Like most of you, I have a TON of mixed thoughts, feelings and emotions leading up to next Tuesday’s results. It has been a little over 3 yrs since I started this journey in earning the esteemed CFA charter. I cracked my first L1 book open a month after my first daughter was born. It was awesome - a totally new life and venture me and my young family endured. I studied during nap times so I wouldn’t miss a second with her. Passed on first attempt in Dec.
My plan was then to tackle L2 in June (4 months after getting L1 results). Oh, and did I mention that about an hour after my L1 exam, I found out my wife was pregnant with our second child. It was surreal.
So, with having 4 months to tackle L2, a full time job, and an 18mo old daughter, I was fighting an uphill battle. I ended up failing Band 5 my first go around. I thought “I’m gonna nail this the second time around.” I must have forgotten my wife was going to give birth to our second daughter while I was knee-deep in Pension Accounting.
My second daughter was born about 2-3 months into my L2 studies (2nd attempt) - I started in October knowing that Jan/Feb was going to be difficult studying. I had 2 daughters under 2yrs of age, a full-time job, an amazing wife, and all the desire in the world to get over the Level 2 hump - my Failure Is Not An Option mentality helped me overcome the immense challenge I was faced with (and obviously created myself) - I passed L2 on my 2nd attempt last June.
Fast fwd to Level 3. I was gassed. I felt lost. I felt that, after everything I’ve accomplished and overcome in the last 2.5yrs, I had nothing to show for it. My wife would always tell me. “no matter what, me and the girls are still proud of you.” My response, every time, “I haven’t done anything yet, and don’t have anything to show for it.” I have raised 2 amazingly beautiful girls, done a decent job in my financial sales-oriented job, been a present husband, and tackled Levels 1 and 2 of the CFA program. Yet, if I get a Band 8. 9, 10 score next Tuesday, I will be enormously deflated. I certainly could not do what I have done, physically, mentally or emotionally, in the last 3 yrs in 10 lifetimes. I kept pressing on living life day by day. If I get an email saying that I passed, I honestly don’t know how I will feel. Relieved, emotional, excited, proud? I have no clue what the next steps are in my life beyond next Tuesday - at work, I even have my calendar blocked out after then. No meetings, no conf calls. If I failed, it’ll be business as usual come October - I will have to get back on the horse and prepare for L3 next June once again - be a full time Investment Consultant, full time CFA student, but a part-time father and husband. There is a fork in the road come next Tuesday, with 2 roads leading to complete opposite places. I don’t know which one I’ll take - even worse that I don’t have a choice at this point - for that, I am lost in my thoughts, feelings and emotions for the next 7 days until that fateful email gets received in my yahoo inbox. I didn’t have a clue what I was getting myself into 3 yrs ago. And, after all that I’ve been through, looking back, for some strange reason, I wouldn’t change a thing..
Best of luck to you all. I’d love to hear other stories about your journey. I hope to see you all soon on the other side (having earned the CFA charter)!
My plan was then to tackle L2 in June (4 months after getting L1 results). Oh, and did I mention that about an hour after my L1 exam, I found out my wife was pregnant with our second child. It was surreal.
So, with having 4 months to tackle L2, a full time job, and an 18mo old daughter, I was fighting an uphill battle. I ended up failing Band 5 my first go around. I thought “I’m gonna nail this the second time around.” I must have forgotten my wife was going to give birth to our second daughter while I was knee-deep in Pension Accounting.
My second daughter was born about 2-3 months into my L2 studies (2nd attempt) - I started in October knowing that Jan/Feb was going to be difficult studying. I had 2 daughters under 2yrs of age, a full-time job, an amazing wife, and all the desire in the world to get over the Level 2 hump - my Failure Is Not An Option mentality helped me overcome the immense challenge I was faced with (and obviously created myself) - I passed L2 on my 2nd attempt last June.
Fast fwd to Level 3. I was gassed. I felt lost. I felt that, after everything I’ve accomplished and overcome in the last 2.5yrs, I had nothing to show for it. My wife would always tell me. “no matter what, me and the girls are still proud of you.” My response, every time, “I haven’t done anything yet, and don’t have anything to show for it.” I have raised 2 amazingly beautiful girls, done a decent job in my financial sales-oriented job, been a present husband, and tackled Levels 1 and 2 of the CFA program. Yet, if I get a Band 8. 9, 10 score next Tuesday, I will be enormously deflated. I certainly could not do what I have done, physically, mentally or emotionally, in the last 3 yrs in 10 lifetimes. I kept pressing on living life day by day. If I get an email saying that I passed, I honestly don’t know how I will feel. Relieved, emotional, excited, proud? I have no clue what the next steps are in my life beyond next Tuesday - at work, I even have my calendar blocked out after then. No meetings, no conf calls. If I failed, it’ll be business as usual come October - I will have to get back on the horse and prepare for L3 next June once again - be a full time Investment Consultant, full time CFA student, but a part-time father and husband. There is a fork in the road come next Tuesday, with 2 roads leading to complete opposite places. I don’t know which one I’ll take - even worse that I don’t have a choice at this point - for that, I am lost in my thoughts, feelings and emotions for the next 7 days until that fateful email gets received in my yahoo inbox. I didn’t have a clue what I was getting myself into 3 yrs ago. And, after all that I’ve been through, looking back, for some strange reason, I wouldn’t change a thing..
Best of luck to you all. I’d love to hear other stories about your journey. I hope to see you all soon on the other side (having earned the CFA charter)!