ARE-itis

It is exactly 5 days until my FINAL licensing exam.


Much to my surprise and delight, about 4 weeks ago I found out that I passed the dreaded BS Exam, for those who don't know what that is, (no, it's not what you think BS stands for. Well, it sort of is) it's Building Systems; basically a test of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing systems. What a crazy, confusing ride that was. I was certain that would be the one I'd fail. That was, until I started studying for what will be my last...Structural Systems!


I have largely been relearning all of the material that I "learned" in grad school. I have certainly been paying more attention to the Structural Engineers in the office and going back to YouTube almost daily when I tell them I understand, but really don't. I have even cracked open my structures book from school in hopes that it all floods back and I don't really need to study it.
It has been really hard to buckle down for this one. I don't know if it's because it's just so daunting and dense or if I'm just like a Senior in High School that's been accepted to an Ivy League college with a full ride. I call it ARE-itis. Not necessarily "inflammation of the ARE", but you know what I mean.


I found myself, a couple nights ago, in a chapter about finding the forces in truss members. I looked at the first example that had a 3 page solution and said "no way!" It was at that moment I realized that I was seriously sick of studying. When I go in to take my test next Monday it will have been almost exactly 11 months since I started studying for my first exam; I figure that I will have studied 560 hours at the very least! Oh the things I could do with 560 hours.


I didn't go into planning to take them all back to back, but when the passing scores kept coming in, I thought "Why stop a good thing?"
In hindsight, I wouldn't do it any other way. Sure, me, my husband, son and probably my cat, are slightly worse for wear, but I figure my son won't remember this time at all. He won't remember that every night after he went to bed I studied; he won't remember me not as an architect. A year or two down the road the studying might have gotten in the way of fun activities we would do as a family, and I'm not sure I'd be OK with that, and now I'll never have to know.


I still could fail, but I've got my study method pretty solidified at this point and I've used my time and resources to the max, so I'm just going to hope for the best.
If I don't fail?...people ask me all the time what I'm going to do after I finally get licensed.


I have no idea.
I told my husband the other night that I just want to binge watch Netflix shows for a good month or two. I would start making my to-do list now, but I would be worried that it would jinx me.


I'll be on vacation the week I should get the results. I'll either be licensed or not next time you hear from me.
Happy 4th of July, everyone! Here's what I'll be doing:

Jealous?