So we got a little more than 80 days till the big dance. I was curious what you guys plan on doing to prepare between now and then. I’d really appreciate what you guys think would be the best course of action between now and then. So far, I’ve read, noted, and answered end of chapter questions from Schweser. I’m weighing a few approaches right now. I seem to always make the mistake of waiting too long to really start doing problems and waste time reading the material usually twice. This time I’m thinking I go right to questions. I’m wondering if it will be worth it to read the entire CFAI material or just do the EOCs and drill questions until I’m ready. I’m also planning on only using the schweser q bank to focus on things that need repetitive drilling. So here’s my plan the next 80 days. Of course it will change as I see how I’m doing. I’m planning on studying 5 hours a day until then. Of course some days that won’t happen. I’ve probably put in around 150 hours so far of studying but I’m considering myself to be dumber than the average bear so I want to have at least 450 hours by the time I’m done. T-Minus 80 Spend 10 days working through all EOC questions. If ahead of time will do Schweser End of Chapter Tests T-Minus 70 Spend 10 days working on sticky sections and concepts. These are already clear to me I think, but will become more clear after the EOCs. T-Minus 60 Take my first mock exam. See where my strengths and weaknesses are. Focus more on those sections. T-Minus 50-20 Target EOC questions again. Take one full mock exam/week. T-Minus 20 Religiously (daily) do my flash cards to help recall all equations and ratios. T-Minus 10 Panic Thanks for your advice and help guys -CT
I like your plan! I would add flash cards at each step though. Good luck!
my plan is ATTACK EXECUTE FINISH with some red bull thrown in there.
Yep, flash cards are a part of every step. But I’ll focus on really memorizing them towards the end.
Still trying to bust through all the material with enought time to review. Just about done with book 3. So I still have to get through book 4&5. My goal was to be finished going through everything once by the 1st week of April. I hope I don’t get bogged down with the upcoming readings.
finish reading the last 3 books by april 30th (a lofty goal, i know) and then take the month to just bang out practice problems
Finish reading the last 2.5 books by April 30 or May 5th, review once all the material, meanwhile doing tests- Q bank and previous years exams.
When it comes to T-Minus 10…you guys need to go into “Intense World Domination” mode. First off, I’d take that entire week off of work. You need to be in the CFA mindset all week…every second of the day. Don’t worry about pissing your employer off. Screw em’. You are employed “at will” anyway (do they REALLY care about you???)…focus on YOU this week, not their garbage. Don’t even waste a second of time, or a bit of energy worrying about getting them upset. You can put that energy and time into studying. Second, eat healthy foods. For real. Get every edge you can…drop the drinking and filthy fatty foods. Third, make sure you work out to give your body some sort of physical release. Material: Everyday, during T-Minus 10 you should be reviewing Individual and Inst. IPS problems and content for a few hours minimum. You should reread Ethics twice, be reviewing GIPS twice a day, and have Fixed Income as your dirty little mistress. Everyone is obviously different, but it’s clear for L3 that those who know IPS inside and out, have Ethics and GIPS memorized, and know Fixed like the back of their hand will have the ultimate edge against everyone else. Formulas are obviously good to memorize in T-Minus 10 too, but don’t expect to see too many of them on the exam. You need a crisp, clear, and deep understanding of the entire curriculum though… L3 separates those who REALLY know their stuff, and those that don’t. Thus, you need T-Minus 10 all to yourself. Be a selfish S.O.B. during these last ten days. Nothing else matters but passing that exam. Screw what anyone else thinks or says. You’ve been in this process far too long to let it slip in the last ten days. Hustle hard and this will be it. Everyone around the world is going to be “somewhat prepared” by T-Minus 10. The ones who pass are going to be the ones that utilize those last ten days to the absolute max. These are the types who are studying GIPS while on the crapper…the ones who shut out and eliminate all peripheral junk…and who LOG OUT of stupid Facebook! Don’t waste anytime in T-Minus 10, or you’ll be in the same situation next year.
CardShark Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > When it comes to T-Minus 10…you guys need to go > into “Intense World Domination” mode. > > First off, I’d take that entire week off of work. > You need to be in the CFA mindset all week…every > second of the day. > > Don’t worry about pissing your employer off. > Screw em’. You are employed “at will” anyway (do > they REALLY care about you???)…focus on YOU this > week, not their garbage. Don’t even waste a > second of time, or a bit of energy worrying about > getting them upset. You can put that energy and > time into studying. > > Second, eat healthy foods. For real. Get every > edge you can…drop the drinking and filthy fatty > foods. > > Third, make sure you work out to give your body > some sort of physical release. > > > Material: > > Everyday, during T-Minus 10 you should be > reviewing Individual and Inst. IPS problems and > content for a few hours minimum. > > You should reread Ethics twice, be reviewing GIPS > twice a day, and have Fixed Income as your dirty > little mistress. > > Everyone is obviously different, but it’s clear > for L3 that those who know IPS inside and out, > have Ethics and GIPS memorized, and know Fixed > like the back of their hand will have the ultimate > edge against everyone else. > > Formulas are obviously good to memorize in T-Minus > 10 too, but don’t expect to see too many of them > on the exam. > > You need a crisp, clear, and deep understanding of > the entire curriculum though… > L3 separates those who REALLY know their stuff, > and those that don’t. > > Thus, you need T-Minus 10 all to yourself. > > Be a selfish S.O.B. during these last ten days. > Nothing else matters but passing that exam. Screw > what anyone else thinks or says. You’ve been in > this process far too long to let it slip in the > last ten days. Hustle hard and this will be it. > > Everyone around the world is going to be “somewhat > prepared” by T-Minus 10. The ones who pass are > going to be the ones that utilize those last ten > days to the absolute max. These are the types who > are studying GIPS while on the crapper…the ones > who shut out and eliminate all peripheral > junk…and who LOG OUT of stupid Facebook! > > Don’t waste anytime in T-Minus 10, or you’ll be in > the same situation next year. great advice CardShark. Thanks for this.
Yeah that’s great advice. The art of selfishness
I’m using the same forumla I did for the other two levels. It worked then, and it better work now. The exception here is spending more time focusing on mastering morning section techniques: After I go back and finish ethics, I will have read and done all Schweser questions as well as created and reviewed once 200-250 pages of my own secret sauce. I make my own review book for every exam. Next: Review my notes and do at least a few CFAI problems from each of the 48 chapters Next: Goal to take 7 full practice exams: 6 Schweser, 1 CFAI. Exam week: Light review, grade my last test, tell myself that the world does not depend on me passing this test
“These are the types who are studying GIPS while on the crapper” Yeah, a whole chunk of my studying was done while on the crapper. I used to make two copies of my flashcards and would paper the walls of the toilet around the crapper with the spare set. Then whenever you are in there having a dump, try and commit 2 or 3 cards to memory. Rinse and repeat.
I cut loose last night and got good and drunk. I’m so hungover today, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to get much work done or studying. Ugh.
Pre 80: Finished 1 read through of schweser+Q’s Finished CFAI EOC Q’s + Blue stickies Finished Flashcards T-80: Finished doing the EOC Q’s for GIPs last night, the section isn’t as bad as I whined about earlier. Still will need to review this the last similar how I do ethics in the last week though. T-79-60: Memorize formulas and key terms w/ FCs. Hit up Q-bank vignette only questions Review marked questions from EOC problems Look at first practice exam to get idea of how to crank out these essays. T-60-30: Probably do 4 full exams+review Memorize formulas and key terms w/ FCs. Hit up Q-bank vignette only questions Review any past weaknesses T-30-10: Complete 2 remaining exams Memorize formulas and key terms w/ FCs. REVIEW past exams+problems+weaknesses T-10-5: REVIEW past exams+problems+weaknesses Memorize formulas and key terms w/ FCs T-5-1: Ethics+GIPs Any last minute review Memorize formulas and key terms w/ FCs T-1-0: Unless there is something very specific I need to look at that won’t take more than 30min or so to fully comprehend, I will rest this day.
wake2000 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > my plan is ATTACK EXECUTE FINISH with some red > bull thrown in there. This with the T-10 WORLD DOMINATION path and a Vegas trip sprinkled in. Hopefully fully finished with CFAI books (3 left) by end of April. The last 10 got me through L2… That last couple weeks is critical and separates the dudes getting wasted on results day while celebrating from those getting wasted to forget the pain they feel.
the last 10 days, no Facebook, no wifey, no AF, no spanking the monkey, just hardcore 8-10 hour days studying, eating healthy, and exercising. I refuse to fail.
I don’t need a plan, I am bi-winning anyway.
Good to see the plan. I wish all of you great luck. We will all pass. I have been hammering it for 5 months now (I started reading the material in mid October), my challenge is keeping motivated to keep looking at this stuff.
Lol that makes my “plan” even more pathetic I guess… - Last year band 7 - This year not started yet because of new job and relocation process to another country - Wasted the time in between to bang CAIA L2 on the side - Won’t get time off before the exam from my new employer because it’s within the probationary period - Another minor exam before being able to start out studying for the CFA Gameplan: Will read Schwesers Secret Sauce 3 times and do all the practice exams and EOCs Chance of winning this? 10% ???
ChickenTikka Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > T-Minus 80 > Spend 10 days working through all EOC questions. > If ahead of time will do Schweser End of Chapter > Tests > > T-Minus 70 > Spend 10 days working on sticky sections and > concepts. These are already clear to me I think, > but will become more clear after the EOCs. > > T-Minus 60 > Take my first mock exam. See where my strengths > and weaknesses are. Focus more on those sections. > > > T-Minus 50-20 > Target EOC questions again. Take one full mock > exam/week. > > T-Minus 20 > Religiously (daily) do my flash cards to help > recall all equations and ratios. > > > T-Minus 10 > Panic > > Thanks for your advice and help guys > -CT Very close to my plan, except that I include 1 week relaxing in Sicily begin of May to gain some energy for the last sprint and that I skip your step T-10.