Week 14:
Hello all. Hope everyones holiday has gone well. I didnt win Jeffs Christmas giveaway, but thats okay, theres always next year. I write this update from a small town in Ireland. My family and I were able to fly out last Saturday (Christmas Day) and its a good thing, as I hear the Northeast got plastered with snow on Sunday. Luckily, the snow in Ireland melted soon after we arrived, so we missed it on both ends.
My wife has a ton of family in this small town, so we are staying with family. Its great for my girls to get to know all their cousins on this side of the family and enjoy quality time with all of them. I didnt really get too much studying done on the flight and the Sunday we arrived was a wash due to jet lag and an early dinner with about 25 family members.
Monday was the first day that I got any study hours logged, I split it up into two sessions and logged 4.5 hours. Then, a bunch of the men took me out to the pub, while the women drank tea and gossiped all night. On Tuesday, there was a family reunion at noon at a catering hall. There were almost 90 people there. Sure enough, we didnt get home until late and no study hours logged.
For these first couple days, we were all averaging 12 hours of sleep per night, but it wasnt leaving enough study time for me, so I set my alarm early on Wednesday and Thursday and logged 3 hours before my wife and kids even woke up at noon. Then, I wrapped up another 2 hours after going into town for lunch each day.
All in, thats 14.5 hours this week plus 3.5 hours on Friday morning (Christmas Eve) for a total of 18 hours. Im still on Chapter 3, but almost done, so hope to have Chapter 4 complete by the time I land in New York on Sunday evening. Im traveling without my family in order to get back to work on Monday, so I expect the flight to be considerably more productive than my flight to Ireland.
Since this is my second time reviewing Beckers FAR, the material does sound familiar as I go through it. Also, Im generally doing better on the homework questions now than my first time around, but not sure if its because I remember some of the questions from doing them so many times. Ive also been going back and doing some of the Chapter 1 questions in between Chapters 2 and 3, so I dont forget all that information, which I didnt really do the first time around, as I was on a very tight schedule.
Hopefully these minor tweaks with give me the few points I need to pass FAR. Well, Ill be sure to have a pint for each of you tonight, as I hear we are heading back to the pub this evening. Maybe Ill catch some of the Luck O the Irish. Happy New Year to everyone.
Week 15:
Happy New Year everyone. Im back from Ireland and have 6 weeks to really put my full efforts forth to pass FAR. As I sit here calculating the hours logged in the past week, Im realizing that 10-15 hours is not going to cut it.
Like J.W., with the new year comes a new years resolution for me, as well. Im going back to 5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays and 3-4 hours each night after work. My regiment starts this weekend.
I did get through about half of Chapter 4 during the week.
I actually studied on New Years Eve and during my flight back, but have been sick all week, so got no studying done Monday-Wednesday. My whole family has actually been sick, so have been doing daddy duty, as well. Not much more to report this week.
As I mentioned in my last post, most of this stuff is familiar, so hoping Ill be able to move through the chapters quicker when I actually apply myself. Hope to have a better progress report next week.
Jay-O
Coincidentally, I am reading 'Brooklyn', a novel set in 1950s small town Ireland and Newyork. I was picturising the place in my head as I read your post. I have about 8 wks for FAR. Good luck to you!