Thanks for all the feedback on IST note taking! a few have mentioned laptops could be useful, i can see the benefits exporting things to quizlet etc, are they provided or would i need to take my own? Do they use any software like Via that replicates the big class screen direct to laptops? Is there anything i can do in advance to prepare, looking back through the forum phonetic alphabet is mentioned and bell codes but ive no idea how id learn bell codes or is their anything else i could get a head start on? as im coming from the “streets” and want to do as well as possible. Thanks
The slides themselves aren't available to trainees to take away , but in my experience they mostly just say what the rulebook does anyway .
However if you did have a specific learning need which would need to be evidenced then there might be handouts or other learning aids provided and/or extra time in the exams .
Hi another IST question so I can be fully prepped, roughly how many hours would you spend after class each night revising etc and how much time at the weekend ? (So I can sort my life out before it starts ! )
As others have said this will depend entirely on yourself.
What I would say though is don't fall into the habit early on of thinking the exam isn't for 5 weeks so I dont need to start worrying until closer , get into a good habit of doing a bit every afternoon/evening after class . The exams and simulator assessments come thick and fast . Also make sure that you understand some of the fundamental principles from the early week because they really are the foundations to a lot of the rules for out of course working that you will look at later on in the course.
Find what works for you , in our group we had some of us who liked to revise together , quizzing each other or explaining/discussing various rules .Others just sat in their hotel rooms reading their notes/rule books . In my case there was someone in my group I got on really well with that struggled on the sim when I didnt , I actually found helping him running extra sim sessions at every opportunity also helped me strengthen my understanding.
I tried to keep one day at the weekend entirely free and go out and do something , especially if you are away from home . But towards the end with the final exam I did spend a fair bit of the two weekends before it getting revision in . The way I looked at it was the sacrafice was worth it for 10 weeks when all the rewards of the job are taken into account.
Hi everyone,
I’ve been given a start date of 29th Sep and don’t go onto IST until the 20th Oct. I haven’t heard anything from network rail since my official start date confirmation. Does anyone have insight when they will be in touch and what I will be doing before starting? Thanks
There is a two week introducition to signalling E learning which you will have to complete before IST , this actually includes stuff that you will be tested on in week 1 as well .
There will also be stuff that your LOM will probably need to do with you like go through some policies/procedures , issue rule books .
If you can I would also reccomend trying to get a lot of the generic E learning done like the fire safety/data protection etc . My understanding is this needs to be done anyway before you can pass out at your first location , and I wouldn't personally have wanted to be doing it whilst learning my first box or at signalling school.
Hopefully your LOM will also offer you the opportunity to visit some boxes , but if not I would ask because that can also be a good way to start to meet people in the area that you will be working.
