Anyone Struggling with Burnout?

I usually rest/don’t study on Sat/Sun, and don’t push it toooo hard even on study days (like… 70-80% of what I could do. more a product of lazy than brilliant planning), so burn out hasn’t been too bad for me. I would have minor burn-outs, like after 3 hours of study, my brain decides to involuntarily go on strike and stop working… so I’ll have to take a break then.

Right now I happen to be suffering severe burn out, because yesterday was hugely strenuous for me. I did both AM and PM of the 2012 CFAI mock, which was a super beast exam. I also found a new way of getting maximum output out my brain during the exam. I try to pace myself at 14 minutes a set, so that I have 40 minutes left over at the end of the exam to mull over the ones I marked off to come back to. When I pressure myself like that, I find that my brain rises to the occasion and starts thinking much faster (I usually have perfectionist issues). Anyhow, this new pacing method forces out a lot more output/thinking/work from my brain, within the 3 hour window, which is obviously exhausting. I also hit the gym, and had some rather unfortunate and strenuous moments with my parents.

Yesterday on the PM of the mock, I started making retarded mistakes like correctly figuring out the answer, then circling the wrong one (I had no idea until I marked it)… yeah… fo real… I really did that… multiple times.

Right now my brain is barely even accessing its higher order functions. It’s just like “lolwut?” to everything. Even my day to day thinking is on easy mode, depth=1.

Level 3 dwagon is the same size and ferocity as level 2 dwagon, except level 3 dwagon appears more elegant.

I’m at level 3 now, and I think I can understand what the designer was trying to convey.

Level 3 SEEMS easier to beat than L2, but notice how it can breathe fire… So, if you aren’t careful, you can easily be burned.

I think that’s quite fitting actually.

Should have worn your +20 fire resistance shield instead of dual wielding.

I’m planning on going to a friends going away pool party tomorrow and just going over my flashcards and the remainder of a practice test tonight. Gonna hit it hard Sunday and Monday all day, then Tues-Thurs nights.

I was talking to a few people at work yesterday who are taking L2 and nobody seems particularily confident about passing, so I guess lots of people are in the same boat.

But you all have jobs. What’s my excuse? Lol!

Several Signs You’re Suffering Burnouteach compiled at tremendous personal cost:

  1. The mere sight of Andrew Homles, or Jonathon Bone makes you scream

  2. You know what Durbin-Watson means

  3. On an elevator this morning, you think you saw the Asian kid on the Schweser covers

  4. You actually drove to the test site – last month

  5. You know who Dr. Tolia is

  6. Deltas and Thetas are no longer hot chicks from your college-era photo album.

  7. Someone said “that’s wack!” and you asked how they calculated that without knowing the tax rate?

  8. You ran a regression of study time output for each of the 18 SS.

  9. PAC I . . . Freddie Mac . . . liquidity risk . . . , err, . . . temporal method . . . WTF!!!

  10. Its Friday night and you are posting on Analyst Forum . . . . pray that I get a life soon.

Just finished marking another practice exam and got yet another 55% or so. It doesn’t seem to matter how many questions I do, I seem to be pretty range bound here. Ironically, I am noticing that I am getting stronger in FI and weaker in FRA, despite the fact that work in accounting. I don’t get that one.

Anyway it’s time to call it a night. Time to sprint to the finish tomorrow night/Sunday. Passing this stupid test is going to come down mainly to luck it seems.

Do less questions. Do more reading.

Variance.

Probably a lot of people feel that way, including myself. I’ve been bound around the 65~75% range lately.

  1. Watch various cat videos on YouTube. No joke. Here’s one, two, and the thirdone sums up how I feel about the exam right about now.