I agree that all your sentences are correct. I would not agree that 'far from' means 'not at all'. I would say the meaning is more that you are already started on a path to your goal but the goal is a long way from being achieved. So you have made a small start, but you have much work to do. Or in the case of the party, the party has been running already for some time, but is nowhere near being over. We have started working on how to solve the problem, but have not yet found a solution. She has been studying for the exam but if she had to take it right now then she would fail.