Shut up and study!

There come some occasions in life when that voice in the back of your head challenges your ability to believe that you will be successful at something.  Lately, all I've heard is, "This is too much," or "You're never going to get this." Usually, this voice has crept up on me when studying for my knowledge test.  This week, I finally responded to that voice and I said, "SHUT UP!"  So far, my greatest challenge in studying for my knowledge test has been myself.  Having finally realized this, I believe I'm starting to make some headway.

I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to my study process, reading and attempting to understand why each answer is the specific answer the FAA is looking for.  This process takes a huge amount of time and with over 1,000 available questions for the IFR knowledge test, it is a daunting process.  Because this task is so huge, I've allowed my self-doubts to creep in and challenge my self efficacy.

However, I've come to realize that possibly my approach is a bit off.  One of the things I learned in graduate school was that adult learners have different learning methods and they must adapt and develop ways of learning that create success for them.  So while I like to have a firm understanding and knowledge of why each answer is correct, I've also come to realize that this isn't always entirely necessary.

Indeed, there are multiple test questions that essentially have the same answer, but are worded differently.  These are not a problem.  Then there are others that are heavy on diagrams and charts which require a little more effort in an attempt to understand what the specific processes are.  Here is where I use a bit of training from my undergraduate career as a drama major.  When in the rehearsal process, a trick I used to memorize my lines were to find operative words in the script that connected a string of thoughts or ideas of the character, and the same process has worked with my private pilot knowledge test.

I'm not saying that memorizing the answers to the test without understanding the content of the answers is what I'm doing, but in a way it is.  However, I've found that when using this process, the concepts begin to connect and make sense once I'm finally in the airplane. This will make more efficient use of my study time and will allow me to review more questions.  All it takes now is a little bit of repetition.  Now that I'm over my self-doubts, it's time to develop my groove and get settled into it.

IFR: Weeks 2 and 3

I must admit that the past few weeks have not been too heavily laden with IFR study time.  In fact, I think I've actually studied only a handful of days out of the past two weeks.  Case and point, this IFR work is much slower than what I had anticipated.  These past few weeks, I've found myself distracted by other things to keep me entertained- like a Nintendo DS and Wii.  And while I've been pretty lucky at collecting all of the Star Coins in Super Mario Bros on the DS and Wii, I can only tell you some stuff about an enroute IFR chart.



Study me!



This looks more fun!

The upside to this story is after reviewing the flight planning session, and starting to feel over my head, I decided to break the natural progression.  Usually, I check off the list topic by topic.  Breaking from this routine, I started looking at the IFR charts instead.  I figured it'd be better if I understood how to read and interpret those before looking at flight planning so I could at least understand a segment of the flight planning process. Again, after finishing over 150 questions, I felt exhausted, but felt like I had learned something.  I must admit that while I have still learned, the details are still quite fuzzy.

Getting down to it, I've become dissatisfied with my study process.  Clearly, this process isn't working as well as it has for me in the past.  Possibly because there is a lot of information to take in that is completely different from what was required for private pilot training, and possibly because I'm intimidated by everything so I just strafe away from it- a self discipline issue.

So now it's time to take a step back and reconfigure what needs to be done.  I've got a solution in mind, but I am currently waiting on the right things to fall into place.  If they do, I'm hoping this new strategy will be more effective than what I've used in the past.  The unfortunate side to this is having to spend more money for the training, but in order to meet my set goal, perhaps this is a necessary sacrifice.  I am still determined to pass my knowledge test first.  I still have my simulator waiting on me once I'm ready.  I am still hopeful, but to be honest, I wish this process were easier than what it is.

IFR: A Week In

Last week, I wrote a post with the fullest intention to begin the process to add the IFR ticket to my Private Pilot Certificate.  While I still have the intention to do so, the first week has been rather uneventful.  As I sat down the first night in front of my computer to begin this process, my study software had the first topic to address- Federal Aviation Regulations.  97 questions to review, I set to work looking at each question, settling back into the once-familiar groove I used to prepare for the PPL and AGI.  Some 50 minutes later I finished reviewing, feeling accomplished in the fact that I had learned some new things.

The next day I continued the routine, but not before reviewing what I'd looked at the day before.  This particular day's topic was IFR Flight Planning and after a few minutes in, I began to feel somewhat under prepared.  This study session brought with it lots of charts, flight plans, and general trivial information that needed to be crammed in my head.  Soon I realized that I didn't have what I needed to be successful for this session, so a few minutes later I closed the session and took to the internet to order my testing supplement that is full of those charts and diagrams.  Personally, I prefer to have the booklet in front of me, rather than staring at a computer screen and being forced to use scroll bars to grasp the entire picture.  While I was at it, I also ordered my IFR kneeboard and View-limiting device, even though I knew I would not be needing them anytime soon.

Since my supplies were not scheduled to arrive for the next few days I took a break from studying, rationalizing the fact that I still have plenty of time to get everything in.  I fully had the intention of studying more this week, but after a brief spell of feeling under the weather and lacking the motivation necessary to study, I found myself short on study time this week.

Feeling a bit better this weekend I found myself in front of my computer screen again studying away.  Now that my testing supplement had arrived, I felt more confident in my abilities to grasp the material, but after a few questions in, I once again felt the doubts creeping in.  The material again seemed foreign and unfamiliar, and I began to realize that some additional reading and review is going to be required before I move further.  Cutting my study session short once again, I decided to call it a night, and save everything else for this week.  I still have plenty of time ahead of me to get familiar with this material.  I am determined to be successful.

Total Study Time:  2.3 hours