When I started preparing for CA, I believed one thing.
If I read the ICAI study material three or four times, I'd automatically become confident.
So that's exactly what I did.
I highlighted important paragraphs.
I wrote key points in the margins.
I even made separate revision notes for every chapter.
Everything looked familiar while reading.
But the moment I tried solving questions without opening the book, my confidence disappeared.
I knew I'd seen the concept before.
I just couldn't apply it.
That's when I understood something every experienced CA student eventually learns.
Professional exams don't reward students who remember the most. They reward students who understand the most.
A few weeks later, while comparing different faculties, I found CA Purushottam Aggarwal classes.
I wasn't looking for another teacher.
I was looking for a different way of learning.
The first lecture immediately felt different.
Instead of beginning with the answer, he started with the reason.
"Why do students usually make mistakes in this topic?"
Nobody had asked that question before.
Rather than treating mistakes as something to avoid, he explained why they happen in the first place.
That simple shift completely changed the way I approached the subject.
One discussion stayed with me long after the lecture ended.
Instead of solving another textbook illustration, he explained how a concept would appear in different forms during the examination.
The idea wasn't to memorise one solution.
The idea was to recognise the concept, no matter how ICAI framed the question.
Suddenly, the subject stopped feeling like a collection of isolated chapters.
Everything started connecting.
And when concepts connect, revision becomes surprisingly easier.
I also realised something about my own preparation.
Earlier, I spent most of my time making notes.
Now I spent more time thinking.
Whenever I finished a topic, I asked myself,
"Can I explain this to someone else without looking at my notebook?"
If the answer was no, I knew I hadn't understood it properly.
That habit helped me far more than rewriting notes for the fifth time.
I'm not saying CA Purushottam Aggarwal is the perfect faculty for every student.
Learning styles are personal.
Some students enjoy quick revision batches.
Others prefer shortcut techniques.
But if you're someone who likes understanding why a concept works before learning how to solve it, you'll probably appreciate his teaching style.
Another reason I found the experience helpful was flexibility.
With CA Purushottam Aggarwal online classes, there was no pressure to understand everything in one sitting.
If a difficult topic needed another explanation, I simply replayed that part.
If I wanted to revise before a mock test, the lectures were always available.
That freedom is difficult to get in a traditional classroom.
While searching for courses, I also realised something else.
Finding the right faculty is only half the challenge.
Finding a trusted platform is equally important.
When I visited Smart Learning Destination, I wasn't looking for only one teacher.
I wanted to compare different faculties before making a decision.
Some educators explain practical subjects exceptionally well.
Others are known for theory.
Having multiple options on one platform made that comparison much easier.
Instead of visiting different websites every semester, everything I needed was available in one place.
If there's one suggestion I'd give every CA student, it's this.
Don't buy a course because everyone on social media recommends it.
Watch one complete lecture.
Close your notebook.
Then try solving two ICAI questions on your own.
If you notice that you're thinking differently—not just remembering more—you've probably found the right teacher.
Because success in CA isn't about collecting the maximum number of lectures.
It's about learning from the one that actually changes the way you think.