8 things I learnt about life while going through the CFA program

[no_name]

@IvyC

Of course there are outliers - some of the most brilliant and intelligent people in history never finished school, but those are few and far between. However if you were to take the individual credentials of a good degree, CFA, work experience at a reputable firm, good recommendations, etc then together they paint a very good picture of the person.

this person sounds like bernie madoff… only without CFA never trust things to turn out as you predicted

[no_name]

@S2000magician

… Dedication and persistence probably have a lot more to do with it than mere intelligence.

maybe discipline make the mark as well?

[Babsfrey]

Anyone bothered to compute the number of charterholders to total number of candidates who entered the program?

If we do have just over 100,000 charter holders and over 1,000,000 candidates entering for at least level 1, it is safe to say that only about 10% of all candidates eventually become charterholders.

Can we draw conclusions from this?

[Cth1983]

It’s probably a little higher than that. About 165,000 people have passed Level III (some are waiting on work experience, charter approval, etc.) and plus there are a ton of people that are currently working through the program and haven’t reached Level III yet. Without any data to support this, my guess would be closer to 25% of people that start ever finish and get their charter.

[brafique]

@Babsfrey

Excellent post!

I relate very well with 1 and 5. On 1, the fear factor! I feared that if I fail, I may lose the respect of some peeps who thought I am above average and almost “abnormal”; even though I think they are not so right about me being super. Also, a colleague and friend of mine breezed through the program within 18 months and I was keen to replicate the same, and luckily I did.

Again on 5, my fear propelled me into obsession. I lost every sense of fun and intimacy. My girl friend and family can attest to this. All that I wanted to do and talk about was the CFA. At a point, I was on self imposed house arrest. Staying indoors, and returning as quick as I can whenever I manage to leave the house.

I am glad it is all over now. I am still struggling to get my groove back though. I feel that sense of nostalgia. Maybe, I am permanently a changed person now after 18 months of solitude. I am almost feeling like a nerd. I know I must get over this, because it is hightime I resumed networking.

Looks like I’m not alone in having this mentality! When I was studying, everything else (including eating/sleeping) became secondary. Probably not the healthiest approach, but hey who can argue with the results!