OK i found no better place to vent out other than AF…i have no current CFA candidates around me, my friends who attempted it last June failed and didn’t try it again… I started out studying really positively, filled with enthusiasm and optimism…now after 1.5 months of studying, im just not positive anymore…in fact starting to feel that i will fail anyways…i feel that i started late, should have started a month earlier…this thinking has affected me even more negatively…most of the weekends i give 5-7 hours but yesterday I only gave 2 hours (friday is weekend where i live) not that i am doing really bad on passmaster, not that i m finding material really tough…it is just the usual retention problem…i feel after properly studying one topic, as soon as i finish reading 1 of the next topic, i already forget tons of information from previous topic…how will I ever remember 6 books on the exam day? I wnt to keep some revision schedule but i read on AF that most people focus on finishing all the readings once first and then pay more attention to practising… I have listed various reasons to pursue CFA and planned to use it to motivate myself…it doesn’t work most of the time…I have stuck on my office and bedroom walls that ‘i have to pass cfa exam’…am i pressuring myself too much? any confidence boosting words to get me out of this negative thinking? any suggestions for better study plan? any success stories of those who were feeling the same at some point?
I say take a break - a couple of days off from CFA…if you are doing well on Passmaster, this means you are retenting some material. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can” Arthur Ashe. Keep ur head up…it is normal to feel this way, once in a while. Don’t be too hard on yourself…take a break…go out with buddies and you will feel guilty the next day, that you will have to read.
lol dude i did that few days back…i did study the next day…its just from 2 days back i am a bit too negative and paralysed from mental stress…also i have no one around whoz giving the same exam together…
Sumz, I think a lot of people are in the same boat with you in the CFA google group Retention is always a challenge. Especially when you can only review materials during weekend.
yeah, don’t give up so easily! keep working and take a break to refresh your mind I didn’t study anything this week because I was too busy with work… i’ll re-start tomorrow… it’s still too early to give up now! especially after investing quite a sum of money on the materials…
I would advice you to write down your own notes after each reading. It really helps, specifically when you want to review. By taking notes, I can remember what I have wirtten and it is easy for reviewing a complete topic. It takes merely 1 hour with my notes for each reading. Hang on man , you are not alone, everyone doing this exam is really having a bad time. I guess most of us!
sumz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- (friday is weekend where i live) Do you live in Egypt?
I think the majority of people get caught in some kind of rut at some point. It’s hard to stay focused at a high level for such a long period. I agree with the others, take a few days off and get some exercise. Don’t worry about retention too much. When you start doing mock exams and reviewing everything, you retention rate will improve dramatically…
thanks alot everyone for your support I am feeling bit better today, after totally resting/lazing out yesterday…so i guess i will get back to studies today… philip - no i live in saudi arabia…
Sumz, Great! Keep going. Never Give up. Winner’s never quit & Quitter’s never win
dude, you need a break. Try to relax for a few days and get back to the game. Retention is a problem due to the large volume of information that you mush absorb and process. This is why you will need to review multiple times. Try to make some flashcard and taken them with you everywhere you go. I read my notes and flashcards on the bus, during lunch time, and basically anytime I am free. I had my “down” moments when i was studying for level 1. Just keep in mind what you are going through is hardly unusual.
Hi Guys, I m very new to this forum,recently have given a serious thought to CFA and now in a dilema to enroll for the June 09 level -1 . I have dont have any finance background as far as studies are concerned,but working in a finacial world for the last 5 years. do you think the time left is enough for a good preparation?
Naveen, I say depends on how much time you can commit to this. Just because you’ve been working in the financial world doesn’t mean you’re familiar with all the theoretical stuff that you’ve got to learn for this exam, unfortunately, as I have found out myself…
sumz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > lol dude i did that few days back…i did study > the next day…its just from 2 days back i am a > bit too negative and paralysed from mental > stress…also i have no one around whoz giving > the same exam together… Weekends are not enough, at least not for me. Perhaps you should carry some material/notes with you-. Here and there you will always find a few minutes to have a look. Also, I think my new signature will be: 10 million, 5 years. Beat that!
Welcome to the CFA. If you would’ve started a month earlier you would still feel like you should’ve started a month earlier.
life whilst studyinmg for the CFA is plain and simply sh1 …especially if you are a social creature…
Can anyone explain how the passmaster works please?
sumz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > OK i found no better place to vent out other than > AF…i have no current CFA candidates around me, > my friends who attempted it last June failed and > didn’t try it again… > > I started out studying really positively, filled > with enthusiasm and optimism…now after 1.5 > months of studying, im just not positive > anymore…in fact starting to feel that i will > fail anyways…i feel that i started late, should > have started a month earlier…this thinking has > affected me even more negatively…most of the > weekends i give 5-7 hours but yesterday I only > gave 2 hours (friday is weekend where i live) > > not that i am doing really bad on passmaster, not > that i m finding material really tough…it is > just the usual retention problem…i feel after > properly studying one topic, as soon as i finish > reading 1 of the next topic, i already forget tons > of information from previous topic…how will I > ever remember 6 books on the exam day? I wnt to > keep some revision schedule but i read on AF that > most people focus on finishing all the readings > once first and then pay more attention to > practising… > > I have listed various reasons to pursue CFA and > planned to use it to motivate myself…it doesn’t > work most of the time…I have stuck on my office > and bedroom walls that ‘i have to pass cfa > exam’…am i pressuring myself too much? > > any confidence boosting words to get me out of > this negative thinking? any suggestions for better > study plan? any success stories of those who were > feeling the same at some point? Well last year I started on 14 feb after registering on 12th feb so you can easily pass what you need to do 1.) Read all pages of each reading at least twice 2.) Try to solve all questions given at the end of reading 3.) Make a notebook and write all equations which is given in reading just equation. go thru this notebook everyday . if possible make a notebook of all terms in a seperate notebook 4.)Try to finish all reading before 15 March or at most 1 Apr 2009 5.)After that go thru all reading and solve all questions in passmaster 6.)Then take practice exam and mock exam 7.) You may like to purchase quicksheet from schweser. Its also very useful for revising thats it retantion may be a problem if you study from CFAI book I am yet to meet someone who is writing this CFA exam or who have passed any level
Can someone please tell me where to access passmaster?
You need to install the passmaster from the start-up CD given to you by Stalla…