Re: CPA exam
You lot in the US have it made then. We had to go through a rough 2 years of full time education - the CA Foundation part - before we could join as juniors in an audit firm. And then the usual 9AM to 12AM-2AM routine. It really is very hard to squeeze in your studies when you have such a crappy routine. And I am sure they are much more organized in terms of busy season because ours was spread throughout the year. The annual closings split between June 30th and December 31st (for different clients), then the half yearly and quarterly reviews. Plus other assignments. It was one hell of a busy routine throughout the year. If anyone would lag behind, they would chew him up and spit him out. lol. Now when I look back, it was all for good, really toughens you up. I did 3 years in Financial Advisory then - absolutely loved it.
Well, all the best for your CPA and job sumo :)