Quite obviously, the perfect time to begin taking the tests does not exist, the only way to finish is to start.
I set myself a completion date for Christmas, timing it so I finished my exams as I finished the remainder of my hours. Conveniently, this also allowed me to enjoy the holidays without feeling stressed about my exams.
Boost your confidence. Sign up for the test that you are most familiar with or that requires the least amount of studying. You have a higher likelihood of passing and feeling confident in your abilities on your path to licensure.
I know that with big picture things (like finishing my AREs), my motivation tends to shut down. The more I can break a large task up into smaller, manageable pieces and start checking them off a list, the more motivated I will feel. For me, this meant signing up for one test at a time and commit to reading one chapter of studying material a night (with some buffer days built in).
You won’t take studying seriously and prioritize it over other commitments and life events before that date is real.
This may be personal preference, some people are very motivated by peer support and are better able to hold themselves accountable by verbally committing to a goal. For me, it was great to have a cheering section at the end (thanks Mom!), but the last thing I needed when taking the first few was anyone asking me how it was going. For me, the less time spent talking about the exams meant less time for worry and stress.
The ARE website lists a lot of possible study materials for each test. It’s truly overwhelming. I started with Brightwood books available in the Payette library and YouTube videos. It provided the foundation I needed to understand what I would be tested on and where the gaps in my knowledge were. That combined with practical experience from working and general test taking skills made each test passable.
In October, after I took the third exam, I had two out-of-town weddings to attend. I took those weeks off and didn’t study. After three weeks off, I returned to my one chapter a day schedule and felt a renewed motivation to complete the last two tests.
It’s embarrassing.
This Earth Week, we’ll be covering five landmark buildings exemplifying new approaches to building performance and sustainability.
The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Klarman Building is the first hospital in the northeast to implement chilled beams in an inpatient setting. Early energy analysis demonstrated that the use of chilled beams would be the best way to reduce building energy use.
For this strategy to work, however, the peak thermal loads of the façades could not exceed the capacity of the chilled beams. An integrated design approach and in-house modeling allowed for constant tuning of the façade to optimize glazing, solar exposure and massing. The building orients glazing to face true north and south to minimize heat gain and maximize occupant comfort, resulting in a 15% reduction in peak solar load.
Beyond performance, the distinctive serrated terracotta façade reflects the scale and cadence of individual patient rooms, providing a delicate scale and texture to the façade.
#earthweek #designalways #buildingscience #performalism #facade
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