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Looking for some inspiration!

W

WHS

Member
I started studying CA1 at the beginning of October and have been able to maintain a certain amount of enthusiasm about it but I feel that I am already running out of steam. I keep changing my strategy because I am nervous about not getting all the work done on time. I am aiming to have read through the whole course by the end of December and then start revising and practising past paper questions in January.

I'd like to hear what strategies other people are adopting and I'd particularly like to hear from anyone who passed CA1 in April. How did you do it????
 
Looking for some inspiration NOW!!

Ok so it wasn't a terribly exciting question, but surely somebody cares?
Or are you afraid that I will make better use of your strategy than you are currently doing?
Someone please help!!
And while I'm at it - could someome please explain the reference to 60 chapters in CA1.
I only have 59 (Chapters 0 to 58). What am I missing? Or are we just rounding up to make the task seem even more daunting than it already is? :confused:
 
Hiya...I started a tread about this regarding the CA12 part, and Anna Bishop wrote some thing on how to study for the CA1 exam. This can be found in:

subject discussion>CA>CA1>Studying CA12

For my study, I am reading and summarising each chapter as I go along...(a very long process which seems pointless but i actually retain information doing it this way)...and then at the end of each part, I do the Q&As. Also I am planning to do a spider chart for each chapter after I finish reading each part so that I can know whether I understand the contents or not.

I think for this course, you have to do alot of re-covering old ground so that it remains fresh on your mind. You don't want to get to chapter 60 and find that you have forgoten everything in chapter one.

Hope it helps.
 
Thanks Deniese. It's good to know that there are others out there who are also soldiering on.
And the 60th chapter is ......
 
We are just rounding up. Some us who like to complain about how many chapters it has say "60" instead of 58 because it sounds worse.

The problem I am having with it is that all feels a little disjointed like there is little link between one page and the next. The lists I hate too - In fact I hate this whole subject!

And I've had trouble studying because my roof's leaking (sure u wanted to know that) and I am not going to a library because they're nice places and I will associate them with sadness if I start doing CA1 there.

Maybe it gets better after chapter 2 ? :)
 
avanbuiten said:
Maybe it gets better after chapter 2 ? :)
Click to expand...

No it doesn't, I finally made it to chapter 5 its still pants......Maybe it gets better after chapter 5:).
 
Deniese said:
No it doesn't, I finally made it to chapter 5 its still pants......Maybe it gets better after chapter 5:).
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. I thought the early chapters were the nicer ones.

But in a way, it all starts to make sense once you've gone through it all. Just keep going, you'll get there.

To answer the motivation question: what kept me going was: if others can do it, so can I. Just imagine the relief when you pass!!!
 
I have to say that I am very grateful for sitting ST3 in last sitting, because alot of the GI stuff is reapeated in this course (word for word), which means I could sail through the GI bits - it took me 30 mins to go through Chapter 5 yesterday - based on Reinsurance and principles of insurable risks. Maybe it would have been better to do the STs first and then come back to do CA12.

Does anyone else envisage wasting alot of paper to get through this subject? Poor Trees:)
 
Thanks for clearing that up Avanbuiten though I suggest we try and go for accuracy after all we are aimimg to become actuaries! 58 is just as bad as 60 (if not worse).

Isn't hating CA1 a bit counterproductive? I'm actually quite keen on the lists. I mean without them what would we have to memorise? Imagine 58 chapters with just paragraghs and paragraphs of info!!!
 
WHS said:
I am aiming to have read through the whole course by the end of December and then start revising and practising past paper questions in January.
Click to expand...

Wow! I'm impressed. Whole course by December??!! Don't think I could manage that!
I've just started studying CA1 as well, and the strategy I've adopted is to write a summary at the end of each part, then go through the Q&A bank and do the relevant assignments. I've been finding the assignments helpful cos u don't have to do it in strict exam like conditions (especially when u haven't got a clue what ur meant to say in the first place!! :rolleyes: ) but u get very constructive feedback from the markers.

But there are still many more chapters to trudge through, and tho I'm not particularly jumping with joy everytime I have to study CA1, I don't hate it that much! As you say, lists give u something to memorise!
 
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WHS said:
Thanks for clearing that up Avanbuiten though I suggest we try and go for accuracy after all we are aimimg to become actuaries! 58 is just as bad as 60 (if not worse).

Isn't hating CA1 a bit counterproductive? I'm actually quite keen on the lists. I mean without them what would we have to memorise? Imagine 58 chapters with just paragraghs and paragraphs of info!!!
Click to expand...

I don't hate it really i am just resentful about how long it is going to take to learn.
I mean, after lots of hard work you finally succeed in passing the CT series :) and then what do you find waiting for you? CA1! :eek: :(

Maybe I should consider counselling - and I don't mean exam counselling :D .

1st Acted tutorial was ok though.
 
For the CA12 notes, alot of examples are given in core reading (i.e. bold font) ...are we meant to learn these examples?
 
I don't know about "learning" the examples. Are you asking whether the examples are part of core reading? Or do you know for sure that they are?

Jeaneu, I wouldn't be too impressed with my plan to finish reading the course by December if I were you. I think the key word was "planning". I haven't made much progress during the last 2 weeks or so. However, I am actually finding the strength to go on by reading other peoples experiences on this forum. So for me, the Acted forum is a resounding success. THREE CHEERS for whoever came up with the idea!! :)
 
WHS said:
I don't know about "learning" the examples. Are you asking whether the examples are part of core reading? Or do you know for sure that they are?
Click to expand...


well i believe the examples are core reading because they are given in Bold Font and if you read chapter 0 ...it does mention it as being core reading....although it goes on further to say something about it not being directly examinable but we could be tested on it....I don't know its all confusing, but what i want to know is whether other people are planning to learn the examples in the same way as they will learn the actual notes itself?
 
Deniese said:
I don't know its all confusing, but what i want to know is whether other people are planning to learn the examples in the same way as they will learn the actual notes itself?
Click to expand...

I will not be learning them.

This is a judgement decision and not based on whether I think it is core reading or not.
The time spent learning them could be put to better use practising past papers, etc.
 
avanbuiten said:
I will not be learning them.
Click to expand...

Ditto. My plan is to work out their thinking behind the core reading examples so I can apply it to other scenarios.

And if they use a core reading example, then hopefully I can recreate the resuts!
 
i dont have to do CA12 but i wish i was

i sat 302-304 last september and

looking at the exam questions the questions relate to standard 302 303 304 type questions...

i would make sure teh principles underlying 302- 304 application questions as frankly there are going to probably jusrt be testing (and using thsoe pronciples occasionally to solve other business risks)

but then again i make it seem easy cos i ve never seen the 60 chapters and i would [rpbably say teh opposite if i saw them! lol
 
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