Dapper425

Don’t let having a full-time job be your crutch. We all have excuses. There are many reasons NOT to study–and they are all probably really good reasons.  That’s why the exam is so difficult–because the CFA exam “ain’t your ordinary test”.
Let me tell you my story.  
I took Level 2 twice.  Between the two, I probably studied 600 hours.  Not kidding.
I passed Level 1 in December 2010.  The next week, In fact, I started a new job, moved to a new city, and bought a new house.  Then I found out my wife was pregnant.
On January 25, I found out I passed Level 1, and then started studying for Level 2  In March 2010, I quit my job and started a new one.
For two months, studied every day and every day on the weekends.  My pregnant wife was not happy with me.  I took Level 2 in June 2011 and failed it with a score band of 10. (Shtty.  Yes–I did cry.  I was very upset.)
In August, my baby girl was born.  And in October, I began studying for Level 2 again.  Yes–I studied for about 400 hours, missing my wife and my baby girl (who was growing up without me) very terribly.  Then I took Level 2 in June 2012 and aced it.
So now, my 14-month old baby girl loves to see her daddy, and daddy studies every M-W-F from 5-9:30, and gets home after baby is gone to bed.  In fact, I’m usually so tired I just want to go straight to bed, but I can’t because I’m so wired from studying.  And I like to get up at 5:00 to work out, but I can’t, because I’m so damn tired from the night before.  So my family life suffers, my physical health suffers, and my mental health suffers.
Yes, we all have our excuses–and not seing your children is the best of them all.  But I give some of it up because I want to finish the test to provide a better life for my family.