Hi to all parents/CFA candidates, I passed L3 last year with a newborn girl arriving in late Jan… My advice would be to keep homelife and studying completely separate. This may mean travelling to a library or to a 24 hour McCafe in order to get some quality studying done. Spend time with your kid and wife but once that is done, you need to be disciplined, cut the crap, get your ass into study mode… no excuses!!! I studied 2-3 hours a day, and about 5 hours on Sat and Sunday, for about 4 months solid… as a former pyschology major, I’ve seen much research that suggests that you should study in an environment similar to that in which you will write the exam… i.e. reasonably quiet, avoid coffee if you wont drink coffee in the exam, etc. Also, I found writing my own flashcards useful, as many of the concepts can be revised on the bus, etc. Make sure you nail FSA as it makes up a huge portion of the exam. Good luck everyone… it will be worth it!
I have to chime in. I have 3 kids and a 4th coming in a few weeks; I’m 42 and will take L2 in June for the first time. I have an MBA so that has helped me with some of the material. I will be putting in 15 hrs per week (2 on weeknights and 5 on Sat) and then 25 hr/wk in May. There will be minor breaks, ie kid’s birthdays, but I’ll make it up. I think having a family gives me balance and really makes me focus on the task at hand. Good luck to everyone.
Well, not a dad…I’m a mom to a two-year old. Like many others, I work full-time in addition to the many hours spent studying. It’s hard to be away from her so much but it’s a great motivator to get through the CFA program as quickly as possible!
ha !..you guys think you’re too old!!! I’m 48, 2 kids (13 and 6). Doin’ the CFA just to keep up to date. Have advantage that kids are now at school most of the time, and wife & I are both “retired”. Run my own funds (with own money). Hard to get motivated to study (no boss to kick me, not required by employment, don’t need to get promoted, no career to advance, etc). It seems most people on AF are young kids starting out - easy to look back and think how few responsibilities they have - but I remember when I was in the same position - there were too many other temptations - partying, travelling, working stupid hours, climbing the ladder, etc. Toughest of all is people with very young kids - I know it’s murder. Having kids changes your life and nothing is the same again. You look back at life BC and wonder what on earth you did with all that free time you now don’t have any more. a quick comment on mums - If dads think they have a hard time with young kids, I reckon mums have 100 times the work, worry, sleep deprivation, biological changes, etc, etc, than dads (I’m a dad btw). Mums expect to be treated equally, but invariably end up doing 90% of the work at home - despite how much the guys think they do (myself included). One advantage that mums have is their ability to multi-task. I believe the old stereotype is spot-on - I can only focus on 1 thing at a time - I spend a whole day doing x or y or z, but never all three together. But females can focus on several things at once (you know - driving, talking on phone, doing make-up, eating breakfast, etc all at once!). Seriously tho’ - I think females are better at juggling. Hats off to all mums doing the CFA !! I have no advice to offer - just genuine admiration… cheers…
After failing LII for the 2nd time last June I told myself I would drop everything and never come back to AF again. This was kind of made easier because AF became a blocked site at work and I don’t have any time to logon at home any more. I started this way to get to the point that I am so glad I randomly logged on for the 1st time since the results came out (I am serious) and to get to come accross this incredible thread. What a lesson of humility for my little winny person… I am 33 with a 1 yrs old that was born back last January. I thought I had it hard, but most of you guys/gals here would run circle around me! This thread actually almost give me the motivations to try one more time… I am a little concerned as I have a 2nd one on the way due end of May (28th or 29th, no jokes…). Would it be completely unrealistic to give it a shot knowing the last week being so important to cram and try to get some sleep? I’ll do the exact opposite and in an absolute stage of deprived sleep… Concern is that I wasn’t able to pass it the 1st time with no kids and all the time in the world. Not the 2nd time neither with only one baby that was 5mths old sleeping most of the time… what about with a 1yr old having more energy than a nuclear submarine & a brand new born a week before the exam? Will the challenge actually be just more exiting? Spelldog, my hat to you for giving it a 4th try. Wish I had your courage! For all of you time restraint parents… Are you going with CFAI books or trying the Schweser shortcut? I am thinking that after studying for it for the 2nd time, I might go Schweser only for the review? Busprof… your story is bone chilling… you pretty much just described my biggest fear! Congratulations for keeping yourself together. Not sure I could have done the same.
Hey Crab!! Really glad to hear you are going to give it another shot. I know how hard you worked last year and how hard you took it in August. I was hoping you’d give it another go and I’m damn proud of ya. The others in this similar situation as well. It’s going to be a challenge, but you can do it. Congrats on the 2nd one on the way. The second one is easier than the first, at least that is my experience. If you can get that time off when the baby comes and take cat naps when the baby sleeps I think you can keep yourself in reasonably good shape going into the exam. This is a great thread. I know what all you are going through. It’s going to be tough, but you can do it and I hope all of you get through. All the best…now get your butts in gear and get going 
Big Babbu, Truly an honor you are responding to me. I know you did not have it easy and I really value the posts I remember reading from you.
crablegs Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > After failing LII for the 2nd time last June I > told myself I would drop everything and never come > back to AF again. This was kind of made easier > because AF became a blocked site at work and I > don’t have any time to logon at home any more. > > I started this way to get to the point that I am > so glad I randomly logged on for the 1st time > since the results came out (I am serious) and to > get to come accross this incredible thread. What a > lesson of humility for my little winny person… > I am 33 with a 1 yrs old that was born back last > January. I thought I had it hard, but most of you > guys/gals here would run circle around me! > > This thread actually almost give me the > motivations to try one more time… I am a > little concerned as I have a 2nd one on the way > due end of May (28th or 29th, no jokes…). Would > it be completely unrealistic to give it a shot > knowing the last week being so important to cram > and try to get some sleep? I’ll do the exact > opposite and in an absolute stage of deprived > sleep… > > Concern is that I wasn’t able to pass it the 1st > time with no kids and all the time in the world. > Not the 2nd time neither with only one baby that > was 5mths old sleeping most of the time… what > about with a 1yr old having more energy than a > nuclear submarine & a brand new born a week before > the exam? Will the challenge actually be just more > exiting? > > Spelldog, my hat to you for giving it a 4th try. > Wish I had your courage! > > For all of you time restraint parents… Are you > going with CFAI books or trying the Schweser > shortcut? I am thinking that after studying for it > for the 2nd time, I might go Schweser only for the > review? > > Busprof… your story is bone chilling… you > pretty much just described my biggest fear! > Congratulations for keeping yourself together. Not > sure I could have done the same. Crablegs: Thanks. As for not being sure how you would have handled it, I would have said the same before the fact. But, when you’re in it, you somehow make do. We’ve met a lot of parents of cancer kids through the experience, and they seem to have similar stories. When you look at them after the fact, they all seem so remarkable, but before it happens, they’re just ordinary people. When you’re in the middle of it, your choices are to give up or somehow muddle through. Most of us have FAR more strength than we realize (particularly when it comes to our kids). One thing that really helped me is that (like the “typical guy”) I’m pretty good at compartmentalization. So, I can shut things off when I need to. As for giving it one more try, here’s my $0.02: If you’re looking at this time as the “Make or break” one, I’d definitely go all out. Since you didn’t use study notes last time, they might make a difference - a lot of people find them very useful. I don’t have L1 results yet, but (assuming I passed), I doubt I would have done nearly as well without the study notes unless I had spent FAR more time in studying. Of course, if I failed, disregard my last comments. You might also consider getting Schweser’s “flash card” pack - it’s fairly inexpensive, and allows you to do short reviews on the fly - you can always carry a few around with you, and do a few at lunch, commuting, etc… Schweser (and Stalla) do a great job of boiling down the material. As the exam nears, I’ll copy off all their end-of-chapter summaries (the "key concepts pages) and make a packet that I keep with me 24/7. I figure this’ll be a good way to review. Good luck. I’m planning on it for L2 (didn’t use it for L1, but think it could have helped).
All: Our first is due the end of this March. I just turned 31 and don’t look or feel a day over 30. I’m confident I can juggle being a husband and father with work and studying because my wife, family, and friends are so supportive. This forum is also a great help since so many others are excelling in the program while balancing a much more hectic lifestyle than I have. Kudos to all of you!
congrats dea_cfa on the upcoming depreciable fixed asset! have you thought of a name yet? Given you will be thinking nothing but CFA in March, here are some suggestions for a name: - FIFO (half your life will be spent changing diapers) - LIFO (when he/she throws up) - SYD (sum of years digits) - Fannie, Freddie, or Sallie - Markowitz - Merton - Kinked Demand Curve Model (if its a girl and she grows up to be a model) - Doninant Firm Oligopoly Model (girl who grows up to be into S&M) - FASB has a nice ring to it - my personal favorite: Herfindahl-Hershman any other suggestions anyone?- maybe should run a contest?
I was partial to Chebychev but it’s already someone’s handle on this forum, I have an Italian last name, and I’d like to stay married.