Prepineer Digest 011
FE Exam pursuit, what is an Engineer Intern, working Cash Flow and a success story
I’ve got some good news…and welp, some bad news too.
Let’s start with the bad news – You still need to pass the FE Exam.
You know it needs to get done – maybe you’ve known for a while now – but fitting it in to what you have going on in life seems unrealistic.
Now for the good news…it’s a lot more doable than you think.
My mom always used to tell me when faced with a huge obstacle:
You know Justin, the only way you’ll ever eat a whale is one bite at a time.
It certainly didn’t feel that way most of the time, and if this is where you are at, I can help.
Don’t let “pass the FE Exam” continue to haunt your need-to-do list.
Not getting the exam knocked out of the way is costing you opportunity every day that passes, don’t put it off any more.
We are here to help!
Justin Dickmeyer, PE
Founder, Prepineer
The goods
What’s featured in this weeks digest
In this Prepineer digest, we are diving deep in to some of the more important components of exam prep, inching you forward, one brick at a time, towards success on the FE Exam – here is the rundown:
- We start off discussing the missing element when it comes to “wanting” something: Wanting vs Doing
- Need some reps in practice, we’ve got you covered, walking you through a practice problem in Engineering Economics: How do you find the Cash Flow of an Engineering Investment?
- What is this “Engineer Intern” thingy all about? We dive in to this common term often in need of some clarification: What is an Engineer Intern? EI?
- Preparing for the FE Exam can be a lot like swimming against a current – Larry dug in and swam harder to success: A Prepineer Success: The inspirational story of Larry Herrera
Click where you’d like to start, or check out each resource individually, whichever way you go, enjoy!
Quick tip
Wanting vs Doing
If you are reading this entry, then you are likely one of the thousands of individuals who want to pursue becoming a licensed Professional Engineer here in 2021 – and for that, I applaud you.
But “wanting” won’t get you far, action will.
Maybe you are one experiencing this tension right now?
You see, when we set out to get after a major goal of ours, there is a natural tendency (especially post academia) to fall in to a mode of seeking comfort through information overload.
It’s uncomfortable seeing the NCEES specifications for the first time.
It’s uncomfortable to think about how long you have been out of school.
It’s uncomfortable thinking about fitting in studying with your already jam packed schedule.
I get it.
Discomfort manifests doubts, and naturally, these doubts manifest a feeling of needing to “know more” as a remedy to the heaviness.
But it’s not.
The reality is, this is the emotional yin and yang that will keep you on the hamster wheel of going nowhere – fast.
When we are looking to start something, getting information isn’t the hard part – knowledge comes easy – it’s the execution that is hard.
It’s 100% normal to feel heavy doubts when it comes to taking the FE Exam.
It doesn’t matter if you are fresh out of the university or have been out for 30+ years, doubt when it comes to pursuing the FE Exam is just one of those guaranteed parts of the process.
But the resolution isn’t in needing to know more, or feeling comfortable, it’s having the courage to take a first step despite all of the noise.
I find that the most successful students I work with don’t circumvent the doubts, instead, they use them as a gauge for knowing that they are on the right track to succeed.
Take a moment to reflect back on your own life, I am confident in saying that your greatest growth has come from those uncertain moments. Those moments when you doubted, hurt, were stretched to the edge of your abilities and didn’t think you could go any further.
But you did.
Nothing worth having comes easy – it’s through the obstacles that stretch us to our limits that we see the greatest opportunities for growth.
But its also at these limits that dreams go to die.
Your task is to recognize when you are at this point of tension, lean in to the discomfort and move anyways.
No one ever got anywhere without taking a first step.
You got this.
Daily Dose
How do you Cash Flow of an Engineering investment?
Look, I get it, there is a reason we became engineers and not CPAs…we design – they crunch numbers.
But the reality is, to provide the most value to the communities we represent, we must know enough to get dirty in the world of economics.
In this video, we jump in to a problem that is covered within the subject of ENGINEERING ECONOMICS, specifically, diving in to determining the CASH FLOW of an engineering investment from the business owner’s perspective visually using a CASH FLOW DIAGRAM.
Enjoy! 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Engineer Intern?
Coming out of college, the only thing on your mind is landing a job.
Your focus goes from grinding out calculations on the daily to grinding out applications – it’s natural, I mean you just put a good 4 years of your life in to mastering differential equations, now it’s time to put those bad boy skills in to practice.
But the days go by – the weeks – and the bites are slim to none.
As you surf through the job openings, you feel you are qualified – “entry-level”, “bachelor of science” – but then you keep seeing…
Engineer Intern!?
What is this all about…let’s get in to it:
Student Success
Larry Herrera
Preparing for the FE Exam can be a lot like swimming against the current.
The not knowing where to start and limited time coupled with being years removed from the material you will be tested on is enough to send the anxiety through the roof.
Attempts are made, but frustrations quickly take root as you spin your wheels trying to understand some of the most fundamental concepts of engineering.
Prepineer was born from these frustrations – being students ourselves – developed to eliminate frustrating sessions through detail rich content and personal one to one accountability and coaching.
Today, we dive in to the story of Larry Herrera – let’s get in to it:
Hear the Story
Until we meet again my friend, may God bless you and your family! 🙂
