So What Should We Learn in School?
An ASME SmartBrief article by Cathy Cecere titled “What Engineers Learn Doesn’t Always Match What Employers Need” presented the findings of an engineering education team in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The team examined over 26,000 job descriptions for engineering positions, with almost 20% being positions for mechanical […]
PE EXAM TIP – Have Only One Way to Work a Problem
There is a wealth of information out there on how to solve PE Exam problems. For any given class of problems, you can find many solution approaches. You may have even thought of additional, and quite valid, approaches on your own. However, seeking out a number of approaches has a troublesome downside. All you need […]
Overview of 2025 ME PE Exam Specifications
The NCEES has published, effective October 2025, Exam Specifications for the three Mechanical Engineering PE exams. The previous Exam Specifications were effective April 2017. It might be expected that with such a long period between publishing dates there would be significant differences. Upon comparison, there are, in fact, only very slight differences. What makes the […]
With DTC, Perseverance Can Pay Off!
While there are plenty of people who pass the PE Exam on the first try, there are quite a few who don’t. We have lots of folks who come to DTC after trying to study on their own or taking review courses from other sources, and we have helped many of them pass on their […]
International Women In Engineering Day
Hedy Lamarr is often remembered for her roles in classic Hollywood films. But did you know – she was a brilliant innovator, who leveraged her knowledge of radio systems to devise a frequency-hopping communication system that enhances the reliability, security, and efficiency of wireless communication? It went on to be a crucial foundation for modern […]
Another “Units” Debate
As those who have been in one of my classes would agree, if I wasn’t Dr. Tom I’d be Dr. Units. So a recent article in the Washington Examiner, republished in an ASME SmartBrief, caught my eye. Apparently, in 1975, some 50 years ago, President Gerald Ford approved an experimental project where Interstate 19 from […]
A Cool New Way to Make Hydrogen Fuel a Reality
Hydrogen has been proposed as a way to remove our dependence on fossil fuels. Although generating hydrogen is energy intensive, it represents an effective fuel that can supplement or replace fossil fuels in applications like automobiles and combustion devices. One of the major challenges with hydrogen is storage because it must be either highly compressed […]
“DTC Is Worth Its Weight in Gold!”
At Dr. Tom’s Classroom, we have worked hard to make our courses the absolute best preparation for the Mechanical PE Exams. We strive to keep our courses as affordable as possible. We know that purchasing a PE Exam prep course is a major investment, and we want to make sure that your investment pays off […]
Artificial Intelligence’s Nuclear Option
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a part of our daily lives, helping us analyze data, keep our schedules, and even writing term papers. But this computing power requires a tremendous amount of electrical power, which utilities are struggling to provide. Microsoft has decided to invoke the “nuclear option” and reactivate Unit 1 at the Three […]
The “Spruce Goose” (my kind of story)
With my BS being in Aerospace Engineering, it is very hard for me not to be attracted to great aviation stories, and the story of the Spruce Goose is one of those stories. The recent ASME SmartBrief article provides some very startling specifications associated with the Spruce Goose, the largest seaplane ever built. Katherine Huit, […]
