I have just started the readings with Behv. Finance. I guess we have 80+ days left. I do work on weekdays and have entire weekends to myself. I can chip in couple of hours everyday on weekdays. Is that good enough or I would need to take an extended absence from work to get through Level 3 ?? Also, what would be the recommended topics to complete now itself, so that there is no pressure towards the end.
Please guide. I know its kind of a late start, but any helpful advice is welcome. Thanks a lot.
Well I cant advice you from experience because I am not ahead of you. But I got the same thing going on and I have not started, I am taking 28 days off from work before the exam to study. And I really doubt I can put much studying before then. I have to take classes to get my drivers license, and I have to buy a car, and so many things…
But I would say IF I were you, I would take some time off, personaly I think I will need to at least as much effort as I put for Level II. And even then I wont be as confident, it is very different.
It’s going to take a lot of work at this point. I think BrokeCFA has the right idea though, taking off about a month before the exam could really help. I started in Dec and still wish I could take more time off closer to the test. I only have the ability to take about a week.
I’m getting a late start. I was so busy in February and I had to keep pushing back. I didn’t start my L2 studies until Mid-March last year so I’m not too worried. Barring a job change I should have plenty of time to crank out 300 hours.
I started this new thing, I am sleeping at 8 and waking up at 3:30 A.M. I have coffe, then I hop in the shower (allow coffe to be absorbed fast), then I eat, and I start studying from 4-6. Then I leave to work…
This way no matter what I get busy with during the day, I know for a fact 2 hours of studying have been done. Along with the 28 days off, I feel like I stand a good chance, not gauranteed, but then again it is about risk tolerance. This is the amount of effort I am willing to put in, and I can tolerate the risk.
Getting up is not easy, I usally play a videos (while i eat and shower) by a guy named Eric Thomas on youtube. One video is called sleep if for suckers.
I will be using my leave days, all of them… If I pass I am assuming it will be worth it, if I fail I will feel like the dumbest guy in the world… Lost my vacation, will have to work for a full year before I get one day off, and I failed Level III, so all for nothing…
I work as a credit analyst, so many lay offs are going on in banking where I live. Also my departement is bringing in new people which is not justified by the work load, so I suspect it means someone is getting the boot (possibly me). So I really need to pass Level III, add value to myself, or at least have something that may help me land another job.
My job is awsome, boss is great (for a boss), but you never know with these things.
We don’t do much of analysis, the big guys subjectivly decide if they want to lend or not, and we produce a report that favors their decision, so you dont get the full feel of analysis, unless when you agree with their judgement. It bothered me a lot at first and I could not get started, now I just think of myself as a data entry person, I do what I got to do and I go home.
The industry really sucks. The world of finance keeps shrinking, companies want people to work harder for less, and people with a job always have the threat of layoffs over their head. Because even if your individual performance is good, maybe your whole team gets cut.
People are getting the CFA trying to add some more value to themselves and hopefully add some more job security.