I purchased the Schweser Study Notes and have been using different methods while reviewing. At first, I was taking notes from the study guide, which required a ton of time to get through each book. Honestly, I don’t know that I would have enough time to use that method for each of the books. After I realized the amount of time required to take notes, I just started reading through the sections and only writing down the crucial formulas. While this second method saved time, I started getting worried about how I would go back for my second review if I don’t write notes. What have some of you Shweser Study Note users done? When you go back and review all topics, do you simply re-read the Study Notes again? Do you do anything to cut them down for a quicker future review? Or do you just read them once, periodically review the key concepts at the section’s end, do tests and problems, and brush up where needed? Thanks
I am now making notes on each reading… usually about 1 page, double-sided. Then I skim through the CFA reading to make sure I haven’t missed anything, and look at extra examples/diagrams. It’s pretty quick and more effective I feel than trying to slog through the CFA notes right off the bat…which I did for books 1-3.
i started taking notes, but not anymore, it’s too time consuming. Now, I read it once and do questions. If i don’t get the questions right… i re read the areas that i’m weak on… and do more questions…
^Ditto^
I have found it most effective to emphasize Qbank questions after reading. It has improved my retention and gives me immediate feedback on what I need to emphasize when I re-read.
yeah, q bank really helps. although sometimes i feel like “what the $%## is this?” but i learn from it… and I rather learn from it now than during exam time… qbank is by far the best tool…
Meddling, I did EXACTLY what you did. I typed notes for Quant and Econ and then stopped doing so near the end of Econ b/c it was just too time consuming. I then started a 1-pager per reading. It’s a lot more efficient this way and I can draw pictures (not really pictures, but diagrams, graphs, etc.) If there is something I don’t understand when I review the 1-pagers, I go back to read the section. I’m nearing the end of FSA and I feel better about moving at this pace.
Thanks for the responses, everyone; it seems we’re all following similar study methods. I will continue reading through each section, doing the practice questions, and doing Q-Bank. I am planning on using Sundays as a “review stuff I’ve already looked at” days while I complete my run through the various books.
I am doing the same - I read through the Schweser, and highlight stuff I think is really important. At the end of each reading, I do the LOS quiz on Q-Bank and if I get any wrong, I mark that LOS for review on Q-Bank. Then, on the weekend, I review what I have done during the week, focusing on the readings that I have marked. I also do exams with all of the areas I have previously covered to keep repeating it.
A word of caution for you using your personal notes that you have taken after reading schweser. Remember that schweser is already one level removed from the source…CFAI. So you are essentially taking notes of notes. Eventually you will end up like the 3rd copy of Michael Keaton in Multiplicity who ended up shaving his tongue…something to think about. On test day you don’t want to be shaving your tongue. *If you have seen that movie you are as lame as me*
Hello, this is my first time to post. -what I’ve been doing, is reading through each study session using the CFA text, making notes in the margin, then reviewing that same reading when I go to bed, or during lunch at work. I concur in that trying to make actual full notes takes way too much time.
I am struggling with this too. I even calculated the time it would take to get through all the CFA texts based on my reading rate (pages/hr). Right now it would take me 118.4 hours. So I know I have enough time. Going through the CFA texts on things like Quant worries me so I try to take notes, but thats just too time consuming. My course of action now is to go through the books and highlight. At the end of each study session, go back and do as many practice problems as possible. Look at the Schweser notes and read through the weak areas and use QBank…
i dont see anything wrong with writing notes from notes from notes… to me, its all about how you structure everythign in your brain… i reckon it helps to have a summary, then a summary of a summary, and so on, until you get to the main headings…it allows you to see the bigger picture…
I agree that taking notes from notes allows you form a good enough understanding about the main concept and I guess there is little else you can do really. Just wondering, are you making notes ONLY that relate to the stated LOS’s or other notes also? I assume we can’t be asked anything outside the LOS?
LOS only for me. I think making notes of notes of notes is ok as long as what you started with convers the LOS and you actually retain the concepts. I believe that’s how law students study; make a long outline, then cut it down lower and lower each time until the 200+ pages of cases and rules (other statutory laws and/or split decisions and exceptions) become less than 10 pages.
I’m just wondering that if I can follow everything in the Schweser notes, do I still need to study the CFA textbooks? I know for Ethics we should definitely refer to the source, but what about other parts? I signed up for the December Level 1 exam at the very last second so I didn’t even bother to buy the official textbooks. I’m just worried about whether there are some crucial stuff the notes have failed to point out.
hellokitty2007 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I’m just wondering that if I can follow everything > in the Schweser notes, do I still need to study > the CFA textbooks? I know for Ethics we should > definitely refer to the source, but what about > other parts? I signed up for the December Level 1 > exam at the very last second so I didn’t even > bother to buy the official textbooks. I’m just > worried about whether there are some crucial stuff > the notes have failed to point out. When are you writing the exam? If you’ve just started studying, I’m assuming you’re writing in June '08, and if that’s the case you should have your textbooks already in your possession or on their way. the CFAI curriculum is included in the purchase of the exam seat.
For_the_Children97 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > LOS only for me. I think making notes of notes of > notes is ok as long as what you started with > convers the LOS and you actually retain the > concepts. I believe that’s how law students > study; make a long outline, then cut it down lower > and lower each time until the 200+ pages of cases > and rules (other statutory laws and/or split > decisions and exceptions) become less than 10 > pages. Thats exactly what I do… its what we were taught to do in high school… start with one huge summary, then keep cutting it down, level by level, until you get to the main topic headings… im guessing its probably too late to do taht now if you havent done so already though (for the Dec07 exam)
I usually do an outline based on Schweser and add whatever I find relevant from CFAI text and Q-Bank. It takes more time but really helps with organizing the stuff in my mind.
I was planning on using the LOS cards that you get with the essential package from Schweser.