I finished my IDP!

Source: Google.com

I haven't officially announced it but on Wednesday, I completed my IDP! Around 415pm, I came back from my second site visit and I thinking about how great it would feel to submit my final hours.  Well it didn't go exactly how I planned.  After I submitted my hours electronically, my Supervisor had to approve the hours.  As he clicked "approve," he received an error message.  He has called and the issue has not been solved.  So now it's a waiting game.  Without my official completion letter, I can not start my testing.  But that doesn't mean I can't start studying!


This weekend, I decided to put together all 7 of my ARE study guides to see how well I did.  Here is how I did from best to worse:

1. Programming, Planning and Practice
2. Construction Documents and Services
3. Building Design and Construction Systems
4. Structural Systems
5. Building Systems
6. Site Planning and Design (didn't finish)
7. Schematic Design (didn't finish)

Here is the order I plan on taking the exams and the reasoning behind it:

1. Building Design and Construction Systems (Multiple choice and vignettes)
1. On Wednesday, my boss asked me "what part of Architecture do you like most? Designing? Putting the pieces together? Specifications? Construction Administration?"  I thought about how I loved to design when I was in school, but after I graduated, I loved putting the pieces together.  Since I spend the majority of my internship putting the building together, I feel more comfortable with this test.
2. Construction Documents and Services (Multiple choice and vignettes)
1. This is the second portion of my internship where I spent the most of my time.
3. Programming, Planning and Practice (Multiple choice and vignettes)
1. Similar to CDS and a good transitition into this category.
4. Schematic Design (Vignettes)
1. I know the codes but I haven't "designed" since college.  This would be a nice break from the multiple choice questions since this is just drawing.
5. Site Planning and Design (Multiple choice and vignettes)
1. A subject that I haven't did since my 2nd year in college.  I have all the study books needed to pass this exam but I have to re-teach myself some of the material.
6. Structural Systems (Multiple choice and vignettes)
1. While I took 3 types of classes for this subject, I can not remember anything from it!  I still have my notes and 4 study books, so this is yet ANOTHER subject I have to re-teach myself.  I loooove math and I have dealt with this during my 4 years in the field, so it shouldn't be too bad.
7. Building Systems (Multiple choice and vignettes)
1. Just like SPD and SS.  Re-teach and keep going.

With that being said, I started with Building Design and Construction Systems last night.  While I don't have all the study material for the multiple choice questions, I did use the design program to start studying the vignettes.  Since there are three, I decided to do only one per day.  Each test is about $210 and the study guides are ~$75 (unless I get outdated material - which I might end up doing).  I'm trying not to burn myself out, so I'm going to study each subject for about a month or two and take an exam after each subject.  I'm aiming for December but I might change my mind depending on how comfortable I feel.