Kinetic News: October 2, 2024

Kinetic News: October 2, 2024

In this issue:
• Motivation to Study – How to get it, and how to keep it.
• Training Spotlight: API Recertification Courses
• Ask Me Anything (about exam prep)

In this issue:

• Motivation to Study – How to get it, and how to keep it.
• Training Spotlight: API Recertification Courses
• Ask Me Anything (about exam prep)

1. Motivation to Study - How to get it, and how to keep it. 

So, you are writing an exam, maybe the API 510, National Board Inservice Inspector, or the API 653, or some other exam. You have an exam date; you have the books; you have the training materials, now you just need to study.

But every week it seems that something gets in the way of your study time. There is always something that is more important, more urgent, or just plain more interesting than cracking the books.

Now, I am not discussing scheduling here, which is a separate challenge altogether, and I am not saying you should ignore important family or work responsibilities to study. What I am discussing is the motivation needed to sit down and open the books during your available time instead of scrolling on your phone, watching TV, or generally wasting your study time until the last minute.

This is not a scheduling thing; this is a motivation thing. And let’s face it, for most people, study is not fun. So, it can be hard to get into studying, and even harder to stay motivated over a long period, sometimes months, while you prepare for an examination. It is easy to procrastinate and say, “I will study tomorrow” instead of getting into it now.

Here are four ways that I have found to be effective in getting motivated and staying motivated for longer periods of time when I am studying for an exam or course.

• Break it down:
  • Make small, achievable goals. Don’t look at it as studying ALL the material for the exam. Study one part of it today. Divide it into manageable portions – e.g. study one document this week, study a different one next week. This will make the task seem a little less mountain-like and give you a sense of accomplishment as you meet each of the smaller goals you have set.
  • And don’t forget to review the progress you are making against the smaller, achievable goals. You will be surprised at how motivating it is to see your achievements over time!
  • Kinetic Course Design: All our courses are designed to be worked through one section at a time. Breaking a large amount of information into smaller, manageable sections leads to greater success for our students, better retention of information, and better passing rates in the exam. Check out what we do!
• Find your why:
  • Why are you studying in the first place? Likely, it is to get ahead. You are writing this exam to be more employable, get a new position, make more money, achieve a personal level of fulfilment, etc. Keep that in mind. For example, I kept a picture of my kids on my work computer and every time I was tempted to waver in my goals I was visually reminded what I was working for, and why I was studying. So put some pictures, a note, or something to remind you of your why. It will keep you going when you feel like not studying.
• Study Environment:
  • It is hard to study in a noisy environment with the TV on and the dog barking at the kids. If possible, find a quiet place that is comfortable to sit, and if you are like me, big enough to pace a little while you think. Turn your phone off, or at least mute the notifications for a while. And don’t try to multitask – you are not as good at it as you think. Focus on your study!
  • Personal note: I use headphones and brain.fm to enhance my focus, along with caffeine-free tea (Tazo Refresh Mint) and pick my time carefully. I study best after 10 PM, as the house is quiet, and I am less likely to be interrupted. My phone is off, and my computer is set to Do Not Disturb. You can check out brain.fm here for a free trial: https://www.brain.fm/kineticinspection
• Reward yourself:
  • You studied hard. Get a treat. Make time to do something you enjoy after a study session. It doesn’t have to be big, but make it something you like, so there is a positive reward after the study session. Ice cream, chocolate bar, beer, favorite TV show, whatever it is studies show a reward is a motivation that helps most of us.

Every person has a different circumstance and different abilities when it comes to motivation and focus. In our July newsletter, I wrote about finding your focus. Check it out here: https://www.kineticinspection.ca/news/kinetic-news-july-23-2024-13/

I hope these suggestions are helpful. Let me know how you maintain motivation and focus!

2. Training Spotlight: API Recertification Courses

We are often asked about Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours and recertification requirements for API 510, 570 and 653 certifications. (Yes, all our courses offer CPD hours!)

As many of you know, API requires qualified inspectors to achieve a certain number of CPD hours every 3 years to maintain their active certifications, and every 6 years to complete a 25-question quiz along with the CPD requirements.

At Kinetic, we have developed specific courses to address the 3- and 6-year recertification requirements. These courses meet not only API requirements but also allow you to demonstrate to your employer that you are current and informed about the API codes and standards your certification is based on.

Employers will find these courses beneficial in meeting jurisdictional QMS training requirements, as they contain a final examination that can judge participant competency and learning objectives.

Currently, we offer two courses specific to your recertification needs, with one more coming soon!

• Our API 510 Recertification Course: https://www.kineticinspection.ca/courses/view/api-510-pressure-vessel-inspector-recertification-course-28/
• Our API 570 Recertification Course: https://www.kineticinspection.ca/courses/view/api-570-pressure-piping-recertification-course-32/
• Coming soon – API 653 Recertification Course.

These detailed, online, self-study courses cover the API Body of Knowledge for recertification and will prepare participants to successfully write the 25-question quiz at the 6-year interval. Each participant will receive up to a maximum of 24 CPD hours, which can be used for either the 3- or 6-year interval requirements.

Please note, the CPD hours from our courses are accepted by API, AWS, CWB, jurisdictions, etc.

3. Ask Me Anything (about exam prep)

Please send me your exam and study related questions. I will feature one question in each successive newsletter.

One question I get asked a lot is: “What is the best way to remember things that I have read/studied?”

This is an important question, as all the study in the world is useless if you don’t retain what you have learned. Now, to be clear, I do not have the best memory in the world. In fact, I don’t have a good memory at all (just ask my wife). I have to work at it, so I can give suggestions, and tell you what works for me, but each person has to find their own method for retention, as no two brains are alike.

These suggestions are things that are included in my course designs or discussed in our classes.

• Active recall:
  • After reading something, try to recall the key points. Doing practice questions right after a reading session will make you “use” what you have read and will go a long way in helping you remember. All our courses use this lesson-practice question design to aid in initial retention.
• Spaced repetition:
  • Review the information in a planned, progressive, and measurable way. This means scheduling a time (usually each week) to review areas you have studied. Bonus points if you have identified your weak areas and focus on these daily. Our courses all include a Study Plan that teaches you how to do structured, planned material review using the course lessons, practice questions and practice exams. It is based on the personalized Focus Report that each Practice Exam includes.
• Teach someone else:
  • If you can explain a concept to someone (who is preferably not in your industry) without resorting to technical jargon or incomplete ideas, then you likely will retain that concept. Explaining something to someone else immediately identifies any gaps in your knowledge and identifies what you need to work on. (Personal note: I use this method all the time. My poor, long-suffering wife has heard all my course instruction and exam preparation before I use it in my courses. She deserves a shout-out! Thanks for listening all these years, Marcia, you are the best!)
• Relate it to your personal experience.
  • Picture yourself doing the responsibility or task you are studying. Make it make sense in your head. Picture it from different angles and views, and work to understand more than memorize. You will find that understanding something is far more powerful than rote memorization and will often take its place.

Being able to recall information in an examination setting is critical to passing any exam. I genuinely hope some of these suggestions are useful to you. I use all of them, and others in combination with each other as I study, read, and attempt to remember information. What methods do you use to remember and retain information?  

4. Contact Information and links

Please reach out to us! We want to hear from you.

website: www.kineticinspection.ca

email: [email protected]

email: [email protected]

phone: 780-213-0292

Thanks for reading!

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