School of PE Blog

At School of PE, we employ multiple instructors to teach the material in their areas of expertise-this sets us apart from our competitors. We have received a great deal of positive feedback from our students, and we believe that learning from experts in their respective areas provides the most comprehensive learning experience.

Our Instructor/Author Spotlight series gives you a peek behind the scenes with some of School of PE's highly acclaimed instructors. Read on to find out more about our very own Sidney H. May, PE.

Ms. May is a multi-state licensed professional civil engineer with more than 15 years of work experience in transportation design & construction, civil site design, and environmental planning & compliance. She is the owner of a WOSB engineering firm. Ms. May attended the University of Alabama and holds a BS in civil engineering. Her areas of expertise include public works processes for local, state, and federal projects; designing and managing capital improvements projects; developing project scope documents; creating project estimates and budgets; preparing design drawings; developing specifications for bidding purposes; and managing projects during construction. She develops course curriculums and instructs PDH seminars and professional engineering exam review courses. She also coauthored School of PE's PE Civil Exam Review Guide: Transportation.

She volunteers with local engineering academies and S.T.E.A.M programs and serves as a professional mentor for civil engineering students at the University of Alabama. She recently served as the Birmingham branch director of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and is on the National Policy Committee for Professional Licensure.

I really was not sure which career path to choose in high school because of my limited exposure to other careers besides law or medicine. Medical practice did not interest me, so when asked, I said I would be studying law. When I was tapped into Mu Alpha Theta, a national math honor society, in my junior year of high school and recruited into conversations about engineering, I truly shifted my focus. I then began participating in programs geared toward the engineering field. I attended my first E-day open house at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!!) and saw the civil engineering students showcasing the infamous concrete canoe that was built for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student conference. A magical moment happened that day, and I absolutely knew for sure that's what I wanted to do. It was so fascinating to see this strong, hard material that I thought could only sink would be able to float. It sparked my curiosity to learn more and pursue civil engineering. From that moment, I've been inseparable from it and have loved almost every minute of it.

I'm partial to civil engineering because it offers multifaceted ways to practice. I love the versatility that the career offers and how interwoven into society it actually is. Being able to design and one day see these monumental structures, such as buildings, bridges, roads, and dams, come to life still excites me. But, if I absolutely had to choose, I would choose aerospace engineering. I must admit that I'm also in awe of the accomplishments in aviation and aerospace just as much as I am enamored with these major structures that we use every day.

Math did not come easy for me for most of my life. I had to work really hard to understand it. I often sought tutoring and other outside help throughout high school in courses such as algebra II and geometry. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I think my determination to understand the concepts and application of math actually paid off. My drive translated into something that I could actually do, excel at, and have a great passion for. So much so that I tutor kids in math when I have the time.

Take one day at a time, try not to be such a perfectionist, seek to always understand the things that you do not know, and remain curious about the world we live in.

Evaluate yourself initially prior to studying any FE materials to determine what you know, what you may have forgotten, and what you really don't know. Seek to sharpen your skill on the material you know and take a refresher course to help familiarize yourself with material that you've either forgotten or don't know. I find that the SoPE refresher courses really help pinpoint what's necessary rather than becoming overwhelmed with all the information that is available to FE Civil exam candidates.