# Suggestion for how to carry in books?



## Blue 8 (Mar 23, 2015)

I've been told that Maryland is pretty strict with their policy and you can't use luggage to bring in your books. I've seen a few suggestions on here and think the milk crates on a hand dolly are winning right now. Any other creative ideas?


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Mar 23, 2015)

Milk crate was all I needed. Has the handles in case you encounter stairs. I didn't bother with a dolly/wheels.


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Mar 23, 2015)

I only needed a backpack but I did see folks with a plastic bin that had wheels.


----------



## Ken PE 3.1 (Mar 23, 2015)

Ohio allows luggage, thank god


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Mar 23, 2015)




----------



## iwire (Mar 23, 2015)

Maryland is not strict at all but they make you take books out and put the luggage aside if is blocking the walkway. I used laundry basket and has no problem


----------



## Blue 8 (Mar 24, 2015)

Thanks for the feedback. Ramnares I feel like I'll need something of that size. Lol need all the support I can get!


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Mar 24, 2015)

Remember it's not about the quantity of references. You really should bring those books that you used during your preparation and are intimately familiar with. You don't want to bring a suitcase full of books and waste time searching through them.

Best of luck. It's only a couple more weeks so stay strong.


----------



## KatyLied P.E. (Mar 24, 2015)

Two milk crates, bungee cords and hand truck. That's the ticket. Although I have seen a dBest(?) crate on wheels advertised on this site. Looks interesting.


----------



## IlliniWood (Mar 25, 2015)

I used a sturdy cardboard moving box with handles. That was enough to get 4 binders of class notes, MERM solutions, MERM, conversions book, Machinery's Handbook, and Mark's Handbook as well as an additional calculator and straight edges.

Those that brought there stuff in suitcases were required to put the references on the desk and store their suitcases outside of the room (under the watchful eyes of CTS "security").


----------



## jeb6294 (Mar 25, 2015)

Do the milk crates. I had two of them stacked on a little folding luggage dolly. Put your books in binding facing out, most used books in the top crate and those "just in case" books in the lower crate. Show up for the test and you've got an instant organized bookshelf. It was a lot easier than the people around me who had to root through a suitcase.


----------



## Blue 8 (Mar 25, 2015)

Thanks so much for the advice. I'm going with the milk crates so I can have access like you've mentioned. Seems the luggage is a hassle. I'm losing steam here! Not sure I'll pass on the first but I'll be damned prepared for the second round!


----------



## civil4life (Mar 28, 2015)

I have taken the test twice in MD and will be there again in a few weeks. You are allowed to use a suitcase. The only thing is whatever you use if it is not clear like a milk crate or clear storage container your materials have to be removed from the container. Then you place your suitcase etc. along the wall. I used a suitcase the first 2 times. This time I have clear storage containers which I will use a dolly to carry in. I will then be able to place the books in the container like a bookshelf. Additionally MD test sight is horrible. The lighting is bad the tables are hard to write on, and the chairs are really uncomfortable. I have a separate binder for each morning area, all the recommended books, CERM, binder with index of CERM, and another quick reference. Placing a copy of the index in another binder is really helpful. It allows you to look up several locations with having to refer back and forth to the index. Good Luck


----------



## adamn185 PE (Mar 28, 2015)

Blue 8 said:


> Thanks so much for the advice. I'm going with the milk crates so I can have access like you've mentioned. Seems the luggage is a hassle. I'm losing steam here! Not sure I'll pass on the first but I'll be damned prepared for the second round!


I hear you - hope you only have to do it once though. Best of luck!


----------



## Badger (Mar 28, 2015)

Hi,

You can get a Mobile Folding Cart with Lid for about $25 at Office depot or Office Max. Someone on this site suggested it.

It is collapsible and expands to 16"H x 18"W x 15"D and has a handle to wheel it around.

I filled the cart up with books and loaded two book bags on top of the cart and wheeled in more books than I needed.

I worked great, I am probably biased since I passed.

Good Luck on the PE exam everyone.


----------



## BLG923PE (Mar 29, 2015)

+1 on the folding cart from an office supply store. I'm taking that with another milk crate strapped down on top. If it weren't for having to haul in the AASHTO HCM, I think I could get away with just the cart.


----------



## P-E (Mar 29, 2015)




----------



## Ken PE 3.1 (Mar 30, 2015)

power-engineer said:


> image.jpg


That's for Friday night.


----------



## CU07 (Mar 30, 2015)

I brought a suitcase (1 size up from a carry on). I wish I had done the milk crate/hand cart method. The suitcase was so heavy, it would have been nice to have it broken into the smaller crates. They let me keep the suitcase next to me, but I happened to be seated at the end of a row. Otherwise I would have probably had to stack things next to me.

I've said this a few times over the years, but ignore people from outside the Environmental discipline when they tell you to only bring a few references that you really need and that you used while studying. The Environmental exam has roughly 50 qualitative questions and is an extremely broad exam - I used about 20 references while studying and I honestly used nearly all of them on the exam too. I had time to look things up in a couple different books if necessary and having lots of sources for somewhat obscure regulatory questions may have made the difference between passing and failing.


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (Mar 30, 2015)

Don't forget the bungee cord to hold crates to dolly.


----------



## iwire (Mar 30, 2015)

Also, I would like to add, last time I took the test, the proctor has no problem with me having 2-3 books on the table the same time. But careful with loose paper or pencil marking. Not sure if they change the pencil marking rule...I saw a few dude got kicked out from it and Proctor randomly searching people reference books for pencil marking!


----------



## Ken PE 3.1 (Mar 30, 2015)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> Don't forget the bungee cord to hold crates to dolly.


Forget them! It's funny watching books sliding across a rain covered sidewalk at 7 am.


----------



## Kovz (Mar 30, 2015)

iwire said:


> Also, I would like to add, last time I took the test, the proctor has no problem with me having 2-3 books on the table the same time. But careful with loose paper or pencil marking. Not sure if they change the pencil marking rule...I saw a few dude got kicked out from it and Proctor randomly searching people reference books for pencil marking!




Nowhere in the NCEES Examinee Guide (March 2015 edition) does it say anything about pencil markings. Unless this is a state law? But I have not seen anything on Ohio's board either. I have several pencil markings in one of my reference books, as well as on many pages in my homemade binder.


----------



## aggieman_09 (Mar 30, 2015)

Can you carry in more than one carrying case? Say a backpack and a milk crate?


----------



## knight1fox3 (Mar 30, 2015)

Kovz said:


> iwire said:
> 
> 
> > Also, I would like to add, last time I took the test, the proctor has no problem with me having 2-3 books on the table the same time. But careful with loose paper or pencil marking. Not sure if they change the pencil marking rule...I saw a few dude got kicked out from it and Proctor randomly searching people reference books for pencil marking!
> ...




Take a look at a similar discussion here: http://engineerboards.com/index.php?showtopic=24880#entry7264180


----------



## KatyLied P.E. (Mar 30, 2015)

Assuming there are mult-floors take the elevator as you haul these books. Saw a poor soul hauling his books up the escalator. Right as he got to the top they all tumbled down. There's enough on your mind already without having to worry about picking up a load of reference material.


----------



## Blue 8 (Mar 30, 2015)

CU07 said:


> I brought a suitcase (1 size up from a carry on). I wish I had done the milk crate/hand cart method. The suitcase was so heavy, it would have been nice to have it broken into the smaller crates. They let me keep the suitcase next to me, but I happened to be seated at the end of a row. Otherwise I would have probably had to stack things next to me.
> 
> I've said this a few times over the years, but ignore people from outside the Environmental discipline when they tell you to only bring a few references that you really need and that you used while studying. The Environmental exam has roughly 50 qualitative questions and is an extremely broad exam - I used about 20 references while studying and I honestly used nearly all of them on the exam too. I had time to look things up in a couple different books if necessary and having lots of sources for somewhat obscure regulatory questions may have made the difference between passing and failing.




I am glad you chimed in on the Environmental perspective because I have like 15 binders (1 for each section air, hw, sw, water quality, air, hydrology, blah blah) and books total. There is so much to know for this wonderful exam, that I rather take more in case I have "time" to flip through the books for those qualitative questions.

Civil4life, thanks for the insight on MD's testing site. I took the FE in Oct 2013 and I recall how badly my back ached after the exam. Good luck!!

Ugh, I'll be glad when this is over lol


----------



## RBHeadge PE (Apr 2, 2015)

iwire said:


> Also, I would like to add, last time I took the test, the proctor has no problem with me having 2-3 books on the table the same time. But careful with loose paper or pencil marking. Not sure if they change the pencil marking rule...I saw a few dude got kicked out from it and Proctor randomly searching people reference books for pencil marking!


They instituted this rule with less than a months warning for the October 2013 test in Maryland, which resulted in me leaving a few books home.

During the next year I tore out pages and erased pencil marking on dozens of pages in numerous books. Of course after all that work, is it wasn't a rule for the October 2014 test.


----------



## jdscottPE (Apr 3, 2015)

I used two crates strapped to a folding dolly. Here's the thing I forgot: rain. It didn't happen that day, but it could have.


----------



## jdscottPE (Apr 3, 2015)

I took Civil/WRE and I agree that you should bring a lot of books. I sat with a chemical who had like two books. I used most of mine, even if to just verify answers I knew by memory. I think this varies by discipline. I had two crates. I am taking power this month and I am at about two crates again. Need to find a dolly.


----------



## adamn185 PE (Apr 3, 2015)

I'm a chemical engineer and kind of wondering if less is better at this point. I've got lots of stuff that I could potentially bring but am now wondering if 2 or 3 core books would be sufficient. Like do I really need expanded steam tables in US and SI units (both separate books) or are the ones in the review manual sufficient. People say the FE manual can be useful, but is it worth bringing vs. the time it might take to go through it? Do I go overboard, bring a lot and hope not to use them, or will that just slow me down because I'll be tempted to search through them unnecessarily. Etc etc.


----------



## jdscottPE (Apr 4, 2015)

I decided this morning. I am bringing one of these rolling coolers which I already had.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KKIUK2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Ha.hvb0VXE77P

If it doesn't fit in here, I won't bring it. This also accounts for the possibility of rain (at least better than other options).

I also have a rubber cord to hold the tops open.

I am moving from my cardboard boxes to the cooler now.


----------



## jdscottPE (Apr 4, 2015)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jcfunkrx44qzfy2/AADIBYdNAYoSDNYdlEpBr7yRa?dl=0

Photos of how it turned out.

The little red box of pens, pencils, and tabs will get replaced with a clear bag of misc. stuff like Advil and earplugs.


----------



## Kovz (Apr 6, 2015)

jdscottPE said:


> https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jcfunkrx44qzfy2/AADIBYdNAYoSDNYdlEpBr7yRa?dl=0
> 
> Photos of how it turned out.
> 
> The little red box of pens, pencils, and tabs will get replaced with a clear bag of misc. stuff like Advil and earplugs.


Good idea. I was thinking of just carrying a large crate, but I like the cooler idea better. Especially with wheels and a cover!


----------



## humner (Apr 6, 2015)

Kovz said:


> iwire said:
> 
> 
> > Also, I would like to add, last time I took the test, the proctor has no problem with me having 2-3 books on the table the same time. But careful with loose paper or pencil marking. Not sure if they change the pencil marking rule...I saw a few dude got kicked out from it and Proctor randomly searching people reference books for pencil marking!
> ...


just run over the pencil markings with a highlighter. Quick, easy and it shows that you had it in place before the exam.


----------



## humner (Apr 6, 2015)

4 wheel fold up cart, two milk crates. When you get into the exam area, put the crates on their sides and use a tie down strap to hold them into place. You now have a book case off of the floor and an extra shelf to keep an extra book or two, or your extra calculator. I have a binder that has an index from Goswami all in one and the index from the CERM. It also has the Appendix from the CERM. Nothing worse or takes up more time then flipping back and forth in those books trying to find something. The cart also makes it easier to put a clear garbage bag over it bringing your books in if it is raining or trying to navigate puddles. Don't forget that wonderful seat cushion either. http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/material-handling/platform-trucks/folding/folding-platform-truck-with-solid-steel-deck-400-lb-capacity?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&amp;gclid=CjwKEAjw3YipBRDL2bHhjLmFkQsSJADtzktjRoKRs91S7-TBv85QpwckuyhMkSMKcKVuxH_CwqcGiBoCvCLw_wcB


----------



## Kovz (Apr 6, 2015)

humner said:


> Kovz said:
> 
> 
> > iwire said:
> ...




It's been discussed in another thread. I'm taking my chances. I have too many pencil markings throughout. It would be a waste of valuable time highlighting entire pages of notes.

I'm just not going to put my pencil near my reference books when I am looking in them. I'll set it down on the scantron.


----------



## seandapaul24 (Apr 6, 2015)

I am carrying my books in this IKEA cart:







http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50227973/


----------



## humner (Apr 6, 2015)

seandapaul24 said:


> I am carrying my books in this IKEA cart:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


can you get your books out quickly? I would think the basin would impede removal and reinsterting.


----------



## seandapaul24 (Apr 6, 2015)

I'm using two shelves instead of three which makes it easier to access the books. Also the top shelf will be a little lower so the columns will prop the books at the ends.


----------



## P-E (Apr 6, 2015)

seandapaul24 said:


> I am carrying my books in this IKEA cart:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Don't forget to bring a spare Allen wrench.


----------



## jdscottPE (Apr 6, 2015)

If this were a forum for anyone other than engineers, we'd be mocking each other without mercy. I am sure that somebody will show up with duct tape "just in case." Somehow that seems completely normal.


----------



## matt267 PE (Apr 7, 2015)

Don't worry jd, the mocking will begin very soon.


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Apr 7, 2015)

This is the officially recommended means of transporting test materials. Better order soon, shipping takes a while:


----------



## NJmike PE (Apr 7, 2015)

We don't mock here Matt


----------



## matt267 PE (Apr 7, 2015)

Mike, I love your selfie/profile pic.


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Apr 7, 2015)

matt267 said:


> Mike, I love your selfie/profile pic.




I believe that selfie was taken immediately after he stepped out of the exam room.


----------



## matt267 PE (Apr 7, 2015)

Ramnares P.E. said:


> matt267 said:
> 
> 
> > Mike, I love your selfie/profile pic.
> ...


Before or after he got caught with a jelly doughnut?


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Apr 7, 2015)

"A" jelly doughnut? Shouldn't we be talking in terms of boxes?


----------



## matt267 PE (Apr 7, 2015)

Well, there was at least one:


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Apr 7, 2015)

If Mike's eating it, who's paying for it?


----------



## matt267 PE (Apr 7, 2015)

They all pay...


----------



## iwire (Apr 8, 2015)

this is his face when the proctor asking him if he has pencil markings on his references


----------

