Monday 5 September 2011

One month before the exam...

For Level 1 our course ended on Sunday, 8th of May 2011. Apparently it was hard for me to believe that in less than hundred days, we had completed 5 books covering 10 subjects. I could recall the first day when I had stepped into that auditorium. There was a sense of happiness and an increasing responsibility as only 1 month was left before the exam. I greeted my friends, left the class and gathered my energies to travel back to my house. It was economics which we had covered in just 3 days! I was simultaneously shocked and surprised. The book had three study sessions in it and around 15 chapters but we just skimmed it in three days!

While returning back to home, I was consistently planning the following week. Though when I had decided to travel in February 2011, it was among my principles not to bother much during travelling but the anxiety of the exam had made me break all the rules; my rules! After gathering much courage and potential I decided to revise 5 books in 6 days! Impossible, this is what I said to myself and rested my head back in the bus. The clock struck 1 and I left the bus at an interim terminal. My parents were waiting for me in the car, I ran towards them and after watching their faces all my anxiety and tiredness vanished. I came across to my house telling them all the details of the class and 'out bursting' what I had in my mind. It gave me energies. When I went into my house I realized that I was fresh. It was a hectic weekend, I had covered a complete book in three days, traveled 2 hours in the bus and still I was fresh. That was the moment I realized how necessary it is to remain happier in order to achieve one's goals. It seemed that I had conquered my devil. Nothing is impossible was the next thing which I told to my self and slept. 

Against all odds, I woke up early in the next morning and after a 'vibrant' breakfast I opened my books. I tried to remove all other things especially the fear out of my mind and started my reading. I had realized the organization of information which I had done during my previous readings helped me out dramatically in increasing my efficiency and capability of retaining. I started off with my best portion - Book 4 to gain confidence and completed the book in one day. It wasn't a continuous strive. I took brakes in the mean time, tried to make my self feel relaxed and rejuvenate. I ate well - it makes me happy, done some physical workout to gather energies for my brain, and watched funny short clips. Planning the leisure time and studying in the rest of time was the strategy which made me happy and ultimately completing one book in one day. The quest continued till Saturday 14th May, 2011. I left for Lahore in that evening and took a deep sleep. 

On Sunday 15th May, 2011 it was my first mock. I was fresh and excited. The curiosity was not the actual proxy of the exam yet I could sense a chunk of it! My aim was to check my stamina of sitting in the exam for 3 hours, waiting for 2 hours and then re-sitting for the next 3 hours. The first mock really helped out in evaluating where I had stood. Though I had passed that mock but when I was travelling back I was planning for the next week. 22nd May, 2011 was the destination and I had 6 days, and 5 books to cover...

3 comments:

  1. Hi Muhammad,

    How much did you manage to score on your first mock? I just took a Schweser Practice Test today and scored around 73% :(

    Do you have any experience with the Schweser tests?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the quick reply.

    I have been studying from the Schweser material (for Level 1 of course), so I was just wondering whether it is good to continue taking the Schweser practice exams or try some other test prep provider.

    Or do you think I should wait till I do the CFAI mock first?

    ReplyDelete
  3. My experience of using practice exams of other test prep providers was good as it gave me another perspective and like its said the more you practice the better you become...

    ReplyDelete