Working professional - How to squeeze in study time?

[uhsa]

I need to get 700 plus to get into the school I dream about, but being a working professional, I am finding it hard to find 3 hrs daily. With a family of a new born and a 6 year old, weekends are not that easy, although I can definitely manage 3 or 4 hours there.

I don't want to sound like someone who is a whiner or with excuses. I am sure hundreds of working people have done this before. So I am looking for some guidance, how you guys managed it, what you guys had to do, etc. I love to work out, but I have given up going to the gym so that I can get that extra time. I intend to take the exam Dec '10 or Jan '11.

Please help!

Thanks,

uhsa

[singalong]

some tips from people who have successfully juggled work and gmat preparation would have helped here.but no replies.Hope this is not a duplicate thread and hence people decided not to reply.

[Dan@VinciaPrep]

Hello Usha!

You're right, it's not easy for a lot of people which is why so few people make it to 700. However, the fact that you're starting well in advance gives you a much better shot.

So a couple tips that have worked for some of my students in the past have been

1) to study for the GMAT at work before going home. A lot of times people become instantly tired as soon as they get home so it's better to do your studying before going back.

2) If you're a morning person or think you could become one, try studying early before work. One of the reasons that people have a hard time studying at night is because they're too tired. Try studying in the morning when you're fresh and if you can, save some mindless work from your job for the end of the day when you're tired.

3) A lot of people don't think they can take time off work, but really often it just comes down to priorities. If the test is coming up in a couple weeks and you're still not ready you should really think about trying to get away from work so that you can get the test done right the first time. I've seen student come to me that have taken the test three or even four times- you don't have to have to go through that.

Also, you know you're ready when you get the score you want three times in a row on full practice tests (including the writing section which drains some of your energy).

Well, I hope that helps. Good Luck!

[nikhilsrl]

Hello uhsa,

Here are somethings that worked for me:

1. You dont need to spent 3 to 4 hours every day. I used to spent 1 hour per day on weekdays when I had to go to work and managed around 6 hours per day on weekends. This was enough for me.
2. If you can take a few minutes break in office say 15 or 30 minutes use that to do some prep work, may be solve some practice questions.
3. Actually the 6 hours per day on weekends should be sufficient for prep work. The time that you spent on weekdays should primarily be to stay in touch and not lose focus. If you can spent more time on weekdays its a bonus.
4. I spent 3 months on prep. In the last month I took a day off each week and on the last week before test I took 3 days off.

You can work out some similar plan for yourself. In my case fortunately work pressure during that time was not much but then I was getting back to studies after a break of 10+ years and so I need that extra effort. I had to make some sacrifices like the amount of time I spent watching TV or time spent with my son etc.

Hope this helps. You can check my debrief for more details - https://www.beatthegmat.com/my-gmat-jour ... 80166.html

[Brian@VeritasPrep]

Hey uhsa,

Great suggestions from the group thus far. Just a few more from me from what I've seen from my students and from some time-consuming pursuits in my own life:

1) Make it a part of your life - don't fight the rest of your life for it.

What I mean is that you have to find a way to live with your schedule...if you're constantly dreading it or resenting it you're much more likely to quit. So build it in around things you like to do: plan to study at the library from 6 to 8 twice a week but ask friends to meet you at the bar around the corner to blow off steam after. Or make your study nights something you look more forward to by planning to pick up your favorite takeout on your way home from the library or by keeping your favorite candy or snack nearby for only when you study. Build it into your routine and have some light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel items planned so that you start to enjoy what you're doing.

2) Keep a calendar or journal to record your study sessions

This has worked wonders for me in some of the endurance-sports training I've done. If I can look at a week on the calendar and see more than 1-2 "blank" days on which I didn't do anything, it's hard to feel good about what I did that week. But at the end of the week or month when I tally the hours/miles of a productive period it's easy to be proud of the work I put in. Just by keeping a log you keep yourself accountable, and you also allow yourself a little bit of flexibility. If your goal is 10 hours a week, you can skip your regular Tuesday night because your friend got great concert tickets...you just know that by the end of the week you'll want to have accounted for those hours.

3) Make quality the focus of your sessions; not quantity

If you just go to the library "to do problems", the time will go pretty slowly and you won't feel yourself making a ton of progress. But if you give yourself a specific assignment - e.g. "to become much more comfortable with factoring in algebra" or "to pay closer attention to conclusions in Critical Reasoning" - it's easier to see progress and you have a more manageable goal for that session.

In your own personal situation, I'd definitely recommend against giving up the gym completely...I'd hate to see you give up on working out altogether. That's probably a pretty healthy part of how your body reacts to stress, etc. If you can incorporate studying into a gym routine - spend an hour at the library then an hour at the gym, for example - that's probably ideal. And while multitasking can be tricky, I know that I've actually been getting a lot of reading, email, and education in while sitting on a bike trainer for a few hours at a time recently, so you may be able to take advantage of something like the Veritas iPhone app while you're doing some mindless cardio...

[artistocrat]

This may seem like a strange tip, but I found it useful to save the review of my cue cards for the gym. I would flash through them while walking on a treadmill, or sitting on a bench waiting between sets. It's easier to absorb little tidbits of information when your time is fractured as it is in a gym. Plus the blood is pumping through all your organs, including your oxygenated brain! And finally, this comingling of information and feeling reinforces positive associations worth remembering. So enjoy!

[singalong]

I dont know about uhsa but I sure do appreciate the replies here.I have been following the usage of flash cards during office hours when I am not surrounded by pesky colleagues.
Now the real trouble is that my office location has been shifted to a place which is far away from my home.I lose close to 4 hours a day in commute.That leaves me hardly any time.Moving near the office is a hard choice but I am thinking about it considering my priorities.Meanwhile I ahve photocopied some SC notes by Spidey and Sahil to go over when I am in the bus.Cant do quant in the bumpy ride with colleagues around me.

[Dan@VinciaPrep]

Wow. How can you handle four hours of commute everyday? I would really consider doing the move if you can (although I'm not aware of all of your personal circumstances). If you can move closer to the office it will not only give you more time to study, but it will also improve your quality of life.

[singalong]

yeah... as far as preparing for gmat is concerned, a move seems to be the only option right now.If GMAT was not into picture, I would disagree with the quality of life part.Office location is completely outside the city limits.Away from friends,happening events, missing out on special occasions because the house being far away... all these would actually decrease my quality of life.
Nevermind that.GMAT is my focus now.Worked on some rules and examples on SC in the bus on my way home.Was tough concentrating with all sort of distractions.But I'll take what I can get right now:)

[Dan@VinciaPrep]

Yeah, I guess you just have to move you job closer to you then