![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/busy-business-woman-laptop.jpeg\" "\\"female")
Wouldn\u2019t it be nice if you could just take a few months off work, find a few cozy coffee shops, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to studying for the GMAT? Unfortunately, sometimes forgoing that paycheck just isn\u2019t an option. If you find yourself trying to balance GMAT prep with a rigorous full-time (or full-time plus) job, don\u2019t despair. You can make it work!<\/p>\n
Here are 6 tips to help you meet your GMAT goals \u2014 and keep your day job.<\/p>\n
Your first step is seeing where you stand. Take a full-length GMAT practice CAT under test-like conditions to get a realistic assessment of your skill set. The result of your diagnostic should be used to evaluate and better understand your strengths and weaknesses.<\/p>\n
The diagnostic will also give you a better idea of how much time you\u2019ll need to set aside for GMAT prep (this also depends on how many hours\/week of study time you\u2019ll be able to squeeze in around your work schedule). If you\u2019re only looking to increase your score a few points, you may only need a month or so of prep work. If you\u2019re looking for a bigger gain, don\u2019t worry \u2014 it\u2019s definitely possible, but it might take you a bit longer to get there.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve scheduled precious time to study for the GMAT around your work hours \u2014 now make sure you\u2019re making the most of that time. The more specifically you target your weaknesses, the faster you\u2019ll see tangible improvement. Examine the results of your practice tests and problems carefully \u2014 if you consistently have trouble with Data Sufficiency algebra problems but always get Data Sufficiency probability problems right, don\u2019t waste your time studying probability! Do enough review to maintain your strengths, but focus your attention predominantly on your weaknesses.<\/p>\n
As Woody Allen put it, \u201c80% of success is showing up.\u201d Create a realistic schedule for yourself that takes into account your personal preferences. If you\u2019re a zombie before 9 AM, don\u2019t fool yourself into thinking you\u2019ll be able to get up early and prep before work. Instead, set aside time during lunch, at night, or on the weekends. Experiment with different strategies to see what works best for you, and treat your \u201cstudy dates\u201d with yourself like you would a work meeting. Not showing up shouldn\u2019t an option. Your discipline will be strengthened each time you don\u2019t feel like studying but compel yourself to. Soon, you might start to enjoy your sessions or view them as a satisfying challenge, a way to \u201cwork out\u201d your analytical muscles!<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be real: working full-time and studying for the GMAT isn\u2019t going to be a walk in the park. But don\u2019t despair: it won\u2019t last forever. Keep an inspirational quote or a picture of your dream b-school above your desk to remind you of your larger goals.<\/p>\n
Stay positive about your GMAT skills too. While focusing on your weakest areas, you should also maintain your mastery of areas in which you excel. Confidence matters. Don\u2019t get too down on yourself if you\u2019re having trouble with a certain section or type of question \u2014 the more you practice, the better you\u2019ll do.<\/p>\n
Consider adding a slightly competitive or collaborative element to your GMAT preparation. Find a co-worker who\u2019s also taking the GMAT \u2014 you know they\u2019re out there! \u2014 and set up a weekly study group where you trade off running question drills. At the very least, social motivation may help you keep your study dates with yourself, just like a gym membership. And you may be able to share your strategies and frustrations with others.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s good to aim for perfection, but at the same time, recognize that no matter how much studying you do, you won\u2019t be able to eliminate the need to think on the spot and handle unfamiliar variations of familiar problems. Also recognize that the test gets harder the better you perform, so it will always feel like an uphill climb to some extent.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t let small setbacks get you down. If you have an especially busy week at work and can\u2019t get in your GMAT prep, don\u2019t waste time beating yourself up. The sooner you start back up with your study plan, the sooner your days of GMAT prep will be done!<\/p>\n
Do you have a GMAT plan? Share it with the community on the forum<\/a>. We'd love to hear your thoughts on what it takes to do your best.<\/p>\n No plan, or your current plan isn't working for you? \u00a0Check out our marketplace of online, classroom, and instructor-led prep courses<\/a>, many with GMAT Club discounts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Originally posted by Christina Yu at Knewton<\/a>. Knewton<\/a> is a GMAT Club partner.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wouldn\u2019t it be nice if you could just take a few months off work, find a few cozy coffee shops, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to studying for the GMAT? Unfortunately,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1894,765,764],"class_list":["post-8345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","tag-gmat","tag-plan","tag-study","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8345"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8356,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8345\/revisions\/8356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}