Favorite subject

Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum

Help Support Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

LyceeFruit PE

Woodchipped Voice of Reason
Joined
May 25, 2018
Messages
5,926
Reaction score
3,121
Tbh, I've been in a funk with studying until recently. I tried to make myself start studying with the area I'm weakest in (rotating machines) and I wasn't getting anywhere. So I lost time and was feeling anxious/stressed because I'm sick of this test.

Regrouped and I'm going through the beginnings of the courses from Zach. Starting with **** I know, like complex power. Whatever it takes to get the groove back. It's working.

Right now, I'm going through the section of illumination which is probably one of my favorite sections, which is completely random. 

Had me thinking, what's everyone's favorite subject of the test? Or least hated since it's totally weird to have faves of this stuff lol.

I also rather enjoy the Code section too

 
Tbh, I've been in a funk with studying until recently. I tried to make myself start studying with the area I'm weakest in (rotating machines) and I wasn't getting anywhere. So I lost time and was feeling anxious/stressed because I'm sick of this test.
 
This is exactly how I’ve been feeling. I can’t get my mind into the right frame of thought... or “study mode.”

Protection is my favorite here, with code coming in second.

Also, I took Zach’s online course. It seriously helped a lot in providing foundation knowledge. I did a bunch of practice exams afterword, and everything started making sense vs when I would just do problem after problem as I had been from the very beginning.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
For me would be the ones I’m familiar with LOL, being that I took the course in graduate school and so it comes back to me relatively quick compared the topics I’ve never seen:
3ph Power, fault analysis, rotating matches (somewhat - my power systems course touched upon this subject lightly), transmission lines and relay protection. The rest are new to me but I don’t think they’re that bad.

I’m doing best to practice diff study guide problems, practice problems and will enroll next week in Zach’s course. Something gotta give lol

I hope your studies are going well [emoji1545]

 
Not sure if I have a favorite subject.  I decided to take this dam test one more time.  This being my third time.  I took the last two test (oct 2018 and apr 2019).I was thinking about taking some time off but decided against it.  I signed up for zacks course last weekend and started going through the online part in order of the live class syllabus.  That way I’m a little ahead of the live class when it starts.  Also I figured I can finish the online part by the end of August then start doing a whole bunch of problems for the final 6 weeks or so.  I just hope Zach’s course is what gets me over the hump.  So far I like it.  I feel like I’ve picked up on a few things that I was doing wrong on the previous attempts.  I really like the video examples. I feel like that helps a lot in understanding the problems.

 
I took the exam twice and ended up passing the second time. I definitely had favorite subjects and ones that I absolutely lamented.

My favorites were definitely 3-phase power and the associated calculations. Basically all of the heavy math stuff. I liked working numbers out and manipulating equations. Also, I did not mind power factor correction and transformers.

My least favorites were definitely protection; more specifically relays. Differential relays weren't that bad but the distance relays really got me. I hated studying it because I really did not understand them. I also did not like medium transmission lines. The pi and T models got a bit confusing and I ended up getting a bit flustered. Lol.

 
Tbh, I've been in a funk with studying until recently. I tried to make myself start studying with the area I'm weakest in (rotating machines) and I wasn't getting anywhere. So I lost time and was feeling anxious/stressed because I'm sick of this test.

Regrouped and I'm going through the beginnings of the courses from Zach. Starting with **** I know, like complex power. Whatever it takes to get the groove back. It's working.

Right now, I'm going through the section of illumination which is probably one of my favorite sections, which is completely random. 

Had me thinking, what's everyone's favorite subject of the test? Or least hated since it's totally weird to have faves of this stuff lol.

I also rather enjoy the Code section too
Hey @LyceeFruit, don't worry. What you are feeling is completely normal. The amount of material to cover can be a little intimidating at first, there is A LOT to learn.  I promise that by the time the exam comes around, you'll be feeling much more comfortable. Before you know it a lot of subjects are going to start clicking for you, especially after we cover each of them in live class starting next week. Don't forget you can always email me when you need help! 

Hope to see you in the live chat room next week for the first intro class, I'll be looking for you!

Edit: I forgot to mention, since you asked, my favorite subject is circuit analysis. Especially the problems that seem very complicated at first but can actually be reduced to different fundamentals that piece the problem together. The really nitty gritty of it that lends itself well to many other areas of the exam. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Zach Stone, P.E. I've taken the exam numerous times already which basically feeds into the funk. Your courses so far are pulling me out of the funk and things are less stressful. I likely won't say that when we get to rotating machine & power electronic devices (my sworn enemies!). Can't wait to have those click tho. 

 
My favorite is/was power factor correction.  Simple overall but still fun.

 
I particularly enjoyed the NEC and relay protection sections mostly because that's what I've dealt with before and after undergrad. Complex power was also enjoyable. I ABSOLUTELY HATED studying per unit calculations. Never really covered it in depth in undergrad and only had tertiary dealings with it since so, it felt like I was learning a brand new subject. Thankfully the only per unit problem I got on my test was a plug and chug.

 
I like the fault analysis and NEC.  I have the least experience with Protection which is no bueno.

 
As I was going through the exam, I thought it would be kind of cool to keep in touch with the PE material such as fault analysis, PU, PF correction, voltage drop etc etc even after I pass, so you don't forget.  After 2-3 months of passing,  I don't want to visit the PE material. I will visit these topics on as needed basis, required to get the job done but not just like that.  It is amazing how fast the stuff changes. 

I find that stuff is lot different when you are in the "mood" vs not in the mood.    

 
Last edited by a moderator:
As I was going through the exam, I thought it would be kind of cool to keep in touch with the PE material such as fault analysis, PU, PF correction, voltage drop etc etc even after I pass, so you don't forget.  After 2-3 months of passing,  I don't want to visit the PE material. I will visit these topics on as needed basis, required to get the job done but not just like that.  It is amazing how fast the stuff changes. 

I find that stuff is lot different when you are in the "mood" vs not in the mood.    
I’ve gone back a time or two.  Never a bad idea to refresh yourself.  

Always the chance your exam could be audited and your passing score found to be in error and then you get to try again.  😂🤣😂🤣😱😱

 
My favorite is protection, and I’m really starting to like Code questions. 

Power factor correction seems like it’s just a reactive power study - am I wrong?

 
Always the chance your exam could be audited and your passing score found to be in error and then you get to try again.  😂🤣😂🤣😱😱
Don't go there Man!😫 You sowed a seed of doubt in me now and I'm frightened. I never knew there is such a thing of audit and going back. I thought once a pass, then pass, even if they passed you in error then it is upon them not on you.  I thought we are only responsible if we made a mistake like falsified something.   

 
Don't go there Man!😫 You sowed a seed of doubt in me now and I'm frightened. I never knew there is such a thing of audit and going back. I thought once a pass, then pass, even if they passed you in error then it is upon them not on you.  I thought we are only responsible if we made a mistake like falsified something.   
If you passed in April, I strongly doubt you would have your results invalidated at this point, unless you breach the NCEES candidate agreement by revealing exam content. Of course, we all know better than that, don’t we...?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Don't go there Man!😫 You sowed a seed of doubt in me now and I'm frightened. I never knew there is such a thing of audit and going back. I thought once a pass, then pass, even if they passed you in error then it is upon them not on you.  I thought we are only responsible if we made a mistake like falsified something.   
I am no authority on the topic.  I just saw an easy troll target.

 
If you passed in April, I strongly doubt you would have your results invalidated, unless you breach the NCEES candidate agreement by revealing exam content. Of course, we all know better than that, don’t we...?
I'm so paranoid about that.  Most of my exam advise has become so generalized it's almost useless.  lol

 
Back
Top