12/17/3015 07:41

The truth is I don’t really know where I am at, yep that title was deceiving. My best guess is that I am a year and a half away from graduating, and to be honest I don’t really want to know how much longer I have. After graduation life gets real and the government is going to be knocking on my door expecting my student loan money back. In addition, I obviously want to wait this whole FAA hiring fiasco out too. However, I find myself being asked how much longer I have left a lot lately so maybe it’s time I figure that out; A plan should probably be assembled.

What I do know is that winter breaks end is fast approaching and I need to take as much advantage as possible. So I decided to be irresponsible with my money, which is rare, and I bought a snowboard. Yesterday was my first adventure and it went surprising well considering I haven’t touch a board in five years and that I’d only been five times before that. Needless to say I’m looking forward to the rest of the snowboard season.

Here is a random tip: Pay attention to what is going on around you and don’t be afraid to talk to people. Currently I’m sitting at a coffee shop and a large tale across from five gentlemen. They’re having a business meeting, and they’re talking a lot about airports. I’ve been trying to decipher what it is that they do but I can’t tell. So if they finish before I leave I’m going to ask them what they do. Remember, I attained my current job because I met my boss at bar and had a conversation with her.

12/11/2015 08:10

Currently I’m sitting on the ASU shuttle on the way to work. I figured I should write an entry since I don’t have anything to study for; aren’t I productive.

Yesterday was my last day of finals and it was a disaster. My first attempt at the AMT222 (Instrument ground) final totally threw me off.  Yes, you read that right; my first attempt. The learning lab employee fucked up and gave me the stage 3 exam by accident, and I was so focused on each question I didn’t even notice until it was over; I got a 94%. However, it was completely pointless because it obviously doesn’t count.

Now the problem with this is that it left me completely frazzled, and by its completion I only had an hour before my ATC final. Therefore, I frantically reviewed/crammed for my ATC final before I took it. However, I guess it worked because I got a 92% on it. At no point during the exam or after having completed it did I feel like I got a 92% on it though. This kind of thing always happens during the semester though, I never think I did as well as I actually did. Not to say I have confidence issues, I’m actually quite an air head.

After having completed my ATC 331 final I took a break and went and ate some lunch. Always make sure you’ve eaten and slept well before a final or any test for that matter. A clear and unwound mind is just as important as an informed one. So after having decompressed I went and took my AMT 222 final. An hour and a half later it was over and a 92% popped up on the screen. Now you think I’d but stoked but it was the opposite, I was very disappointed. I got extremely lucky on that exam in that I didn’t get any of the questions I struggle with since I don’t actually fly planes. I almost got beat this semester.

Now after having read my life story it is time to reward you the important shit you’re looking for. Passing AMT 222 comes down to buying the Gleim question book and consistently flipping through it all semester long. Just because you passed your stage exam doesn’t mean you can forget about it, it’ll come back around to bite you in the ass at the end of the semester if you don’t. Now passing ATC 331 is a little different, it comes down to starting to study early for the Clearance Delivery/Flight Data (first exam) and Local control (final exam). Ground control is the easiest, and if I were to do it over again I might’ve skimped on studying for ground control and started studying the aircraft list.

I guess that’s it.

At this point in time life is pretty good; I have a good paying part time job, things with my lady friend and I are going well and we’re ten days away from our four month mark, and I’ve just been a lot more active during the weekends with friends and such. In fact, I just got back yesterday from my friends girlfriends cabin in Pinetop, AZ. It was incredibly nice up there, and a good change of scenery.

However, the “first semester exam push” is about to start and I’m about to be in the shit. Currently I’m nine days out from an exam in ATC 331 (Tower Operations) and AMT 222 (Instrument Pilot Ground School). Thankfully I’ve been studying for ATC 331, and I’m going to do a write up on what I’m doing for that later tonight because this first exam is no joke. Instrument ground school however is going to seriously bend me over and go in dry. I have yet to do any real studying, so I’ll be in the computer lab memorizing the Gleim questions today after my Tower Operations class.

August 20th, 2015 08:16

Good morning, first I just want to say I’m getting pretty bad at remembering to write in this thing. I’ve got a lot of shit rattling around in my brain and some how this just doesn’t seem as important as it used too. I will try and fix that in the off chance any poor human actually decides to read this one day. That being said this post will be kind of long, a bit has happened in the last several weeks.

Any ways, currently I’m waiting to leave for my first day of the new school year. As it sits my class schedule for the semester looks like this:
AMT 222 Instrument Pilot Ground School
AMT 222 (Lab)
AMT 408 National Aviation Policy
ATC 331 Tower Operations
PSY 366 Abnormal Psychology

I’m most worried about AMT 222, because AMT 182 (Private Pilot Ground School) was my hardest class during the first semester. I’m fairly sure I went over this before so stick with me if I’m going old man status on you and telling a story I’ve already told you several times before; my dad does that a lot so its probably genetic. As a ATC student these classes are hard because the curriculum is set up under the assumption your out there flying a plane to supplement the information. Obviously, as an ATC your not doing this so it is like trying to solve a puzzle with missing side pieces; meaning you don’t know where to even start and feel completely lost.

This semester should be pretty interesting, it’ll be the first time I’ve combined work with school in several years. Speaking of work theres a new development there as well. Last week I was moved from a Technical Recruiter to what I’m calling an “Office Administration Assistant.” Truth be told I’m kind of happy with the switch, I’m still getting paid the same and I don’t have bullshit numbers to meet. However, whats funny is I kind of miss the aspect of talking to engineers on the phone, which is weird because that was the biggest hurdle I faced in the beginning. Kind of reminds of being a little kid and hating a food I’ve never even tried only to end up trying it and it becoming a new favorite food.

Whoops, definitely got a little to sucked into writing this… Now I’ll be late for my first day, oh well.

Quite a lot has happened since the post before last. Since then I have acquired a girlfriend, started taking AMT 308 as a summer class, and have exchanged some more emails with that aerospace engineering company.

First, the girlfriend. It’s been a long while since I’ve officially dated someone and it feels nice. I’ve actually got the amazing task of meeting her parents for the first time tomorrow night for dinner, so I’ll have to update you on that. Not going to lie though, I figured dating someone again would some how change me, or the way I feel throughout my everyday normal life but it hasn’t. It’s not quite the same as I remember back in high school when I had my last girlfriend. Guess that giddy love struck sensation dies with your childhood.

Second, my summer class. All I have to say about this is take AMT 308 over the summer. It will be a hell of a lot easier then if you were to take it during the regular semester. Contact on here and I can send you some “info” that will also make your time in that class much less painful.

Lastly, this technical recruiting job for the aerospace engineering company. This process has been very slow going, but apparently I’m now waiting for a call for a phone screen interview from the lady whose team I would be joining. Not exactly stoked on this, because she never mentioned a second phone interview being part of the process. I was told so long as my references check out and I pass this biographical questionnaire, which resembled the 2015 ATC bid BQ to a scary level, I would have the job. Now I have to jump through a phone screen to qualify for the chance at interviewing with this woman. So now I have more hoops to jump through, yay!