Balancing Parenthood and Academic Success: Study Tips for Parents Taking the FE Exam

Preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam can be a daunting task, especially for dedicated parents. Responsibilities of parenthood demand a commendable amount of time and attention, all of which take away from important study time. It can be a herculean task to try to find the right balance between studying for the exam and fulfilling your parental duties. This blog aims to offer some practical tips and strategies to help parents effectively navigate the journey of FE exam preparation while also fulfilling their familial duties.

The blog covers:

1. Mastering Time Management

2. Establishing a Supportive Environment

3. Seeking Support

4. Embracing Efficient Study Techniques

5. Conclusion

Methods

1. Mastering Time Management

It is to no one's surprise that a key component for success for anyone studying for the FE exam is efficient time management, regardless of whether you are a parent or not. Below are some effective strategies to optimize your precious available study time:

a) Create a schedule: Effective time management begins with a well-structured study schedule. Identify and set aside some time throughout the day when you can afford to dedicate near uninterrupted time to studying and prepare for the exam. Whether this time is in the early mornings, late nights, or sometime during your lunch breaks, having a set schedule will help you stay organized and committed.

b) Prioritize tasks: When time is limited, especially for someone juggling both a demanding personal and professional life, it is paramount to prioritize your weaker topics. Identify these critical areas and focus on them first. By tackling the high-priority topics early on, you can make the most of your precious study sessions and ensure a solid foundation.

c) Utilize small pockets of time: As a parent, making room for uninterrupted study time may be challenging. Instead of forcing time where there isn't any, you can still make progress by utilizing any small pockets of downtime throughout the day. This could be during your child's naptime, waiting to pick them up from school, or even during breaks at work-make the most of these moments to review flashcards, listen to audio lectures, or solve practice problems. These seemingly insignificant increments of time can compound and contribute significantly to your overall progress in preparing for the FE.

2. Establishing a Supportive Environment

Create a study-friendly environment at home, so that any moment of brevity, you are able to quickly resume your studies:

a) Communicate with your family: Communication is essential when balancing parenting responsibilities and exam preparation. Clearly express to your partner, kid(s), and other loved ones at home the importance of this exam and how their support could mean the world to you. Try to sit down and make it clear what your goals are, and indicate how you would appreciate their cooperation during your designated study hours.

b) Minimize distractions: Distractions are incredibly commonplace for not just parents, but for everyone trying to progress in their test preparation. Try to find a quiet space within your home where you can concentrate without interruptions. Silence or mute notifications on your phone and consider using website-blocking apps to avoid time-sink distractions. Creating a serene environment can help you stay engaged and maintain focus on what's important.

c) Involve your children: Include your family in your study routine to bolster a supportive and healthy environment within your home. Explain to them the significance of your studies and the benefits of lifelong learning. Encourage them to pursue their own educational activities alongside you. This shared learning experience forms a motivating atmosphere at home, ultimately fostering a culture of education within your family.

3. Seeking Support

Building a support system could help with maintaining motivation throughout your studies and overcoming other difficult challenges:

a) Form study groups: Connect with fellow parents who are also preparing for the FE exam. By forming a study group, you can all share resources, assist one another with challenging concepts, and uplift each other with moral support. Collaborating with other parents creates an environment of shared experiences, relieving the stress of feeling like you're the only one going through this stressful time.

b) Utilize online resources: Online forums and communities are valuable resources for connecting with other parents studying for the FE exam. These digital spaces offer opportunities to exchange parenting tips, seek advice on how to balance home life with your studies, and gain motivation through shared conflict. Engaging with others who understand the unique challenges you face can provide a sense of solidarity and encouragement.

c) Enlist family help: Your partner, relatives, or trusted friends are there to support you: don't be afraid to ask for some help in managing children during crucial study periods. Having this reliable support system can free up some of your responsibilities, which you can now dedicate to your exam preparation. Remember, there is no shame in asking for help-parenting and exam preparation are both demanding endeavors, and collaboration can lighten the load.

4. Embracing Efficient Study Techniques

Adopting effective study techniques will optimize your learning potential:

a) Break down topics: The FE exam syllabus covers a wide range of topics, and breaking down the material into manageable sections will help prevent overwhelming you with too much information needed at once. Focus on one topic at a time, thoroughly go through the core concepts, and make sure you have a solid understanding before moving on to the next. This systematic approach ensures that there is no stone left unturned and that you are well prepared.

b) Utilize interactive study materials: Take advantage of the plethora of resources available to modern-day learners, including online video tutorials, interactive quizzes, mobile apps, and virtual flashcards that can make studying more engaging and enjoyable. These interactive tools can help reinforce concepts and enhance retention.

c) Regular review: Consistency is key when studying for the FE exam. Allocate dedicated time each week to review previously covered topics and solve practice questions. Regular revision and review reinforce your understanding and help you identify areas that require further attention. By incorporating regular review sessions into your study routine, you not only familiarize yourself with the questions, but also refine your ability to break down problems and solve them.

5. Conclusion

Balancing the immense duties of a parent with the demanding task of studying for the FE exam may seem overwhelming, but with the right strategies, a strong support group, and the proper mindset, success is well within reach. Effective time management, establishing a supportive study environment, seeking support from others, and embracing efficient study techniques are the pillars of success for parents who are undertaking this challenge. Remember to be kind to yourself, maintain a healthy work-life-study balance, and celebrate each milestone achieved along the way. With determination and the right approach, you can conquer the FE exam!

Want to pass your FE exam on the first try? Take one of School of PE's top-rated FE exam review courses and join the tens of thousands of students who have passed their FE exam with us now!

About the Author: Khoa Tran

Khoa Tran is an electrical engineer working at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and is currently pursuing his master's in electrical Power from the University of Southern California. He is fluent in both Vietnamese and English and is interested in outdoor activities and exploring new things.

Mastering Project Development & Documentation: The Art of Appropriate Documentation

Once an architectural design begins to be developed, an important aspect of an architect's work is understanding how to properly create the necessary documentation for constructing that design. For those studying for the ARE exam, this topic is covered in the Project Development and Documentation portion of the exam. The ARE guidelines state that this topic is worth 7-11% of the points on the exam. The specific documentation approach for a given project must be understood, and this may vary depending on the project's complexity, as well as building assemblies and materials being used. In addition, consideration must be given to the project delivery method being employed for the project. As design and documentation progress, an architect must understand how to appropriate level of documentation of the design for each given stage of development. This may include the refinements, updates, or adjustments that may occur due to changing project requirements or a more in-depth understanding of design issues as the design and documentation process advances. The architect must also ensure that materials, assemblies, and finishes are appropriately indicated and specified.

This blog covers:

1. Appropriate Levels of Documentation

2. Which Documents are Required?

3. Communicating Expectations

4. Defining the Details

5. Design Phase Goals

6. Limits to Documentation

7. Anticipating Roadblocks

8. Conclusion

Appropriate Levels of Documentation

While every project varies in terms of size, complexity, location, and requirements, a common goal for all architectural projects is for an appropriate level of documentation of the design to be provided so that the project can ultimately be realized. Complexity often dictates the amount of documentation required and the level of detail that must be shown. For example, the design for a large hospital built from the ground up will typically require much more documentation than an office building, given the intricacies of their building systems and the detailed requirements of their many operations. This increased level of documentation involves not only additional drawings, but often also an increased number of specifications, which must be carefully written and checked. In any case, it is ultimately the contract that forms the agreement between the owner and architect, which sets the expectations and legal requirements for what is to be provided in the construction documents.

Which Documents are Required?

Depending on the types of materials and building assemblies selected during the design process, different types of documentation may be required. If a specific product is being specified for a building envelope, for example, then details in the drawing set may be provided which are based closely on the manufacturer's provided details. If there are multiple possible products which are stated to be acceptable by the spec (such as for public projects where this is often a requirement), then the details may need to be more generic, and the architect must ensure that they are appropriate regardless of which specific product is ultimately selected. Bespoke items or custom features will require more detailing than standardized products.

Communicating Expectations

In terms of specification, the appropriate documentation for specific parts of the design may depend on the architect's intent or the owner's requirements. For example, rather than specifying a particular product, it may be desirable to use a performance-based specification, so that a range of solutions for a given item are possible so long as they meet stated requirements of performance. In such cases, the particulars of detailing may be less important than the proper communication of the expectations of the performance, which must be ensured by a contractor in their selection of the material or assembly under consideration.

Defining the Details

The approach to documentation may also vary with the design delivery method that is being employed for the project. In a typical Design-Bid-Build type project, a sufficient level of detail and description must be provided for a contractor to bid on the job during the bidding stage. Although there is the opportunity for a contractor to seek clarifications on design during the bidding stage with Requests for Information (RFI), it is preferable that the project documentation is thorough enough to minimize such requests. With a document set that is well-developed with clear and precise notes and specifications, bidding contractors will have the best understanding of the project work and be able to provide bids based on this understanding. In contrast to Design-Bid-Build, a Design-Build project, where the design and construction teams form a single entity, may involve a different approach. In such projects, there is sometimes less need for well-defined details because there may be opportunities for working them out with the contractor as the design and construction process continues. Architects seek to avoid the potential for change orders from a contractor in the Design-Bid-Build project delivery method by providing the most complete documentation necessary for the project, but this type of risk is mitigated in the Design-Build project delivery method since the designer and contractor are part of the same entity. The designer must still provide the level of documentation necessary to satisfactorily complete the work, but with changing types of risk come different approaches to documentation.

Design Phase Goals

The level of documentation changes throughout the design process as well since the overall goals for each design phase vary. In the Schematic Design phase, the main objectives are typically to work out a design concept, communicate the design intent to the client, and to ensure that the design concept will be feasible and appropriate for further development. As such, details, if they are provided, are of a schematic nature, and intended to communicate a basic approach to materials and assemblies. Specifications are often omitted at this stage, and basic indications of materials on drawings may suffice to communicate intent to the owner. It is not advisable to develop in-depth details or specifications at an early stage since final decisions about building elements have not yet been determined. Once the basic approach has been confirmed and the Design Development stage begins, more developed details and drawings can be added to the document set. Schedules, such as door and window schedules, are often included at this stage, though all relevant information for construction may yet to be determined. In the Construction Documents stage, all remaining design decisions will have been made, and the design team seeks to provide the documentation which will be necessary for the contractor to bid and construct the project. The architect should have knowledge of which documentation is best provided within specifications versus drawings. Product information or performance requirements, for example, are typically best left to the specifications rather than the drawing package.

Limits to Documentation

It should be noted that there is a limit to the amount of documentation which should be provided by the design team. For example, detailed information for some items is best left for the contractor to provide for the architect's (or engineer's) approval via submittals during the construction administration phase. However, the particular requirements of the submittals to be provided should be indicated in the specifications of the construction documents. Additionally, the architect must avoid dictating the means and methods of construction which the contractor is to determine and employ.

Anticipating Roadblocks

The architect cannot anticipate every situation which will arise when the contractor takes the construction documents into the field to construct a building. It is necessary, however, for the professional to practice a standard of care which is expected in the industry. By setting up quality control measures and procedures within a practice, however, the risk of errors and omissions within construction documents (and resulting change orders) can be reduced, thereby allowing for a more successful project and architectural practice.

Conclusion

In summary, an architect's knowledge of appropriate documentation is essential in the successful realization of a project. While the approach to documentation may vary depending on project type, complexity, project delivery method, and other factors, in all cases, the architect should strive for clarity in the communication of design intent and be well-versed in the contractual conditions that define the expectations for the construction documentation.

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About the Author: Adam Castelli

Adam Castelli is a licensed architect and engineer currently practicing in the Pittsburgh area. He holds a master's degree in architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Villanova University.

What You Need to Know About Diversity and - Inclusion in the Workplace: What Does Diversity Mean and Why Is It Important?

Why are diversity and inclusion so important to businesses? We've all seen it, the little equal opportunity disclaimer that the business doesn't exclude people on the grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. From a political standpoint, this helps business owners avoid potentially superfluous lawsuits and other types of corporate backlash, but what does diversity do for companies that actively seek to include a diverse workforce in their company? In what way does having a diverse set of people benefit the company directly?

Let's talk a little about what diversity and inclusion in the workplace really means, how to maintain a certain level of diversity, and why they're so important.

In this blog,

1. What does diversity and inclusion in the workplace actually look like?

2. Reasons why diversity and inclusion are important

3. How to build and maintain diversity and inclusion in the workplace

What does diversity and inclusion in the workplace actually look like?

Diversity and inclusion are terms that both complement and depend on each other. Diversity is the variation in people's social and personal characteristics, while inclusion refers to the procedures that organizations implement to ensure that each person has an equal say in company procedure on their level. Diversity can come in many different forms. There are cultural separations between peoples that offer diversity, but it's more than skin color or sexual orientation. Diversity is the unique perspective that a person has and their ability to think critically within the scope of that perspective. It's in the valuable offering that they bring to the table.

Companies across the globe are working hard on creating more diversity within their own sphere of influence. Here are 5 examples from Top Work Places' list of companies making diversity and inclusion efforts a priority.

1. Coalfire Systems is a cybersecurity firm making the world a better place by tackling the toughest cybersecurity issues. Their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) program utilizes employee-lead groups with special interests like motorcycles and fishing. They encourage women in cybersecurity, support parents of children with disabilities, and veterans.

2. Kastle Systems International LLC pioneered managed access for real estate owners, enabling property owners to take advantage of technological developments without becoming security experts themselves. Using things like open floorplans, low cubicles, and open doors, Kastle encourages collaboration from everybody.

3. Northwest Federal Credit Union offers financial services and products to individuals and families. They've been in business for over 70 years and understand how important these aspects of company culture are. Their Inclusion Champion Committee has employees who are passionate about diversity and inclusion and emphasize accountability across the organization.

4. The Village for Families & Children works to build strong and healthy families. They provide behavioral health support and help facilitate foster care adoption for those in need. Driven by diversity and anti-racism, their staff is skilled in fighting against racial discrimination.

5. GreenLight Biosciences aims to solve the most significant scientific problems using RNA technology, including climate change, rare diseases, pandemics, and more. The company actively tracks their diversity data in search of ways to improve. This has led to 44% of their employees being women and 46% identifying as non-white.

Reasons why diversity and inclusion are important

Diversity and inclusion are only a small part of creating a highly proficient and productive work environment. So why are diversity and inclusion so important? Here are some ways that the practice of DE&I in the workplace benefits everybody involved.

1. They promote a shared experience. The moral case for diversity, equity, and inclusion is all about the experiences we share as a group. When one person fails, we all fail. When one person wins, we all win. So, when we invest in diverse outcomes, the entire group benefits.

2. Diverse workers bring broader perspectives. Culturally speaking, many people from the same place are born into similar living situation. While this can help in building comradery, it does little for expanding a person's point of view. With diversity and employing people from multiple backgrounds, companies can help each employee develop broader perspectives in one company, which helps in creating business plans and reaching goals.

3. They help nurture a positive work environment. Diversity means accepting everybody for the benefit of their unique experiences. Inclusion means that everybody has a chance to contribute to the growth and expansion of the organization. When everybody is able to contribute and have their voice heard along with the crowd, it creates an environment of positivity and engagement.

4. Integrity gains importance to the team. Integrity is the state of being whole and undivided. In terms of creating a group of workers with integrity, you're creating an unimpaired group. Effective communication, the ability to make good decisions while under pressure, and the ability to put specific instructions into action are all examples of demonstrating integrity.

5. Equitable opportunities are prioritized. If diversity is acceptance, and inclusion is when everybody is able to contribute, then equity is ensuring that everybody has the opportunity to participate in the final outcome. In creating a diverse group end ensuring that everybody has a say in the company operations at their level, creating equity, or an environment where everybody has the ability to participate, becomes second nature, making the company a place where diverse groups want to be.

6. A diverse workforce mirrors a diverse market. Diversity can be seen everywhere: on a culture-wide level and also between cultures. Needs and desires change based on which group you're focusing on. The ability to change tactics and meet needs as they arise comes from having a person on your team that knows what they're looking for because they're part of that group. Having multiple people from the same group can only show you what people in that specific group need, whereas diversity helps reach multiple markets with the same team.

7. Diverse workforces experience better employee retention. Fostering an inclusive work environment creates a staff that feels valued and part of the team. When employees feel their voices are heard, companies experience less turnover and a reduction in associated hiring costs.

8. A diverse skillset builds a better team. Diversifying a team enables a company to take advantage of the multiple skills within that team. Teams with multiple skillsets can teach each other and grow in their skills together, creating a well-rounded group of top workers.

How to build and maintain diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Fear has always been a motivator of creating diverse environments because of the level of discrimination that certain people receive based on their beliefs, physical characteristics, or any number of things that make people different. Fear can stem from potential consequences: legal reprimand or unjust persecution because of individually perceived events. Fear should not be the factor that forces people to act. Instead, a focus on the benefits is what truly fosters a diverse and inclusive environment. Here are some ways that help maintain this level of inclusion.

1. Equitable access to resources - By enabling each individual with the opportunity suited to their diverse nature, you're creating an environment where each person is included.

2. Recognizing and promoting employee differences in a positive way - By recognizing a person for their experiences and success more than their physical or social attributes, you're creating a diverse workplace.

3. Having a voice - Each person in a workforce needs to have the ability to voice their opinions for certain events or tactics to help them feel like they have real influence in a given scenario.

4. Recruit for the purpose of diversity, not reverse discrimination - Creating a diverse environment is a benefit to the workforce in more ways than just filling a quota. It can lead to balanced conversation and multiple points of view on any given subject.

5. Accept and value employees for who they are - In creating a diverse workforce, each person should be able to be seen for who they are and the individual value that they bring.

6. Focus on skillset - Finding a diverse team can be easier than you might expect when you search for specific skills and abilities, rather than making diversity the only goal.

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace provide organizations with unique experiences that benefit the entire team. By making DE&I a priority, you'll find skillsets and perspectives that help the company grow from a business standpoint, as well as cultural. There are many good examples of companies developing DE&I initiatives that make diversity a priority. They're able to maintain inclusion by creating equitable access and recognizing people for the individual assets they bring to the company on a personal level. By recognizing the value that diversity brings to the table, you'll be one step closer to creating an initiative that benefits your own company.

About the Author: Anna Taylor

Anna Taylor is a freelance writer and avid researcher- a jack of all trades, but a master of none. She graduated from the University of Hawai'i with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts because she had no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up. She has since found her love of Extended Reality and the possibilities it brings to the world, as well as gardening, cooking, and writing. Anna lives in Interior Alaska with her family.

Exploring the Mysteries of Electric Fields

Electricity is all around us, and when harnessed, it lights our homes, powers our everyday appliances, and even keeps our bodies running. But what is electricity, and how does it actually work? At the core of it, it is something so incredible and essential in the world of physics and electromagnetism, which includes electric charges and the electric field that encompasses them.

Electric fields are vital to the understanding of numerous scientific and technological advancements of the modern world. Here, we will explore the nature of electric fields, the mechanisms by which they are generated, how to quantify them, and provide real-world examples that demonstrate their practical applications.

The blog covers:

1. What Is an Electric Field?

2. Interaction of Electric Fields with Charged Particles

3. Application

4. Conclusion

What Is an Electric Field?

To answer the question proposed in the introduction, electricity is the result of the presence and movement of an electric charge, and the presence of these charges produces an electric field.

An electric field is a physical field that surrounds charged particles and exerts a force between the particles. These charged particles can be stationary or in motion and can exist in the form of protons, electrons, or ions. Objects with a net non-neutral charge, meaning they are either positive or negative, will generate an electric field; this field can also be generated by changing magnetic fields, as described by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.

A charged object generates its own electric field, which will exert a force on the surrounding charged objects, creating a force between them that can be experienced as either an attraction or repulsion between the charged bodies-much like the behavior of magnets. This behavior must occur with two or more charged objects, as a single charge's electric field cannot exert a net force on itself.

It is important to note that a charge can only influence another charge in its surrounding space (Freedman et al., 2012, 699). Looking at Newton's second law, a body cannot exert a net force on itself, which means that a single charge cannot be affected by its own electric field (Freedman et al., 2012, 112). If this were not the case, we would be like cartoon characters and defy gravity by lifting ourselves to the sky by pulling up on our own belts.

Electric field is characterized by the equation:

E = F/q  (1)

where E represents the electric field's strength measured in newton per coulomb (N/C), F represents the force of the electric field experienced by a charged particle in N, and q is the charge of the particle in C. The electric field is a vector field, meaning it has both direction and magnitude.

The strength of the electric field is directly proportional to the charge of the source object and inversely proportional to the distance from the source object, again, much like the behavior of a magnet. Its direction is determined by the charge of the source object, and it can point in any direction in space.

Interaction of Electric Fields with Charged Particles

When a charged particle enters an electric field, the force it experiences is then characterized by the equation:

F = qE   (2)

where F, q, and E are represented by the force exerted by the electric field on the charged particle in N, the charge of the particle in C, and the electric field strength in N/C, respectively. The direction of the force is determined by the charge of the particle, and it can either be an attractive or repulsive force. This fundamental interaction between charged particles and electric fields forms the basis of many physical phenomena, from the behavior of lightning to the operation of electronic devices.

While the concept may seem new, we can draw other parallels to help solidify our understanding. Consider Equation 2 describing the electric force, and compare it to the well-known expression for gravitational force, F_g, exerted by the Earth on a mass, m₀ (Freedman et al., 2012, 700):

 F_g = m₀g (3)

where g is the acceleration due to gravity with the value of 9.8 m/s² (The National Institute of Standards and Technology, n.d.) and m₀ is the mass. From this equation, we are able to relate the force that a charged particle experiences when entering an electric field to the force that an object experiences when entering a gravitational field.

Application

Now that we have a general understanding of what an electric field is and how we can calculate it, let us explore some real-world applications of this knowledge. Since the discovery of electric fields, there have been extensive uses of this knowledge. They have been implemented in a wide range of industries and disciplines, from common printers to impressive particle accelerators, and even tissue engineering.

1. Inkjet printers rapidly squirt droplets of ink horizontally while utilizing an electric field to manipulate the droplets of ink to deposit them in the desired letters and images.

2. Particle accelerators, as the name implies, take advantage of electric fields to accelerate charged particles at extreme speeds, nearing the speed of light. These high-speed particles are then collided with a target or other particles traveling in the opposite direction. Through these experiments, we were able to discover the Higgs boson and quarks.

3. A surprising application for electric fields is in the field of medicine. There have been studies researching the use of electric fields for constructing artificial tissue. High electrical field generated in electrospinning causes the formation of nanofibers. Research is still being done in this field, and its results may revolutionize prosthesis.

Conclusion

The discovery of electric fields was fundamental in the field of physics and electromagnetism. With it, our understanding of the universe grew, and it opened an amazing avenue for innovation. Generated by charged particles, these fields possess an immense force that can significantly impact surrounding charged particles. Understanding how electric fields are generated, amazing technologies have been developed, not only in the seemingly simple inkjet printer but also in monumental particle accelerators and potentially lifesaving artificial tissue generation. The study of electric fields still has much to offer, and with it, we may learn more from the universe and how to advance humanity.

Are you ready to supercharge your engineering career? Consider taking an electrical engineering exam review course with School of PE.

References

The National Institute of Standards and Technology. (n.d.). CODATA Value: standard acceleration of gravity. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/cuu/Value?gn

Young, H. D., Ford, A. L., & Freedman, R. A. (2012). Sears and Zemansky's University Physics: With Modern Physics (A. L. Ford, Ed.). Addison-Wesley.

About the Author: Khoa Tran

Khoa Tran is an electrical engineer working at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and is currently pursuing his master's in electrical Power from the University of Southern California. He is fluent in both Vietnamese and English and is interested in outdoor activities and exploring new things.