a little angry

[FlyGirl86]

We had a quiz today in ground school. Simply quiz about some engine components from a few lessons before. As soon as my instructor handed me the paper, I forgot everything and totally messed it up. I know the material and don't know why I forgot it! I am just a little frustrated. I know being a pilot, you have to know this stuff right off the top of your head in case of emergency or when you are asked in a checkride or whatever. I was a great student in school. I expected to be fine in class. I was more worried about my flight lessons, but surprisngly, I am doing ok flying and bombing quizzes. I just had to vent a little bit. I know I will do better on the next quizes, but I just can't believe that happened today. *sigh*

[Gomer Pylot]

Happens to everyone. I've had days when it seemed someone hooked up a vacuum pump to my brain and sucked out everything I ever knew. Even things I've known for years. Just keep studying, and it will come.

[FlyGirl86]

Thank you! Thats exactly how I felt today, the vacuum just sucked everything out. I am studying more than ever now. I don't want that to happen again.

[Gunner]

Thank you! Thats exactly how I felt today, the vacuum just sucked everything out. I am studying more than ever now. I don't want that to happen again.

 

 

Don't worry.... Quick story for you... Tonight my finacee and I had to go to "pre cana". It's a catholic sort of seminar you have to go to before you get married... Needless to say it is extremely boring. I mean it is ultra boring... So to pass the time I drew up some aerodynamics lessons. Yeah, it was that boring. I was amazed at how hard it was to draw all sorts of lessons... And I am a CFI (not employed, just have the rating as of right now)! I got my CFI back in June and don't do any teaching to it escapes the brain very fast.

 

So... bottom line, you will always have to study to keep the information in your head. Once I spent some time on the drawings... it all came back to me. Better yet, it passed the time!

 

Don't get upset and don't take it super seriously! Have fun with it. You WILL understand and remember all this stuff. It just takes a while.

 

Have fun!

[FlyGirl86]

Don't worry.... Quick story for you... Tonight my finacee and I had to go to "pre cana". It's a catholic sort of seminar you have to go to before you get married... Needless to say it is extremely boring. I mean it is ultra boring... So to pass the time I drew up some aerodynamics lessons. Yeah, it was that boring. I was amazed at how hard it was to draw all sorts of lessons... And I am a CFI (not employed, just have the rating as of right now)! I got my CFI back in June and don't do any teaching to it escapes the brain very fast.

 

So... bottom line, you will always have to study to keep the information in your head. Once I spent some time on the drawings... it all came back to me. Better yet, it passed the time!

 

Don't get upset and don't take it super seriously! Have fun with it. You WILL understand and remember all this stuff. It just takes a while.

 

Have fun!

 

 

HAHA. I love that you were drawing lessons during that class. To bad I am not engaged and don't having boring classes to go to so i can study! lol. Thanks a lot for the advice. Cheers

[Witch]

To bad I am not engaged...

Hey, I'd engage you, but I'm married.

 

I have the opposite problem. My brain is chock full of stupid, useless information that's thrown all over the place and the maid said "I'm outta here!".

 

What's a guy to do?

 

And remember: The foinsapp is connected to the foonplate by the dogfeeder valve.

 

Later

[Jackelope]

I can't speak from experience not being in flight school, here, but I'll try anyway.

 

Confidence is everything going into a stressful situation. Those barriers in your head or the "vaccuum" is usually nothing more than nervousness and doubt getting in the way of a clear thinking process. You can't think of one thing and it frustrates you, which gets the snowball of doom rolling. I've been in some of the most stressful situations you can imagine out here in Iraq on the ground, but... no matter what those repetitive drills come back in those times of stress when your head is full of clouds. They build confidence within you and while at times they seem repetitive and boring they stick in your brain like superglue when you force yourself to go through those steps (or lessons in your case) in your off time. I don't really know your situation but I would bet (going off what you said) that since you did so well as a student perhaps you weren't fully prepared and the only confidence you had was false confidence. You need something real and tangible to force those memories of the lessons you went over up. Try thinking of a practical exercise or something. It may help you out.

 

I dunno.. maybe it seems a little too philosophical for something small and trivial, but it's been my experience that having the confidence of knowing you've practiced over and over makes getting put onto the chopping block that much easier.

[lockedcj7]

That's why you'll hear the "overlearn" advice.

 

Basically, it means to study it until giving the correct answer is a reflex and doesn't require actual thinking. It's the same way emergency procedures are trained. If you have to stop and think about it, it's usually too late.

 

During the oral portion of my PPL checkride, the DE asked about Coriolis force. I went blank. I launched into some rambling explanation of how the Earth's rotation causes weather patterns to do this and that.

 

The DE calmly said, "you can look it up if you need to." All it took was one glance at the right page in the helicopter flying handbook and I remembered. He then followed up with another question about how conservation of angular momentum affects rotor RPM during the flare of an auto just to see if I really new what I was talking about. (I nailed it and he smiled.)

[FlyGirl86]

I understand why all this stuff is repeatedly taught and gone over. It does have to become reflex. I have been studying all weekend and things are becoming stuck in my head finally, I think. I knew right away what the Coriolis Effect was. haha. I think your advice was pretty dead on Jackelope. I don't mind doing all this repetitive stuff, I just had to find a way to make it stick in my brain. I am sure i will have another quiz sometime this week and I will do ok. I am the type of person that if I fail at something, it only makes me try harder next time. But again, thanks for the tips. Witch, I think you clarified everything with the whole foinsapp, foonplate dogfeeder valve explanation! I am sure to ace the next quiz now. lol. And geezy pete, everyone is married or engaged! Lol...whats a single girl gotta do? hahaaa

[Jackelope]

Well, better luck on the next one, then!

 

I'm sure you'll do just fine

[FlyGirl86]

Just an update...had a quiz today and i am pretty sure I aced it!!!! Pretty stoked about it at the moment. All the studying paid off. and your guys advice. Thanks a lot people!

[Bluefalconeer]

Challanges….life is full of them: without them,

how would you know and realize the awesome power that lives within you? -Kieth D. Harrell

 

 

 

 

Congradulations FlyGirl86, Best wishes! - Bluefalconeer

[FUSE]

Just an update...had a quiz today and i am pretty sure I aced it!!!! Pretty stoked about it at the moment. All the studying paid off. and your guys advice. Thanks a lot people!

 

Sweet! It's a good feeling when you know that you did good on a quiz, checkride, whatever... Good for ya.