Obviously im going to kick it into high gear regardless, but for the last month and a half or so of reading, Im finding it difficult to go over material that I already studied so intensely. As I said at the beginning, I have a fairly solid retention level and its making it difficult to review the material here at the outset, as necessary as the review may be. Any other retakers having the same or similar issue? Houston?
What was your weakest area? What “mistakes” did you do when reading the material the first time?
Have u tested ur retention with some Practice Exam, test bank or something? If you’ve not done that then how do you know how so retentive you are already?
I think what you have is a “been there, done that” hangover. Don’t let your mind deceive you…
caspian- know exacyly what you are talking about. I am reading FSA amd I’m thinking, OK this is what I want to be reviewing in April- got to read it though- sucks- where are you?
Caspian: Tape your 2007 results to your T.V., computer, girlfriend’s chest or whatever distracts you from studying. I swear that is what keeps me going. And keep doing practice problems if you think to yourself “I know this already.” Also, explain tough areas to a friend or colleague to pound those subjects home.
“OK this is what I want to be reviewing in April- got to read it though- sucks- where are you?” Im finishing up equity analysis which completes my last reading. After I finish this book, I can start looking at questions again, and Ill focus on the areas I never really got the first time. “Have u tested ur retention with some Practice Exam, test bank or something? If you’ve not done that then how do you know how so retentive you are already?” Obviously I dont have the formulas memorized, but if you fail this test, and then start restudying next year, you’ll know what I mean. Eleven, I havent started on questions yet. Im going to start doing that after I finished reading to remind myself of all the topics. Plus, Im going to use the CFA books for the topics I didnt master last year such as quant. As for my results last year, I dont need to be reminded of them. I know what I did wrong and what I need to fix. I vomit just thinking about passing the largest sections and still failing.
I must agree Caspian. It is hard to find the desire to get back to the level which is required on game day (when you have already learned this crap before). Do I really need to memorize the translation gain/loss formulas again…argh. Haven’t started yet. I have one more week of goofing off and then three months of intense review. 
"Do I really need to memorize the translation gain/loss formulas again…argh. " This is my point. I kinda remember the translation formulas, so when I read the section, I kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinda went over it a bit too quickly, because I remembered the jist of it. I know this is premature because we have three more months, but I just cant get into it. Of course, one long 6 hour study day on a saturday will change that very quickly.
Same here Caspian. Its getting extremely harder to study 2nd time around than 1st. You’d think it would be the other way around. First it was hard getting into it, now, since i’m starting to study, most of the time i’m thinkin i know this stuff.
agreed, studying is weird this time, sometimes I’m shocked to see what I know…but then it’s also easier to justify not doing it. This week’s been stupid at work, I’m behind 5 hours easily in studying. I’m doing questions now, otherwise I zone out in the readings.
Same here…i thought it will be a lot easier to this time since i already know the most of m,aterial so i have to master the difficult study sessions…now i am finding it really difficult to study…i picked up economics …its was so boring…then i moved on too C.fF its seems that i know all of this…some how this boring part is making me stay away from the books…plus the CFAI text6 and schweser dielema is a killing…last year i just did it with schweser…but this time i want to read CFAI text…but i just get lost in those endless pages of CFAI text…a completly messed up!!
stick to schweser. Use CFAI books only as reference. Last year, I didnt have CFAI and relied soley on schweser. At times I wish I had CFAI books in front to check some of the things I vaguely remember from my undergrad. But I knew that if I even opened CFAI I would want to read them all…and waste my time.
Know what you mean, i just finished my last reading and am just going to make love to mock exams, back of book questions and exam providers for the next 3 months. I started reading again in October after failing L2 for the first time this past august, was pissed off at the world, felt like i was reading the same crap all over again and that i knew it. I’m over it now, i think i know it even better now. Stick to it retakers, we’ll prevail or fail…sorry not a good motivator.
2x2equals4 wrote: even opened CFAI I would want to read them all…and waste my time. Whay are CFAI books a waste of time? I used Shweser last year and failed Level II first attempt- all their fault. This year I am using CFAI and figure I am pretty much guaranteed a pass. All kidding aside, I am finding CFAI books MUCH better. I want to be be done with first reading end of March then just take tests and review. I actually did not want to start too early because I wanted to remain fresh in my mind and I was only going to read it once…
I also like CFAI books. I find them well-written.
I totally agree - in spite of their volume, I find that I can get through readings faster than reading condesnsed material.
remember whatever you use to study its quality over quantity. My buddy was a finance major in undergrad, read through the entire CFAI books for level one and failed…didnt do enough practice questions from the sounds of it.
My personal opinion is that Schweser is great for Level I- you are basically regurgitating information- I passed first attempt using it. But Level II is a different anmial and it requires you to have a higher level of understanding. Probably depends what type of “learner” you are, but for me the examples and extra explanation really help because I am always asking why is this so. With Schweser- I would stare at the same page for an hour some times and the info was simply not there. I am planning to use Q bank though…
I was intending to study schweser notes only for Level 2. Now I think I have to change my study strategy to study CFAI text only… Should I?