architect54

I wasn’t able to study much this week. I had let a simple project stay behind some larger tasks. I finally put it to the forefront last week. As simple as this project was, I had to use the majority of my time this week to make some headway.

I had expected to finish last week. Somehow the project took more concentration than I realized. Instead of finishing the assignment on the (at least) second deadline I had set to a co-worker, I was forced to set a third deadline to my co-worker’s supervisor! When she emailed me, I acknowledged I promised this finished more than once and I set the third deadline for Monday. I had to stay after work to complete this for the latest deadline. (Mind you, this project is not difficult. It’s just taking me some time.)

The moral is stay on top of some of those little projects. They could be a little more than you expect and keep you from focusing on more important things like your architectural registration exam studies, (or partying ).

Recently I purchased “MEEB”* 10th ed. by Stein, Reynolds, et. al. I also bought two other textbooks “Building Structures” 2nd ed. and “Simplified Engineering for Architects and Builders” 10th ed. both by James Ambrose. My thinking has been if it will help me with an exam, I can buy it.

So I bought a used car for $11,900! (a54, how in the world did you go from some $70 books to a nearly $12 thousand dollar car?) I’ll try to keep my rationale simple and brief. I’m staying late at work to study. Going home, somebody picks me up from the bus stop. I’m disrupting them. I’m uncomfortable studying after work thinking I’m disrupting others. (I’m reading and I’m thinking I need to leave to be a little earlier.) So I bought a used car. Even on the weekends when I want to go read in the Borders cafe, sometimes there is a conflict with taking the only car. There’s more to it, but it’s my distracted “studying condition” that pushed it passed the limit.

“Mathematically” I could have made a better purchase. My raise, if I get one after getting licensed, will not likely match my car loan in one year. But if having the car helps me recapture a daily hour of study and I pass my remaining exams, I will consider the car purchase a good decision. And if I do get that raise, maybe I trade in my car for something sportier! (If I told you what I got, you’d tell me I need too!!!)

*Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings 10th ed. by Stein, Reynolds, et. al.

I’m starting to think I sound like a wuss. Not looking at formulas, like I’m afraid they’ll do me something in my sleep. (Aaaaaahhh! WL/2 violated me!)

Well I read the intro chapters (1-4) to Ambrose’s “Building Structures” and went over chapter 11 in the ARE Review Manual (Ballast). I’m 2 chapters (10 and 11) into the structures content in Ballast. I was warned by a Professional Engineer to first focus on the study guide for the ARE, so I went back to it during the week.

Usually I start studying for an exam by doing the questions in NCARB’s free study guide. But I’m so nervous about structures and lateral forces, I felt I should hit the books first.

Flashcards are helping me ease into the basics, (load, stress (C/T), strain, shear, deflection, moment (bending), hinged or fixed connections). (I hope to have a better understanding of section modulus and moment of inertia soon.) This week was the first real time I rationalized any formulas. I went thru my flashcards and skipped calculations. I went back and pulled out the basic cards, that didn’t have calculations with numbers. I took out these basic cards that dealt with understanding loading, moments, shear and stuff along that line. I’m going thu those as a group seperately and more often to build my thought process as to how I should start thinking when I tackle structural problems.