Dear Diary: Coping with the CFA exam and My Life

Question

Yes, my life has become secondary to everything related to the CFA.  Last night I fell asleep in my study because I wanted to do just a few more questions before a date with my bed except I was exhausted and sleep claimed me without my consent.

I haven't even been as active as I'd like on this forum because it has faded into the background much like everything else.  I am vaguely aware that I haven't talked to some friends in more than six months and family really only gets a chance to talk to me these days during meal time.

With three weeks to go and dismal exam scores at times is enough to stare at the ceiling listlessly for hours on ends.

BUT
I play to win. 
(and stack the odds in my favour).

When I decided to write level II this June right after I finished level I in Dec 2012 I was declared crazy or the people with social graces claimed I was "overly ambitious".  I think sometimes the advice people give are a reflection of their opinion of their own self, but lets not get philosophical here since the CFA exams doesn't have a section on philosophy. I apologize I've been reading some of Oscar Wilde's stuff on the side.

I must confess that a big part of passing the CFA exam is keeping yourself motivated for the whole study stretch and not missing a beat. Before I started studying I bought keep myself a bunch of cute stuff (because that really does float my boat) to induce myself to make the long stay in my study room comfortable.

I use a weekly planner to track my achievement and give myself a sticker when I stay on the top of my game.  I deny myself the things I love when my concentration wanes.  I organize my notes weekly to take stock of my progress to remind myself how many obstacles I've cut down.

And I leave notes to my future self so I can remember why I started this. Why I need to keep going and to keep the eye on the ball. Sometimes I curse at my future self for forgetting a formula. And damn my future self can be so difficult to deal with at times.

How do you plan to cope with the last three weeks?

Sophie Macon · Answer

@diya - try Nicki Minaj's Starships - it sounds so high about starships and crap that makes no sense, but it works! :))

MockTurtle · Answer

Some days I feel optimistic, but some other days (most days actually) I can't seem to remember a thing, and I panic. I feel resentful that I have to go to work during the day and do work things when I could be studying!