3 Tips on Maintaining a Good Life-Study Balance When Preparing for an NCEES Exam

Eat. Work. Study. Sleep.

Eat. Work. Study. Nap.

Work. Study.

Work. Study. Study. Study. Study.

Does the above scenario sound familiar? If you are preparing for an NCEES exam, we get that studying can take up a lot of free time. In fact, many students report studying for their FE, PE, or SE exams up to a total of 200 hours. That's a lot of time!

We get it. Passing an NCEES exam is extremely important for one's career. If you find yourself overwhelmed with studying and cannot find time for other important things such as socializing, eating a well-balanced meal, or exercising, your overall mental and physical health can be negatively affected. It's important to find a good balance to not only ensure you stay happy and healthy, but to also ensure optimal studying. 

To help fit studying into other activities to help give you more time for fun things, check out our list of ideas below:

Table of Contents

1. Study at the Gym

2. Create Notecards

3. Take an Ondemand Exam Review Course

1. Study at the Gym

If you find yourself sitting at a desk all day while at work and while studying, it's important that you get up and move. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that everyone should exercise at least 150 minutes per week. 

A great way to study at the gym is to print out FE, PE, or SE course notes (or bring a tablet to the gym to view online) and jump on a treadmill or an elliptical.

Maintaining exercise will help your overall energy levels and keep you in-shape. Also, research has shown that exercising increases activity in the hippocampus, a region in the brain that stores and controls memory. 

2. Create Notecards

Having study material that is easily portable is great for someone who is always on the go. Creating notecards is a great review in itself, as it forces you to write down concepts. If you do make notecards, you can squeeze study time while you're riding the bus, taking a coffee break, or review the deck right before you go to bed. 

If you work during the day, a great study strategy would be to take 5 minutes every hour to review some notecards.

3. Take an Ondemand Exam Review Course

Whether you are taking an FE, PE, or SE exam, taking an online Ondemand exam review course allows you to study anytime and anywhere. By signing up for an Ondemand review course, you are able to watch recordings of course lectures at your own pace. Watch a lecture video while eating breakfast, while on the subway, or during your lunch break.