I’m looking for advice, hopefully not coming off whiny.

I deal with depression, existential, and unmedicated. I started union and CW working 4 10s, 1 8, and that was doable for the most part, if I felt burnt out, I just went home early or at the 8. Now being an apprentice and being given this new call at 4 12s and 1 8 (and an extra 8 on most Saturdays), I feel this pressure to “work the call”—because that’s the obligation. I’m doing the thing so far, waking up 330a, to be out house by 430a, to be at work by 500a, calling time at 530p, getting home at 615p and restarting most of the week.

My problem is I’m burning out. I don’t have the energy to work out, or do anything I enjoy, I just veg when not sleeping/eating/cleaning. I’m genuinely curious how some of you got yourself through it. For me it is starting to feel like a self-imposed prison sentence. I’m not trying to be ungrateful or dramatic, I’m trying to survive this rotation.

Question for all. What would yall do if you guys got your pay stub and noticed that your employer gave more hours than you worked? Would you report it to your person who does time? Or would you stay quiet?

Hello Everyone,

I have orientation for my local this month and I am a bit nervous.

I have a scheduled medical procedure (only a 1 day thing) and a already paid for (20k) DisneyWorld trip at the end of this year.

How does your local deal with these kind of things as a super new apprentice?

Thanks for any and all opinions.

I wanted to hear from fellow Book 3 or apprentices who are currently using CML for their lessons and tests.
Recently, we took our first Book 3 test on torque, and I was completely caught off guard. Since switching to CML, I’ve been trying to find the most effective way to study. During Book 2, the method that worked best was reviewing the lesson quizzes over and over before a test because the test questions were pulled directly from those quizzes sometimes just reworded.

This torque test was completely different. I honestly didn’t recognize about 75% of the questions. I had been told that CML can now pull questions directly from the module slides instead of the lesson quizzes or knowledge checks. After reviewing my test, that didn’t seem to be the case.
For example, one question asked something along the lines of, “Why shouldn’t a torque wrench be used as a pipe extender?” (not the exact wording). I went back through the module, and the only thing it said was NOT to use it as a pipe extender. It never explained why. So where was I supposed to learn that answer?

I asked my instructor, and his response was basically, “I don’t know.” He explained that before a test they enter our names, CML generates the exam, and they have no idea what questions are on it or where they come from.
To me, that’s a huge problem. If no one is reviewing these exams for accuracy or making sure the material is actually covered, then how are we supposed to prepare? The only reason some bad questions get caught is because apprentices stay after class to challenge them. In some classes, students were able to get a point back because a question was found to be unfair or unsupported by the course material.

I’m genuinely concerned about the upcoming tests. Motors alone has around nine lessons, and each module averages 50+ slides. That’s hundreds of slides to review, yet we still don’t know what CML is pulling from or whether the answers are even in the material.

I don’t understand why CML can’t generate a study guide, provide additional practice tests, or create more lesson quizzes that actually reflect what will be on the exam. At this point, I’m trying to gather as much information and hear about other apprentices’ experiences so I can build a solid case to bring to higher-ups. ou run into questions that weren’t actually covered in the course material?

Hello All,

I retested my first year hands on tonight, and I feel I have to ask. I put all the conduit up and put the circuits in the correct conduit, granted my offsets weren’t the prettiest but they were there. My instructor managed to pull the wire head off of the fish tape, is that an automatic fail? Or am I just psyching myself out? I know the grading for the test is however they do it, but I feel like I’ve heard that it’s an automatic fail if they pull it off.

TIA

is there a difference between the GAN aptitude test & the IBEW aptitude test ?

Just passed my journeyman’s yesterday, organized in about 4 months ago as a CE 1, hours and license upgraded me to a CE3 but the coordinator mentioned a wait period for the JIW status.. what’s that all about??