How to practice stripmarking, phrasology, and clearances alone?

[Samurai_Mac]

Started a little over two weeks ago. Some people are still struggling with aspects of the map as well as proper phrasology whenever we do stripmarking exercises. Me included. While I feel more comfortable about the map I feel very uncomfortable with phrasology and feel especially nervous, to the point of freezing or blurting out stupid shit.

The only suggestions I am getting from instructors, the internet, and other students is to simply study with my classmates, but they don't seem to have any desire to. Just flat out refusing to come together to look over the material, even though we were so on top of that during Basics. Its gotten to the point where whenever I float tbe idea, one of my closer classmates pulls me aside or shoots me a text to the effect of: "I don't think it's happening now bro".

Everytime I ask they insist it's simply impossible to study or iron out stripmarking or phrasology until we start nonradar problems.

This feels especially terrible for me since I don't feel like I have good study habits. The others helped hold me accountable and I did incredibly well in basics not as a result of my own abilities, but from the help and motivation of everyone else. I'm feeling shut off, I don't know what or how to study to avoid embarassing myself as no one can suggest anything beyond "Study with classmates". Other than the map or location IDs.

Has anyone else went through something similar? Can anyone give me suggestions? Is reading through the actual Stripmarking and Phraseology Guide once or a few times good enough?

 

[Gauff]

Well if you need to know what to study, you study what you are struggling with...

Whether that's just in your room creating scenarios and talking out loud or something else. Strip marking is shown exactly how you need to do it in the material they give you, so study it, read over it, write it down over and over, etc. until you know it. The only way to be more confident in what you're doing is knowing the material as well as you can.

It sucks that you can't get study groups going but the reality is that the academy is the most basic of info you will need to learn and a small percentage of the amount of info you will have to learn at your facility. Also when you get to your facility there are no study groups, so you'll have to learn how to study one way or another.

 

[the inquirer]

If you need others to help you succeed, this is not for you. You need to learn to study on your own. There will be vastly more information for you to learn if you pass. Also, who cares if you blurt out something wrong. That’s a part of learning. At the end of the day, this will be YOUR career and not anyone else’s. So do what you gotta do to succeed and take it captive. I prolly asked the most questions in class of any and every scenario possible and finished top of the class.

 

[Samurai_Mac]

If you need others to help you succeed, this is not for you. You need to learn to study on your own. There will be vastly more information for you to learn if you pass. Also, who cares if you blurt out something wrong. That’s a part of learning. At the end of the day, this will be YOUR career and not anyone else’s. So do what you gotta do to succeed and take it captive. I prolly asked the most questions in class of any and every scenario possible and finished top of the class.

I appreciate your advice, so make no mistake. "This is not for you" is not a possibility I'm able to consider given my current life circumstances. I have to get this job on my resume at the absolute least, or my life is essentially over.

Again, thank you for the heads up.

 

[Three]

Everytime I ask they insist it's simply impossible to study or iron out stripmarking or phrasology until we start nonradar problems.

This is true, but only to a certain extent. Yes, obviously the strip-marking and phraseology will make more sense when you're able to apply it to a scenario/problem, but you should still be able to say it verbatim with full confidence you're not missing a word. There should be no excuse in not knowing what a symbol or how to notate certain things like "at or above," which each box is used for, holding, "climb and maintain," etc.

Unfortunately, you've encountered the very rare class that seems to either not care about succeeding or are just overconfident in their abilities to pass. Fortunately, you can do many things on your own. Flashcards/quizlet and being creative with your iPad will be your tools to succeed. As far as catching readback/hearback errors, you can record yourself and listen that way. Obviously, the only downside is if you actually have no idea what you're doing then you will need a tutor.

If they're still like this when nonradar actually starts, I highly recommend to start talking to classes a couple days or a week ahead of you and see if they're willing to study with you. 2 weeks ahead is probably the furthest ahead I'd push it. Classes behind you aren't ideal but can work if they're only 1-3 days behind you.

 

[Gauff]

I have to get this job on my resume at the absolute least, or my life is essentially over.

Bro what?? You do know that passing the academy is not gonna check the box for you to put ATC on your resume, right? Not to mention adding it to your resume really won't help with anything anyway. You are going to have years of job jeopardy check rides until you are an actual certified controller and the academy is the easy part.

 

[Samurai_Mac]

Bro what?? You do know that passing the academy is not gonna check the box for you to put ATC on your resume, right? Not to mention adding it to your resume really won't help with anything anyway. You are going to have years of job jeopardy check rides until you are an actual certified controller and the academy is the easy part.

By passing the academy I continue to progress at my facility to actually certify. If I work there long enough, no matter how you slice it, a few years as an enroute controller will speak better for my work ethic than just the academy or a few months in the unfortunate case shit goes wrong.

There's no need to be aggresive.

 

[Gauff]

By passing the academy I continue to progress at my facility to actually certify. If I work there long enough, no matter how you slice it, a few years as an enroute controller will speak better for my work ethic than just the academy or a few months in the unfortunate case shit goes wrong.

There's no need to be aggresive.

I'm not being aggressive but just saying it's not the end of the world if shit doesn't work out. Having ATC on your resume doesn't help much unless someone specifically knows what that is and even then it doesn't do much. Most people think ATC wave wands. Also you just can't put that pressure on yourself that you NEED to make this work or life is gonna suck. It's not true, but more importantly it's added stress to an already stressful situation.

There are a bunch of job jeopardy areas until you certify and while motivation to succeed is good, too much pressure like that isn't good in my opinion

 

[Samurai_Mac]

I'm not being aggressive but just saying it's not the end of the world if shit doesn't work out. Having ATC on your resume doesn't help much unless someone specifically knows what that is and even then it doesn't do much. Most people think ATC wave wands. Also you just can't put that pressure on yourself that you NEED to make this work or life is gonna suck. It's not true, but more importantly it's added stress to an already stressful situation.

There are a bunch of job jeopardy areas until you certify and while motivation to succeed is good, too much pressure like that isn't good in my opinion

Guess you're right, I just feel like shit because this would be my first actual career. After so many wasted years and part time jobs.

I tell myself I should always have a backup plan incase of failure, but the plan sucks. My parents are terrible, suffocating people. I was in the situaiton I was specifically because I followed their stupid advice, and because I allowed them to steal from me. I do not want to go back to them unless it's to move my stuff out of the house or to hug my niece.

 

[FullLengthFrank]

*military recruiter starts heavy breathing*
"Son do I have a job for you!"

 

[KP-ATC]

I appreciate your advice, so make no mistake. "This is not for you" is not a possibility I'm able to consider given my current life circumstances. I have to get this job on my resume at the absolute least, or my life is essentially over.

Again, thank you for the heads up.

I don't like your odds

 

[Phillytroll69]

I appreciate your advice, so make no mistake. "This is not for you" is not a possibility I'm able to consider given my current life circumstances. I have to get this job on my resume at the absolute least, or my life is essentially over.

Again, thank you for the heads up.

In response to a few replies- I did study with people at both the academy AND my facility. You can really tell that the trainees don't now, but when you don't have to know radials etc, why would they.

Second, and this is important, I have to get this job on my resume? Nobody even knows what I do beyond waving orange cones and mocing bags or something. If you want to do it for the money buckle down and study, but the lines of pressure -this is not for you is not a possibility- sounds insane. Go military atc if things dont work out and try and get in that way. The academy is not the end of it all. Most importantly try to have some fun. A majority of people I saw wash had too much or ZERO fun.

On a personal note if you don't do well with non radar, which you absolutely can practice, I know people that needed 90s on radar and got it.

Don't give up and please try to relax a little. Your classmates might be idiots if they arent studying for this, or they simply dont care

 

[JackTBP]

This is true, but only to a certain extent. Yes, obviously the strip-marking and phraseology will make more sense when you're able to apply it to a scenario/problem, but you should still be able to say it verbatim with full confidence you're not missing a word. There should be no excuse in not knowing what a symbol or how to notate certain things like "at or above," which each box is used for, holding, "climb and maintain," etc.

Unfortunately, you've encountered the very rare class that seems to either not care about succeeding or are just overconfident in their abilities to pass. Fortunately, you can do many things on your own. Flashcards/quizlet and being creative with your iPad will be your tools to succeed. As far as catching readback/hearback errors, you can record yourself and listen that way. Obviously, the only downside is if you actually have no idea what you're doing then you will need a tutor.

If they're still like this when nonradar actually starts, I highly recommend to start talking to classes a couple days or a week ahead of you and see if they're willing to study with you. 2 weeks ahead is probably the furthest ahead I'd push it. Classes behind you aren't ideal but can work if they're only 1-3 days behind you.

My class was lucky to have some good study groups, but we also enjoyed hanging out with groups from the other classes around ours as well. We got the benefit of knowing what was coming a few days ahead, or we got to review/solidify our understanding by being the “teachers” to those a few days back. There were definitely “aha moments” when we were debating a rule or scenario and something finally clicked.

As others have mentioned, we know this stuff is serious. But keep at it and try to make those connections with others to study, even if it has to be with other classes. I remember one guy seemed so worried about studying and running problems, and we’d run scenarios multiple times until he got his phraseology and procedures down perfect. It felt like overkill to me, but maybe it’s what he needed for him. I kept telling him to try to relax and have some fun. He did fine in the end and remains a controller today.

 

[Flashy Vectors]

We had fun studying phraseology, every time someone couldn’t rattle it out perfectly right away we would just shout “call me back”