The Navy produces a Reactor Plant Manual advertising the care and feeding of the fancy nuclear propulsion plants. Near the middle of one of them, there's a procedure for doing a routine evolution. The RPM says run the thingy for less than 30 seconds, then slowly crack the whatnot and watch level change, then shut the whatnot when level stops changing, and repeat until a <0.X change is observed. Talking to other sailors, they say that you can run the thingy with the whatnot cracked and still come up with numbers that track.
Smell what I'm cookin'? Stick with the approved references (even if they're pamphlets) and you'll be fine. Either way, two months for boot camp or three? You will owe 72 (plus 24 reserve) months to the Navy... What's one month? Don't forget to have fun with it.