5 Tips for Passing the ARE Quickly

1. PUT YOURSELF (I.E. YOUR TIME) FIRST.
This might sound strange, but you have to prioritize study time if you are going to succeed. Everyone (including work) is pulling at your time. Learn to (politely) say no. Then listen to this song by Arcadian Wild… it literally got me through architecture school haha 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rYj_0XyXwg

2. USE WORK TO STUDY.
Why study for 3-4 hours a day when you could study 11-12? Take advantage of all the time you already spend at work.
For example, when preparing for CE, ask to work on submittals. When preparing for PPD or PDD, ask to observe consultant construction document coordination. That’s 8 additional hours of study time every day!

3. SCHEDULE IN ADVANCE.
As soon as you download the study schedule and modify it to fit your own schedule, you’ll immediately know exactly what day you need to take the test. Go ahead and schedule it so you’ll have a deadline. Don’t let yourself push the deadline back!!

4. DON’T STUDY FOR TOO LONG.
Just take the test. Even if you don’t feel ready. More than likely, you’re more ready than you think you are. Bonus Tip: 8 weeks is WAY too long to study for a test (I tried this for PDD and failed…plus I was miserable because the test was constantly hanging over my head). If you’re studying for more than 4-6 weeks, you’re probably not prioritizing it like you should.

5. VISUALIZE SUCCESS.
My friend’s grandmother tells him to “Speak what you want into reality.” That has always stuck with me.
Also remember that perfect is the enemy of good. Bonus Tip: Test out what study schedule works best for you – Morning? Evening? Both? Weekends? No weekends? It took me about two months to fully transition from the school routine to the full-time work/study routine.

YOU HAVE THE DISCIPLINE.
YOU JUST NEED A PLAN.