Chapter 40 is absolutely brutal.

Question

I'm about 100 hrs into my studying for L2 in June and have hit a roadblock like I've never hit before.  I'm honestly embarrassed to admit the number of hours / days I've spent on Chapter 40 - Pricing and Valuation of Forward Commitments.  I'm using Schweser and CFAI materials.  I've had to go several days without studying, and when I revisited the material, I felt like I was back at square one.  I want to master this material, but at what point should I just move on?  I have no idea why I'm having such a tough time with this chapter.  Perhaps I've reached the max of what my brain in capable of...Any words of wisdom or suggestions are welcome.  Hope yall get the hang of this stuff easier than I did!

NickQAnalyst · Answer

I really appreciate the reassurance and the words of wisdom! The Derivatives section is seriously no joke, and will definitely require periodical revisiting.  Mastering this stuff seems to be all about just chipping away at a giant wood block.  Slowly, but surely.Derivs back in the fall?  Looks like you're in really good shape on the study schedule. How are you feeling about your studying progress so far?  Given that I'm on the slower side in grasping these concepts, I'm shooting for about 450 hrs or so by the time June rolls around, but it's going to be a sprint for the last 4-5 months.I really appreciate your taking the time to respond to my anxious plea, and I wish you best of luck!

ec_test · Answer

Hi there, I don't count hours, but I spent all September and October ( a long time) going over the Derivatives section. The numerous steps one has to take to get the questions solved are ridiculous. My only advice (for me and you) is to revisit this topic at a later time by doing a run of the formulas and redoing the problems. Also, I don't know if you noticed that the CFAI posted new problems for the Derivatives section of the test. I downloaded the problems two days ago and I'm planning doing them in the next couple of days to review what I learned. If you are studying let's say Econ, take a break from that for a day and solve one Derivatives problem or maybe two. Intermittent studying helps retain what you learned. Good luck!