how do you haul all this crap to the test?

[squishles10]

I have heard stories including wagons, dollies, coolers, bookends, milk crates, suitcases, and wire grocery carts. Any opinions on which of these methods works best? I would like to work on this so I can get used to how the stuff is organized. I can see The Container Store in my future...

 

[C-Dog]

I used a rolling suitcase. It seemed to work for me. I saw people with filing cabinets on dollies - that seemed a little overboard.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I used a handtruck and a storage bin bungee corded to it, but I really didn't take all that much stuff.

My wife got me a cool collapsable hand truck for Christmas. It would have been perfect. I think it came from Kmart.

 

[roadwreck]

The method I used was great for organization but a little cumbersome from a mobility standpoint. Initially I planned on using a suitcase, but I found that my reference material didn't fit well in the suitcases I had and I wasn't able to organize things very well. So the day before the exam I decided this really wasn't what I wanted to do. I went out to the grocery store, pulled around back and asked some of the guys that were there if I could have some of their milk crates. The guy there said "Sure, grab some of those over there" and pointed to a huge stack of crates over near their dumpsters. I picked up three. After getting them home and cleaned up I noticed that they have warning labels on them saying that it is illegal to use them by anyone but the milk company and for anything but transferring milk. So I hope nobody from a law enforcement agency is reading this. In my defense I was given permission and they were being thrown away...

...anyway, back to my point. I used two of the milk crates to put my references in. I found them to be the perfect size to put my references in and I situated my materials so the spine of the book/folder was pointing up so I could read it and retrieve it quickly and easily and slide it back in place easily when I was finished. This method worked well in the testing facility since we were told that we had to keep our materials under our tables to keep the walkways open for the proctors.

The drawback to this method was that I didn't use a hand truck or cart with my milk crates. So to move them I had to stack one on the other, pick them up and just hoof it to the testing room. Two milk crates full of books is a heavy load, so if you aren't looking to get a good work out the morning of your exam I advise choosing an alternate or modified means of transporting your references.

Edit:

I still haven't taken most of my references out of those two milk crates which are still sitting in my basement (study room). The third one? Well it's been a great step/work seat that I keep in my garage.

 

[ODB_PE]

I used a large rolling suitcase too - but couldn't really use it for storage during the exam. I would recommend a milk crate if the volume works for you.

 

[jroyce]

I used a carry on suitcase and come to think of it the books are still in the suitcase

 

[C-Dog]

I situated my materials so the spine of the book/folder was pointing up so I could read it and retrieve it quickly and easily and slide it back in place easily when I was finished. This method worked well in the testing facility since we were told that we had to keep our materials under our tables to keep the walkways open for the proctors.

You could keep them on the floor? We had to have all materials on the table at the start of the test.

 

[roadwreck]

You could keep them on the floor? We had to have all materials on the table at the start of the test.

The tables weren't big enough to keep everything on them. I was practically rubbing elbows with my table-mate as it was. So we were instructed to keep everything we weren't using on the floor and out of the isles.

 

[roadwreck]

I was practically rubbing elbows with my table-mate as it was.

This became a considerable hindrance in the hour preceding lunch when my table-mate began having Fudgey-esque gaseous gastral emission issues.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I still haven't taken most of my references out of those two milk crates which are still sitting in my basement (study room).

Funny you mention that. My crate and hand truck are still packed down in the basement. The only thing I unloaded was my MERM, which I took to the office.

Honestly, I thought I was going to have to study again, and after I passed, had no desire to unpack. I guess I really should.

 

[roadwreck]

The only thing I unloaded was my MERM, which I took to the office.

The only things I've taken out are the CERM (which I also took to the office) and the books that I borrowed from work.

 

[TXengrChickPE]

I purchased a folding crate on wheels from Wal-Mart for about $20. It was big enough for all of my binders. A milk crate on top of that (using bungee cords to keep it stable) held my books. I saw people with wooden bookshelves strapped to a hand-cart... I don't know where they put those during the exam! A few disciplines don't need much stuff, and can get away with just a backpack.

I also saw people who attempted to use cardboard boxes to transport their books. Bad idea! Unless you've got some REALLY heavy-duty boxes... and even then, you have to worry about rain.

Speaking of rain, large garbage bags make excellent rain coats for your stuff!

Overall, wheels are good. My test site was on the 2nd floor of the building. There were escalators to get you to the 2nd floor... but the people trying to hand-carry lots of boxes/crates did not have an easy time of it.

 

[squishles10]

Good grief! I have one shelf at home for my PE books, and I don't plan on taking all of THEM! My main problem is my tiny car- no back seat and barely a trunk. I think the milk crates and a set of wheels that folds up will work cuz I don't think anything else will fit. Good point about the garbage bags! I vaguely remember seeing that before, but having moved recently from CA, I sometimes forget that it rains during the summer in the rest of the world. :blink:

 

[bigray76]

I hand truck and three milk crates worked for me.

The handtruck ended up laying down with the two larger crates so I could use it like a file drawer when I needed to dig into the spare books and other references. I had a smaller crate with my notebooks, CERM, unit conversion book, and some general stuff up on the table with me.

Somewhere I posted a thread of what I brought and how I packed everything. Thankfully it was sunny on exam day!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I got rained on and the garbage bags came in handy.

 

[Freon]

I used a medium-sized duffle bag with a shoulder strap. But I took the electrical exam and did not need many references. I saw some of the Petroleum Engineers and Structural Engineers coming in with wheelbarrows full of books.

Freon, P.E. with grey hair now

But no male-pattern baldness!

 

[Guest]

I would also think about what you think the best way to 'store' your references during the exam. When I got to the point of systematically solving problems, I would arrange my references similar to how I would do it during the exam and practice shuffling through books, notes, etc. I think it helped visualizing how I would go about solving problems.

Freon, P.E. with grey hair now
But no male-pattern baldness!

I think we are at that age where funny things start to happen - I was told I was looking more 'distinguished' hence keeping my hair high-and-tight. It reduces the reflectivity of the grey/silver hair!

JR

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I think we are at that age where funny things start to happen - I was told I was looking more 'distinguished' hence keeping my hair high-and-tight. It reduces the reflectivity of the grey/silver hair!

I was accused of dying my hair at the last family get together I think it is because Dad and his two brothers had male pattern baldness and/or grey at or before they reached my age.

My hair HAS gotten a lot darker as I got older. I was a surfer-boy dirty blonde through college then got a tinge of red through my 20s and early thirties and now its pretty much dark brown.

 

[Dleg]

I still only have a few gray hairs. However, when I let my beard grow out in the occasionally ill-conceived goatee attempt, it's about 50% gray.

Back to the topic - I used a rolling suitcase, the largest one I had. It kind of limited me in how many books I could take, which some would argue is a good thing, but on test day I ended up with two questions that could have been directly answered out of some of the books I chose to leave behind (federal register stuff - enviro exam).

If I hadn't had to fly to my testing site, I would have probably just brought two suitcases full of books instead of one. (I ended up being overweight and having to pay additional charges on the flight back anyway!)

 

[SSmith]

I took the IE section in the fall and waltzed in with one hard bound book and a few pockets guides. No sweat, no strain.

Although I felt dramatically unprepared when compared to the volume of books others brought.