My level 1 exam is 2 and a bit weeks and right now i feel so unmotivated. Last week I came to the conclusion that i don’t have enough time at all to finish my preparations for the exam. Still have 5 topics to review questions as well as mocks while also trying to remember all the fucking formulas and I feel like it just isn’t enough time at all. I already delayed taking the exam back in November and those extra months did actually help me shore up but now that I relaxed i don’t think i’ll make it in time all i feel is apathy.
Only reason I even decided to take on the exam in the first place was cause my dad was heavily insistent on me getting it. Baring in mind I was already pushed into taking my masters degree I resisted because in all honesty I felt it was a waste of time. I talked with my mentor/ex-boss sometime in June last year and he brought it up as well and gave solid reason (something to keep me busy while i was looking for work in this terrible job market, and could provide an ego and confidence boost once i passed), he even got in touch with a CFA charter holder as well and he talked about the benefits of it. So I thought why not, let me just try and do it even though i had no intention whatsoever of even attempting level 2 after but maybe i could change my mind you know?
First hiccup was realising how much content level 1 covered and had to delay to May from November. I thought it was smooth sailing from there but now 3 weeks out, there’s just too much for me to do. I been working through more and more questions these past couple weeks with loads of sticky notes covering my walls with information i missed and formulas to remember. But as i sat down last week looking over them I realised there’s too many things to do. One of the main reasons I even delayed in the first place was cause of how many formulas you’re required to remember and with each equation I do it just feels like there’s more on top of that and there’s no chance i’m remembering any of them. I honestly feel pretty fine with the qualitative/knowledge based questions but everything else is OD.
My motivation to study has completely disappeared and currently i’m contemplating if i should even bother sitting the exam. I want people to use this as a warning not to do the CFA if others are trying to push you to do it or if you’re doing it to “keep you busy”. ai honestly would’ve rather spent the last 9 months focusing down on my job applications than study for something I wasn’t passionate about in the first place.
If anyone else had similar stories I’d love if you’d share them.