‘Study but don’t raise expectations’

Aim for the top but expect the worst.

That was the motto of two University of San Carlos (USC) accountancy graduates who landed fourth and 10th in the recent Certified Public Accountants licensure examination last month.

Wendell Kohn Ang and Arianne Cañon Fernando said they prepared by reviewing everything they studied in the months leading to the review and the board exam itself.

Ang ranked fourth among the country’s top 10 examinees with a 93.71 grade while Fernando rounded out the list with a 92.29 grade.

For Ang, the exam result was the culmination of a journey which he set out after high school.

“One should choose what course he or she wants at the start and they should be interested in it so they can finish it well. If you’re not interested then nothing will happen to you,” Ang said.

Ang said he always read his lessons in advance before classes and listened to teachers.

On taking the exam, he said he aimed for the top but scaled down his expectations in order not to be disappointed if he falls short of his goal.

Ang said he wasn’t pressured to top the board exam since most of his friends knew that aiming to do so would only backfire.

Fernando said she enjoyed college life more than high school but didn’t allow herself to be distracted.

“I made sure that I didn’t fail my studies. If there are classes, then I attended them,” she said.

As the exams neared, Fernando said she gave up her nightlife and studied for hours. Ang graduated magna cum laude while she graduated summa cum laude.

“Okay ra nako na di ko mo (it’s okay for me not to) top but for the sake of the people who believed in you kay mora ganahan sad ka na mo (you are motivated to) try to do your best,” Fernando said.

USC is known for its high passing rate of 80-100 percent in the CPA board exam.

Ang and Fernando said students in their second and third year in accountancy take several exams to determine if they are fit to proceed to fourth year.

“If mahagbong ka ana na exam, pa shifton ka so, wala jud kay choice (If you fail the exam, they would ask you to shift to another course so you don’t have a choice),” Fernando said.

“It’s harsh, but it’s right. I can say that the department was right in requiring those exams because it is in preparation for the board exams,” Ang said.

In reviewing for the board exam, both Ang and Fernando said it’s better to understand the concepts and the topics rather than memorizing everything.

“Don’t let anything pressure you. Feel relaxed and be confident. Study hard but leave everything else to God,” Fernando said.