# Trouble starting studying?



## EnvEngrCA (Aug 14, 2013)

I am a 25 year old Environmental/Water Engineer taking the Civil PE this October in California for the first time and for the life of me I cant start studying. I have no motivation for this test. I purchased the CERM book and have tried to look through it, but this is some of the most boring shit I have ever seen. How did you guys start the studying? I mean seriously does anyone enjoy this tedious boring stuff? It has to be just about the driest material I have seen. Why the heck did I choose this career? Anyhow, any advice will help!


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## JMT (Aug 14, 2013)

I know I do NOT study from the CERM. It is a great reference book for all of the topics but I didn't find it useful to study off of (I didn't study off the FERM either). When I started studying I started with the NCEES and PPI sample tests for my Depth. After that I worked some morning problems. Then I went to Seismic and now I am back studying the PE questions.

Studying is easy for me and I have a wife and two kids. All I do is think about the rewards and satisfaction I will receive when I pass the PE, Seismic and Surveying exams!

Best of luck!


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## csb (Aug 15, 2013)

I'd recommend 6 Minute Solutions and other problem sets. Just reading the CERM will not get you very far.


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## 305Gurl (Aug 15, 2013)

Ion_Exchange:

Believe me, I feel your pain as I have been there before.....heck three times to be exact...ouch! I tell you this without studying the material, it's almost impossible to pass, which I think you already know. You just have to give up your life, basically, and find a quiet place---- like closet or a basement or underground bunker----- and hibernate for the duration of your studies. You will then come out every now and then for only food, work or water, then back into that dark lonely space.

Seriously, you have to train yourself, little by little, and dedicate the time and effort into studying and doing practice problems and exams over and over and over again, without watching TV shows or hanging out with friends anymore---- until after the test. This is the only way to get a passing grade, at least in my case. You will noticed that after a few days/week of doing working problems, your brain will start adapting to this new lifestyle of living; that how the brains works. In a few months the exam will be over and then comes you life back, the way you liked it. Believe me, the small sacrifice that you're are making now is nothing compared to the rest of your life not having to hibernate and study anymore.

Good luck


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## MWC PE (Aug 15, 2013)

Practice tests is about the only thing that I think is worth the time. The CERM is a nice reference but there is so much extraneous information in there I wouldn't bother reading much of it.


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## danadiva81 (Aug 15, 2013)

Ion_Exchange said:


> I am a 25 year old Environmental/Water Engineer taking the Civil PE this October in California for the first time and for the life of me I cant start studying. I have no motivation for this test. I purchased the CERM book and have tried to look through it, but this is some of the most boring shit I have ever seen. How did you guys start the studying? I mean seriously does anyone enjoy this tedious boring stuff? It has to be just about the driest material I have seen. Why the heck did I choose this career? Anyhow, any advice will help!




Too funny! You are pretty much echoing how everyone pretty much feels....they hate studying for this test. You just have to bite the bullet and get 'er done.

Motivation has to come from within, but if you do the following things, it might help you keep on schedule:

1.) See what your test covers

2.) Spend an entire day on EB.com and see the GOOD references that everyone else is using. (Here's a tip.....look up threads that say "I passed yay!" and Click on that persons name. You will see all of their posts on this forum......Some of those people posted what they were taking into the exam previously. Follow that list!

3.) Look at the exam date and create a study schedule from there, meaning go backwards. Maybe reserve the last three weeks of nothing but practice tests, and each week will be brand new topic.

But I know how you feel. I am married with two kids under the age of two.....so my problem is being tired all the time. So my motivation is to pass this sucker so I can actually sleep and not carry this into 2014.......

All the best!


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## desantmf (Aug 15, 2013)

Haha, your comment is really funny, probably because I think we all started out trying to study from the CERM. Which as you said is boring and the absolute worst thing you can do.(hindsight 20/20).

Go to my website www.learncivilengineering.com and it talks about what steps to take to get through this and offers some free sites. Also as already stated look for tips here.

With that said, you do need to get started, there is about 70 days left until the test and to pass you need at least a good 100 hours of study time. 3:1 problem solving(active learning) to studying (passive learning). So if you are still serious about your career, buckle down for the next couple of months and get your PE.


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## MikeMcC215 (Aug 16, 2013)

Switch careers.


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## Tim_Nelson (Aug 16, 2013)

There are a lot of little things I’ve done in the past to motivate myself and to make large task seem less daunting. In the context of studying, one example is to begin by promising myself that I will not study more than 10 minutes today. After that 10 minutes is up, I’m done! It’s much easier to agree to do something (and do it) if the light at the end of the tunnel is just 10 minutes away. Even if I want to study more I’m not allowed to. At first, 10 minutes will seem like a long time, but eventually it will seem like a short time and I’ll find myself making excuses to study more when my timer goes off. At this point I’ll increase the daily time limit. It’s a bit of a psychological trick. Probably not for everyone, but it’s helped me before.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 16, 2013)

Tim_Nelson said:


> There are a lot of little things I’ve done in the past to motivate myself and to make large task seem less daunting. In the context of studying, one example is to begin by promising myself that I will not study more than 10 minutes today. After that 10 minutes is up, I’m done! It’s much easier to agree to do something (and do it) if the light at the end of the tunnel is just 10 minutes away. Even if I want to study more I’m not allowed to. At first, 10 minutes will seem like a long time, but eventually it will seem like a short time and I’ll find myself making excuses to study more when my timer goes off. At this point I’ll increase the daily time limit. It’s a bit of a psychological trick. Probably not for everyone, but it’s helped me before.


I was going to suggest something similar but I was going say start with 30 mins or whatever time is left during your lunch break at work after you eat.

I started out by studying on breaks at work. 15 minutes in the morning, ~30-45 minutes during lunch then 15 minutes during afternoon break.


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## OutsideCreativ (Aug 17, 2013)

I took a review course... that kept me on track studying and at the very least I got something done every Thursday.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Aug 17, 2013)

danadiva81 said:


> 2.) Spend an entire day on EB.com and see the GOOD references that everyone else is using. (Here's a tip.....look up threads that say "I passed yay!" and Click on that persons name. You will see all of their posts on this forum......Some of those people posted what they were taking into the exam previously. Follow that list!




Not to mention what to eat for lunch on exam day...


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## envirotex (Aug 17, 2013)

Leave your books out...study somewhere all of your materials just stay out in the open. That way it's not so hard to get set up...My dining room table was covered with books while I was studying. Clutter for a little while is a small sacrifice...


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## EnvEngrCA (Aug 19, 2013)

Thanks for the advice. Is it considered taboo to take adderall during the PE studying? Im trying to study as little as possible. Did anyone find any supplements to be helpful?


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## EnvEngrCA (Aug 19, 2013)

MikeMcC215 said:


> Switch careers.


I should! I could see opening a restaurant to be much more satisfying than studying for a boring standardized test.


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## icreep (Sep 8, 2013)

Test Taking Tips

http://peexamstudy.blogspot.com/2013/03/test-taking-tips.html

PE Exam Tips

http://peexamstudy.blogspot.com/2013/01/pe-exam-tips.html


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## icreep (Sep 8, 2013)

countdown timer (upper left)

http://www.learncivilengineering.com


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## NIKE (Sep 14, 2013)

Ion,

I am pretty new to this board and also, like you and plenty other people here, have joined to get motivation and help while i study for the PE. I've got two observations for you, take them for what they are worth:

1. You should realize engineers who spend their free time on an online engineering forum are not typically your slackers. I have been astounded by how quick people are on this board to help out and offer encouragement. The PEs here who are still participating are top notch engineers who care enough to mentor younger engineers in their free time and to stay sharp by regularly exposing themselves to technical questions. The not-yet PE's here are typically your motivated and diligent studiers. Remember that when you hear a lot more "buckle down, give up your life, you really need about 300 hours" than you do "hey, i did two weeks of half-hearted studying and I was fine". The reality is there are plenty people who would give the latter advice who have passed the exam; i know four of them and I guarantee you they are not spending their free time on here. Knowing this, I am a bit less anxious about the test, but I have still been studying my ass off since June. (Type A's know a thing or two about how to pass a test so i chose to take their advice.)

2. I have ADD and I take something similar to Adderall everyday (which i have been perscribed). It will help you focus, but it will not keep you from procrastinating or make reading the CERM suddenly super exciting. If you think you might have ADD you should talk to a shrink. Ill tell you form personal experience if you legitimately have ADD proper treatment will make your satisfaction level at work and your efficiency go through the flipping roof! If you do not have ADD its not going to solve your studying problems.

Finally, all of the advice above is awesome as usual, but danadiva81's point 3 above should be your game plan. Eat that elephant one bite at a time man! Two or three hours putting together a good schedule is where you begin. Then go heavy on the practice problems; as many as you can get your hands on- especially NCEES problems which are the most representative of what you will see on the test.

Heres to passing in october!


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