Preparing for PE in 2nd Year of Banking

Hi all,

I've accepted a PE associate offer starting in August 2020, and I still have ~5 months in my second year as an IB analyst at a bulge bracket. Being that everyone in my group knows I'm leaving the bank in June, many of the larger staffings go to analysts in my class who have accepted offers to become associates. Point is, I have a lot of down time at work.

I usually hate the question "how can I prepare for my IB internship" from undergrads, because I always advise that they shouldn't worry too much and should enjoy their time in college. However, I'm becoming bored with my amount of free time at the office, and am looking for ways to prepare myself for PE and while my days away.

Any suggestions on resources or practices that a second-year IB analyst could do with all this free time? I've been mostly focused on reading / learning more about the portfolio companies / keeping up with the news; any guidance from PE associate that felt behind when they first joined would be helpful.

Thanks for all replies.