Taking CFA for fun?

aussie_jaco Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Everybody in this forum seems to be very serious > about the exam and its place in the world. I am > taking the exam as something fun to do with my > spare time - anybody else in the same boat as me > or is it jobs and promotions at work for everybody > else? > > Cheers Who is the cherry?

We’re all doing it for fun, as no jobs will be available upon completion of the three levels. Just kidding.

well, i won’t exactly say that i am thinking of doing CFA for fun…but one of the main drivers for me to consider CFA exam is that currently i have no other better educational opportunity…for MBA (more relevant for I-banking) one needs few years work experience, so got nothing better to do now…

sumz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > …for > MBA (more relevant for I-banking) one needs few > years work experience, so got nothing better to do > now… Well one worth getting into anyway - totally agree there

MattLikesAnalysis Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > God created wikipedia for a reason. Its so you can > learn anything and everything you want on your own > time, without spending $600 a year… unless you > have really expensive internet access. > > I’m pretty sure I have a Masters in ‘Wikipedia War > History’ b/c of a slow job during my undergrad. If > you’re bored, give it a try. they have a lot of > stuff on financial/economic theory and pretty much > everything you’ll learn from the cfa books. And I thought I was the only one. This is starting to get creepy, it’s the 2nd time today that I’ve read something posted here by somebody else that I’d swear was written by me. Anyways I’m kind of doing it for fun. I have a Comp Sci BS and Gen Bus MBA, so people are about 50/50 split on thinking I’m either an IT guy or a finance guy (although I’m currently not really either as I number crunch for lobbyists). I like the CFA material and was curious to know if I knew it as well as I like to think. Plus, I was dating a girl (from WA oddly enough) who had a dufuss ex flunk and pretty much dared me to try. I’m a sucker for woman peer pressure.

paul_ledin Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Anyways I’m kind of doing it for fun. I have a > Comp Sci BS and Gen Bus MBA, so people are about > 50/50 split on thinking I’m either an IT guy or a > finance guy (although I’m currently not really > either as I number crunch for lobbyists). I like > the CFA material and was curious to know if I knew > it as well as I like to think. Plus, I was dating > a girl (from WA oddly enough) who had a dufuss ex > flunk and pretty much dared me to try. I’m a > sucker for woman peer pressure. Man that is creepy I have a BSc in Comp Sci and a General Business MBA as well, maybe there is a pattern of people similar to us taking the CFA for something to do. If your girl is from WA then she must be a good sort.

Taking it to expand my financial knowledge. I did ERP financial consulting before this and looking to do some more freelance work. However I need to brush up on my finance. I got my MBA 17 years ago and needed to dust off the cobwebs. I would not consider doing this “for fun”, just trying to expand my knowledge. Good luck to everyone.

I don’t know anyone who started the CFA program ‘for fun’ and told me after three years that they enjoyed studying the three exams, passed all of them and now - as the next fun thing to do - start skydiving without parachutes. Just for the kick of it because they don’t have any finance related interest anyway.

well i am writing mine, to have an idea whether i would enjoy private industry in particular the financial sector. since this is more or less done without a clear agenda, my studying has been really not progressing. i read about 50 pages of FSA and i have not touched any other volumes yet. i am also taking night courses in something for my real hobby and i have 2 months left to learn EVERYTHING.

I think maybe people are taking the ‘for fun’ comment a little to literally. When I say for fun I mean it’s not a make or break situation for me. See I’d contrast that with the attitude that comes across from a lot of people on this board that passing an exam is going to be the key to fame and fortune. In fact it reminds quite a bit of the mindset of people back in the late 90s who were going to get some IT cert and that was going to solve all their problems and/or make them rich and famous. I say ‘for fun’ because I find the subject matter engaging and would be reading finance and/or business books anyways. So I figure the exam gives me structure, a goal, and a potential reward. Plus, I’d like to smooze my local investment crowd and most of them sit on the board of my local CFA society.

Thanks Paul