I would suggest to all students out there - ‘if you don’t have relevant experience and you are not from top b-school then you are going to waste your time after L1’.
I disagree. It’s what you make of it. I will add it’s probably good advice for the majority, but not all. If you want to go down the path without experience or connections or anything, you better be super competitive because you’re going to be facing off against a few VERY dedicated and hard working people who will take the spots.
I agree that the dragons aren’t very accurate. If they are, it comes more from your personal circumstances than the actual exam and material.
Do you think you might be an outlier? If you were forced to take level 1 or 2 again, which would you choose? Good luck in 99 days. Given the herd is culled and the failure rates remain high really leaves no doubt which exam is harder for the masses. I met an attorney who thought level 3 was a joke compared to level 2, but he realized his experience was an exception. I understand your point about about prep, but I can’t recall anyone claiming 1 comes close to 2. To claim the dragons are dumb just means you are not in touch with your peers.
Well that’s hard to quantify as my only reach is AF. Tickersu is a peer and he agreed. I don’t recall any other specific topics in the L2 board at the time regarding how much more difficult it was than L1. That being said, I’ve never claimed L1 material was harder than L2, I just don’t think the difference is as drastic as that visual claims. Also every time I’ve seen that picture used has been in topics to effectively discourage people who have just passed L1 or have failed L1 and are looking to retake.
I graduated from mediocre State U and was the first person in my family to graduate college. I graduated in 2010 when there were very few finance jobs available to those with no experience and had virtually no connections to anyone working in finance. My mediocre State U job placement program was befitting of a mediocre State U, I believe the big recruiter at one event was Geico for insurance reps or generic management jobs at Hertz. Had I not worked hard and passed the CFA exams right after college while holding a full-time job, I would be irrelevant today. I’d be working in corporate finance somewhere where 90% of my responsibilities would be sitting in pointless meetings and pushing papers around.
The CFA charter distinguishes you from the herd and implies that you have the capability to understand more complex concepts. I was recruited for my first PM job simply because I had the designation in an area of the country where not many others do. That didn’t get me the job, but it got me the interview. I imagine in New York, where there are many more charterholders, this may not be the experience that new charterholders have.
I realize I may be the extreme case of how the charter can help, and others may not realize the same type of impact, but obtaining the Charter was the most important thing I could have done after graduating college. Far from a waste of time.
I do like the idea of comparing the exams to video games. I’ll have to go with Zelda:
L1 - Original NES version of The Legend of Zelda
L2 - Ocarina of Time (specifically the Water Temple)
L3 - A Link to the Past
Note: All the exams are far easier than finishing The Adventures of Link without cheating.
^What? A Link to the Past? That’s the SNES one, right?
I usedtacould finish that game in less than two hours. From beginning to end. (If I got all the treasures and hearts, it took more like 3-4.)
A better analogy:
L1 - Contra, using “the code”.
L2 - Contra, without using “the code”
L3 - Super C
But you only studied for 30 hours for L2 and passed, so that makes sense.
Seriously though, no, you couldn’t. Also, I’m talking about first time play-through. Sure, after knowing where everything is you might be able to run through it in a few hours (though I still find that hard to believe). And, for perspective, I found L2 harder than L3. So Water Temple > A Link to the Past.
Never having played Ocarina, I can’t relate.
But I assure you that in my heyday, I could successfully complete A Link to the Past in less than two hours. One of my few claims to fame. My others:
I have beaten Contra without using “the code”
I have beaten Mike Tyson in the second round, and he only landed two punches.
It is possible to beat A Link to the Past with only three hearts and the green tunic so I’m not saying it’s impossible (though highly unlikely). I’m saying there’s no way you did it on your first play-through without reading Nintendo Power first. Like when you think you’ve won the game and you get thrust into the dark world as a rabbit? Yeah, I’m sure you knew exactly what to do. No way.
I have no issue with either your Contra or Tyson claim as I’ve done both myself (though I don’t recall how many punches he landed on me).
Oh yeah. I had to use a strategy guide. Which I still have to this day, and still refer to from time to time, when I can’t remember the location of that last piece of heart.
But if you’re trying the two-hour challenge, I recommend that you DON’T dig for that piece of heart. I had to dig one time for 45 minutes before I finally got it.
Wait–are you telling me that you didn’t have some help in figuring out how to beat King Hippo?
Dodge Hippo’s normal punches. As soon he starts jumping up and down and grunting, hit him in the face once, then start punching his belly. Keep doing this until he falls down. He’s so fat he can’t get up! The referee will count to 10 and you’ll get a K.O.
#yw
King Hippo? He was a piece of cake. I’ve always found Sandman to be the hardest (ex-Tyson).
I’m trying to remember the first time I used a strategy guide. It wasn’t for any original NES games…Maybe Ocarina of Time.