Rebecca Wuorio is a Staff Auditor at Baker-Newman-Noyes Public Accounting. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in accounting and finance from the University of New Hampshire. And, she landed her job as a CPA right out of college. How did she do it? She studied hard—it's that simple. Rebecca's study habits enabled her to pass the CPA exam, all three parts, in just three months. Below are her tips for success.

Make Studying Your Job

Rebecca devoted three-months to studying for the CPA exam on a full-time basis. Making time to study is an investment. Do students have other courses for which they need to need to study? Yes. Do they have part-time jobs? Often. But the central takeaway from Rebecca’s success is that study time needs to be the top priority.

Stay Focused

A prevailing myth in both education and the workplace is that we can multitask. We can’t—our brains are not built that way. In David Crenshaw’s book, The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done, Crenshaw explores and debunks the practice of multitasking. According to Mr. Crenshaw, wastes time and costs money. Rather than being efficient, multitasking has been shown to damage productivity, not increase it. Rebecca made it a habit to shut off her phone and free herself of all distractions before she started studying, reducing the temptation to multitask. If you remain unconvinced about the truth behind multitasking, try this exercise by Crenshaw.

Develop a Study Routine

Rebecca’s situation was unique because she was able to devote her entire summer to studying. Yet, every student can develop an effective study routine. One of the ways Rebecca created a study plan was by keeping her eye on the prize, that of becoming a CPA. Set your own goals and motivators to keep you going even when you find it difficult to do so.

Whether you're studying for a professional certification or trying to pass Calculus, the key to success is the same—develop and stick to a defined study routine.

Do you have a study routine? Share it in the comments below.