10 hrs straight is insane…and stupid! you would be much better off doing 3 3.33hr sessions and would definately retain more. but hey, whatever works.
Dude, I’m sorry you’ve lost your motivation/ are sad/ don’t feel good/ etc, etc, etc, but the real truth is that this is a long gruelling process, and it will only get longer and gruellier. It’s only going to get 10 times worse, and if you have to ask someone else to motivate you because you can’t find it yourself, that is a very bad thing. To go a step further, you just have to find a way to suck it up and be a grown up about it. This is not easy for anybody, and you may not always be motivated, just like the real world, but stuff still needs to get done, so just be sure you do the work. If you were prepping for L2 and beginning your review, I might have kinder words, but whining about feeling burnt out halfway through your first L1 readthrough is just weak. Who knows, maybe this dose of reality motivated you, but the fact that your struggling tells me you just don’t want it that badly, or even that this may not be your field if this material does not interest you enough to keep you invovled.
One thing I do when getting burned out or tired is to change topics, media, or both. Sometimes after reading new material for hours on end, it’s best to just stop and go to either the videos or perhaps some review practice problems in another topic entirely… preferably one of your favorite and most intuitive topics. I have found that to be refreshing. Getting up and running a few miles or hitting the gym will help as well. In fact, now that I will be picking it up a few notches on weekends and a new gym is opening about 2 blocks from my front door, I see myself doing a lot of 3 hrs, workout, 3 hours, wash, rinse, repeat.
McLeod81 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Your body and mind will do whatever you tell them > to do. Just say F_#k you to your own > weakness/laziness and do the damn work. Agreed.
Black Swan, thanks for your insightful judgement of what kind of person I am. I am so grateful to have received this reality check from a seasoned veteran of the CFA trenches like yourself. And what does “gruellier” mean? Oh by the way, cool name dude! It is apparent how much more intelligent you are than everyone else to have read that book and been so intrigued by it as to have made it your name on the analyst forum! Black Swan… So sophisticated… Who knows? maybe this dose of reality may have motivated you, or maybe your just a complete jack ass…
<> swan is a vet and i am not, but reading talebs books is no sign of intelligence: poor reasoning – didnt you take philosphy in undergrad??? i read talbs stuff 3 years ago and no one was sucking my kneecaps. swan tells it like it is, so i like that about him, but dont get on his nuts b/c he has a cool moniker. (sarcasm included)
escioffi don’t get bent out of shape. Some people respond well to harsh criticism and some respond better to encouragement. You will find both on this board. Just switch it up. If all you have been doing is reading then try the videos. If you have watched them then try the problems. I find solving some problems to be much more engaging and rewarding.
Thanks Dapper, It’s not the harsh criticism, it’s that Black Swan made assumptions and judgments about me and what my abilities and interests are. he/she doesn’t even know me. I don’t mean to bring beef to the board and I apologize but I felt like he/she was speaking down to me. And Daj i dont need to jock “swan” because it is obvious you’re all over that.
“Gruellier” was obviously not a word to be taken seriously, it was a half-hearted attempt to breakup the underlying abrasiveness of the post. Show me where I made any assumptions about you. Black Swan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Dude, I’m sorry you’ve lost your motivation/ are > sad/ don’t feel good/ etc, etc, etc, No assumption so far, you stated yourself, “all my motivation to study disappeared!” > but the real > truth is that this is a long gruelling process, > and it will only get longer and gruellier. It’s > only going to get 10 times worse, Still no assumptions, this is generally accepted and reflective of my experiences in the program. > and if you have > to ask someone else to motivate you because you > can’t find it yourself, that is a very bad thing. No assumption here, I think most people agree that that is a bad thing. You said, “I am REACHING OUT TO YOU ALL FOR MOVIATIONal and emotional support.” (emphasis added) > To go a step further, you just have to find a way > to suck it up and be a grown up about it. You asked if we could, “share any experiences you have had with studying slumps and give me some advice on how to get out of them.” You asked for advice, I gave you my advice. > This is > not easy for anybody, and you may not always be > motivated, just like the real world, but stuff > still needs to get done, so just be sure you do > the work. Again, no assumptions about you, just a general statement / directive. > If you were prepping for L2 and > beginning your review, I might have kinder words, > but whining about feeling burnt out halfway > through your first L1 readthrough is just weak. Again, no personal assumptions, just my take on the situation. I don’t know about the others, but, “…all my motivation to study disappeared! I haven’t read more than 50 pages in the past week and a half, and the thought of sitting down and reading about capitalization versus expensing is making me sick to my stomach!” sounds whiny to me halfway into your first readthrough. > Who knows, maybe this dose of reality motivated > you, Just my conjecture, no assumptions. > but the fact that your struggling tells me > you just don’t want it that badly, or even that > this may not be your field if this material does > not interest you enough to keep you involved There is no assumption here, just a simple statement regarding what this says to me. At no point do I state that you don’t want it badly or don’t belong in finance, again, this is just what I gather from these signs. This was simply meant to be something for you to reflect on and determine what the root cause of your lack of motivation may be. Rather than getting insulted, you should stop and ask if this is the right move for you. In my experience, one of the great parts of the CFA is it helps you find what interests you the most, particularly in areas of finance you may have had little exposure to. Or even, whether you belong in finance at all. Some people get partially in and discover that this is probably not a great career choice. This is not insulting, I just believe everybody should be doing what they love, and it amazes me how many people are trying to wedge and force themselves into poorly fitting careers simply because they’ve always been told Career X was a good choice or because they’ve already sunken an undergrad education into the field. I’m not saying this is you, but I am saying if you’re struggling with motivation this early, maybe you should take time to think about this. If it felt like I was speaking down to you, I probably was, you’re seeking emotional support 2-3 books in, be an adult and suck it up.
Black Swan, I appreciate your opinion about me. However your interpretation of what I said is incorrect. That is okay everyone is entitled to express how they feel. Anyway no hard feelings.
I can respect that.
On a side note, how motivated are you to study your @ss off and prove me wrong right now?
escioffi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Black Swan, thanks for your insightful judgement > of what kind of person I am. I am so grateful to > have received this reality check from a seasoned > veteran of the CFA trenches like yourself. > > And what does “gruellier” mean? > > Oh by the way, cool name dude! It is apparent how > much more intelligent you are than everyone else > to have read that book and been so intrigued by it > as to have made it your name on the analyst forum! > Black Swan… So sophisticated… > > Who knows? maybe this dose of reality may have > motivated you, or maybe your just a complete jack > ass… Black Swan wasn’t trying to be an a$$hole, what he offered is serious advice. Obviously this exam isn’t for everyone, but if you (or anyone) really wants this thing then burning out just isn’t an option. Most people here are working full-time, many with families and a full range of obligations and responsibilities. It’s not like the people who manage to pass these exams do so because they have extra time on their hands… it’s about making the sacrifices that are needed to beat this f_ker. Many people here aren’t going to give you a pat on the back and say “it’ll be ok”, but they will give you a reality check when maybe that’s what you need the most. And if anyone thinks level 1 is challenging, you haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg.
this is a funny thread. no one caught my gekko reference. ha ha
geez black swan, easy does it. Everyone (EVERYONE) hits a point sometimes when the studying is tough. no matter how motivated or intelligent you are …or might think you are.
daj224 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > this is a funny thread. no one caught my gekko > reference. ha ha I stared at your post for a full 10 minutes knowing there was a joke there but unable to see it.
That’s 10 minutes of your life you are NEVER going to get back.
Don’t get too caught up in next week or next month. Set a goal for today and don’t let yourself go to sleep until you accomplish it. Right now I’m behind in my reading, so I made a rule: no beer till I’m caught up 
Keep in mind you’re in the middle of the hardest study session of the Level I material. If you need to, just completely step away for a day or two… you will be more productive when you return to it than if you had halfheartedly tried to study while burnt out. At the same time, Black Swan is right. You need to kick your own ass a little bit to keep yourself on track. Everyone taking this exam is smart and motivated, yet only the smartest and most motivated third of us will actually pass it. If you let yourself slack you are doomed to be in the bottom two-thirds.
dlukas Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Don’t get too caught up in next week or next > month. Set a goal for today and don’t let > yourself go to sleep until you accomplish it. > Right now I’m behind in my reading, so I made a > rule: no beer till I’m caught up Keep in mind > you’re in the middle of the hardest study session > of the Level I material. If you need to, just > completely step away for a day or two… you will > be more productive when you return to it than if > you had halfheartedly tried to study while burnt > out. No beer? That brings me to a good question… Can we even get wasted anymore? I mean… it destroy vital brain cells used to recall things… Any genius alcoholics out there that have passed CFA 3x3? Im worried… The cubs are doing pretty good this year (im ignoring their 4 game losing streak right now because theyre going to win today) and i would celebrate if they even make the playoffs. I also agree with black swan. What i liked about level 1 was the fact that ive never studied harder for anything in the world like i did for this. I want to pass it to prove that if i had put this much effort into a silly exam (which to me is silly since im not even in the industry!) then i could be just as good in an MBA program, or even my past undergraduate degree. Beat your ass man!
EMRA32 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > No beer? That brings me to a good question… Can > we even get wasted anymore? I mean… it destroy > vital brain cells used to recall things… Any > genius alcoholics out there that have passed CFA > 3x3? > since you failed in june, i would go easy on the drinking. stick to red bull, save the sam adams and chicks in january like i said, i am a sucker for sports, too. give the remote to your better half and avoid the TV. it will not help you pass. in fact, write on a post it: “ENEMY” and paste it to your 52 inch plasma (mine is 62, ha ha) so that you kill this exam in Dec.