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CFA Note Taking (Schweser, CFA, other... etc.)
Hello Everybody!
I did some searching in the forum, but I couldn't find anything relevant to note taking. I'm just wondering if any of you could elaborate on 'how' you take notes - do you hand write them, type them, flash cards etc.? It'd be great to hear some feedback from people who have passed the different levels and the approach they took to do so.
Thanks,
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Comments
To be honest, I wouldn't recommend this method to everyone, because I believe there is no single method that works for everyone. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us @MM12 - I'm amazed you did all the note taking (I was probably just too lazy), bravo!
Thanks @Sophie! I have done this from middle school through university and feel it has always helped me prepare well for exams. But I know of some very smart people who study in totally different ways - that's why I always put the very important disclaimer that everyone studies in their own way and must find what works for them!
@HeavenBeyond I don't understand what you mean by "Level 1 isn't offered in June". As far as I know, level 1 is offered twice a year, in December and June, and levels 2 and 3 are only offered once a year, in June (by 'offered' I mean that the exam takes place in the months I mentioned).
I'm one of the few who spent the time to make literally a few thousand flash cards. Flash cards take longer to make but they're extremely useful for reviewing in the final month. They're good for reviewing as you're still learning material as well - the last thing you want is to finish all the material and not remember the first bunch of topics you saw
My general rule was scribbling down 'notes to self'. If I understood a particular concept, I'd write down an 'unofficial' explanation to my future self (who presumably would have forgotten this material again) in my own language.
The notes were very beneficial, one because through the notes your past self is tutoring your future self, and also the act of writing things down summarises things in your mind and makes things a lot easier to remember!
@MM12 my 'point of best understanding' usually occurs at a point where I just read the concept and worked it out in my head though. I'd be educating my future, forgetful self, whom after reading a whole bunch of other stuff, has forgotten all about this particular concept. Just need a few pointers from my past self to remember it all again.
@Zee I know what you mean and I wasn't really serious in my comment. I was referring to the more general situation in any level of school, where you look back at last year's books and think "did I really find this stuff difficult? It's so easy now". Obviously this doesn't quite hold true for the CFA
@mm12 If you asked me to take the CFA exams now, I'd be so screwed...
@zee to be honest the same goes for me, and I just did the CFA