Oct 2011 Study Plan

[HerrKaLeun]

I remember doing a fair amount of unit conversions this past October, but I didn't think there were too many unit conversions that couldn't be found from the front cover of the MERM, but then again I failed and you passed so I probably missed a few or miscalculated. I am fairly confident in unit conversions but nonetheless, thanks for the advice. I will consider having a bounded/ringed printout for studying as well.

I don't recall if it was in the test (and If I did, I couldn't tell), but the sample problems had some odd units that are not typical and not in the MERM. I have a unit conversion book (actually for sale...) and that seems to have all units.

There are boiler-horse-power and all kind of weird things. Of course they have nothing to do in value with what they sound like (1 B hp is 33,000 BTU/h.. which isn't what a hp is etc.)

 

[RobertR]

The Lindeburg unit conversion book is nice to have just in case there's some weird/obscure conversion. It saves time. Time is precious on the exam.

 

[JHood]

I have a master copy on a week by week basis, but here is a summarized layout I composed...any input or suggestions?

BTW, I plan to take the MD Depth

In Order:

1) Review/Skim Shigley's

2) Review/Skim MERM (I figure I've read it cover to cover twice before and will be rereading when doing practice problems anyway)

3) 6MS T/F Breadth (Least difficult)

4) 6MS T/F Depth (More difficult)

5) MERM T/F - Ch 14-20, 22-37 (Problems only - Most difficult)

6) 6MS HVAC Breadth (Least difficult)

7) 6MS HVAC Depth (More difficult)

8) MERM HVAC - Ch 38-42 (Problems only - Most difficult)

9) 6MS MD Breadth (Least difficult)

10) 6MS MD Depth (More difficult)

11) MERM MD - Ch 43-59 (Problems only - Most difficult)

12) MERM Economics - Ch 69 (Problems only)

13) NCEES Sample Exam

14) Revisit weak areas based on Oct diagnostic report and NCEES Sample Exam

15) Redo 6MS

16) Redo Sample Exam

My timeline is pretty relaxed, but I think is achievable. Items 1-13 should be completed from 01/30/2011 to 08/29/2011 (7 months) and allows for free weekends although I'm realistic and understand that some weekdays I will watch TV instead of studying and some weekends I will work on practice problems. This should allow me 1.5~2 months to revisit the 6MS and my weak areas while still trying the sample exam twice.

Am I missing anything that is blatantly obvious? Does anyone else have a template/schedule they followed for a 8 to 9 month study period?

 

[DynaMechEng]

I have a master copy on a week by week basis, but here is a summarized layout I composed...any input or suggestions?
BTW, I plan to take the MD Depth

In Order:

1) Review/Skim Shigley's

2) Review/Skim MERM (I figure I've read it cover to cover twice before and will be rereading when doing practice problems anyway)

3) 6MS T/F Breadth (Least difficult)

4) 6MS T/F Depth (More difficult)

5) MERM T/F - Ch 14-20, 22-37 (Problems only - Most difficult)

6) 6MS HVAC Breadth (Least difficult)

7) 6MS HVAC Depth (More difficult)

8) MERM HVAC - Ch 38-42 (Problems only - Most difficult)

9) 6MS MD Breadth (Least difficult)

10) 6MS MD Depth (More difficult)

11) MERM MD - Ch 43-59 (Problems only - Most difficult)

12) MERM Economics - Ch 69 (Problems only)

13) NCEES Sample Exam

14) Revisit weak areas based on Oct diagnostic report and NCEES Sample Exam

15) Redo 6MS

16) Redo Sample Exam

My timeline is pretty relaxed, but I think is achievable. Items 1-13 should be completed from 01/30/2011 to 08/29/2011 (7 months) and allows for free weekends although I'm realistic and understand that some weekdays I will watch TV instead of studying and some weekends I will work on practice problems. This should allow me 1.5~2 months to revisit the 6MS and my weak areas while still trying the sample exam twice.

Am I missing anything that is blatantly obvious? Does anyone else have a template/schedule they followed for a 8 to 9 month study period?

Just one guy's opinion, but I honestly think you're wasting time studying 4,5,7,8. You're basically studing all three depth sections, which may do more harm than good. It's a lot of information to digest.

 

[JHood]

I agree to an extent...I know it isn't necessary to work the depth sections for T/F and HVAC, but I still think the 6MS depth sections are more easier/realistic than majority of the MERM practice problems. If a majority of the MERM practice problems take 10 minutes or more to work out, then what's the point of working the MERM over 6MS depth?

I could modify my schedule and only do the MERM and 6MS breadths for T/F and HVAC sections (while still doing MD breadth and depth), then after I take a sample exam go back and do the depths for the T/F and HVAC (and MD depth again) before taking the sample exam for a second time.

 

[JHood]

Opps, I just reread your suggestion about skipping the 6MS depth and MERM for T/F and HVAC. I didn't realize you suggested skipping the MERM and depth, I thought you only implied skipping the 6MS depths for T/F and HVAC.

I have taken the exam twice and did fairly well on the morning, but I really don't want to leave anything to chance this October. I do not feel comfortable enough with relying on my morning score with just the NCEES sample exam and 6MS breadth portions for HVAC and T/F. I could foresee skipping some of the MERM practice problems, but I have about 7 to 8 months to prepare for an exam that I had about 3 months to prepare for in the past (April 10, Oct 10).

 

[RobertR]

My approach when retaking the exam didn't rely on exam diagnostics. I just needed to answer one question for myself: Do I know how to handle the problems in a given section? If the answer was yes, I moved on, except for a "refresher" look shortly before the exam. If the answer was no, I redid the problems. I also highlighted and wrote notes to myself in MERM, saying "this means this, watch for this, the units are this", etc.