Elizabeth Renton

I bet the article may have been referencing landscape architect Robin Moore, and his work with the Natural Learning Initiative. He’s a well-known designer of outdoor children’s spaces and he ALWAYS advocates that the children should be involved in the design process. He co-authored a book, Natural Learning, i think it was, about transforming a…[Read more]

My method was a little different. All I brought was a few mechanical pencils, a few black pens of different widths, and a roll of trash paper. (And scales and rulers and erasers etc.) I put the trash on top of the vellum, used my pencil to sketch stuff out, erase as needed, move items as needed, etc. until i got the design worked out. Then i just…[Read more]

hi michelle,
To answer your questions… the section C exam i took in June played out like this: one vignette with the detailed building/parking/driveway vehicular circulation layout; one vignette with “provide 2 entirely different conceptual layouts” of parking/driveway/buildings; one vignette with placing a building/parking and then writing a…[Read more]

HI Michelle,
I’m in the same boat as you….live in Texas, passed the first 3 m/c, now struggling to get through C and E. I took C for the first time in June and failed it. I thought surely i must have made a bazillion errors, really screwed it up. But when i did the redline review i was shocked to discover that i only made really 5 distinct…[Read more]

Well I had the redline review for LARE section C this weekend so I thought I’d post an update and answer my own question. Is the redline review really worth it? I have to say emphatically yes, purely for the ability to read through the redline comments and make sure the test was graded fairly.

I found 2 redline comments which, according to the…[Read more]

I’m interested in what else you discovered during your study of the various licensing exams. Do tell!

Andrew, the pass rates for the June administration of the graphic tests were nowhere near 70%. Section C (site design) had a pass rate of 58%. Section E (grading) was 37%. These rates have been consistently this low for at least the last 6 years. Are these dismal pass rates comparable to the engineering and architectural licensing exams?

I just…[Read more]

I appreciate your words of encouragement Marc. Since you have successfully passed the test and are licensed, please tell me about your experience. Did you pass all the sections on the first try? What did you do to prepare that was most helpful? What tips or tricks did you pick up that would be good to know?

After reading all the comments on this…[Read more]

I agree with you Frank. If it were a fair and accurate test of abilities that produced consistent results, fine. But I think it’s completely arbitrary the way it’s graded, and the only way you can challenge your failing score is if you pay an extra $230 to see your failed exam. I have friends who received an initial failing score, and then paid…[Read more]

I did notice that. CLARB of course conveniently quoted only those people who had nothing but fabulous things to say about their review process. I thought I might get a more realistic array of opinions here on the forum!

I did use the entire PPI set for all the exam sections, and they were indeed very helpful for A, B, and D. I passed those first time around. Then I moved on to E and studied those PPI books religiously….an hour a day every day for a month, working through every single vignette I could get my hands on. By the end of the month I felt like I had…[Read more]

It’s hard to create a fair perspective on this question given the circumstances of today’s economy. It would be all too easy to say ‘GO! RUN! GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN! THERE ARE NO JOBS!’ But that’s not taking a big-picture view of the situation. Eventually, the economy will recover and there will be jobs again and there will be lots of opportunity.…[Read more]

Andrew,
From the few discussions I’ve participated in on this forum, I can say I’ve never had a problem understanding what you were trying to say. I’ve always thought your posts were well detailed and carefully crafted, and I think your online ‘persona’ does not come off as negative or unclear, at least to me. I too try to carefully respond to…[Read more]

i feel your pain. it’s a frustrating guessing-game process. I think your 24 years experience is what’s hurting you. It seems like the LARE poses questions and answers that are based on LARE world, not the real world. I came across so many practice test questions that i COMPLETELY disagreed with the correct ‘answers’ that were given. I polled other…[Read more]

I would say almost all of the above! Everything except getting the advanced degree. In my 4 years out in the working world I’ve really tried to delve in to all the stuff they don’t teach at school…networking with other professionals, learning about subject matter not directly included in landscape architecture, emerging green technologies, etc.…[Read more]

Doc was an amazing man….we should all be so blessed to live a life as full as his! I’m sorry I wasn’t able to attend his memorial service; it sounded like it was a wonderful tribute to his inspiring life. Rest in peace doc.

I appreciate everyone’s interesting responses. I guess i’m in a unique situation- i’m a ‘junior’ level employee with more advanced responsibilities. This is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because I know the ins and outs of every single project they hand to me…meeting with the client, setting schedules, coordinating with other…[Read more]

This brings up another roundabout efficiency issue. How efficient can you really be if you’re being inefficiently managed in your office? What if you’re the most organized, well structured worker in the office….who’s being tossed into a chaotic work pattern by the ‘higher ups’? Who is ultimately responsible for the ‘efficiency’ of the office?

I…[Read more]

i think that environmental engineering would be a great complement to your undergrad LA degree. I too have often thought about pursuing this…i’ve wondered if having that ‘engineer’ title behind my name would give me more respect outside of our discipline!! Too often i voice ideas at project meetings but they get quickly dismissed by a…[Read more]