kaante ek do nahi hote
raah kaanton se bhari hoti hai
Manzil us raah ki aakhiri chor par khadi hoti hai
Jahan har kadam par milti ek nayi choti hai
Dekh use jinke hounsle dagmagaate hain
Ve manzil ko bhula kaanton mein ulajh jaate hain
Jinki nigaah manzil par hoti hai
Ve kaanton pe hi chalkar manzil ko paate hain”

RegardsCMA. Sanjay Gupta.

1 Like

Ganeshbabu K (Audit and Tax Advisory) (48564 Points)
Replied 11 March 2013

And my words abt this,

1)dont take work to home at any time

2)dont bother that you have a less time ,prepare a time table and stick on to that,.

3)dont bother about if you find inconveniance to atend coaching classes,no problem you can get that from internet,and e-learning and many facilities there at,

4)As you are in work,,to get a student atmosphere be in touch with professional onlline.

you cannot find better site than CACLUB INDIA to interact with CA,CS,CMA Professionals,to clarify any doubts.

5)Plan a realistic revision plan,

6)and never let give up thought in your mind

Regards,

Ganesh babu

All the best.......♥All is well....♥

6)

Vandana Mulchandani (Finance Manager ) (9227 Points)
Replied 21 March 2013

Hi, As per my suggestion Preparation for CA Final in just 1-2 months is not an easy task. However it is not impossible. Further CA is a career oriented course so detailed study is very much desired. But when time is short there are few points which may be considered for quick preparation. For this you have to be committed towards your study and goal. Kindly check following points: STICK TO THE BASICS OF STUDY- Preparation of CA final requires lot of energy, planning and time. So if you have short time for preparation than it is recommended to follow the basics of study. Based your study on scanner and prepare frequently asked questions. Avoid preparation of non-important chapters. In short simply go for selective study and avoid unnecessary experiments with your study. Some of the basics of study are as follows especially when time is short: 1. Follow scanner for preparation and checking the preference of chapters. This will help you to utilize your time in a much better way. Scanner is a compilation of questions asked in previous examinations. 2. Avoid non-imp topics and chapters because there are lots of topics which are totally irrelevant for exam. In fact Study mat itself is full of irrelevant stuff. So develop a sense what is useful for exam purpose and left the other material. 3. Go for selective study as time is short. However for a professional course like CA selective study is not recommended at all. CA is a course which requires lot of time and study to go deep into the provisions and practicalities. 4. Never waste time. Correct utilization of Time is indeed a key to success as we all know the importance of time in professional studies. One more issue I’d like to raise here is correct utilization of time after exams. Most of the students waste the time available between exams and results. I would advise you to please utilize the time available between exams and results because it is not a short time but it’s a long period of 2-3 months. So I’d request you all to please make proper planning to utilize this time period. 5. Discuss topics with friends for good grip. It is a very good idea to re call provisions in the exam hall. 6. Take advice from CA final experience holder. Trust me their advice can really help you regarding what to prepare and what to skip. 7. Usage of correct books and Notes is also very important to preserve your energy and keep your preparation on the right path. 8. Further it is advisable to go through ICAI study mat quickly because chances of asking questions from study mat has gone up these days. 9. Also make some space for revision also. Ok time is less but that is not an excuse as revision is indispensible part of preparation. 10. You may use the following books for the preparation of CA Final books: BOOKS FOR CA FINAL Group I: 1) Financial Reporting : MP Vijay Kumar / Padhuka 2) Strategic Financial Management : V Pattabi Ram 3) Adv. Auditing & Professional Ethics : Padhuka / vinod K Agwaral 4) Corporate & Allied Laws : Munish Bandhari Group II: 5) Adv. Management Accounting: Padhuka 6) Information System control & audit: Dinesh Madan 7) Direct Tax Laws: Padhuka / Singania 8) Indirect Tax Laws: Vandana Bangur Accounting Standard: DS Rawat / MPV Auditing Standard: Padhuka All the Best.

Read more at: /forum/details.asp?mod_id=196622#.UUqfuSJRUvs

Ganesh had already shared few...check if these too are helpful..

RG sir

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/forum/details.asp?mod_id=196622#.UUqfuSJRUvs

Ankur Sir

/forum/all-my-exam-tips-at-one-place-revised-118812.asp#.UUqh7iJRUvs

/forum/how-to-start-your-exam-preparation-92719.asp#.UUqiCiJRUvs

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