Manager
Joined: 24 Apr 2013
Posts: 140
Location: United States (CA)
GPA: 3.47
Re: GMAT Date Sanity Check / Sleep
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11 Aug 2013, 11:17
I would strongly advise you not to compromise your sleep. Sleep is essential for learning and locking in the memories you'll be building during your study/prep sessions. The advice to give up socializing (to some extent) is right on. You WILL have to compromise somewhere (as you know), and socializing has a relatively low "real cost" associated with it.
In my experience, many friends who had not been through high-stakes test prep didn't know how to understand the fact that I was less available (or not available at all). They took it personally, which I wasn't prepared for. You may want to think through how you'll explain your lack of free/social/fun time in a way that will be understandable to people in your life.
Also, if you have a significant other/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend, it's probably good to talk with him/her about how your priorities will change with regard to test prep. I know in my case that my girlfriend has been very supportive and accommodating of my study schedule, but that's also because we talked at length about my goals, why a high score matters so much, and other factors related to this process.
With regard to a schedule, you may want to try and get something in every day. Research on learning and the brain tells us that memories are often best formed through repetition. New neural pathways are "fragile" and can easily be lost, whereas ones that are more well-established are more durable. Think about it like a path in a forest. The first time people walk on it, you may not be able to clearly see their tracks. But over time, as more and more footsteps delineate a clear path, you'll be able to see it even if you are away from the path a while. Your new knowledge is like that: the path needs wearing in, and daily practice (and repetition, not just new material) will help the knowledge "stick." That way, come test day you'll feel like that knowledge is right there at your fingertips and will come in handy.
Your attitude seems good: this isn't about being smart, it's about being diligent. A friend of mine has been living in Korea (and is starting at UVA Darden this fall) and encountered many people studying for the GMAT who had been prepping for over a year. Their high scores are not because they're "good at math" or "smart," it's because they work incredibly hard for long periods of time. Good luck and stay diligent!