There doesn’t seem to be anything that says how much of the workbook I’m supposed to read on day 1. It only says read for 5 minutes. Am I missing something? Also, when I get to Section 1, it looks like I’m supposed to fill things in, like make notes. I try to but the pencil on my tablet doesn’t do nothing. Am I supposed to print this workbook out? Any help is appreciated!
Two days ago I post this, two days later and there have been 10 views, and no one responds!?! Why is that? Can someone help me? Or at least communicate so I know something about what is going on?!? What is it with this community? Is Black Spectacles any good or is it like its initials - B.S.!!!
Welcome to the Black Spectacles Community @gruspini! We are happy to have you here and excited that you are part of the 60-Day Study Challenge!
The Day 1 task that says “Download and Review: PPD Workbook (5m)” is just that simple - download and review 
For Day 1, we don’t want you to be overwhelmed with too much content, so a quick intro video and getting your bearings with the workbook is a great place to start! The workbook is intended to guide your note-taking, as each of the sections align directly with the lecture videos chronologically. It’s a great way to regurgitate what you are learning and encourage you to think critically about the content. Page 2 in the workbook provides guidance on this as well. You won’t see future specific “tasks” in your study plan regarding the workbook, but just know that you should be using it alongside the lecture video tasks.
The workbook is a fillable PDF, in that the fields allow you to type directly into the form. From my experience, a tablet pencil may not work directly in the fillable fields so you may need to adjust your settings depending on the app you are using. Try tapping into the field and using the actual “type” tool to see if that works. If not, you can maybe just write directly on the pages via tablet pencil instead of into the actual fields.
If you weren’t able to attend the Kick-Off Webinar on Friday, I recommend that you watch the recording at your earliest convenience so that you know what to expect during the Challenge, as well as what resources are available to you.
Lastly, our team works typical business hours (Monday through Friday, 8-5pm Central) so please be patient in replies, especially when writing in late at night or over the weekend. You did the right thing in posting here, and I hope you continue to do so! I’m glad that your post got several views - maybe others had the same question and were also waiting on a response. Looking forward to chatting more over the next 60 days 
Happy studying!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator
Black Spectacles
Hey Kiara with all due respect - yes I did see the Kick-Off Webinar - I have to work during the day - but in any event the Webinar was very brief and did not get into as much detail as my question was about. There were TEN (10) views over the weekend and NOBODY wrote back, so don’t tell me anything about being patient or implying that I’m not being patient. Plenty of other people on here, that maybe they are studying - I don’t know - they are not employees of B.S. - saw the original post and said NOTHING. If others that are participating in the “community” over the weekend view the post and do not respond, that is not adversely reflecting necessarily on B.S. directly, as they cannot control the candidates, but it does bring to question the “usefulness” of this B.S. as something to pay for the subscription. What am I paying for - to hear nothing from other candidates, and nothing from B.S. unless it’s during their convenient “business” hours?
Hi @gruspini,
I understand that waiting for responses can be frustrating, and I appreciate your honest feedback. I do want to help clarify a few things so expectations are aligned, and the conversation stays productive and respectful for everyone.
The Black Spectacles Community is a candidate-driven space, and participation is voluntary. Many members are balancing work, studying, and personal commitments, so responses aren’t always immediate. A lack of replies in a short window isn’t a reflection of the importance of your question or of the value of the challenge itself.
Our team responds during regular business hours and steps in when clarification is needed, but we aren’t able to monitor or reply to every post in real time (even though I wish we could provide 24/7 support!). This community works best when participants allow reasonable time for responses and engage with patience and professionalism, especially in a shared learning environment like the 60-Day Challenge.
It’s also worth noting that the Kick-Off Webinar was intended to walk through the overall structure of the challenge, outline general steps for completing it successfully, and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions live. Many expectations around the workbook and daily tasks were covered to help everyone get started with clarity.
We’re always happy to help clarify things when questions come up, and we appreciate everyone helping keep this space supportive and collaborative.
Don’t hesitate to reach out here on the community or directly to support@blackspectacles.com if you have any further questions or concerns.
Kiara