Tips to Decrease Studying Distractions for FE and PE Exam
Wasim Asghar 
November 15, 2022You have your FE or PE Exam in a few months. You realize now is the high time to hit the books.
So:
You settle down at your study desk and pour over your manuals or notes.
But:
After about 10 minutes, your phone starts beeping. There is a heap of messages from your best friend inquiring about the beach trip that you guys are planning following your exam.
After chatting with your best friend, you set your eyes on the clock. Twenty minutes have passed!
You feel guilty.
So, you put away your smartphone with the intent to once again start perusing the notes.
However:
In around 15 minutes, you experience a sudden, strong temptation to browse through your Insta feed.
You plan to spend only a couple of minutes there, but you wind up viewing three videos, posting two statuses, and leaving comments on five photos.
And, to your surprise:
Another half an hour has gone by.
Now:
You are angry with yourself for wasting your time and not concentrating on your studies.
Does this scenario sound relatable?
If so, then worry no more, as there’s still a ray of hope. In order to ace the exam, you must avoid distractions while studying for FE and PE Exam.
In this article, we will be sharing some of the best tips with you, which will help decrease studying distractions for FE and PE exam.
8 Tips to Decrease Studying Distractions for FE and PE Exam
Here is a list of tips that will help you decrease studying distractions for FE and PE Exam:
- Enable flight mode on your cell phone
- Set a time limit using a timer
- Take frequent short breaks
- Consume healthy and Brain-boosting food
- Drink plenty of water
- Find an ideal study spot
- Wear noise-canceling earphones
- Use chewing gum
1. Enable Flight Mode on Your Cell Phone
Flight mode can still be beneficial while you’re on land!
You disable both your Wi-Fi and cell phone service when you activate flight mode. This effectively leaves you with a disconnected smartphone which helps you avoid distractions while studying for FE and PE exams. It is such a reprieve to no longer be bothered by your smartphone’s message alerts, reminders, or noises!
You will be amazed by how rapidly you can memorize notes and absorb information like a sponge by not looking at your cell phone every 5-10 minutes!
Moreover:
Enabling flight mode prevents you from surfing the web unnecessarily so that you can focus on studying and not get distracted.
2. Set a Time Limit Using a Timer
Who doesn’t battle the urge to procrastinate? It’s like munching a doughnut that we certainly know will cause us food poisoning afterward.
Setting a time limit for your study sessions employing a timer, and sticking religiously to it can help prevent the consequences of procrastination and reduce distractions.
To put it into practice, start by determining how many topics you need to cover in a day. Once you’re done with that, figure out how much time you want to devote per topic and then set a timer according to that.
As per your mental capacity, you can set a 25-30 minutes longer timer for each session or one that lasts an hour – that’s totally up to you. However, during each study session, concentrate only on studying and not engage yourself in any other activity.
3. Take Frequent Short Breaks
No matter how much effort we put in, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate distractions in FE and PE Exam study sessions. That’s where short breaks come into play.
While it may seem counterintuitive, taking a 5-10 minute break after learning something is effective, as it aids you in remembering the information for a longer period.
You can set a timer of 30-35 minutes for at least three study sessions with a 5-10 minute break between them. In these short and sweet breaks, you can relax by watching a Youtube video, checking out Instagram, scrolling through Facebook, chatting with friends, listening to music, having a snack, or simply taking a nap.
After completing three uninterrupted consecutive sessions, you can take a bit longer break of 20-25 minutes before repeating the same process.
4. Consume Healthy and Brain-Boosting Food
When studying for the FE and PE exams, eating healthy food can do wonders for your brain, increasing your brainpower and function. On the other hand, not doing so will quickly exhaust you and cause you to deal with distractions.
Although there is no miraculous food that will instantly boost your brain strength from zero to a hundred, certain foods contain essential nutrients that can help enhance your mental performance, memory, and concentration at the moment.
These nutrients include antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and specific vitamins such as Vitamin K and Vitamin B that provide immense strength to your brain.
Following are the food sources that contain the above-mentioned key nutrients:
Antioxidants: Berries, Apples, and Citrus.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, Linseed, Walnuts, and Chia seeds.
Vitamin K: Kale, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, and Broccoli.
Vitamin B: Eggs, Spinach, Chicken, and Bananas.
5. Drink Plenty of Water
We all know that our brain comprises 75% of water. That’s why our brains are the earliest targets of dehydration, resulting in a lack of attentiveness and focus during studies.
According to studies, properly hydrated students have better retention power and longer attention spans. In fact, drinking water has been shown to increase brain performance by 15%.
To focus on studying and not get distracted, keep a water bottle nearby and take sips from it every 10-15 minutes. You should at least drink around 1.2 liters throughout the day, which equals six glasses.
Your brain already controls every function of your body effectively with 75% water. Imagine how much more it would be able to perform on a full tank!
6. Find an Ideal Study Spot
Not every student has the same nature.
Some like to function in an absolutely quiet environment where they don’t have to deal with distractions of any sort.
In contrast:
Some students need constant background noises or music as it’s difficult for them to focus on studying and not get distracted in pin-drop silence.
So, you must recognize your study style and set up the study environment as per your taste, in which you can be productive the most.
Those who prefer silence should move to an area where they can’t access gadgets like mobile phones, computers, or tablets to minimize distractions for FE and PE exams. They can also shut down the windows to block out noises coming from outside.
Similarly:
Those who prefer studying in a noisy environment should set up their study table near their lawn, kitchen, or living room, where they can constantly hear the twittering of birds, banging of dishes and pots, or snickering of their family members. They can also create a playlist to listen to soft music to avoid distractions while studying for FE and PE exams.
7. Wear Noise-Canceling Earphones
Whether it’s loud demolition work outside your apartment, rattling saucepans and plates in the kitchen, ringing doorbells, shouting siblings in the living room, or the giggling of your roommates enjoying without you, these noises are none less than a nightmare when you’re striving to focus on studying.
But thanks to the noise-canceling earphones! These will help you focus on studying and not get distracted by blocking out unwanted and irritating noises.
Ignorance is truly bliss!
However, there is always something on the other side of the fence.
If you are the one that finds quietness equally as disturbing as noises, consider listening to white noise or other ambient music that will assist you in concentrating better according to your taste while studying.
8. Use Chewing Gum
Another way to minimize distractions in FE and PE exams is to chew a piece of gum while studying.
Sounds strange?
Several studies have found that students who use chewing gum have better cognitive skills and enhanced brain functionality, which helps them focus on studying and not get distracted.
Strangely, researchers are unable to tell the exact science behind this phenomenon and why chewing gum increases attentiveness – but who pays attention to the bumpy roads when the destination is beautiful? It’s always the outcome that matters, which in this case is mysterious yet effective!
Still, let us give you an idea. One common belief is that chewing gum helps alleviate stress levels, enabling the brain to operate more efficiently and with reduced distractions.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
How to Study for the FE and PE Exam When You Have Children to Look After?
Following are some tips to decrease studying distractions for FE and PE Exam when you have kids to look after:
1. Remain Strong and Have Faith in Yourself
Undoubtedly, it is not an easy task to focus on studying and not get distracted when you have children in your home to bring up. You may find yourself swinging between looking after your kids and studying for the FE and PE exams. You may also feel guilty for not giving proper attention to both. But, it is the need of the hour to remain strong and have faith in yourself. Assure yourself that your family has got your back and you are taking this step to establish your career, which will benefit your kids in the long term.
2. Make a Study Schedule
You have a grip over some parts of your life, while others are beyond your reach. So, it is always a nice idea to concentrate on the aspects of your life over which you have control. Regarding the FE and PE Exam, you have control over your studying time – when to study and for how long. Creating a study schedule for PE exam and FE exam can help you focus and allow you to complete your preparation in time.
For this, you have to make a study schedule, which will be hard to always strictly follow. It will be best if you set a schedule by keeping in mind the sleeping timings of your kids. For example, you can plan to study at night if you have young kids who go to bed early. Contrarily, if they stay up late at night, consider studying in the morning hours.
However, you have no power over their sleep timings. So it may be beneficial to let your spouse know about your planned study timings. They can support you in reducing distractions by looking after the kids during your dedicated study hours, such as feeding or bathing them so you can get your work done and dusted. Your spouse can also help with household tasks that you may not complete because of your studies.
3. Keep the Kids Engaged
If your kids are old enough to do chores, it is always good to delegate them a couple of. This will keep your children engaged during your study timings, allowing you to focus on studying and not get distracted.
If you have school-going children, make it a rule that they have to complete their schoolwork while you are studying. This will help limit distractions in FE and PE Exam devoted study hours.
Ultimately, if you have two young kids to take on household duties, letting them assist you may not be as effective. But still, you can allocate them “artificial” responsibilities like mopping, which they may consider a fun activity.
We have a separate blog on how to study for the PE exam as a busy professional and/or parent. Perhaps you can benefit from the additional tips.
Conclusion
From using cell phones and browsing social media platforms to watching cricket matches or your favorite comic movie, you will find yourself in the black hole of distractions every single time.
This may slow down your studying progress for the FE or PE Exam, for which you will have to pay a huge cost.
That’s why you need to remain consistent in your efforts, devote proper time, and discover ways to help you focus on studying and not get distracted.
We hope reading this article helped you better understand how to decrease studying distractions for FE and PE exam.
If you are interested in knowing how to prepare for the FE Exam, you can consider looking at this blog. If you have any queries or if we missed out on any other important tip, kindly let us know in the comment section. It would be an immense pleasure to assist you.
Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas (PE), Florida (PE) and Ontario (P. Eng) with consulting experience in design, commissioning and plant engineering for clients in Energy, Mining and Infrastructure.