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spgny
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 29 Mar 2009, 08:19
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When I first started studying months ago, I could sit down and do 4 hours no problem....this last week I sometimes find it hard to even open the book or motivate to take a CAT...I find myself unable to focus on easy questions....maybe I have been dedicating too much time to GMAT...

Burnout? What do you suggest I do?
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 30 Mar 2009, 07:16
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contrary to popular belief I think you should take a couple weeks off, maybe even a month, in about 2 weeks start looking at some schools you really want to go to and re-motivating yourself about the GMAT before you ever open the book again.

A lot of people think you forget this stuff quick but I'm not in that camp, I took a couple of months off between my first test and prep for my second test and the first practice test I took, I was scoring 30-40 points higher than when I took the real thing. Ended up increasing my score 70 points.
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 06 Apr 2009, 20:22
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Burnout is definitely a risk you need to manage with the GMAT. It's been over four months since I took the GMAT for the first time and I'm finally ready to start studying for a retake. I'm sure my score has slipped 10-20 points during the break, but I should be able to quickly regain that ground and take my score to even higher levels.

For me personally, 3 months of intense studying was completely exhausting. I couldn't have gone another week without getting the exam out of the way. If you think you're burning out, you should either take the exam or take a break.

Good luck :)
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 12 Apr 2009, 12:49
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wellcome to the burnout club :cry:

I'm on the last step of my way (I'm taking the exam next april 28) but I had to take a couple of weeks off until to start the last (and definite) effort

My advice: take 2 weeks off

(and if you are not native speaker, don't waste your time: read and read in english... the forum, reviews, magazines... everything in english!!)

Regards
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 14 Apr 2009, 18:41
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I know you first posted a couple of weeks ago, but when is your test scheduled for? i would recommend taking a break too. I did full tests every day for two weeks and definitely joined the burnout club everyone is speaking of. I took almost the entire week off before my test. When I did study, it was in front of the TV, easy problems, etc. As long as it's soon, I think you'll be fine.
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 13 Jul 2009, 03:05
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I think these are all cases of how DO NOT study. You will hate both GMAT and MBA words with such approach. Remember that in order to be able to work and study you also need to have enough rest & sleep.

For those of you who work & study for GMAT, I would recommend to study no more than 10 hours/week and to have regular weeks of rest & relaxation (after 4/5 weeks of regular study) - to rejuvenate & refresh yourself.

Remember - GMAT study is a marathon, not a sprint. Have enough study time of high quality, rest and lead healthy lifestyle - see the link
Stay Healthy Score Higher
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 13 Jul 2009, 03:16
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Consider doing your studies at open space with fresh air or at least make sure you don't study in stuffy air.
Always sleep in good, ventilated atmosphere. These measures will prevent you from suffering Hypoxia
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 13 Jul 2009, 04:49
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I think sleep is the most important factor.
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 21 Oct 2009, 14:05
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nice way to bust your stress...is to jog for 15 mins in the morning and meditate later in the evening
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 23 Oct 2009, 15:16
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One of the best threads on this club. This should actually be made a sticky, people who have lost faith in themselves and are looking for some push in all their practise sessions certainly need to return here. Just a week ago I had lost all my motivation, there was this burning fire inside of me to crack the test out of shape a month ago that urged me to take a date and ever-since I got lazy and lost all of it completely. Took me a week to get back to my senses and remind myself with the realization I had attained during months of practise.

The following are some perspectives from my end.

1. GMAT is the best test I have ever known out there. No amount of cramming stuff is going to help any bit to crack it. It is a test of concepts and how well can you apply them.
2. It is a test of how much you can burn out your brain and still do the common reading stuff. It's about reading, comprehending and coming up with the solutions.
3. Practise is the one and only way to achieve that. There is no guarantee that if you get a question right today, you will get it right after a month again. So repeating questions for practise isn't a bad deal either.
4. Like every other test, it has a particular template and anyone could practically ease at it if the template is well known. Every question type is a trap in itself, questions are meant to be traps in the general sense and the templates can help you recognize the traps.
5. Primarily, the approach for traps is very much the same be it quant or verbal. In math, the numbers pose the traps while in verbal, it's plain english, it just doesn't look as simple but with sustained practise everything gets easy.
6. The main motive to attempt the test is to be able to sit down there, in front of the computer screen and solve questions. If passion and an inherent fire are missing, it's a big challenge but yet it's plain and simple, solve them. Never give up on anyone of them. There shouldn't be any hard and easy and medium questions. You get a question, you need to quickly answer it.
7. Practise with the main focus of solving, identifying the trap quicker, and move on.
8. Keep doing, there is no JUDGEMENT associated with it. It's just a test, even if done well, there's a hell of a task ahead to get into a chosen B-School. It doesn't matter if yesterday was good because mind was fresh and this morning was bad because I got four questions in a series wrong. Practise doesn't work that way. You get questions and you have to answer them. That's it and that's final!!!!
9. Keep solving questions, problems, be it quant or verbal. You see a question, look for the trap, you get the trap and you get your solution and then learn to move on. There is no such a thing as rest or anxiety. It is questions and just answers.
10. Never lose the flow of solving questions and blindly go give your test. The test is again questions with traps and all you have to do is identify them quicker and move on with each one.

Scores wise, anything between 680 to 720 is good. Between 640 and 680 is reasonable and above 720 means to relax completely. Undoubtedly, a score above 720 doesn't come right away just by solving questions, identifying traps quickly and moving on. Either something miraculous has to happen or you must have been born with a knack for it, no wearing out at facing questions stuff!!!! So forget taking GMAT serious and anxious thingy, solve questions and enjoy it thoroughly.
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 09 Dec 2009, 16:28
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I think Stay Healthy, Score Higher https://gmatclub.com/forum/stay-healthy-score-higher-22103.html is a good post. I will try doing those thing to get a healthy body to manage all the stress that comes my way.
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 21 Jul 2010, 10:19
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hii...

i started my prep in 1st week of April... worked for 2-4 hours daily till July 2, 2010.. Since July 2,2010 i m giving around 8-10 hours daily.. My scores r struck at around 600 ( first Gmatprep gave on July 10 ).. I ve completed OG 10 and OG12 for SC once , OG12 for CR once, both with around 70-80 % accuracy..

But now i ve started getting easy Qs in SC and CR wrong that i earlier got Correct.. In CR sometimes my brain stops working at all..

Is this burnout..? Need help on how to overcome it ..?

My exam is scheduled on Aug 9 ,2010..

Thanks
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 21 Jul 2010, 22:40
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sag
hii...

i started my prep in 1st week of April... worked for 2-4 hours daily till July 2, 2010.. Since July 2,2010 i m giving around 8-10 hours daily...
Is this burnout..? Need help on how to overcome it ..?

My exam is scheduled on Aug 9 ,2010..

Thanks
Show more

Do you work full-time? If so, you should spend no more than 1-1.5 hour per day for studying.
Now you should get a week of vacation. Relax, sleep well and enjoy your life.

Ideally on the test day you should feel yourself full of energy and required skills. And both prerequisites need to be met in order to perform well. :^)
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 21 Jul 2010, 23:00
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DenisSh
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hii...

i started my prep in 1st week of April... worked for 2-4 hours daily till July 2, 2010.. Since July 2,2010 i m giving around 8-10 hours daily...
Is this burnout..? Need help on how to overcome it ..?

My exam is scheduled on Aug 9 ,2010..

Thanks

Do you work full-time? If so, you should spend no more than 1-1.5 hour per day for studying.
Now you should get a week of vacation. Relax, sleep well and enjoy your life.

Ideally on the test day you should feel yourself full of energy and required skills. And both prerequisites need to be met in order to perform well. :^)
Show more


Thanks Denis for the reply.. Yes i work full time but i ve taken a leave since July 2, 2010 for my gmat ( scheduled on Aug 9 ).. don't u think 1 week break wud be too long.. ?
I really want to touch 700 mark.. Any advice on how shd i go about in next 15 days as i can give around 8-10 hrs daily..

Thanks
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 21 Jul 2010, 23:15
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sag

Thanks Denis for the reply.. Yes i work full time but i ve taken a leave since July 2, 2010 for my gmat ( scheduled on Aug 9 ).. don't u think 1 week break wud be too long.. ?
I really want to touch 700 mark.. Any advice on how shd i go about in next 15 days as i can give around 8-10 hrs daily..
Thanks
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Ok, take 1 day break.
Then, try to study no more that 2 hours a day for 4 days.
Then 1 day break.
After that study 3-4 hours a day for 4-5 days.
Then take a break!!!

You will have 2-3 days of full rest before exam. And I definitely recommend you to follow that plan.

But you should be aware of your state of mind and health. Do you feel yourself frustrated and incensed without any clear reason? If so, - you are in burnout state. Control youself, take deep breath of fresh air, sleep well, moderately exercise and consume good multivitamins (especially B-group).
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 22 Jul 2010, 02:39
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DenisSh


But you should be aware of your state of mind and health. Do you feel yourself frustrated and incensed without any clear reason? If so, - you are in burnout state. Control youself, take deep breath of fresh air, sleep well, moderately exercise and consume good multivitamins (especially B-group).
Show more

Thanks again Denis.. Actually i am not feeling frustrated in my prep but when i attempt easy SC and CR Qs ( after completion of OG12 once ) that i ve earlier got correct but now i get them wrong , this hurts my motivation and i get frustrated and incensed.. Frankly speaking i am eating GMAT , sleeping GMAT and working on GMAT Day iN and Day Out since July 2, 2010 to get 700+ on Aug 9,2010 but struck around 600 ( i think because i m not able to use my brain in last 10-12 Qs in verbal and timing issues ) mentioned in detail in the following thread..

seniors-plz-help-really-fighting-with-verbal-and-timing-97269.html
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 22 Jul 2010, 03:00
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sag

Thanks again Denis.. Actually i am not feeling frustrated in my prep but when i attempt easy SC and CR Qs ( after completion of OG12 once ) that i ve earlier got correct but now i get them wrong , this hurts my motivation and i get frustrated and incensed.. Frankly speaking i am eating GMAT , sleeping GMAT and working on GMAT Day iN and Day Out since July 2, 2010 to get 700+ on Aug 9,2010 but struck around 600 ( i think because i m not able to use my brain in last 10-12 Qs in verbal and timing issues ) mentioned in detail in the following thread..

seniors-plz-help-really-fighting-with-verbal-and-timing-97269.html
Show more

Sometimes the only thing that can help is the flow of time. If all your pre-GMAT skills were out of what you need now, no matter how intensively you study, only after certain period of time they might be properly 'aligned' in your head. And it is very individually when it will happen.

But with time and perseverance you will overcome all these problems.
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 23 Jul 2010, 12:32
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Thank god i found another most useful thread - I will be on-track again and come back with very good score after couple of months..

Thanks Indeed.
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 12 Nov 2015, 15:49
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I am absolutely burnt out today and almost cried. I have been into GMAT for two months. I made some progress although my score was not that high and absolutely no way closer to my target but I did make progress. Today, thing just got so bad. After two weeks of studying from the latest CAT, I wanted to take another CAT again. I took it and I knew something went wrong. The more question I did, the more it got wrong. The easier the question got, I was totally down and could not keep up. I just stopped the test during the Quant session. And it was true, there was NON question right in that CATs . I am feeling extremely upset right now. I know I need to practice. I practiced and I know almost all of Math concept. I just don't know why I could not do the test. Time pressure, score pressure...so many things happened while I was doing my test.
I am so stuck and just feel that I don't like GMAT at all. However, it is the only way I get into My Master and I need at least 650 which I at first thought I could do. However, now, I feel just so...not good!!!
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GMAT Prep Burnout? [merged] 12 Nov 2015, 23:38
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Hi nhuygio83,

Many Test Takers feel frustrated at some point during their studies, so you're not alone. The good news is that the GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. Before I can offer any advice, I'd like to know a bit more about your studies so far and your goals:

1) How long have you been studying?
2) What materials have you been using?
3) How have you scored on each of your practice CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?

4) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
5) What are your application deadlines?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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