Starting my L1 studying. What is the best plan of attack? studying, flash, remember, notebook

sweetgirl

First, I am taking the L1 in June. I have just begun studying and I am about done with Quant I. I am using the Schweser books & Q-bank. I have started making flash cards and already have 30 or so just through Quant I.

How do you all make notes? In a notebook with pen/paper or on your laptop? I feel like handwriting notes is quicker and I remember the material better but if I took notes on my laptop I could find what I'm looking for quicker when reviewing. I am not sure of what to do here and would love some input.

I plan on finishing Quant by hopefully end of the weekend and then progress through Econ and hopefully finish up FSA by mid Feb. Are you guys going back every few weeks and reviewing old material again?

Also, any idea on what the best way to navigate through the Qbank is? I figured just do the questions after the readings and do a test every other week.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Good luck to all you other June L1 test takers.

m

jim8z3

I didn't really have a "plan" for the revision. I just carried my folder with the notes around with me more or less whereever I went and re-read them as often as I could. After a while you feel that you know most of them by heart while at the same time really noticing where your weak areas are (that would be the pages that you read, and re-read and still every time you read them it's as though you've never seen this stuff before - for me that was income tax and leases in FSA!!!)

Another great way to make sure that you have fully understood the material and retained it, is to explain it to someone else. Since I didn't have that "someone else" (and I am sharing this at the risk that you are going to think I am crazy!) I would just sit in my study talking out loud - to no-one! Bit weird I know, but I do this when I have to prepare big presentations too and I find that it helps me see where the gaps are.

But ultimately, the best review is doing practice questions.

agulani

I wrote loads of notes on my PC - it seemed more organized that way and it enabled me to change/correct things later on. Also it is easier to add information later on if you type your notes up. But I guess ultimately it's a question of personal perference. I type very quickly and hence found it easier than taking hand-written notes.

The Q-bank is a very good way of praticing the calc questions - after a while you can do the calculations more or less "blind". It is also useful to make sure that you have really understood the material.

I would recommend starting off with the end-of-chapter questions in the CFA and the Schweser books first. Once you have gone through the material once and have started to revise, really hit the Q-bank. Leave the practice exams until the end.

Flok

Qbank, Scheweser notes, and exams. Thats what I used and still did not feel any handicap during the exam. You learn a lot while doing the Qbank as well. CFAI wasts time.

ogoluwa

I didn't take notes, but I did find flash cards helpful toward the end -- especially when it came to memorizing formulas.

Keep in mind that Schweser is sort of the "cliff-notes" version of the curriculum. You can't avoid CFAI entirely and expect a successful outcome. I used Qbank extensively, and it does help, but the questions and answers just help you cement the ideas in your head. It doesn't in any way replicate exam questions.

Leave a full month (or more) to do practice exams, mock exams, etc., and to review and relearn sections that are your weakest.

I just took L1 in December.

- Robert