Signing up for next year level 3 or giving up

Thanks godism and kanat and cgy5478 this forum is great for support for fellow AF’s
il certainly not take the decision lightly to give up or stay on… Think the equations is health > cfa … I may have started something that I never should have tried as I have always been an average student… It may be that I just shouldn’t be here at all so giving up is the right thing. Or maybe il finish and it will be an achievement even though It will be soured by the 7 yrs it’s taken to get here.
Guess i I do not need to make the decision for a few months so need to find some way to forget about it for now.
 
This thread is awesome - I can feel the love (which is a must given the crazy stress we’re all under).
@CFAannoying - I totally know what you’re talking about…everything has been on hold last few years for me too and I know life is too short to be wasting studying in the library for a test w/such low pass rates…but then I keep telling myself that if I don’t get the charter, I just wasted all the time I spent for prior attempts and more than anything, I know I need this for the next level and would look back in a few years and regret giving up so close to the finish line. What I do suggest is to take some time off, if needed. Yes, it’ll break the study routine that you build from prior years and maybe difficult to come back to after a year or two off, but it’ll also give you a much needed break…a reminder of why you need/want this while giving you time to pursue some of the other things on hold. Hopefully I won’t have to, but I’ve already decided that God forbid I don’t pass, I’m going to take atleast a year off and pursue other interests because no point going in with weak intentions/mind…this test requires an all or nothing approach and after all these years of studying and stress at work…I need some time off…again, REALLY PRAYING and hoping this is the last year because I just want this chapter to end already - w/my charter ofcourse - but that is an option.
 
CFannoying- what was the purpose of starting this thread?
Congrats on staying with the program and finally getting over the LII hump, but now throwing in the towel is seriously in consideration??!? I don’t get it.
Listen, I’m not gonna sit here and feed you words of encouragement – but I am gonna tell it to you straight. If you’re even *thinking* about sitting for Level III, then you’ve got to give 130%. No half-ass effort, and only balls to the wall.
As you already know, the competition at LIII is fierce and the AM session takes any guessing out of the equation. So if you’re sitting on the fence and not sure if you want to finish the program, then just give up now and don’t waste anymore time or effort. Not everyone can earn the Charter in 3 years or less, present company included. But I didn’t give up, because I wouldn’t – especially with my two little boys at home, which didn’t make study/preparation easy but gave me motivation to push through. Now I’m smiling ear-to-ear. (For the record, I’m almost 39.)
Do you want it – I mean really, really want it? Not for a certain paycheck but “for yourself”, so you can look back at what you’ve done in your working career with some sense of accomplishment? Then how ‘bout you grow a pair and get the job done. Otherwise I’ll have to give the baby back his bottle.
 
Thanks tozerrt,
This is actually usfeul… I have to decide if my head is together enough to focus on giving level 3 110% to pass it.
As you guys are half way through study, I was hoping for some indication as to how hard it was and clearly, it is another hard beast.
If it is as hard or harder than level 2, then I should give it careful consideration… Taking 2 so many times has definitely knocked my confidence.. and a 6 hour exam scares the hell out of me.
 
Yes you may be correct, it may be worth a try..
If I try next year however, I will be newly married so first 6 months of married life will be in the books.
Already spent so much time on this and yes I accept that is sunk cost… going forward, this will still take me approx 500 hours and 6 months of life.
Not a decision to be taken lightly
 
So OP failed L2 four times, passed it on the fifth. I’m assuming that he’s had a year-long break, since he knows he passed and has yet to sign up for L3. Now he’s coming to an anonymous Internet forum to seek motivation.
Wasting four years of your life wasn’t motivation enough?
Why did you fail four times? You were sick once–I get it. Life happens. But the other three times? Let’s be honest–you didn’t study enough.
L3 is just as hard as (if not harder than) L2. And if it took you five years to pass L2, what are you going to do differently to ensure that you’ll pass L3?
 
I was thinking of the OP’s timeline for the CFA charter:
  1. Failed L1
  2. Passed L1
  3. Failed L2
  4. Failed L2
  5. Failed L2
  6. Failed L2
  7. Passed L2
  8. took a year-long break
  9. ????
I’m really not trying to be an a-hole here, but I really want you to think about what you did wrong in the first 7/9 years, and figure out how you’re going to fix it. If you can’t put forth the effort to pass the exam, then you should stop now and count it as a “sunk cost”.
And if you’re going to do what you’ve done in 7/9 years, then remember Einstein’s definition of insanity.
 
L3 is not an exam you can clear by repeating it a sufficient number of times. So I would try it 2 times, and if you fail I would give up, all else equal (that is, assuming no sudden surge in motivation). But giving up at this stage-no-no. It’s correct that we should get up every time we fall. But the decision to pursue the cfa may be the wrong decision in itself. Acknowledging such wrong decision may hurt but it may be something necessary.
 
Time line is
  1. 1June Failed L1
    December Passed L!
  2. Failes L2
  3. Failed L2
  4. Failed L2
  5. Failed L2
  6. Passed L2
  7. took a year-long break
Still looks pretty horrible …..
Well I must admit, I am starting to struggle with some exam anxiety from these 6 hour CFA exams ! That will be my biggest obstacle now. 2 of those level 2 fails (attempt 3 and 4) I would put down to anxiety sabotaging my performance….
Realistically If I am going to attempt this, I had better start early, I had better follow a study providers plan really closely and set lots of hurdle tests. And I had better find some help for my exam anxiety and hope it doesnt develop in to a more generalised anxiety….. A lot to consider for this exam… brings me back to whether it is actually worth it and I have lots of sunk cost .
Any advice for dealing with serious anxiety ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top