I will finish up all of my STCW courses sometime this spring…In the mean time I am hitting the books pretty hard …I am running into a problem though…
The questions on the Navigation Problems module, that have to do with fuel consumption, New Distance with remaining fuel and change of speed etc…I haven’t had this class yet but It drives me nuts when I am taking practice tests and run across these particular questions…So I have decided to teach myself the formulas …Most of you have been through this before, is there a good way to keep them all straight.?.I mean on some of them you are using a cube root for speed but on others a square root…Any advice would be appreciated…
Kelly - Get a copy of Capt. Joe’s CD. It has all the questions, as well as solutions. You can print the solutions out and put them in a binder for study. It is worth far more than the $60 for the CD.
I used it extensively for studying for the Master 500 Ton exams, and it made studying much easier!
[QUOTE=water;47060]Kelly - Get a copy of Capt. Joe’s CD. It has all the questions, as well as solutions. You can print the solutions out and put them in a binder for study. It is worth far more than the $60 for the CD.
I used it extensively for studying for the Master 500 Ton exams, and it made studying much easier!
Thanks ,I will look into that…I am using lapware now…The math isn’t hard it’s just trying to remember what is multiplied or divided by what…I have began nicknaming the formulas to serve as a memory aid but the obscenities that I am using, prevent me from sharing them here…
[QUOTE=Shellback;47052]I will finish up all of my STCW courses sometime this spring…In the mean time I am hitting the books pretty hard …I am running into a problem though…
The questions on the Navigation Problems module, that have to do with fuel consumption, New Distance with remaining fuel and change of speed etc…I haven’t had this class yet but It drives me nuts when I am taking practice tests and run across these particular questions…So I have decided to teach myself the formulas …Most of you have been through this before, is there a good way to keep them all straight.?.I mean on some of them you are using a cube root for speed but on others a square root…Any advice would be appreciated…[/QUOTE]
Ignore that, don’t beat yourself to death over obscure stuff; if you have 1 or 2 of that type question it would be odd. You can miss some questions, the subject areas are all weighted the same, there are no citical subject areas. Nobody can know everything, I suspect you’ll do so well on other parts of the test missing these type questions wont matter. I’m just telling it like it is…
I had the same problem when I was getting my Pilots license. So I boiled it down to basic’s If you push the throttle forward you burn more fuel and if you pull it back you burn less. Also works with the Yoke. If you push the Yoke forward the houses get bigger and if you pull it back they get smaller
Maybe your over thinking it LOL.
[QUOTE=Shellback;47052]I will finish up all of my STCW courses sometime this spring…In the mean time I am hitting the books pretty hard …I am running into a problem though…
The questions on the Navigation Problems module, that have to do with fuel consumption, New Distance with remaining fuel and change of speed etc…I haven’t had this class yet but It drives me nuts when I am taking practice tests and run across these particular questions…So I have decided to teach myself the formulas …Most of you have been through this before, is there a good way to keep them all straight.?.I mean on some of them you are using a cube root for speed but on others a square root…Any advice would be appreciated…[/QUOTE]
I only have three words for you. Repitition, Repitition, Repitition.
When you first start studying that crap it seems like you are never going to get it. The more you do them the easier it gets. Consumption problems and slip problems are not so bad after you do [B]ALL [/B]the question 2 or 3 times. It sure felt like I did them that many times anyway. Keep plugging along. before you know it you will be teaching someone how to do it. Captain Joe’s and Lapware together just can’t be beat.
[QUOTE=Capt. Lee;47079]I only have three words for you. Repitition, Repitition, Repitition.
When you first start studying that crap it seems like you are never going to get it. The more you do them the easier it gets. Consumption problems and slip problems are not so bad after you do [B]ALL [/B]the question 2 or 3 times. It sure felt like I did them that many times anyway. Keep plugging along. before you know it you will be teaching someone how to do it. Captain Joe’s and Lapware together just can’t be beat.[/QUOTE]
I agree with Capt Lee here. Attack it in a methodical way. I used Murphy’s Blue books (about a hundred years ago). Each time I did a problem correctly I marked it in the book. I went through the book over and over. When a problem or question had two marks, meaning it had been done correctly twice, I skipped it
Write out the longer problems completely and neatly, keep your scratching on a separate piece of paper. This make is easier to find errors or when you review.
When you get the wrong ans on a long problem don’t just keep doing the problem over and over, instead start at the end of the problem and work backwards to find your error. Next time you do that type of problem avoid that error.
If my memory serves me right, sometime last summer you posted that you did about 7 mods in one day when you upgraded. At the time that sounded pretty good. Now that I’ve recenly had the experience of going through the tests to upgrade, I am thoroughly impressed with your performance. Very impressed!
=Shellback;47052 is there a good way to keep them all straight.?.I mean on some of them you are using a cube root for speed but on others a square root…Any advice would be appreciated…
The assumption is that fuel consumption varies with the cube of the speed. In the formula that uses distance the third speed is hiding in the distance ( r*t=d) .
So for example in case of this formula C1/C2 =(s^2d) / (s^2d) the speed is only squared but the third “s” (speed) is hiding in the d because rate times time equals distance
[QUOTE=water;47077]The fuel conservation question showed up in the terrestrial module. There were 10 questions, and 90% was necessary to pass - you can only miss one.
And according to 46CFR 11.910, fuel conservation should not even show up at the 500/1600 T level exam modules.[/QUOTE]
Thats where I have been running across them on the practice tests…Had these been in Nav general I wouldn’t be so concerned…
Water,
In the front of the Murphy books they point out a particular sentence :" Any other subject considered necessary to establish the applicants proficiency."
They go on to say that the catch-all statement has been liberally interpreted by the USCG Merchant Marine Exam Branch to mean " no holds barred-Anything goes" That sounds like what may have happened to you …
Repetition is the key here. I used flash cards to burn them into my brain. And if it helps, when it comes to test time you can write down all your memorized formulas on scratch paper once the test begins so you don’t forget after other questions have their way with you.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;47082]The assumption is that fuel consumption varies with the cube of the speed. In the formula that uses distance the third speed is hiding in the distance ( r*t=d) .
So for example in case of this formula C1/C2 =(s^2d) / (s^2d) the speed is only squared but the third “s” (speed) is hiding in the d because rate times time equals distance[/QUOTE]
KC, after doing some more of these today I see what you mean…That helped a lot…thanks again…
If my memory serves me right, sometime last summer you posted that you did about 7 mods in one day when you upgraded. At the time that sounded pretty good. Now that I’ve recenly had the experience of going through the tests to upgrade, I am thoroughly impressed with your performance. Very impressed![/QUOTE]
It was actually [B][I]8 modules[/I][/B] the first day and the celestial module the next morning. Then I did the 2 Barge Supevisor modules after that. I was finished around 10 or 11 that morning. There is really no point to do it that quickly though. I operate better under pressure for shorter periods of time. I didn’t want to draw it out. Plus, I did not know if I would fail one or two. Anything is possible. I wish I would have tracked all my study time, but if I had to guess I would say well over 1200-1500 hrs total study time just for Chief Mate/Master. It may be twice that for all I know. Just a guess. The good news is it is over. No more tests for Lee.
If my memory serves me right, sometime last summer you posted that you did about 7 mods in one day when you upgraded. At the time that sounded pretty good. Now that I’ve recenly had the experience of going through the tests to upgrade, I am thoroughly impressed with your performance. Very impressed![/QUOTE]
He did all 8 mods of his Chief Mate test, tested throughout the day, even skipped lunch, with celestial. I took mine about a year before and did 7 the first day and Celestial the next, and did not make less than a 90% on any module. The hardest test is the one you didn’t study for, and we both studied together on the same vessel for over a year, off and on. The books never got a break. It’s really not that impressive if you look at the time we put in. It was actually the easiest test I ever took.
If it’s the formulas, I would recommend “Formulae for the Mariner.” It’s got everything you’d need and you can probably find it for download on the web.
[QUOTE=skycowboy;47078]I had the same problem when I was getting my Pilots license. So I boiled it down to basic’s If you push the throttle forward you burn more fuel and if you pull it back you burn less. Also works with the Yoke. If you push the Yoke forward the houses get bigger and if you pull it back they get smaller
Maybe your over thinking it LOL.[/QUOTE]
And if you hold it back, the houses get bigger again! LOL
