Hello Lorrine,

The closest thing I can recommend to a an easy way to master the CFA program's curriculum is to make everything you learn applicable to your world. That is, if you have created a personal identity for yourself that includes, "I am a research analyst" or a future "investment manager" then the material you will learn will be personally valuable and therefore pique your deepest interest. It also becomes fun to read the material as you recognize that every sentence read is another chance at personal mastery of a potentially very valuable career.

Barring this deep alignment with the power of the material it is likely to be a grind.

When I took the exams - 1998 to 2000 - I totaled up the number of pages of reading and then divided that total by the number of days dedicated to study. The number of days dedicated to study was 6 days a week - I took Sundays off because otherwise it becomes too much of a grind, and probably more importantly, you need an opportunity to reflect on what you have read. I also allowed myself one month of final study. I also read aloud the material and took notes all throughout the reading process because the more senses engaged - here, seeing, hearing, and feeling - the greater the capacity to remember.

I hope that your adventures in finance are fruitful!

Jason