Motivation | Break through
BEYOND THE SETBACKS
How Joshua Wilson turned his challenges into victories
Having lost both parents before the age of 25 and being diagnosed with ADHD when he was five, Joshua Wilson MAAT AATQB has had a lot of challenges in his life. Yet by working hard on his AAT studies, focussing on developing his career, and finding ways to break down barriers, he was able to turn his life around. He has just achieved AAT Level 4 and is now beginning his ACCA qualification.
Joshua, 27, is the winner of the AAT Impact Award, which is awarded to someone who has overcome challenges and obstacles to begin their AAT journey, demonstrating resilience along the way. Here he shares tips on how he dealt with a variety of professional, personal and health challenges.
Tackling academic struggles: Joshua was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5 but managed to cope with school until the age of 13. That year, his mother died soon after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
“I was generally a well-behaved kid up until I lost my Mum,” he explains. “With my ADHD I was a bit mischievous, messed around, couldn't sit still, but I attended all my classes and worked hard. But then when my mum passed, I threw everything away and I hated everything. I left secondary education with only three GCSEs.”
He worked at a couple of jobs for a while and then decided he wanted to emulate his father by becoming an accountant. He studied AAT Level 2 at Chichester college and then self-studied AAT Level 3 and 4 at home. While he was studying for Level 4 and taking his final exams, Joshua’s father was admitted to hospital with Covid and put into a coma.
“It was lockdown, and I was only able to visit him three times in the month and a half before he died, because of visiting restrictions,” Joshua says. “While I was struggling emotionally at the time, I also had responsibilities. I had my younger brother Ben to look after and so I kept my head down and I kept going and kept studying. I knew that if I lost both my parents, we would have no one, so I had to make sure I was in the right state to keep everything afloat.”
Navigating self-study
When he started on AAT Level 2 Joshua opted for self-study instead of attending lectures because it fitted better around his life. While he liked the flexibility, and self-study suited his learning style, he did sometimes struggle with motivation.
“After rebelling at school, I still didn’t really apply myself to Level 2 and I messed around a lot,” he explains. “I still didn’t really like studying.”
The turning point was realising that he needed to put in short-term effort for long term gains.
“I realised that if I didn't pull myself together in my life and take a more mature approach then I wouldn't be able to have the finer things and I wouldn’t have a fulfilling career,” he says. “I am ambitious now and I want more out of life and nice holidays and the freedom that money brings. The only way you are going to get that is if you put the effort in.”
Joshua found a job at French utility group Veolia while studying AAT Level 3. He then progressed to AAT Level 4. Despite having struggled at school, and while his father was seriously ill, Joshua pressed on with his studies, achieving AAT Level 4 just after his father passed away.
Overcoming health issues
There has been a lot of publicity around ADHD and as a result adult diagnostic and medication services have been overwhelmed. Joshua has been waiting for medication for nearly three years and has had to find ways to manage his condition while studying.
“I would definitely say there is a big misunderstanding with ADHD,” he says. “A lot of people think that you're just acting immature or childish and they don't realise ADHD is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain.”
He credits a lot of his success to his partner Jasmine, 22, whom he says has been “incredibly supportive” and has pushed him to work hard at his studies and make the most of his life.
“She is at university, so she needs to work too. We study together and that helps me keep going,” he says. “We find different places to study and hold each other accountable to our study timetables.”
"I get distracted easily, so I have to lock myself in the study without my phone and not come out for an hour"
Creating a positive work-life balance
Balancing full-time employment with studying for professional qualifications like AAT and ACCA was a significant challenge for Joshua. In order to ensure that he stayed on track with his qualifications he established routines, set study goals, and used resources effectively to manage his time and commitments.
“I get distracted easily, so I have to lock myself in the study without my phone and not come out for an hour,” he says. “When you are preparing for exams, routine is your friend. I also found that if I booked my exam, I knew I had a timeframe that I had to stick to, otherwise I would just keep putting it off.
“I set myself a goal of a minimum of an hour a day of study after work, and try to aim for an hour and a half. I totally concentrate during that time, and then when I've finished I can play XBox or go for a walk.”
Preparing for exams
Joshua likes to prepare thoroughly for exams and uses a variety of different revision materials including YouTube videos in order to understand the content he is learning.
“I did every past paper on the AAT website and every past paper I could find online,” he says. “I watched every video on YouTube that had anything to do with the exam. I would talk things through with other people because sometimes reading a book is not enough. When someone actually speaks to you about something new, you often take it in a lot better than if you just read it yourself.”
Joshua's study tips
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