CFA startup

SO, I've just finished my first week of studying, and can tell you how to properly reference the term CFA (it's an adjective, not noun!). But did I just use it as a noun...? Up next is Time Value of Money, which has always been fun. Looking ahead also made me realize that I should get myself a proper calculator, so an order just went into Amazon for a spiffy new TI BAII Plus Professional. I've heard that the Pro version is pretty nice, so figured I'd invest into it, and use my old regular BAII Plus as a backup. Turned out being around $45, the cheapest of TI's official distribution vendors, and Amazon offers free shipping as well. It's also a far cry from the HP 12c, which I think I saw listed at over $100. Why you would spend that much on a machine that only understands Reverse Polish Notation is beyond me. There's already enough material to study; while I'll have to spend some time getting used to my new 'lator, hopefully it won't take too long.

Other unintended consequences of this exam - shopping for a new credit card. Though I expect to get reimbursed by my company, study and enrollment fees will max out my limit for a while, and I enjoy the convenience of credit over ATMs. The Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card looks quite nice (woo cashback), and I'm hoping they'll approve me. Creditcards.com was useful for browsing potential vendors. The Discover gas card rated highly on the site, but Discover isn't as widely accepted is it?

Back to exam prep...though it's only been a week, this week has been exhausting. Suppose I'm not used to studying anymore (not that I ever really was). But I must keep at it, because I don't want to let anyone (myself, my family, my managers) down. Plus, I've postponed my desired purchase of a PS2 until June, so I'd better make these gameless months worth it.


"Hey, BBP, want to go out tonight?"

Friday nights now: "Sorry, CFA."
Friday nights 4 months from now: "Sorry, DDR."