Should I take the exam?

CFA General
#1

Hey all,

I am currently a senior about to complete my undergrad Finance program at a business school in Rhode Island. My finance GPA is around a 3.7 but my cumulative is around 3.2. I manage money as an analyst for our school’s investment fund and have had a few internships in accounting/financial planning. I am unsure if I have the discipline as I am not sure if I would even pass even if I put the time in. Need some motivational success stories to start me on my journey.

Should be a fun run these next few years, thanks for your replies in advance.

#2

Heads you win, tails you tie.

Take the exams.

#3

CFA is a life-style and career choice. It is really hard to be motivated externally (by few success stories). Take the test.

#4

Understood, I am attracted to it for all the right reasons and definitely have a passion for investments, just questioning my ability as a student, I am not at a target school etc.

#5

My advice for you is to ditch the whole “I’m passionate about this and want to study it because everything is so interesting” attitude. Because trust me, ain’t jack sht that’s fun about intercorporate investments, or auto-regressive conditional heteroskedasticity. Be real with yourself that you’re trying to chase a fat paycheck or get an ego boost by passing the hardest exams on wall st.

#6

My OP you quoted was a nice way of me writing that I have a passion for money. But “it’s so interesting” is not my attitude. I hate school and always have, but studying how to make money (finance) always kept me around/brought me to want to pursue this certification. What attitude would you suggest in replacement?

#7

Register for CFA --> Pass CFA --> Get Better Job --> Make Mo Money --> Make Even Mo Money --> Boats 'n Hoes

#NaturalEvolution

#8

Self study is very different than university undergraduate classes where the professor holds your hand. You’ll never know what you’re capable of until you try. Your drive and motivation has to come from the inside. It helps to know what type of work you want to do. So, start exploring CFA careers and imagine yourself 10-15 years from now. What’s your long term goal? Be realistic. You’re not going to be a $10B hedge fund guru. (You might be, stuff happens, but it’s not a realistic goal) Then ask “are you hungry enough to go get it?”. Then , go get it.

#9

I say do it. You have the right attitude and you have probably haf the knowledge of what Level I would be already in your head from undergrad. If you’re willing to not be stupid and party 3 days a week for the first few years out of college, you might has well use to time to get yourself a leg up and do what many others fear of doing.