Quadrivium

noun (Late Latin): the four subjects forming the upper course of study in a medieval university - arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.

I've finally taken up my studies for the Professional Engineering Exam in earnest. And I'll be blunt: I feel dumb dumb dumb. I recognize a lot, but don't remember how to do anything. Some things I don't recall ever seeing before. I don't remember ever using the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) shafting design equations, but there they are in the example problems. Well, they are called out in the example solution; I do not now have a copy of my own. I don't think I ever have, actually. I am starting to become concerned.

It's worth mentioning that my study pace is best described as "plodding." I'm behind where the official Review Course is right now - they started in January. And I'm not even to the truly hard stuff, like thermodynamics. It's doubly frustrating because things like this ship fascinate me, but the fundamentals of engineering (which are so often dealt with by computers now) often confuse and bore me.

Luckily, I've got nothing else to do right now. So I guess I'll go study again, some more.