Are you keeping your study materials / exam references?

[J_MEC]

How many of you that passed are going to keep your exam references/study materials? I took the Mechanical Machine Design & Materials exam and I purchased the following for the exam:

1. Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual (MERM) 13th Edition 

2. FE reference Handbook, 9.4 edition

3. Practice Problems Companion for the MERM, 13th edition

4. Mechanical Systems Six Minute Solutions (SMS), 2nd Edition

5. PPI Mechanical PE Practice Exam, 3rd Edition

6. NCEES '16 practice exam

I plan on keeping the MERM, FE Reference Handbook, and the NCEES practice exam, but really not sure why I should or would keep the Practice Problems Companion, SMS, or PPI practice exam other than for nostalgia. Nostalgia is really the only reason I am keeping the NCEES practice exam and because it was pretty inexpensive. I have a binder with all the problems that I hand-worked the solutions from #3 - #6 that I plan on keeping. I spent around $600-$650 on all the study materials and figure if I sell #3 - #5 I can maybe get $150-$200 bucks back.

The MERM and FE reference handbook seem to have a lot of handy information in them. They seem like condensed versions containing information from all my undergraduate subjects/textbooks and would be handy to keep if I just need to look something up quick so I am thinking about keeping them around.

What are the rest of you guys thinking?

 

[Becks]

I actually have a draft started up about this topic as I am also curious about whether anyone actually used their reference materials again.

I'm most curious about the Civil Engineering Reference Manual. It's still sitting at home in the office I studied in and I haven't missed it at work yet. Is it worthwhile keeping it? 

I thought about giving my NCEES practice exam to the next couple of people at my office that are taking the exam in fall but I wrote some rather crude notes in the margins when I made stupid mistakes 

 

[MetsFan]

I borrowed all the books I used except for the SMS and the MERM, both of which I kept.  The MERM has been useful a few times when going outside my comfort zone.

edit: I just remembered I also kept the ASHRAE pocket handbook, which has also come in handy.

 

[framiel]

I'm keeping it all. Just in case.

 

[kpalframan]

I'm keeping my study materials (CERM, practice problems, School of PE notes), but mostly because my firm paid for the materials and they can be passed down to younger engineers who have to take the exam.  As for the problems that I worked out on paper, I will probably end up ditching those pages whenever run out of empty binders.  

 

[apford]

I'm passing all of it off to a friend who is planning on taking the test soon. He'll get his company to pay me for them, anything he doesn't want is getting sold ASAP.

 

[godspell]

Well, I decide to sell them (breadth, depth, seismic and survey). Please refer to my ad in Yard sale webpage.

 

[leggo PE]

I am keeping my CERM and my EET binders! Haha. As for all of my binders with practice problems, etc. in them, I guess I'm keeping them on a shelf at work. I may want them in the future when I take the S.E. exam in a few years!

 

[EhmayWuntee P.E.]

Haven't fully decided, but if I sell anything it would be:

• The HCM because isn't it an outdated one that the PE requires?
  
• NCEES Practice exam, but may keep it until a new one releases so I can try to get full value back.
  
• Two (2) Goswami Practice exam books.
  

The other books I either see some value in so I will hold onto them (AIO and CERM), I borrowed it so I had to give it back, or my work paid for and it becomes part of the library (MUTCD, GreenBook, other AASHTO).

I guess I've never looked on here, but can anyone post to the classifieds or are there requirements such as supporting member or amount of time on the board?

 

[AyanHein]

Haven't fully decided, but if I sell anything it would be:

• The HCM because isn't it an outdated one that the PE requires?
  
• NCEES Practice exam, but may keep it until a new one releases so I can try to get full value back.
  
• Two (2) Goswami Practice exam books.
  

The other books I either see some value in so I will hold onto them (AIO and CERM), I borrowed it so I had to give it back, or my work paid for and it becomes part of the library (MUTCD, GreenBook, other AASHTO).

I guess I've never looked on here, but can anyone post to the classifieds or are there requirements such as supporting member or amount of time on the board?

Here is the link. http://engineerboards.com/index.php?/store/

 

[SC_CivilE]

I'll definitely keep the CERM and Goswami All in One book as desk references.  I put a lot of time into tabbing them up, highlighting, and making margin notes.  I'm undecided at this point about the several practice problems and practice exam books, but probably will keep since my company provided reimbursement for most of the cost.  May pass them on or loan out if others need them.