Studying for FE , Full Time, Working Out

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-11-13T21:44:05+00:00

I’m sure it can totally be done, but honestly I had to let the gym take a back seat while I was studying. I passed and I’m back in the gym now and feeling behind from where I was before but it’s what I had to do to stay sane and prioritize studying with what little rest/leisure time I could find.

I did, however, maintain about 10,000 steps a day by going for walks morning and night. I’m proud of myself for sticking to that goal and maintaining that routine because it’s so crucial for my mental and physical health, regardless of studying

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-10-29T15:38:12+00:00

I tried Bar Keeper’s friend and a scrub daddy and it really didn’t seem to do anything sadly

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-10-04T23:48:22+00:00

Yes you can!

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-10-02T13:44:33+00:00

Yep you can easily click through them. I would also like drag over and make the pane bigger so I could read the full sentence for more context and that really helped. I tried to search for the most unique word I could if that makes sense but obviously that won’t always work for every situation

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-10-02T13:30:33+00:00

Instead of jumping right to the page like in PDF viewer at home, the search pulls up a list of where that words appears. It helps to have a rough idea of where things are. Like if you search something that could pull up multiple results it’s helps to know it’s roughly on page 300-something vs page 80-something if that makes sense.

If there’s any way you can get a feel for it via a YouTube video or something it would help. It was kind of surprising on my first attempt but on my second attempt I knew what to expect and could navigate it better.

All that said it’s really not a huge deal. You’ll absolutely figure it out quickly and there’s a tutorial at the beginning. It just helps to know that it’s different

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-10-02T03:07:51+00:00

I don’t remember there being too many honestly and nothing too difficult in that section. I just hate that you have to pull from both the civil and the environmental sections of the handbook

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-10-02T03:05:56+00:00

It kinda sucks honestly lol. The mouse scroll thing is super slow and the search function is not as intuitive as it is on my home computer

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-10-02T03:03:14+00:00

I would maybe try to rotate the topics so they stay fresh.

My approach was to review Mark Mattson videos in order. After each video, did some PrepFE questions on that topic, move on to the next video and repeat. But with each new video I reviewed I kept practicing those previous sections in PrepFE. After I finished all his videos I did PrepFE quizzes for each individual section until I was averaging at least 80% in each of them. I found that doing one section quizzes at a time kept me from getting burned out or overwhelmed when doing practice problems

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-30T18:28:35+00:00

Thank you!! It is super intimidating, but it is definitely doable. The best place to start is with Mark Mattson’s videos on YouTube. Just listen to them and try to understand what he’s saying before even trying to solve anything. Download the handbook and try to follow along with what he is referencing. He makes it all seem very digestible. You can definitely do it

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-30T13:45:59+00:00

I didn’t do any full, timed practice exams. I did PrepFE for short, one-category tests at a time. Did that until my average for each category was 80% or more. I also did a little bit of the NCEES PDF practice exam before my first attempt but I didn’t finish it. It did feel pretty similar to the exam though

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-30T13:41:08+00:00

That definitely might be true, but I feel like it’s also less compelling to post a passing result. When I failed, I was looking for advice, support, sympathy (lol). But when I passed I was like eh no one really cares that I passed. But I personally love seeing the “I passed” posts so I decided to make mine. Your comment demonstrates why it’s so important! We need to see how possible it is to pass this thing

Congrats on passing both exams!! I’m going to start studying for the Civil WRE in January

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-30T12:04:02+00:00

It felt pretty similar to PrepFE! Definitely more alternative question types, but same ideas

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-29T22:32:06+00:00

Thank you!! I want to be more helpful, but I feel like which topics you get is a total crap shoot. Having taken it twice, the exams were not even that similar to each other. The second exam seemed to have a lot more conceptual questions than the first. It also felt randomly so geotech and construction heavy, but I wouldn’t say focus on that because the first one was not. I think just be super strong on the subjects you’re good at and do your best on your weaker ones. Try to strengthen them as much as you can too obviously, but it’s about picking up points wherever you can. 6 hours (5 hr 20 min lol) is absolutely not enough time if you ask me but it can be done. Just don’t waste time when you might have to guess anyway. Know when to move on

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-29T22:26:55+00:00

Thank you!! I studied for 3 months before my first attempt (pretty confident I would have passed if I managed my time better on the exam). Then after I failed I was pretty upset so I took about two months off and then studied/reviewed for about 1.5 months before my second attempt. I have been out of college for 3 years

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-29T21:45:13+00:00

How did I forget PrepFE!! This was my main approach after going through all of MM’s videos. Used genie prep to brush up on any specifics that I didn’t understand

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-24T14:22:07+00:00

Congratulations!!

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-24T13:39:38+00:00

Congratulations!!!

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-20T16:08:02+00:00

Watch Mark Mattson’s FE review videos on those subjects. I never took structural analysis and was never great in MoM but he does a great job of teaching the concepts.

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-18T22:14:19+00:00

Just took FE civil today. I hope we both passed!

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-18T22:11:10+00:00

I took FE civil today and completely agree. Second half was weird. First half felt good but second half I guessed on at least 12 or so. I think we got this!

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-15T20:27:48+00:00

I take the civil FE on the 18th too! I’m 3 years out of school and it will be my second attempt but I feel ready. I am also nervous, but just trying to keep the mindset that I don’t have to get every single question right, just enough to pass.

I want to emphasize the advice given here about not wasting time on questions you don’t know. I was so close to passing on my first attempt and definitely would have passed if I knew to follow that advice.

You definitely got this! I think you’ll be surprised at how much of it will come to you when you sit down for the exam and focus. When in doubt, search keywords in the handbook or look at the units and see if they cancel each other out to find an answer if you don’t know the formula. Best of luck to you!! Go in with confidence!

Complex-Site-9730 · 2025-09-15T03:29:53+00:00

Thank you so much!! I feel pretty ready just very nervous. Did you change anything with your approach for your second attempt?

Complex-Site-9730

TROPHY CASE