End of Ground School!
So how would I describe my experience of Ground School? To begin with it was tough, but at the start of Phase 1 I remember thinking "just how am I going to learn all of this?", then as Phase 1 progressed the pace just went faster and faster. You have to keep up with every lesson otherwise you will fall behind, this is particularly the case because a lot of the knowledge relies on the foundations that you will have learned previously.
Phase 2 however was a different kettle of fish for me. Phase 1 was more of a memory test, there were so many different things to learn and they didn't always make logical sense, whereas in Phase 2 and in particular for Gen Nav, Radio Nav, Performance and Mass and Balance you really have to grasp the deep fundamentals in order to stand a chance of passing.
In short, Ground School is extremely challenging. My daily routine consisted of lessons or CBTs (computer based learning) from 8:40 till 16:20, home to relax for an hour, dinner, back to school at 18:30, home at 22:30. Now, I'm not the best at learning things first time round, so even on weekends I would start at 10:00 latest, and finish at around 20:00. Of course at the beginning of Phase 1 and 2 I would take Fridays and Saturday evenings off to go out or just to have a relaxing evening with some of my classmates, otherwise I would have gone crazy. However when it came close to exams, I would consistently work from 9:00 till 23:30 (with some breaks of course!)
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| My ideal Friday night |
It goes without saying, the more you put into something, the more you get out. Often people called me crazy for the amount of hours that I put in, however I came in here with the intention of being at least in the top 5% of my class. I knew long before I even applied to OAA that it wasn't going to be easy, and I was spot on. Different people handle it differently though, so I stress that I speak only from my individual experience of it.
The toughest times though were the period leading up to the exams. Before you're allowed to sit your EASA exams for each Phase, you must sit OAA's internal exams which they call the School Finals. This is in essence two days of exams with an exam for every subject that you have covered in that particular Phase. In my opinion I think that it's good that the school make their exams so difficult and close together. You are tested to your limits, and if you can come out of the School Finals with good marks, then you should have no problems in the JAR-FCL examinations.
So far I have made it sound like I've had to walk across hot coals, so I should point out that there are some very good moments from Ground School! I am currently in a fantastic class which has a lot of humour and banter, and that's very healthy. Everyone goes through the same thing so I think that does help to bring the class closer together.
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| Class of AP344A |
I must mention as well how amazing those instructors are, not just in their knowledge but also their teaching style. The majority of them are ex-RAF engineers so they do have a great sense of humour, and they're also not ashamed to embarrass certain students in front of the class either, which is always amusing! But most importantly they do have a keen interest in how you're getting on, I remember asking them questions quite frequently during break and lunch and the help that they provide is remarkable, although I'm sure they'll be glad to know that I won't be bothering them so much now!
My advice to anyone who is thinking or about to start Ground School is to be prepared. It's a lot to learn and there are times when you feel a lot of pressure. But what got me through was looking at myself with my uniform on in the mirror every morning and feeling proud to be in the position that I'm in. I always remembered the reason why I was there, because at times when you're snowed under with revision, or you're having a lot of trouble getting your head round a particular subject, then it is easy to get frustrated. My philosophy is to think of it like working out in the gym; you don't get any results unless you push past the pain, and the same applies with ground school. Don't leave things till the last minute because you simply won't have enough time, and if you do have problems then please seek help from the instructors or even from your classmates. Part of Ground School is learning how to work as a team so take this as an opportunity.
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| Me posing majestically |
So for now I enjoy a short break which will allow me the much needed opportunity to catch up with friends, spend time helping my family in their business, and also rather importantly getting my body back into shape! Then it's off to Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ to start my flying! The dream continues...
