AF Vets: what's your experience with burnout?

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ofthedivision17

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Hello & Happy Friday to All -
For those of you with more experience in the CFA Program, I am curious, what is your experience with burnout?
I will be sitting for the CFA Level 1 exam in June and have been working through the curriculum at a steady pace since November (10-15 hours per week). I anticipate completing my final study session by the end of March with approximately 300 hours invested in my preparation. With few exceptions, all of the material seems to be within my grasp. I am reasonably confident that I can pass this exam if I review properly in April and May.
Presently, I have been studying 2-3 hours per day, 6 days per week. In April and May, I could potentially bump that figure up to 3-4 hours per weekday and 10 hours every Saturday and Sunday (35-40 hours per week). At the very least, there is room for more discipline on the weekend. I want to push myself to my physical and mental limits for two months without cracking under preasure.
Thank you in advance for your input. Have an enjoyable weekend, everyone.
Edit: Just to be clear - I feel fine now. Sure, I have experienced some anxiety after completing (or stumbling) through a difficult problem set, but I have calmed my nerves by taking a day off or scheduling a light review.
 
Your approach seems reasonable to me. I would just make sure you spend a decent part of April and May taking past CFA exams, so you know which topics you need to go back and refresh upon.
 
I burned out when preparing for L3 the 2nd time. Started studying in November with the intention of getting through the entire curriculum (I used only CFAI because I was a Band 10 Fail the prior year using only Schweser) by the end of the year (I think I did it, but it’s been a long time now). Took a week off and then started in again with the intention of getting through entire curriculum again by end of March but was completely fried by mid-March and probably didn’t touch the material again until mid-April and discoverd that I had retained almost nothing because I went through stuff too quickly. The result was another Band 10 Fail. Third time was a charm though. Started in mid-January using Schweser and CFAI EOC questions. I never felt rushed, had plenty of time for review at the end, and was still fresh. I also made sure I took time off along the way, nothing huge, one night every couple of weeks and a Saturday or Sunday here and there. I actually played more golf while studying then I have since.
 
Burnout is probably the biggest obstacle. I’d say it’s definitely more of a factor for LII and LIII because of the intensity. I will say that having started in November that is an awesfully long time to be studying by the time June comes around. Your goal is to “Peak” in your preparedness right as the test approaches. Some people peak too soon then get sloppy and unfocused by the test date. Finishing your readings by the end of March is pretty impressive. If I were you, I’d reward yourself then if you finish by the end of March by either taking a week off or just doing very light review for 1-2 weeks before ramping up like a beast for the last 6-8 weeks before the exam.
Personally (advice for going forward in LII/LIII), I think longer than six months is too long for any of the exams. You tend to forget some of what you review and get unfocused. Good luck, and good job crushing out the material so far!
 
Black Swan wrote:
Personally (advice for going forward in LII/LIII), I think longer than six months is too long for any of the exams. You tend to forget some of what you review and get unfocused. Good luck, and good job crushing out the material so far!
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+1 This happened to me on L3. I missed an easy question because it was something that in December I dismissed as easy to remember, and by June I second guessed myself on the exam. Its a delicate balance between not studying information you already know and making sure you are still fresh on stuff by the exam date.
 
I definately felt it on level 1 (I just wrote it in dec). But just gotta power through. For L2 I’ve scheduled myself to have every 3rd day completely off. Haven’t stuck to that schedule at all, but it was a good idea.
 
Everyone needs some time off from studying, if only to let your brain do its unconscious digestion thing. It’s still early enough that you can afford to do it. Just make sure that a little time off doesn’t turn into a lot of time off.
It sounds like you started early and were disciplined and are about done with the curriculum, so it’s no wonder that you may be feeling a little full and worn out. Many people only started in January or February, so it’s a bit early for those people to feel danger of burnout.
Give yourself a week or 10 days to enjoy your life a bit, and then get to reviewing the material and banging out practice exams to find what areas you need to bone up on.
 
The weekend before I took L2 and L3 I went to Vegas to recharge/go on a 48 hour bender. I highly recommend taking a couple days to give your brain a rest just prior to the exam.
 
I disagree with most of the above. My approach is to study everyday, even if it means only 5 minutes. Keep the momentum going because when you take one day off, you give yourself an excuse to take other days. My approach worked for me: 3 for 3 in 18 months (but it by no means guarantees superior investment performance).
 
I disagree with all of the above. I started in October, and study about 3-4 times per week. I did experience some burnout a couple of weeks ago, but I think that was more because of a personal situation than anything else. I took a long weekend, and kept right on going.
I think taking more than a week off is dangerous, because one week can easily lead to two, and two can lead to three, and pretty soon, you’ve gone a month and haven’t cracked a book.
I also don’t like studying every day. I think your brain is kinda like your muscles–it needs time to recover, and the harder you work it, the more recovery time it needs.
Personally, I think that you can study for 8-9 months, as long as you just find a pace that works for you. If you feel burnt, take a few days off, then slow down a bit.
And also, I plan on doing the same thing I have done before every other CFA exam–study all day every day from Saturday of Memorial Day weekend until test day. That has done the best to really “burn” the information into my brain–at least enough to regurgitate it on Saturday. I would NOT recommend a bender anytime in May.
 
I’m burning out also. I should have the first reads complete by end of March for Level II. Although I do go back and try to review as I’m still finishing.
But you’re right, overtraining,like a boxer sparring too much, who ends up leaving his fight in the gym… and then is a burnout on fight night, sluggish, the canvas feels like quicksand, no snap in the jab…
Hopefully when the weather gets warmer, it’ll renew my soul.
 
Maybe I just have never experienced true burnout, but I think that’s pretty relative. Let’s say you’re burned out at your job, and your boss says you gotta deliver a report monday morning - you’re gonna do it anyway.
For the exam preparation, we have the option of being a little bit more relaxed. It’s not such a strong immediate feedback as telling your boss to get lost. On the last week before the exam, no matter how burned out, we are probably studying hard anyway.
 
Granted I’m only a L1 candidate, but today was the end of pretty much a week long break (unintentional). I got wrapped up in school work, events, etc. This morning, I opened up the CFA material and boy it was a weird feeling. The first 20 minutes was a combination of guilt and a weird sense of urgency. 8 hours later and I hear I am, feeling like I’m back in the game.
Honestly, the break felt fantastic. I needed it. My brain feels good having taken a break. This is the first time I have skipped a day of CFA material. After this break, I feel a little more refreshed and also feel a bit more urgency. Something along the lines of “okay, break time is over buddy, let’s do this.”
I also am on track/scheduled to finish around the same time (first week of April). That will give me a month and half to review and relax a bit. GOOOD STUFF.
 
Wow, all of the stars came out to reply to my thread. That’s awesome, guys. Thanks for the input!
I still have two study sessions to work through in the Level 1 curriculum. On my current pace, that brings me to about March 20 on the calendar. I intend to begin my review of the curriculum on April 1, but in the interim, I will probably watch some ethics videos and increase my calculator proficiency. I may even take the weekend of Easter off from studying in order to spend time with my family and friends (and say my goodbyes until June 2).
My goal is to put in another 300 hours in April and May (about 35 hours per week). Two weeks prior to the exam, I will be on scheduled PTO in order to make a final push. During the week of the exam, I will dial it down to just 2-3 hours of exam prep per day and focus on rest, exercise, and eating properly. On June 1, I knock it out of the park.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone.
 
I burned out studying for L2. It was quite the experience, not being able to sleep and thinking of CFA formulas 24/7. However it gave me the knowledge of how to guage myself for L3. Mind you it wasnt the lack of prep or late start that caused the burnout but the overload of info that level 2 brings. I would say for the most part to give yourself 4-6 weeks to review and do past papers.
 
I think what this thread shows is that works for one person won’t work for another. I had 2 strange study plans for L1 and L2.
L1, I started in early Feb and wound up taking 2 week long breaks in the process, both for vacation. One was spring break and pretty much a week of nothing but drinking and hanging on the beach with friends. Definitely needed, but then from beginning of May until the exam I basically did nothing but prepare for the exam.
For L2 I had my books in September and started reading then. I had read and taken notes on the whole curriculum by beginning of January and then essentially didn’t study, except for reviewing note cards and my notes, until mid March because work was all consuming. I had expected this, which is why I did my first run through in the fall. Then from then until the exam I was travelling for work every week so I would basically spend half my weekday nights in my hotel studying and the other half eating and drinking with ppl from work. When I was home on Saturdays I was at the library studying.
 
Good grief! I’d rather do a higher degree, better payoff. I know many people who have done the CFA and achieved at most a $10 000 pay rise/promotion that they probably would have got anyway. No way is this worth the time or the energy.
 
But hey it’s admirable that you’ve done that much work - I would just want to make sure it’s reflected in my pay too.
 
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