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Professional Engineer exam

Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
edited March 2015 in General Discussion
Well, I just got the approval letter saying my application to take the NCEES exam that will qualify me to be licensed as a Professional Engineer. I've been told that the application process is the hardest part, but now comes the studying for the exam itself.[^]
Some will die in hot pursuit
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain

Comments

  • gearheaddadgearheaddad Member Posts: 15,091 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Cool!
    Do you get to wear one of those nifty little striped hats?
  • Horse Plains DrifterHorse Plains Drifter Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 40,233 ***** Forums Admin
    edited November -1
  • Ditch-RunnerDitch-Runner Member Posts: 25,374 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
  • Sam06Sam06 Member Posts: 21,244 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    staff_image_12.jpg

    Very cool I always wanted to drive a train[;)]
    RLTW

  • andrewsw16andrewsw16 Member Posts: 10,728 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ...and even get to blow the whistle. Wooooo woooooo [:D]
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You're the type that will breeze through it! Here's wishing you all the luck as well!
    What's next?
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    I'll be taking the Mechanical Engineering test, with the thermal and fluids focus. It's an 8 hour exam. The morning 4 hours are more generalized to all fields within mechanical engineering, and then the afternoon 4 hours will be thermal and fluid dynamics focused.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • gearheaddadgearheaddad Member Posts: 15,091 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    So......Do you get your hat after you pass the test?
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by gearheaddad
    Cool!
    Do you get to wear one of those nifty little striped hats?
    No, but I do get to get a rubber stamp![:D]

    And my buddy who is a P.E. has this to say about being licensed:

    quote:Once you get your PE you will get a quarterly review of all the ethics lapses of engineers and surveyors. None of them have any sex or drugs involved. A few are always cheaters on the exam. Many are mediocre jobs of surveying and boundary location. But a significant minority have to do with people (usually construction bosses) calling themselves engineers when they don't have the credentials. (or the knowledge, but I suppose one can lack knowledge and yet have the credentials.)
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • lew07lew07 Member Posts: 1,053 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    A friend was recently telling Me how highly regarded high engineering qualifications are by employers.Even outside of engineering .It takes blood and sweat to earn them.Good Luck!!!
  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Best of luck to you, Randy.

    I suppose I don't need to tell you to study hard.
  • Ditch-RunnerDitch-Runner Member Posts: 25,374 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    where I use to work the term engineer was miss leading we had people who had spent the time hitting the books and school to earn it , then we had the [:X][:X][:X] who received the title as a way of getting a promotion in pay level ( too much too explain here )
    any way one day being the nice fellow I am I was in the office and talking to our engineers as each dept had there own ,
    I pointed out to the ones with a degree how did it feel to know you spent those years in school when _xxx_ here only had to spend a few hours under the desk and has the same title ,, got a laugh from our managers ( who gave him the title ) the engineers and my buddy who had just got the "title"
  • woodshed87woodshed87 Member Posts: 23,478 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My brother Ran a Rather Large crew of Construction Workers For many years I remember One day the Engineer Came to him and Asked him what He was Getting per hour he Told Him $50.00
    the Engineer Replied I get $29 Per Hr
    And then Said Do you think I Could Do your job...
    My brother Replied Ya Dang Fool You Drew Up The Plans For itYour the Smart One.
    Engineer College Degrees[:0]
    Brother
    9th Grade then GED [:D] thats Progress

    You Will Do Just Fine[:D][:D]
  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Congrats! I remember when I took the EIT (now the FE) the morning session was brutal. When they gave the 5 minute warning I still had 20 or so questions to go. During practice for it we had been told that would happen and that guessing is not penalized so just pick C (or one of the other choices for all of the remaining ones. Then in the afternoon I did the mandatory sections and selected thermo and programming for the optionals. Finished with 90 minutes to go even after checking everything. Wish I could have gone back to work on the morning section.
  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Sam06
    staff_image_12.jpg

    Very cool I always wanted to drive a train[;)]

    Right before I graduated some smartass in one of my classes asked when are we going to get the the trains? I signed up to be an engineer and we are about to graduate and we have not gotten to the part about trains yet. [:D]
  • mogley98mogley98 Member Posts: 18,291 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm not an engineer, and I have no college training.

    I can't design anything and my math sucks.

    I've used several PE's as consultants on projects and the ones who have come highly recommended have been specialist in a specific area.

    Good luck to you and I'm sure you will pass your exam.

    No matter what your degree is in practical training enhances the book knowledge IMO.

    From my experience a person who has field knowledge and experience and no theoretical training is good but sometimes lacking.

    A person who has College training and no practical knowledge is just dangerous.

    A person with the combination of real life skills and training along with the book sense is generally expert at their trade.
    Why don't we go to school and work on the weekends and take the week off!
  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,565 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Randy, that is super awesome. Congrats.[^][^][^] Do all of us hvac guys a favor though. Do Not design a system without looking at the building. I hate those guys that sit behind a desk and draw duct work going through a steel beam or a window and then tell us to, "Make it work". Those ME's drive us nuts with their as-builts and don't know what the hell a structure looks like in person. Also, can I borrow your rubber stampy thingy when you get it[:D][:D][:D][:D]Just kidding with you, but it does happen.............................A LOT [;)][:D]


    Good luck and you will do fine. I will say a special prayer for you on your exam. Your one hell of a great guy and I am sure a lot of the other guys here will be pulling for you also. Oakie
  • Dr.NippsDr.Nipps Member Posts: 642 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good Luck! Going for my EIT after graduation in May
  • booter_onebooter_one Member Posts: 2,345
    edited November -1
    Congratulations[^], now get to studying!![;)][:D]
  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,038 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good luck!! That's great.

    Once I had to have an engineer stay at a jobsite while we installed and ran a large portable {on a flat bed 18 wheeler truck!} generator to supply power to a building.
    The building was on a college campus and it was a science lab which contained various deadly toxins under controlled refrigeration.

    The engineer did nothing but stand there for 9 hours and initialed
    a work sheet every hour. He got $200 per hour!!!
  • Dads3040Dads3040 Member Posts: 13,552 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Oakie
    Randy, that is super awesome. Congrats.[^][^][^] Do all of us hvac guys a favor though. Do Not design a system without looking at the building. I hate those guys that sit behind a desk and draw duct work going through a steel beam or a window and then tell us to, "Make it work". Those ME's drive us nuts with their as-builts and don't know what the hell a structure looks like in person. Also, can I borrow your rubber stampy thingy when you get it[:D][:D][:D][:D]Just kidding with you, but it does happen.............................A LOT [;)][:D]


    Good luck and you will do fine. I will say a special prayer for you on your exam. Your one hell of a great guy and I am sure a lot of the other guys here will be pulling for you also. Oakie

    +1000 I worked with one that liked to say 'All you gotta do...' or 'Theoretically...' and that meant he was just a tad sketchy on what he had designed.

    When he said 'Theoretically, all you gotta do....' it meant he had no freaking clue as to how we were supposed to assemble what he had come up with. 'Interesting' was the only way to describe the next several months.

    Good luck, Randy. We are pulling for you. A PE with smarts, experience, and a touch of humility can do great things. And with a name like Mr. Perfect, what is there to worry about? [;)][:D]
  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I will not paint all PE's with a broad brush, But I do have one request- Get practical field time. We in our weld shop have had a rash of "Way Over Engineering" and redundancy from the just out of school types. I know 4x overbuild is good, but we see 25x overbuild.[:0]
  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Oakie
    Randy, that is super awesome. Congrats.[^][^][^] Do all of us hvac guys a favor though. Do Not design a system without looking at the building. I hate those guys that sit behind a desk and draw duct work going through a steel beam or a window and then tell us to, "Make it work". Those ME's drive us nuts with their as-builts and don't know what the hell a structure looks like in person.

    One of my first "real jobs" was as a co-op while I was still in school. I worked for the Georgia Tech Physical plant and designed HVAC systems for retrofits on campus. Since many of these buildings were pretty old and none of the drawings could be guaranteed (very few were in CADD) I had to go verify everything before even starting the design and Often had to digitize the existing pen drawings into CADD and then modify that to reflect what was on site. One lab I went to go to was Top Secret. They would not even let me measure the empty room without getting clearance.... (ok whatever. Secret Service scared the crap out of my mom knocking on the door and all the neighbors) So after getting clearance I go back and measure the rooms, locate the other utilities I needed, windows etc OK, what kind of equipment will be in here. CLASSIFIED. ok fine. How much heat will it put out. CLASSIFIED.... ok fine One of my Buddies was the Electrical co-op so we had them verify the total electric service that would be in the lab and I designed the HVAC to cool that much power x3 just in case.... I'm sure you could hang meat in that room! [:D]
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wish you luck!

    Hoping one day to join the PEs
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
  • retroxler58retroxler58 Member Posts: 32,693 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Congratulations Randy. [;)]

    Are sitting in April or October?
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Oakie
    Randy, that is super awesome. Congrats.[^][^][^] Do all of us hvac guys a favor though. Do Not design a system without looking at the building. I hate those guys that sit behind a desk and draw duct work going through a steel beam or a window and then tell us to, "Make it work". Those ME's drive us nuts with their as-builts and don't know what the hell a structure looks like in person. Also, can I borrow your rubber stampy thingy when you get it[:D][:D][:D][:D]Just kidding with you, but it does happen.............................A LOT [;)][:D]


    Good luck and you will do fine. I will say a special prayer for you on your exam. Your one hell of a great guy and I am sure a lot of the other guys here will be pulling for you also. Oakie



    The Flip side of that is when everything is in design stages, we all have to work together to design all of the parts and pieces in theory. If done correctly, everything should be set and ready to go when construction starts.

    BUT, for example...
    We just placed a prefab concrete building a few week ago. It's a 240x310 footprint, 240' tall. It houses two MCC rooms (Motor Control Center) on the first floor, among all the other equipment in the building.

    There are cuts in walls for Cable Tray to pass through. The * cut the holes too low, directed the cable tray into a support structure.

    Now, I have to "deal" with it.

    Luckily for me, the building is almost finished before I get in it and get my guys to work. Unluckily for me, at that point, everyone is standing around waiting on the Controls group to check off and get ready for startup.
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by retroxler58
    Congratulations Randy. [;)]

    Are sitting in April or October?
    October.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Cubslover G16
    I wish you luck!

    Hoping one day to join the PEs
    From what I've seen here, you'll make it.[:)]
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Oakie
    Randy, that is super awesome. Congrats.[^][^][^] Do all of us hvac guys a favor though. Do Not design a system without looking at the building. I hate those guys that sit behind a desk and draw duct work going through a steel beam or a window and then tell us to, "Make it work". Those ME's drive us nuts with their as-builts and don't know what the hell a structure looks like in person. Also, can I borrow your rubber stampy thingy when you get it[:D][:D][:D][:D]Just kidding with you, but it does happen.............................A LOT [;)][:D]


    Good luck and you will do fine. I will say a special prayer for you on your exam. Your one hell of a great guy and I am sure a lot of the other guys here will be pulling for you also. Oakie
    Thanks. I don't do HVAC, so no worries about me doing that, but in my earlier years I've designed plenty of stuff that didn't end up fitting together quite right.[B)]
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Flying Clay Disk
    quote:Originally posted by Mr. Perfect

    Thanks. I don't do HVAC, so no worries about me doing that, but in my earlier years I've designed plenty of stuff that didn't end up fitting together quite right.[B)]



    So...you're not "Perfect"?????

    [:D]
    As I've explained dozens of times, to be perfect one must experience things that the non-perfect experience, so that one can relate. [:D][:D]
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • WarbirdsWarbirds Member Posts: 16,938 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have not nor do I intend to take the PE.

    I make weapons, PE's tend to make targets.[:D]

    Good luck!
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Dave W.
    I have not nor do I intend to take the PE.

    I make weapons, PE's tend to make targets.[:D]

    Good luck!
    Well, civil engineers make targets. M.E.'s make weapons systems.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,344 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Will you have to take a review course and/or do a lot of preparation since it has been so long since you completed college?
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jltrent
    Will you have to take a review course and/or do a lot of preparation since it has been so long since you completed college?
    I would like to, but they're pretty pricey. I'm just as capable of studying up on my own though so I don't need to spend the money on a program that will merely serve to pace me.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • asopasop Member Posts: 9,020 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a degree in engineering but never went for my P.E. license. FrancF is right on. I spent the majority of my time in the filed. I have always designated engineers as either "theoretical" or "practical". BIG difference. Gotta watch those "theoretical" ones[;)]
  • Dads3040Dads3040 Member Posts: 13,552 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mr. Perfect
    quote:Originally posted by Oakie
    Randy, that is super awesome. Congrats.[^][^][^] Do all of us hvac guys a favor though. Do Not design a system without looking at the building. I hate those guys that sit behind a desk and draw duct work going through a steel beam or a window and then tell us to, "Make it work". Those ME's drive us nuts with their as-builts and don't know what the hell a structure looks like in person. Also, can I borrow your rubber stampy thingy when you get it[:D][:D][:D][:D]Just kidding with you, but it does happen.............................A LOT [;)][:D]


    Good luck and you will do fine. I will say a special prayer for you on your exam. Your one hell of a great guy and I am sure a lot of the other guys here will be pulling for you also. Oakie
    Thanks. I don't do HVAC, so no worries about me doing that, but in my earlier years I've designed plenty of stuff that didn't end up fitting together quite right.[B)]

    From my end, if I can fix it with a gas hatchet, welder, or something else on the truck, it isn't a mistake, it is a variable. [;)][:D]
  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used to work for one guy that always put on his drawings "field fit. Pipe to match" and his "fantasy" layout of how it should all go together. ha.

    When I was doing real engineering (not this Gun stuff!) Everything I designed I usually had to be there for the install and startup. I went out on one of his projects one time and the total lack of detailed drawings made it take 6 times longer and go way over on cost. No bonus for him. I learned a lot from watching his mistakes!
  • retroxler58retroxler58 Member Posts: 32,693 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mr. Perfect
    quote:Originally posted by Dave W.
    I have not nor do I intend to take the PE.

    I make weapons, PE's tend to make targets.[:D]

    Good luck!
    Well, civil engineers make targets. M.E.'s make weapons systems.
    [;)]
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mr. Perfect
    quote:Originally posted by Cubslover G16
    I wish you luck!

    Hoping one day to join the PEs
    From what I've seen here, you'll make it.[:)]


    Thank you sir. Keep us updated!
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
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