Shubham Singhal

We never liked each other. 
He is NOT a normal person.

By normal, I mean he didn't usually go out, party, or watch movies like the rest of us.

We knew each other from our time at the RVG hostel.

I didn't appreciate his discipline, and he didn't like my lack of it.

I found him very nerdy, and he found me very non-nerdy.

Since we were poles apart, we didn't bond.

But when I cleared the CA final with AIR 4, he started respecting me. (Perks of getting a rank)

Now, he's a dear friend of mine.

Today, ironically, the thing I admire most about him and am desperately willing to learn from him is his consistency and discipline in his work.

It's not that he doesn't crave breaks and non-working hours. 
Of course, he does!

But staying disciplined and consistent requires a lot of guts.

I haven't met anyone as disciplined as him.

He knows how to maintain a fine line between kindness and people-pleasing. 
He has aced the skill of saying NO politely and escaping to his work.

It's crazy how we roast each other yet have massive mutual respect. 
That's true friendship, I guess.

This is just an appreciation post for Kushal Lodha even though it might inflate his ego, which I don't want:)

But okay, it's fair to give credit to deserving people.

Kushal, if you still want my Netflix & movie recommendations, you can always DM:)

Your CA Buddy
Shubham Singhal

Are you searching for an articleship?
Are you only applying for your preferred domain?

How do you decide which domain is right for you, considering you only have theoretical knowledge until now?

I see many students being picky and rejecting certain domains without fully understanding their potential.

And the basis on which they're deciding domains is quite absurd.

--> “If you like traveling, go for audit; if not, go for taxation.“
--> “Internal audit? The name itself is unappealing – hence, rejected.“

Seriously?

Each domain has its unique challenges and rewards based on where you want to see yourself in the future.

“But sir, I'm not sure what I want to do in the future.“
Fair enough.

At this point, you need to take a risk.

But taking a risk without proper research is pure gambling, where the chances of losing are higher than winning.

For example, someone might tell you that auditing gets monotonous after a while, but for me, it significantly helped in developing my skills.
Interacting with CXOs is a great aspect of having audit as a domain.

Taxation is a field that people rarely get into, but it significantly helps in CA Final studies.

Before choosing a domain, do thorough research.

Make sure you know about all the domains available in the firm you're applying to.

Domains like forensic audit, transfer pricing, and international taxation are not that common but provide great exposure.

Don't say NO to anything easily.

Don't fall for the advice of those '4 log'.
They'll take the credit if everything goes right & step back if things go wrong.

Seek clarity rather than make assumptions.
Also, remember that your experience can heavily depend on your team and clients, not just the domain.

I encourage all CA Finalists pursuing their articleship to share their thoughts on various domains.
Your insights will help students make well-informed choices.

If you liked reading this, follow for more:)
Your CA Buddy,
Shubham Singhal

“November attempt hi bakwas hai.“
One of my students dropped this in my DMs.

Curious, I asked, “Aisa kyu?“

He replied, “Sir, so many festivals come around this time. Even if I sit down to study, koi na koi relative, neighbor, ya random log ghar aa jaate hai.
And then there’s the noise of firecrackers, dhol, loud music, and the worst part is seeing everyone post pictures on social media enjoying these festivals. FOMO ka next level!“

He kept going with his rant.

Now with the next attempt in September, does that make things easier? Well, only to some extent.

Sure, you can now enjoy Diwali and Navratri guilt-free, but what about the other festivals?
Rakshabandhan, Janmashtami, Paryushan, Ganesh Chaturthi - there’s a festival almost every week!

If you don’t study, you’ll feel the regret. But if you do, FOMO will hit hard.
It’s a tough spot to be in, right?

But hold on, here are a few tips that might help:

--> Make early mornings your best friend. Use this quiet time to focus on challenging topics or subjects.

--> Plan your study schedule around festivals. Just like festivals are planned, your study time should be too.

--> Reward yourself for meeting targets. Maybe treat yourself to your favorite sweet.

Let’s be real, festivals are going to cause some time loss. It’s almost unavoidable.
So, instead of stressing, build a realistic schedule that leaves room for a bit of celebration.

Honestly, ask any CA aspirant, and they’ll tell you about the festivals they’ve missed or the parties they’ve skipped.
But you know what? It’s all worth it.

These are the moments that turn your 39 into 40 or push you from 299 to that golden 300.

And think about it, when you pass, all those missed celebrations will come rushing back with the added joy of your achievement.

So, keep going, stay focused, and remember - Sacrificing this festive season may make your upcoming celebrations better.

Your CA Buddy,
Shubham Singhal

There is a physically disabled girl in my CA Inter batch who can hardly see or hear, and still, guess what she is doing?

She quietly shows up every day, fully motivated and dedicated to her CA Inter exam prep.

I’m not here to compare anyone, but honestly, I don’t think I have that kind of strength.

The way she handles things, the kind of positive attitude she carries, it’s actually unbelievable.

By God’s grace, I’ve got everything working fine for me. But still, I don’t carry the level of determination she does.

It’s all about how you look at life. Your problems may feel too big right now, but maybe from someone else’s point of view, they aren’t that big at all.

Studying and scoring marks is your responsibility, not for others but for yourself and most importantly for your parents.

Trust me, no one else deserves your success more than your parents.

They might not say it out loud, but they’ve invested everything they had: time, energy, money all just to see you win.

Your success is not just yours. It’s theirs too.

So, from today stop cribbing about small things and start fighting for what really matters.

Keep giving your best. One day, your success will make your parents the proudest they've ever been.

Your CA Buddy
Shubham Singhal

Making plans, schedules, to-do lists is easy.
Sticking to them is difficult.

Setting an alarm at 6 am is easy.
Not hitting the snooze button is difficult.

Studying for the first 5 hours is easy.
Pulling off those extra 5 is difficult.

Starting anything is easy.
Continuing it with the same motivation, pace, and efficiency is difficult.

There will be obstacles.
There will be distractions.

What matters is to keep going.

Giving up is easy.
To keep going is difficult.

And difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations :)

Keep going!
Shubham Singhal

I went from Failing in Biology to an AIR 4 in CA.

When I was in the 7th standard, I was told by my relative that becoming a doctor would set my life in stone.

I stuck to this dream throughout 9th and 10th Std and even wrote “I want to become a doctor” in my friend's slam book!

After securing 75% in my 10th board, I found out that a career in medicine required a science background.

Fulfilling my dad's hopes as he believed in my abilities because of earlier high scores, I chose the medical field, even though I wasn't entirely aware of the studies required to become a doctor.

My dad arranged admission to a top hostel, making upfront payments. However, My hostel experience was very short-lived, it lasted only for four days.

I desperately wanted to go home, I didn't feel like I belonged there.

So, I completed my 11th and 12th grade studying Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.

I failed my Biology exam, but I managed to secure a 91% overall in the 12th board. The dilemma arose once again if I should attempt the entrance exam for higher medical education.

While my father was optimistic because of my good score and believed I could crack the medical entrance, I realized my lack of interest in Physics, Biology, and the intensive study requirements.

After some introspection, I realised that the idea of spending countless hours studying subjects I didn't love felt suffocating.

So what now? Luckily, a successful CA relative and his lavish house and cars inspired me to explore an alternative career path in Chartered Accountancy.

This decision wasn't easy but I found the courage to voice my true aspirations to my dad. Despite his disappointment, he respected my decision and never pressured me to reconsider.

I decided to take the CA route.

My dad made it clear from the start that I had to be wholly committed this time.

And this is how my CA journey started...but this is not the end...

How did I cope with Accountancy? How did I clear my Foundation without knowing the basics of commerce?

Comment below if you want part 2

Follow me Shubham Singhal for more.

Your CA buddy
Shubham Singhal

#ca #calaw #caaspirants #success #mindset

Mai sorry kyu bolu?
Meri kya hi galti thi?

We’ve all felt this, right?
In articleship, jobs, or even in our personal lives, it’s easy to get defensive and think like that.

But let me share a short story from the employer's POV.

Some time ago, one of my employees made a mistake. It wasn’t a big deal, but it set the project back.

When I brought it up with him, he went into defense mode, throwing out explanations:
“But it wasn’t just me.”
“If the team had done things differently, this wouldn’t have happened.”

The more he explained, the worse it got.
What could have been a five-minute discussion stretched into an uncomfortable debate.

A week later, another team member made a similar mistake.

This time, he came to me first, looked me in the eye, and said, “I’m sorry. I know where I went wrong, and I’ll fix it.”
That one sentence shifted everything.

There was no ego, no defensiveness, no blame.
Just humility.

We moved on, and the issue was resolved with mutual respect.

I’ve seen so many employees make mistakes and, instead of owning up, they hesitate and be afraid of the consequences or just too proud to admit they messed up.

But eventually, you'll realize that a sincere apology can build bridges that justifications only burn.

So, next time you find yourself in that moment, think twice.

If you liked reading it, follow for more CA & life-related content.
Your CA Buddy,
Shubham Singhal

Do you agree?

Articleship ke mazza Dheere Dheere sazza ban jata hai.
Time kab nikal jaata hai pata hi nahi chalta.

Aur classes start karne ka plan bus plan hi reh jaata hai.

Well, I understand that this might be happening with many of you.

On top of that, Nov 24 attempt ke papers ke dekh kar yeh toh realise ho hi gaya hai ki Exam-oriented batches aren't sufficient.

But wait!
I have a solution for you.

Announcing a live-guided batch for DT Regular (180 hours) batch.

Recorded ka mazaaa aur live ka discipline...
Basically, you'll get best of both worlds.

What you'll get?
1. 100% coverage of CA Final Direct Tax.
2. ⁠100% questions discussion in class
3. Scribble and Mind Mapping Method of Learning.
4. Revision in class along with revision audios.
5. Separate Doubt solving session in zoom.
6. 9 Chapter-wise Test and 1 Full Mock Test.

Basically, tumhari DT ki zimmedaari meri:)

Ab swiggy ke share prices ki tarah apne marks ko bhi upper le jaane ke liye, comments mai di hui link par click kar ke enroll karo.

Will be waiting to see you all in the class on 21st Nov.

More details in description!

Also, do share your articleship experience in the comments.
Would love to read them:)

Your CA Buddy
Shubham Singhal

In 2023, I learned a valuable lesson:

Not everything you decide can be achieved💯.


It's easy to set targets but difficult to realize what you cannot achieve and more so to share with you guys.

I had four goals for 2023 that I couldn't achieve:

1️⃣ I wanted to start reading books last year. However, due to my focus on taxation books for my DT batch, I ended up fulfilling a different reading goal. Perhaps I can give it another go this year.

2️⃣ My goal was to focus on my health by starting regular exercise. I tried for a couple of months but couldn't keep it up. Here's hoping I can start again soon.

3️⃣ I aimed to be more consistent on LinkedIn. Despite handling teaching, note-making, YouTube, and Instagram, finding time for LinkedIn was tough.
I did better than expected, but I was still not as consistent as I wanted to be.

4️⃣ Lastly, I had hoped to launch a batch for the CMA final law in 2023, but my tight schedule didn't allow it.
Maybe it'll happen this year instead.

Admitting when we haven't achieved our goals takes courage, but it's okay not to achieve everything you set out to do.

But on the bright side, even though I couldn't achieve a few of my targets, I had twice as many students as I had hoped for my Direct Tax batch!!

Thank you all for your love and support!❤️

Let's keep striving and growing together.


Your CA Buddy,
Shubham Singhal😎

Happy #CA day! 🎉😁

To all the aspiring CAs: 
Iss saal tumhara din nahin toh kya,
agle baar pura saal hi tumhara hoga :)

Just keep going! 💪

#chartedaccountant #caaspirants #ca