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Meghan Hughes is a senior accounting student attending the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and plans to graduate in May 2019. Meghan received scholarships from Alabama, but also chose it for its closeness to home, only a few hours away. We got to know Meghan a bit better since she’s been with us, and we found out she’s keen to learn how to surf. She’s also an avid fan of music, describing herself as being unable to go a day without it:
“That’s not an exaggeration,” she tells us, “I enjoy going to concerts when I can […] The energy of a live performance is addicting.” Especially so, Meghan says, if it’s a performance by her favorite band, MisterWives.
Energy and action—it’s easy to detect some outstanding themes when learning about Meghan Hughes, but it does leave you wondering, why accounting?
I’ve always kept track of my money. Sometimes even others’. I would keep a ledger to see how much I deposit and withdraw from my piggy bank. My mom noticed my knack, so she suggested accounting, and I just rolled with it.
Mom must have known best, because Meghan is now enjoying the pursuit of her accounting education. Her favorite part of her school’s program? The expert guidance from her intermediate accounting professor.
He makes sure every one of his students understands the material being taught. Accounting is a difficult subject, and he makes it easier to learn than other tutors or professors.
When Meghan first heard about Gleim through an email from her school, she signed up to be a Campus Rep. She was already planning to take her CPA exam, and found out that as a Gleim Campus Rep she could earn a free review course. She told us she has enjoyed being a part of the program for two big reasons—flexibility and benefits.
School is always the priority, and [the Gleim Campus Rep program] understands that. I earn my points on my own time so it’s not another thing to stress about on top of school. I also get to learn everything I need to know about the CPA exam, plus more.
Of all the Gleim CPA Review’s features, Meghan likes the ease of course navigation, and especially the study planning tools, because they promote stress-free study.
The review course has everything set up for you – you just input your personal preferences, and it will create a schedule that you can work with. This saves [you the] hassle of trying to plan everything out; you can start studying instead.
When asked about the greatest challenge of the CPA journey so far, Meghan believes it comes down to retention—the real challenge, she explains, is that passing doesn’t just involve memorizing information. It involves truly learning new material.
However, she found that being a Gleim Campus Rep created solutions to help her overcome some of the typical challenges of becoming a CPA. Something that was particularly rewarding was being able to network with peers, and she recalls receiving a lot of advice from colleagues on “how to master accounting.”
Having gained plenty of experience herself, she also had some advice for other accounting students, and shared it with us. Knowing full well her love for music, we were somewhat surprised by her number one study tip.
[I study] in a closed room where I have plenty of desk space and little to no noise. I usually start by making a checklist of things I’d like to get done. I also set a couple of timers so I know when to take a break. I drink plenty of water, NOT coffee. If I find I really need an energy kick, I’ll drink a V8 energy – the same amount of caffeine as coffee and less sugar.
Peace, quiet, and caffeine. Balance. We love it.
