Help, I need Motivation :(

Mags112, that sucks! You had such good momentum and then you got sideswiped by the power outage.

Our advice to you: Set a little goal for studying, something simple that you know you can succeed in, and just commit to doing that today. Maybe that's all you do for the whole day! If you're stronger in verbal, then pick something in that area. Or a straightforward type of quant problem. If you give yourself a low-hanging fruit to pick off, it'll be easier to build up some energy and gain confidence again. 'Cuz the whole test is at least half psychological, right??

Then the next day, you could even make a deal with yourself: If I do XYZ number of problems today, I'm going to [name fun thing - go out to dinner, to a movie, get some beers with buddies, whatever] - and don't let yourself go do that until you've finished the problems!

These are obviously kinda basic suggestions but we think they can really work. It's just like going to the gym - if you're in a habit of going every day, it's super easy to keep going. If you drop it for a couple days... it's sooooo hard to go back again!!! So today, your task is to just get the running shoes on... once the shoes are on, you'll be headed out the door for a workout! (Use the same technique for getting back in the studying groove.)

Posting your plea for help was a GREAT move BTW - it shows your unmotivated self that you're serious about this!!!

Hope this helps!!!!!
EssaySnark

Mags112 wrote:So I just lost power for 6 days during the snowstorm on the east coast. And that means I lost pretty much almost 6 days of studying. I have 23 days until my test, I just took half of a Kaplan CAT, and got a 24 in quant, and I felt so awful I couldn't get myself to take the rest of the test. Those days of no studying threw me off, and now I feel groggy and not good enough for this exam. What is wrong with me?? Anyone who can give me some motivation, I've had it all along, but now I seem to be losing it. ugh.

One of the best ways to motivate urself is to ask why you are giving the GMAT. Remember, the target and believe in yourself!

All the best!

Usually students lose focus when they cannot see demonstrable improvement. Here's what I'd do. Go over your last 2-3 CATs and most recent chunk of practice questions and make an Error Log of your incorrect Quant answers, categorizing them by skill tag -- Inequalities, Probability, Linear Equations, etc.

Review your Error Log, and find out in what 3 areas are you weakest. Every day in the next week, spend 1 hour on each area, so 3 hours total.

- Re-read sections of old books
- Read blogs on that skill tag from BTG
- Create custom games in the Grockit lobby using only those skill tags
- Create flashcards for unknown formulas
- Review GMATClub's Mathbook entry on those skill tags
- Search the BTG forums for the hardest Q's you can find on that skill tag

You'll be amazed at how 3 hours a day for 7 days will let you "kill" your Quant weaknesses.

"It's not that I'm so smart , it's just that I stay with problems longer. - Albert Einstein

Thanks everyone And yes, it must partly have to do with that I haven't seen a crazy amount of improvement. And so now I'm slightly freaking out because my test is 3 weeks away. It's hard when you work full time, commute an hour+ everyday, and don't get home until 8pm. I'm trying though! I'm trying not to make my brain overloaded. I guess I just need a little push, and a little more confidence