# Studying for SE while working



## fern26 (Oct 1, 2020)

Hello all - 

I was curious if pretty much everyone studies for the SE while still working a full-time 40(+) hour per week job?  Did you (_or anyone you know_) take time off to study, or go to part time for a bit?

I know study times significantly vary per person, it was the same for the PE.  But I don't know anyone who took time off for PE studying....is the SE pretty similar in that sense?

I haven't worked in design in a few years so I feel like I'm going to need quite a heavy review in comparison to people actively working in design firms while studying.


----------



## Reverse Polish (Oct 2, 2020)

Common Rule-of-Thumb on these forums is that adequate preparation will require 150-200 hours of study for each portion (Vertical, Lateral)of the exam.  This varies by person, of course, but gives an idea of the amount of effort involved.  With that said, taking a day off or a week's vacation isn't going to help all that much; you would need a leave of absence.  

Studying for the SE is similar to the PE, but raised an order of magnitude.  It's very do-able while maintaining a full-time job (individual circumstances vary, of course), but requires a focused, sustained effort over a much longer period of time.  Think more on the order of a year versus a couple months.  I personally put in about three times as much study for the SE exam as I did the PE exam (many moons ago).    

You could take time off work to study.  That's your prerogative.  But it all depends on your professional experience and how quickly you can digest the material.


----------



## User1 (Oct 2, 2020)

I have a coworker who took off 3 mo prior to the exam (a sabbatical type absence) to cram for the exam. i hope they knock it out of the park! 

i know many people who study while working. it just depends how you function best.

either way, i highly recommend aei-california for prep course, especially being out of design for a bit!


----------



## thedaywa1ker (Oct 2, 2020)

I don't know of anyone that did that.  Most people still have bills to pay. 

I've tried to use work to help study...If I'm using a typical detail I'll flip through the AISC tables and double check capacities, and I've looked into a few problems more than I usually would because I know I need to practice the fundamentals behind it.  I did a wind check yesterday with two different methods.  It slows down my productivity slightly, but nobody can really argue that double checking behind stuff like that is a bad thing. 

Like tj_PE said, the AEI-california course is very impressive.  Even if you're in a design role already it is extremely helpful.


----------



## fern26 (Oct 2, 2020)

Yeah - it's funny I hadn't even previously considered time off as an option.  I think everyone I know who took it kept working full time while studying.  But then I found out my partner just _assumed _I'd be taking time off and was shocked when I said I wasn't planning to lol.  He just recently studied for the CPA exams, and for that _most_ people just study full time for a year it seems.  Very different.

I'm planning to take both vertical and gravity together this April in CA, and obviously hoping to pass both first go around.  I took the PE in CA five years ago, for that one I just studied after work / on the weekends for about two months.  So for the SE I might start in the next month or so (five months ahead), and then possibly take some unpaid leave in April if I feel I still need some dedicated focus.  Hopefully that's all good!   I'm kinda excited to study hahaha I know that'll wear off, but I miss doing problems...


----------



## Stardust (Oct 3, 2020)

5 months isn't enough to take on both vertical and lateral while working full time imo. If you're not already doing design on a daily basis, I'd strongly advice 10-12 months.

So to be well prepared for April 2021, you need to take it seriously today.


----------



## DoctorWho-PE (Oct 4, 2020)

I have been working full time and have two kids who are in middle school so am balancing work-family-study fairly unsuccessfully.  I contemplated dropping to a part time schedule at work and dedicating an extra 8 hours a week to studying, but decided that I would not at  this time. I have been studying since January, but did take a couple months off when they cancelled the April exam.  My plan was to take it in April to see what it was all about, and then hit the areas I was weak in, but COVID derailed that a bit. So I hit it a bit harder this summer, with the hopes I can pass at least one of the days, then focus on my weak areas this winter.

But really, what do I know, I'm a first time tester for the SE. It took me two attempts for both the FE and the PE, (And going way back, even the SAT took two tries haha).


----------



## organix (Oct 5, 2020)

If you can afford to take time off, why not?  Most people cannot and people do pass, so it's not necessary to do it if that's what your concern is.  Personally, I wish I could take off for a while to just do this and be very ready.


----------



## Titleistguy (Jan 28, 2021)

Been working from home since March 2020, and will at least thru July 2021, for obvious reasons. Great time to:

1) Organize office
2) Get a puppy
3) Study for SE


----------

