What to do during 6 months off?
Hi everyone,
I've been in IB for the past 1 year, but going to be taking the next 6 months off due to a surgery. I will be bedridden (walking via walker), hence, won't be able to go out and travel or such.
I was curious if anyone had any suggestions on what to do during this gap? I will relax for the first month or so but I can only play video games and watch tv shows for so long before getting bored. I wanted to make the most of the time so was considering taking CFA level 1, but would be open to hear any ideas from others on how to make the best use of time.
Thank you!
Congrats on the 6-month goonathon
Thanks, your kind words mean a lot to me!
Can't you still work via laptop? I would defiantly try to be as plugged in as possible without damaging yourself while healing.
My bad, I wasn't clear in the post. I had to leave my job since they weren't comfortable with a 6 month leave, but I had to prioritize my health in this situation.
uhh spend some time finding a job during that 6 months
Yeah defiantly trying is the way.
Read books. Good ones.
Thanks for your response! I've planned to read, do you have any suggestions on some good books?
Anything that makes you look at life and your existence from a different lens. You're only alive once, try to find some meaning from it.
Exactly what spudrmonke said. I think the point of reading is to be able to experience other people's perspectives, time periods, and life lessons from a different point of view. My recommendation is to focus on classic literature and philosophy. The Great Books as they call them. They have had the most influence on the world and our outlooks.
If you're interested in philosophy, read Plato's Republic, some Aristotle, and the modern period basics like Descartes, Kant, and Nietzsche. I really also like Hegel and Hume (some of these are difficult reads)
If you wanna read classic literature, look into Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Maybe something like Brave New World, some Hemmingway, anything that sounds interesting. I also like Camus and Kafka.
And then if you want a great business book - The Almanack of Naval Ravikant.
Hope this helps.
Here are some of my personal favorites. I hope for a speedy recovery!
Something Happened - Joseph Heller. Implanted in the mind of a cynical and borderline nihilistic American business man with an outwardly good and happy life.
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller. Follow a bombardier as he tries to navigate survival in the absurdity of WW2. Difficult read but definitely worthwhile.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick. Easy read. The inspiration for Blade Runner. Bounty hunter has to find and kill AI robots in dystopian San Francisco.
Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ‘72 - Hunter S. Thompson. The coolest man to ever live infiltrates Washington DC for his perspective on American politics.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson. The coolest man to ever live goes on a drug binge in Las Vegas, exploring the fallacy of the American Dream in the process.
Black Box - Amos Oz. I recommend if you are Jewish or have Jewish friends/family. A series of communications between different people that are meant to represents subgroups of Jews.
Crash - J.G. Ballard. A man and his wife blur the lines between sexual thrill and danger as they join a cult-like group that fetishizes car crashes. Accompanied by an amazing (albeit equally crude) movie directed by David Cronenberg.
The Brothers Karamazov - Dostoevsky. Follows the story of three brothers. Very long read but not particularly difficult. Widely considered one of the greatest novels of all time.
Venus in Furs - Leopold von Sacher Masoch. This is a weird one but an amazing novel with fantastic perspectives on love and relationships. “Masochism” is derived from the authors name if that gives you any indications.
Gravity’s Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon. Probably the most difficult book I’ve read considering length, vocabulary, and overall construction but very worth it. Entertaining narratives with the general focus on the development of weapons during WW2 in Europe.
I also recommend reading autobiographies on your favorite athletes, musicians, etc, and other books tailored to your personal hobbies in interests. Further, there are plenty of good autobios written by the early successful Wall Street guys that provide great perspective on the industry. A lot of them are very similar though. Leon Levy’s has been my favorite thus far.
Anything from the Geronimo Stilton serious is a must.
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
Are you planning to rejoin the work force (within finance) after your Masters? If so, your Masters will not keep your excel skills up to date. I'd do a quick modeling exercise once a week to stay fresh.
Other than that, I'd read and join an online book club. There's a lot of ways to explore the world without leaving your apartment.
Finally, the CFA is useless unless you want to end up in asset management and DON'T GET FAT. You need to be careful to (1) not gain a thousand pounds as you recover and (2) still eat in a way that keeps your metabolism up. Just rip bicep curls and fluctuate your carefully curated diet.
Agree on upper body exercises. There is this machine where you turn your hands and it’s very aerobic.
Read more books about history, politics, and finance. You will be amazed how much this will actually improve your understanding of the world and what exists in it today.
Book recommendations?
I really should put together a reading list that I think should be required for anyone who wants to be well read about history, politics, and economics. Maybe I will do that this afternoon. As for now this is a great book list from Saagar on politics and the history of the USA. https://saagarenjeti.substack.com/p/book-recommendations-from-saagar
2 big 2 fail
Movie is also a good adaptation only one and a half hours.
-Delete- Double post.
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