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Name: Paul
Age: 23
Degree: B.B.A. Economics from Loyola College (MD)
Occupation: Mktg & Ops Mgr for Asset Management group in global bank ($1B AUM)
Short term goal: Pass Level 1 CFA in December and start on Level 2 in June
Long term goal : Become an equity analyst and eventually a portfolio manager, might include a move to NYC
Activities: Baseball, football, music, travel, booze
Books: Anything interesting, inspirational, or not blatantly liberal -- Just picked up my Schweser books and am starting up after the 4th of July -- who's with me?
 
Name: Harold
Age: 42
Degree: BS Electrical Engineering from GA. Tech, MBA in Finance from Univ. of Michigan.
Occupation: Owner of a textile import/export firm
Short term goal: pass Level I in December
Long term goal: Become a portfolio manager.
Activities: Travel, sports, photography
Books: History, comedy

After spending a ton of years as a financial analyst and ERP consultant for serval Fortune 500 firms, I quit 4 years ago to do my business full time. Since then, I also spent a lot of time investing on my own and finally decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So Level I here I come!
 
University of Michigan?--That's a great school. (MI is near and dear to me)

Name: David
Age: 22
Degree (Dec.): BSBA in Banking and Finance/Investment Science/Portfolio Management from the University of Nebraska

--Plan to attend graduate school for MBA next Spring

Occupation: Analyst with Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance Company--Structured Securities (Interning)
Short-Term Goal: Make it through the Summer without getting a hernia waiting for the results!
Long-Term Goal: Not quite sure---possibly work for a hedge fund (dream job) or go into corporate finance
Activities: Family, movies, playing guitar and drums (for fun), reading (all the time), working on the house (never stops---hopefully can just pay to have it done in a couple of years!)
Books (favs): I tend to read everything, but my favs are The Dark Tower (Stephen King), Economics for Real People (Callahan), Freakonomics, anything by the Mustache (John Stossel), and State of Fear (Crichton).

Oh, and I have a kid on the way!
 
Im Vivek

Have a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M Univ, College Station, TX.

Working in the suburbs of Phily since january 06.
Plan to do a MBA starting Fall 2008. Wrote L1 this June.

For me its a difficult jump from Fluid Dynamics to Finance that I wish to make within a couple of yrs.

Found this forum actually after the exam :)

~VS
 
I'm Sylvon Atanga,
From Cameroon, Africa.
Hold a B.Sc in banking and finance, worked with wholesale banking division of standared chartered bank cameroon and now currently working with Ecobank Cameroon (west african bank) with the transactions Banking unit.
I'm really motivated to take on the CFA and its a pleasure talking to you in here.
Movies: derailed, appocalypso, pursuit of happiness, "the good, the bad the ugly"
sports: football, chess, pool
I think its good to strike while the iron is hot, but better to make the iron hot by striking...
cheers
 
Hello there,
I am an Undergraduate student (20 years old), recently finished my second year of studies in BA (honours) Accounting and Finance and another year left to go. I am in the situtaion of applying for either the December 07 or June 08 exam, hence needed some input on how much work would i have to cover for the actual exam and the number of books relevant to this curriculum. Is it possibile to start my revision from now and be 100% prepared for the actual exam by december?
Baring in mind, I will have to also concentrate on my 3rd final year studies as well as be up to date with my dissertation. As you can see, just abit confused right now as i am reading posts from people who have already achieved a degree or even an MBA with a lump some of experience and are now going towards a CFA qualification. I feel like an amatuer at the moment lol....

But anyways it would be nice if someone could help me out here in regards to this message....

Thanks and kind regards,
Govind Sharma (UK)

p.s. If i had to go ahead with this scheme for the Decemeber exam, which books i'll have to purchase and are effective!!
 
guvner2006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello there,
> I am an Undergraduate student (20 years old),
> recently finished my second year of studies in BA
> (honours) Accounting and Finance and another year
> left to go. I am in the situtaion of applying for
> either the December 07 or June 08 exam, hence
> needed some input on how much work would i have to
> cover for the actual exam and the number of books
> relevant to this curriculum. Is it possibile to
> start my revision from now and be 100% prepared
> for the actual exam by december?
> Baring in mind, I will have to also concentrate on
> my 3rd final year studies as well as be up to date
> with my dissertation. As you can see, just abit
> confused right now as i am reading posts from
> people who have already achieved a degree or even
> an MBA with a lump some of experience and are now
> going towards a CFA qualification. I feel like an
> amatuer at the moment lol....
>
> But anyways it would be nice if someone could help
> me out here in regards to this message....
>
> Thanks and kind regards,
> Govind Sharma (UK)
>
> p.s. If i had to go ahead with this scheme for the
> Decemeber exam, which books i'll have to purchase
> and are effective!!


It's going to take probably a good 100 hours of intense study in a short span to pass--having an accounting/finance degree should cut the odds considerably. Don't be fooled, no matter what kind of person you are in college (I don't have to study for practically any test), you WILL have to study your tail off to pass. Buy Schweser and the Curriculum, and don't take any classes (aside from a select few)--they tend to be a waste of money. I'm basically doing what you are doing--I took in June and don't graduate until December (graduate school in the spring).

One thing that should help a ton is really USING this site. There's nothing better that other people who can help and sympathize with the loss of social life that you will be experiencing prior to writing the level I.

No one can tell you what is best for you, but knowing the format of the test is a great way to be prepared. To put it another way, there's no way you will be WORSE off taking the test earlier--if you've got the money, do it.
 
Sylvon
its good that you have motivated yourself to take the exam. its not going to be easy but we all have attempted it. i am in Ghana so i do understand some of the fruastrations you will go through. just don't give up. i study with some of your collegues in the Ghana office of EBG.
 
Thank you wdwatson for the help!!! Much appreciated....

Take care,
Govind
 
Name: Chuks
Location: London UK
Nigerian/British
Football: Arsenal

I work for one of Big four doing software development. Been contemplating for 2yr on best way to switch industry and decided on the hard way. I have always been a die hard but I guess Dec will be the test of it. Wish you forerunners the best, i'm sure you all looking forward to it. tick, tick, tick...

Love action movies: not sure what happened with Die Hard 4.0. Enjoy Nip Tuk series.
Music: Hip hop and RNB with a little mix of soul.
Fav artist at the mo: Robin Thicke.

When am done in Dec I'll have XO straight.
 
I�m 22 and just gradated in May with a BSBA in Finance & a minor in Accounting from The University of Central Florida (Orlando). I received the student scholarship to take the exam in June, so I got my first crack at it for a discount; I advise anyone who has this opportunity available to them to take advantage. Planning on taking it again but I�ve got my fingers crossed. I�m applying to The University of Tampa for the MS of Science in Finance, so I�m taking the GMAT in about a week. It�s a small program but the investment track seems great and really focuses on CFA materials from all Levels of the exam. I hope to start school in the fall. For the time being I�m just relaxing in Sarasota (an hour south of Tampa) getting my ducks in a row. If any one wants to get together to study for L1 in December let me know.

Hobbies: reading, watching the market, playing guitar, nightlife
Currently reading: George Orwell�s 1984, and 5 volume CFA Level 1 curriculum
Current CD in the player: Creedence Clearwater Revival � The 20 Greatest Hits
Favorite Sports Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

-Garrett



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 05:27PM by GKomiskey.
 
I might be a bit late for this post!
I am 26, an MBA, from Dubai... working for a major international company doing a business analyst role, IF i pass level 1, i plan to pursue a more financial role in asset mgt or such.
Eagerly awaiting results as i am sure all of you are, i cant believe some of you had already started studying!!
I am not sure i would resit the exam in Dec, i put too much into it for June,,, its too much for me to handle!
 
Sara_CFAs: I am looking into UAE, do yo think you could leave me your email so i could ask you a few questions?
 
sure thing, i just don`t have/use msn, email me and i'll install it and add you.: [email protected]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Monday, July 16, 2007 at 08:56AM by Sims.
 
Well,

I'm kind of tired of trolling these forums so I thought I'd contribute a little.

I'm a 26 yr old MBA student (part time) at UW-Madison. Graduate in '08.
BBA in Finance in '02.
I've seen quite a bit of discussion about MBA programs on here and would be happy to provide any insight if people are interested. I do carry a 3.9 gpa and had a 700 on the GMAT.
Work at a bank full time in product management by day.
Pretty much play sports and party as much as possible when I'm not studying for the Level 1 or doing homework.
I'm doing the CFA thing to show prospective employers that my education and work ethic are on par with someone graduating from the daytime program. I'm just going to work the hell out of my contacts that work in companies that employ traders when I near graduation.

Music:THE WHITE STRIPES!!! Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan
Sports: Basketball for exercise and softball as an excuse to drink with friends

So between studying for L1, the MBA, and a full time job I probably shouldn't wonder why my girlfriend broke up with me because "I'm never home".

I think that's about enough for my first post.
 
Name: Marat
Age: 29

Originally from Ukraine, got masters in financial math from Moscow State University.

Spent 5 years developing trading systems for liquid futures markets. Currently work on portfolio construction, traders' persistence, risk research in a Fund of Funds.

Goals: CFA and PhD.
Location: Chicagoland

Favorite movies: "Life is beautiful", "Cinderella man".
 
Hi eastwood:

I am aspiring to do a MBA starting fall 08 hopefully.
As you have offered some guidance, I would definitely wana ask a few things.

Basically I have a technical backgrnd: BS (gpa 3.9/4) and MS (3.75/4) in Mechanical engg
I am in US since 4 yrs. came for masters and have been working since jan 06 which would make my work ex equal to about 3 yrs at the time of joining in fall 08. 730 on GMAT.

basic problem is that i want to do a MBA in Finance, my education and work ex are in Computational Fluid Dynamics which ofcourse has no correlation with Finance ;)

My question is that how do you think should I put up my profile to B-schools in a way as to be a good candidate for them. Looking at my profile they might feel that I am a hard core techie person and so why should i be interested in a MBA? I wrote L1 this June, dont know what the result will be, if I pass, it will be a great help though-- will give me something to write about atleast!!

Do write back with any thoughts you have about this.

thanks

~vs


eastwoodsd28 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well,
>
> I'm kind of tired of trolling these forums so I
> thought I'd contribute a little.
>
> I'm a 26 yr old MBA student (part time) at
> UW-Madison. Graduate in '08.
> BBA in Finance in '02.
> I've seen quite a bit of discussion about MBA
> programs on here and would be happy to provide any
> insight if people are interested. I do carry a
> 3.9 gpa and had a 700 on the GMAT.
> Work at a bank full time in product management by
> day.
> Pretty much play sports and party as much as
> possible when I'm not studying for the Level 1 or
> doing homework.
> I'm doing the CFA thing to show prospective
> employers that my education and work ethic are on
> par with someone graduating from the daytime
> program. I'm just going to work the hell out of
> my contacts that work in companies that employ
> traders when I near graduation.
>
> Music:THE WHITE STRIPES!!! Johnny Cash and Bob
> Dylan
> Sports: Basketball for exercise and softball as an
> excuse to drink with friends
>
> So between studying for L1, the MBA, and a full
> time job I probably shouldn't wonder why my
> girlfriend broke up with me because "I'm never
> home".
>
> I think that's about enough for my first post.
 
vs:
I think you are in a great position personally. Congratulations on your academic and GMAT success.
There are several people in my program in similar situations as you, minus the cfa. Relatively new to the country, technical field, and very educated.
As long as your entrance essays prove to be acceptable, I'm sure you could get into almost any MBA program with your background. As for the 'techie' moniker, you've proven the ability to analyze and interpret data on a very advanced level. Just becuase it isn't directly finance related, doesn't mean that this skill set isn't transferable into finance.
What the MBA will do is instead of building upon your technical skills, it will help round out your business ability. Most engineers in my program aren't there to be better engineers, they want to be better managers and leaders. Those two skills combined can be very powerful. This is the angle that I would pursue if I were you; be it if you want to stay in engineering with a finance degree or pursue finance all together. You have the technical side, but you want to improve upon your overall business skills, as well as the 'soft' skills that 99% of the time make all the difference in the world.

Hopefully you were able to extract something from my ramblings....good luck to you.
 
hey again,

thanks a lot for the info and the wishes :) lets c how things will shape up....

cheers,

~vs

eastwoodsd28 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> vs:
> I think you are in a great position personally.
> Congratulations on your academic and GMAT success.
>
> There are several people in my program in similar
> situations as you, minus the cfa. Relatively new
> to the country, technical field, and very
> educated.
> As long as your entrance essays prove to be
> acceptable, I'm sure you could get into almost any
> MBA program with your background. As for the
> 'techie' moniker, you've proven the ability to
> analyze and interpret data on a very advanced
> level. Just becuase it isn't directly finance
> related, doesn't mean that this skill set isn't
> transferable into finance.
> What the MBA will do is instead of building upon
> your technical skills, it will help round out your
> business ability. Most engineers in my program
> aren't there to be better engineers, they want to
> be better managers and leaders. Those two skills
> combined can be very powerful. This is the angle
> that I would pursue if I were you; be it if you
> want to stay in engineering with a finance degree
> or pursue finance all together. You have the
> technical side, but you want to improve upon your
> overall business skills, as well as the 'soft'
> skills that 99% of the time make all the
> difference in the world.
>
> Hopefully you were able to extract something from
> my ramblings....good luck to you.
 
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