u/jeynga

So I have had other jobs before USACE and I never thought that was unique. But now that im here I realize that the majority of my coworkers came into the corps right out of college (im in environmental)

I have had fairly tsrse conversations that ultimately ended in "well thats what the corps does" and i honestly find it concerning and counterproductive.

Is this normal or just my office? I just constantly find myself wondering if I should be here.

Like the title says, im really intimidated by the CHP exam process. I'm newer to my hp potion (2 years working on a waste cleanup) and my mentor / organization keep bringing it up as on my "todo". Only 1 out of 5 of us in my office have their CHP, but the organization itself has a fair amount.

I would love to do it, but since I don't come from an HP specific background it seems totally foreign to me and I worry I have these huge knowledge gaps.

A bit about my background:

BS/MS in environmental engineering (focused a lot on water treatment, fate and transport, toxicology, and policy)

7 years working for the US Navy as a radiological and waste/facilities engineer doing refueling, general overhaul work, shielding evaluations, emergency response (small spill casualty and potential reactor accidents), plume/dose modeling etc. (I know the navy experience is obviously why I am where I am).

I have a lot of practical work site skills, but when my peers start talking about instrumentation and survey design I feel totally out of my depth and am in awe of how smart they are!

I am already approved to take some courses at ORAU over the next year (including the large hp boot camp type one), But is there anything else I could do or look into before I commit a lot of money to something Im not sure I could pass?

Words of wisdom, advice, or encouragement all appreciated!