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What it means to become a chartered accountant with Phoebe

Written by: Nassim Gribi
Published on: 1 Feb 2021

What does it mean to you to pass you ACA exams?

Passing my ACA exams makes me feel so proud of myself and relieved that the work I put in has paid off. It is such a widely recognised qualification and I feel like I can do anything now!

 

What were the challenges to studying and how did you overcome them (was lockdown a difficult factor?)

I did face some challenges along the way, life can get in the way sometimes but I tried to make sure that I stayed as focused and as motivated as I could. I’m so happy that I did.

I live in Grimsby therefore I usually travel to Leeds to study ACA with my two colleagues. We had our first week of final exam tuition just before the March lockdown but since then we never went back to study. This meant we had to adapt to online learning and I took my final exam remotely. This was all very different to what I was used to, however knowing that we were all in the same boat I knew I could try. I made sure I still asked questions if I needed to and spoke to my peers. Lockdown has been difficult for everyone, I felt so lucky that I was still In a job and was able to study.

There was also a lot of support and information available for the remote exam. Once I was prepared for it, it was a good experience.

 

Do you have any advice for students who are currently studying through remote learning at university or college? Any motivation tips?

Make sure to do one thing for yourself before or after your tuition time, to stay focused during tuition you need to get some fresh air or do something to take your mind off study for a little while. Stay positive and connected, everyone around you still wants to help even if they’re not physically there.

I would also avoid going on your phone as much as possible by setting social media limits or turning it off. It can be very tempting to scroll on social media when you’re feeling demotivated but it only causes you more stress when you then have to go over topics. Please do try to stick to this – you’ll thank yourself later!

 

What’s next for you?

I am looking forward to focusing on my job and working hard whilst enjoying my new role being qualified. I want to continue to share my experience of completing the AAT to ACA route and spread the message to young people that studying the ACA qualification can bring you so many opportunities.

 

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