Week 2 - Getting Organized

 

I started this week by printing off the PMP handbook and making photocopies of the Education and Experience forms.  Then I actually thought about what I was trying to accomplish.  I think it will be important to keep both hard and soft copy of my documentation, but I realized that I don't want to start by hand-writing a summary of all of my deliverables for all of the projects I have been involved in, and then re-typing it. 

My first thought was "spreadsheet" so I pulled out an old spreadsheet that a friend used who had already passed the PMP.  Upon closer inspection, I noticed that it was based on the old application and was primarily focused on dates and hours – helpful, but not what I need.  I'm not bad with spreadsheets, so I decided to make my own.  When I got to the point where I was going to create columns for verifying hours and summarizing deliverables, I realized that a spreadsheet was not going to work unless I set up more monitors to accommodate how wide the spreadsheet was going to get.  More monitors sounds great!  But not practical.

The programmer in me thought it would be a good idea to create a VB front end with a MySQL back end, but the programmer in me is a little too enthusiastic, sometimes.  I want to have time to study and take the exam this year, and there are 7 other people I am supposed to be working with.  I decided to settle for an Access database.  Maybe I'll let my inner programmer loose AFTER I pass the exam.

So far, I have completed the tables and queries, and I am in the process of designing the forms I will use.  I am taking a vacation with the family next week, so I will use my free time for self-study and to finish the database.  I'm not sure if I will have time for data entry, though.  I have to spend "some" time with my wife and children while on our vacation.

I've set up the next group meeting for a week and a half from today, after I return.  I checked with my study partners to make sure I was not going to slow for them, but they are all pretty busy too, so nobody is complaining.  Some of the group members are even concerned that they are too busy to participate.  I have asked them to wait to make a decision until after we decide on what to study, in addition to the PMBOK, and set a study schedule. 

In an email, today, I presented three options for books to study in conjunction with the PMBOK, and asked for any other recommendations for consideration.  I would list the books, but I don’t want to sound like I am endorsing any specific products.

My primary, personal goals between now and the next meeting are to 1) complete the database to share with my study group, 2) go through the video and audio training that I have purchased at least once, and 3) complete an initial practice exam to establish a baseline.

My primary group goals are to reach consensus on which book to study, in conjunction with the PMBOK, and to set a study schedule.  I'll give you the details in my next posting.

I won’t be posting next week, due to my vacation, but I have about two weeks worth of work to do, anyway, so it works out.  See you in week 4.