Competition is normal, You can’t avoid that.
Have you faced a situation where your sibling or cousin is a CA or studying to be one… and there is a constant comparison?
Before we go ahead let me tell you – Competition is everywhere, isn’t it?
We people often find competition at our school, at our workplace, and even at our home. Yes, it’s true in so many cases that parents compare siblings and expect that if your sibling scored good marks then you should too, if your sibling is good in any activity, then you should be too.
It’s a common psychology of every parent, hence we can’t blame them either, as they do such comparisons unintentionally.
I know, you too faced this situation at your home where you’ve been compared with your cousins or siblings by your parents.
This competition increases a lot if your sibling is a CA but you are not. We all know how tough this course is, there are only a few students who are able to clear CA in one shot, and the rest get stuck in May and November cycles.
So, if your brother or sister is a CA and you are still struggling with attempts, then a comparison between you and your sibling might be normal.
How to deal with such competition at Home?
Such competition at home really hits differently.
Maybe you or your friends who got stuck in this course are suffering from this.
Even though healthy competition often promotes growth, this type of competition is not at all healthy and this comparison causes self-doubt among the students.
- What if I couldn’t clear it?
- What if I failed in my next attempt also?
- My parents will get disappointed again because of me.
- I am not a good daughter or son, just look at my sibling who’s already a CA and making my parents proud. And look at me, I am not able to give them happiness.
- Though I studied hard, it still went in vain.
- My parents also have to bear taunts from our relatives, but what shall I do in such a situation?
These are the common thoughts in the minds of every CA student dealing with such a situation.
Take a deep breath.
Don’t compare yourself with anyone…. not even your sibling who might be a CA or studying with you to be one!
You’re unique, understand this.
I know it’s hard to deal with such a situation right now, but one day everything will fall into place, believe me.
One day you’re also going to make your parents and your family proud as your brother or sister did by becoming a CA.
It’s just a matter of time. Don’t feel disheartened.
I know it’s tough for you to make all of this understandable to your parents, but let it be.
Don’t put your energy and effort into thinking much about it, instead, put your energy into studying for your exams. Soon you’ll be a proud CA.
Don’t look at your siblings as Competitors, look at them as Mentors
If your brother or sister is a CA now, take it as a good opportunity as you have someone to guide you for your exams. Ask for exam tips, take their guidance, and ask about their strategy which helped them in clearing CA. I am sure that when you’ll ask them, they’ll be more than happy to help you.
Don’t consider your siblings as your competition, consider them as your Guide and Mentor.
You know when I was appearing for my CA Exams, I used to face so many doubts related to my studies, I wanted to figure out which strategy was going to work for such a tough exam.
I wanted someone to guide me but I had no one.
But you have your sibling. He or she will guide you in the best way possible as they themselves have faced many struggles and don’t want you to face those struggles.
So, listen to their feedback, and plan your studies accordingly. You are lucky if you have a CA at home, take this as a good opportunity and not as a competition.
Lakshman Gupta Kanamarlapudi, a Chartered Accountant and co-founder & COO of Qapita – CapTable & ESOP Management Platform, says that when he was trying to choose a career path, his twin brother Ram and he both decided to pursue Chartered Accountancy.
Was there a rivalry between them? No!
“It was actually beneficial as we motivated each other to study hard. By the age of 21, in 1997, both of us qualified as CA’s,” said Lakshman.
You’ll become a Chartered Accountant: Soon your time will come
Akash Jajoo, one of my friends whose elder brother is also a CA revealed once, “I failed once in the CA Inter Exam. I was devastated and decided to quit the CA course. That time my brother suggested not to give up. Despite having a busy schedule because of his Big 4 job, he helped me a lot in making strategies and study plans for my next attempt.
He suggested that I write mock tests as much as I can, and trust me this advice helped me a lot. By writing mock tests, my speed of solving the questions increased, and it also helped me to improve my presentation of answers.
As a result, I passed the exam on the next attempt with good scores. My brother played an important role in my success and I am so grateful to him.”
I hope this article helped you to give an insight on how to deal with such a situation when your brother has become a CA but you haven’t.
