need some courage here!

[zxu]

I got the notice from the Board that I am scheduled for Oct exam. I am freak out that I only have two month to prepare for the PE. I was told the min. three month rule. and I feel so far behind the schedule......

crying.......

any courage from people here??

 

[benbo]

I got the notice from the Board that I am scheduled for Oct exam. I am freak out that I only have two month to prepare for the PE. I was told the min. three month rule. and I feel so far behind the schedule......crying.......

any courage from people here??

I have read people here that prepared only a week and passed! There is no hard and fast rule. Just do your best, and the worst that could happen is that you have to retake it and you have experience, plus a good excuse.

 

[Dark Knight]

I got the notice from the Board that I am scheduled for Oct exam. I am freak out that I only have two month to prepare for the PE. I was told the min. three month rule. and I feel so far behind the schedule......crying.......

any courage from people here??

You have three options:

1) Since you think there is no time to prepare just don't go to the test. It will count as a fail

2) Since you think there is no time to prepare don't prepare and go to take the test like that. Chances are, unless you are a phenom, you will fail.

3) Forget about the short notice and work as hard as you can for this two months. There is a good chance you will pass if you do so.

As you can see there are three things you can do and two will most likely have bad results. Should I be you I'd say... :bio: and take the test. Yes...that will require some courage but I am sure you have it.

Is your choice my friend

 

[Guest]

any courage from people here??

The first time I was signed up for the exam, I scheduled it during a very busy time work-wise in my life. I half expected not to get approved to sit for it. Yet, come October, I was approved for sitting and really didn't know what to expect.

I went into the exam for the first time without any preparation, only grabbing a few handbooks on my way to the examination center. I failed the exam but I only missed passing by one point.

Looking at the time for studying as two months isn't a very good metric for preparation. Different people have different strengths/weaknesses, different aptitudes, different attention spans. For yourself, like benbo said, you need to take the time that you have and:

1. Familiarize yourself with the subjects that will appear on the exam;

2. ORGANIZE your materials and references. Really the key to passing IMHO;

3. Work a lot of problems like those based on the six-minute solutions series;

4. Develop a study schedule that works for YOU - only you know your level of preparedness and time constraints;

5. In line with #4 establish a hierarchy for preparation especially if you are starting to feel the crunch. Focus more on subjects that you weighted heavier on your exam (like your depth subjects);

6. Of particular importance, don't panic. Even if it doesn't work out, there is always another examination and you will be more prepared to have a successful exam since you will know what to expect; and

7. Make the most of EB.com and the resources here. Everyone here has had to struggle through obtaining professional licensure and in a sense it bonds all of us. Most of the EB.com regulars stick around because we want to share our experiences and offer a helping hand to those who are struggling.

Best of luck in your preparations.

JR

 

[maryannette]

zxu, there is no need to panic. As the others have said, if you are not successful in October, you will have another chance in April. I know people who have passed with little preparation. You have 2 months, which is enough if you can be disciplined. Focus your energy and make it work for you.

 

[zxu]

thanks for all the encouraging words. :thankyou:

I think I won't send the withdrawl request. The worst result is that I have to take it again. but maybe I can pass:

I signed up for a review class and studied the labor day weekend. I am trying to squeeze 2-3 hours everyday to work on the PE book. hope this will work.

again, thanks for everything, these encouraging words, and these strategies,

 

[Capt Worley PE]

We had a few guys in our office pass just cramming the week before, so it is possible. I'm working problems like a maniac, and asking questions on this board when I don't understand where/why they got something (BTW, you guys are going to be sick of me by Oct).

I asked around with the guys that used to work in my office and passed, and most of them studied for a month. I'm not like that. I want to be overprepared. I have the references I need organized and tabbed. Speed counts for a lot in tests like this.

But, if I don't pass, I'll be there in April.

 

[maryannette]

Time management is very important during the exam. It's important to have a plan for not wasting time on problems that you won't get points for. Either go through all problems and grade the difficulty or put a time limit on each problem. If you run out of time, you want the unanswered problems that you have to guess to be the ones that you would least likely get right if you spent time on them.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I've tabbed my book into sections and chapters, like Shaggy recommended, with various important charts tabbed at the top. I also ran off a copy of the index and appendices table of contents to take with me to minimizr page flipping thru the MERM. I'm thinking that will save me 10 seconds a problem. Every little bit helps, when speed counts.

 

[Freon]

zxu,

Don't worry, you have plenty of time. Just set a schedule and stick to it. Monday Night Football can get by without you for a few weeks.

Freon

 

[LXZ]

ZXU,

Don't panic. Just do your best. According to my experience, the 8-hour exam you actually don't need to prepare. You just need CERM and make sure you know how to find what you need when you take the exam. For survey exam, no need to spend a whole lot of time on it. If you are a structure engineer, seismic is a piece of cake to you. If not, spend some time reading the code and working out the problems. Good luck!