Hating other Players

The main reason that I am doing this blog is that to earn a CFA charter is a unique experience. It is an experience that requires several years - more if you fail the exams. It is also a relatively lonely experience of self study and most people haven't heard of it. If you are doing it toimpress family or friends, you are wasting time. You earn the charter to get a good job in investment banking. On the internet there are discussion groups for a great many things, but there aren't many outlets for CFA charterholders or candidates. If I wanted to chat with another candidate about the recent exam, there are very few choices. Google CFA and you will find mostly ads or study materials.

One exception to talking with other candidates is a website called analystforum.com. This is the biggest forum I have found thus far devoted to CFA candidates. I do not like this website at all. it's a personal thing, but if you wish to check it out, please feel free to do so. I don't like it for several reasons. First of all, they tend to destroy my confidence. Everyone has their personal strengths. For instance, I have had trouble with derivatives in the past. Go to this forum, someone will post a question on derivatives asking for help. Derivatives are a weak area for me, but not others. There will be 20 people with answers to the question I can't answer by the close of business. That tends to make me feel dumb and unlikely to pass.

Another problem I have is that some people are just jerks. To get my self motivated for the test I think of my past bosses who have fired me, and think of my baby boy. That motivates me to study and probably to pass. Others get motivated by convincing themselves that they are the best. They do this by actively putting down others. 'You are stupid for not knowing portfolio management and seeking help. I just did portfolio and got all of the practice questions right. You have no chance at passing, don't even bother showing up.' I don't need to hate on you to perform my best. I enjoy a little smack talking during a card game or sporting contest, but I'm not going to take time out of my day to expressly try to talk smack to you so that you fail. Hell, if I get 70%, then the other candidates might as well not be there as far as I'm concerned.

Then is the main reason I don't like analystforum. That friggin idiot. As it gets closer to results release, I am going to be on pins and needles almost constantly. I will be checking the results page at least hourly in a couple of months. There will also be that friggin idiot on analystforum who falsely says that the results have been released at least twice a day. I don't know who that idiot is, but it shows the maturity level of a 7 year old. It's kind of like waiting for a college acceptance letter as a high school senior and your younger sibling goes through the trouble of mailing you an envelope with college letterhead and all that's inside is a letter saying 'Gothca!' I think an adult resorting to that level of immaturity with a bunch of emotionally unstable candidates should be a felony.