Long hours, low stipend, steep learning curve. Here is what actually helps in year one — from people who just finished it.
Ananya Sharma·30 July 2026·7 min read
The first six months of articleship are the hardest, and almost nobody tells you why: it is not the workload, it is the loss of structure. College gave you a timetable. A firm gives you a client list.
Build your own timetable
Block two fixed study hours before office, not after — evenings get eaten by deadlines
Treat one weekend day as non-negotiable revision time
Keep a running log of every client task; it becomes your interview material later
Do not skip the log
Two years from now you will not remember which audit taught you what. Your log is the only artefact of your training that survives.
“Articleship is not a job you survive. It is a portfolio you build.”
A CA who wishes she had known
Finally: your principal is a resource, not a hurdle. Most are willing to route you toward better work if you ask specifically and early.
