GMAT Stress

Question

Man I'm stressed. I'm having trouble sleeping at night. I wake up every week day and study for 2 hours in the morning out of my MGMAT guides before work. It's taking me longer than 2 weeks to get through the first Number Properties guide. I'm not feeling entirely confident. I'm just moving at the pace I feel comfortable so I can learn the material, but I have a lot of study material so I'm feeling a little anxiety.

I'm also living abroad, so life itself is stressful. After work I go directly to the gym, and after that it's pretty much lights out.

Anyways, I also study 5 hours/day on the weekends. I do run and lift 6 days a week at the gym.

Maybe I need to make a change in my routine..

Anybody have any secrets for beating stress?

mattfrommorocco · Answer

Take some breaks, and skip over material that you already feel confident in. It can be easy to want to go through everything with a fine tooth comb but honestly you need to pick your battles.

Watch a movie or go spend some time with your friends at least once a week. You will go crazy if you think about GMAT all day every day.

I was to the point where I was dreaming about GMAT questions every night. Then I took a whole week off of studying for Christmas and a short cruise to the Caribbean with my wife. Even though this really worried me, I knew it was important and I think it helped me score higher on the test when I took it 2 weeks later.

It is beneficial to spend time away from studying and being productive and this is a very hard truth to accept for those of us who are very type A :-)

.

Good luck to you my friend!!

. Good luck to you my friend!!

GMATPill · Answer

Speed-browse through the material. The downside to the texts is they try to stick in as much as possible and puts all the burden of reading through on the student. You end up taking up a lot of energy to do this- and by the time you're answering the question you are already tired out.

You should not be strength training 6 days a week. 3-4 times is recommended because you need the days in between to build the muscle, consume protein, and drink lots of water so the rebuilding process can happen. Without this, you won't see any results. Drop 6 times a week to 4 times - with the 4th day as high intensity interval training or cardio. Leave the extra 2 days for GMAT studying.

fiendex · Answer

I can relate to that.. However, I don't have any valuable advise except simply taking breaks and not letting it get into your head so much - a measure that I failed to apply.

cecilpaladin32 · Answer

Dealing with stress sucks. I'm a very stressed out individual myself, and it's needlessly so, according to my friends. Losing sleep over something like an exam will only hurt you in the long run. Try to find some relaxation techniques to help you. Good luck.

rdevorse · Answer

Haha thank you all for the advice so far. To clarify, I'm on a 4-day split, and run 5K on two off days. Sunday I recover. I'm supplementing properly, but man, getting supplements over here is so expensive.

AbhiJ · Answer

Life is an optimisation problem - sometimes to win something you need to lose something. GMAT Prep needs energy - physical and mental. If you are in college gym and GMAT can go together , but its difficult while working. I would rather take one enemy at a time and beat it to death than trying to tackle two things together.

rdevorse · Answer

Well I've adjusted my schedule today. I'm going to try and remedy this with:

1.  Shifting my sleep schedule  to 1:30a-9:00 instead of 11:45p - 8:45a. 
 Have been coming straight out of the gym and trying to get into bed in 30 minutes.
2.  Change the ratio of cardio to lifting , slightly. Could use more of the "runner's high" to help relieve stress.
3.  Take melatonin .
4.  Moving quicker through the text and strategy guides , taking only really important notes, and revisiting only the challenging items. This should help focus me on where I really need to improve. Spending too much time on things I know, could be using that valuable time to learn concepts that are not comfortable.
5.  Making plans  on the weekends  and forcing myself to get out of my apartment here . I've been reading off my kindle and hanven't had any real down time with my friends. My closest friends just recently returned back to the states themselves.. Need to get out into the city and get some 'fresh' air.
6.  Post more here with GMAT Club  on topics I'm not comfortable with. Do need to be able to wrap my mind around concepts, which inslucdes discussing them and explaining to others. 
 
Just been trying to jam this studying into a 3 month window before a travel vacation, and then before the return home and the GMAT format changes with IR. Going to balance life out better. Appreciate the responses

Karite · Answer

1. Sleep is the most important thing. In my opinion, it’s more important than working out. 2. I think you can balance your lifting and studying. I was lifting 6-7 weeks but no running. I recently started back running and I run a lot as well (2 to 4 miles 4-5 times a week-former athlete). I alternate my lifting to upper one day and lower the next to let the muscles recover. Also, working out is a stress reliever for me. When I first started studying I didn’t work out for a week (I was also sick) but I felt stressed out and tense. Now I make sure I work out because I worked out before I was studying. And it is one of my goals to continue doing it.

3. My doctor told me that melatonin doesn’t work but I didn’t listen to him. He was right though. :lol:

I used to have very bad sleeping problems and you DO NOT want to take anything to disturb your sleep. I have a system to eliminate certain topics in bed: no thoughts about work and no calculating any GMAT math problems :lol:

As soon as I start thinking about them I just say, “work” or “GMAT” to remind myself to stop thinking about it. Also, you can try to imagine yourself in a relaxing setting such as the beach or running. It’s a good way to focus on positive and relaxing thoughts. 4. I can relate to the Number Properties. It took me almost two weeks! I think I was taking too many unnecessary notes (it has been added to my goals to work more efficiently while studying). I still had to buy the Foundations of GMAT math. It does seem like they could explain the material without so many details. It’s still a good book. 5. I study at the library on the weekends and it helps me to stay focus. 6. I have to agree with this statement. You can find a lot of useful information on this site and Beat the GMAT. I also plan to purchase the GMAT tests because a lot of people say they have helped. And I need the extra practice. Good luck! I hope this helps. The Giants also won so I am happy. 8-)

rdevorse · Answer

Haha Giants beat my team (Green Bay) so the way I see it, they deserve to go all the way.

Adjusting my sleeping schedule has helped. In case anyone is interested, sleepyti.me is a great little internet timer that helps you determine what times you should be going to bed and waking up to feel the most rested, based on sleep cycles.

I've been adjusting my meal frequency so now when I am at work, I ear right before I leave to commute home. It's helping save an hour of waiting at home.

They just built a new Starbucks directly across from my Apartment tower, so I am there on Saturdays and Sundays with a foreign friend studying. I take my headphones and she understands that I tune out conversations and actually do work. It helps to have support. Don't do it alone if you don't have to.

I haven't been taking Melatonin, because no one I can speak to knows where to get it in this country. Skipping it over is not cheap. So I'm taking a substitute. More importantly, as you mentioned, I tell myself not to think about GMAT/problems/work while lying in bed trying to fall asleep. I find this helps a lot. I will try the visualizations. 
More importantly, I have made myself do all my studying for GMAT during the week in the first two hours after I wake up. It helps to get me to work hard and then quit it for the day. I come back the next day feeling refreshed and less stressed, than if I take my workbooks to work and squeeze in extra studying, when I should be focusing on work.

I should be purchasing the GMAT Club tests next month. Tomorrow/Wed I should be finishing up Number Properties, with my 'black list' of difficult questions/concepts I struggle with.

Thanks everyone for the input

wallstreetbarbie · Answer

I am glad to hear that I am not the only one with GMAT dreams!

Have you tried yoga... dont laugh... it absolutely helps. See if you can take bikram. Its hot, you sweat, you sleep like a baby and you are full of energy. A steady bikram regime has me unfrazzled... difficult feat for a new yorker.

Taking a night off is difficult because the next day we feel badly for missing out on study time. However, you just need some fun in your life.

My study schedule is something like M-F 1hr (lunch break). I read a fun book on my commute... need to relax the brain a bit. If I return home at a decent time I will put in a few more hours. If I dont I dont beat myself over it. Its counter productive. Sat-Sun is when I kick it into high gear as I put in 8-15 hours each day. Trick is to study hard for 2 hours break for 1. During that one hour I have a meal with my family, or take a nap, or work out... or watch trash reality TV... gives the brain a chance to process.

Last... melatonin did not help me at all... it induced vivid and unpleasant dreams and didnt really put me to sleep. If I took it now I cant even imagine how much more intense will the GMAT dreams become. Bikram cured my insomnia (I have social jet lag to be more precise) in a week.

Also... What is your time line?

Karite · Answer

That defense played lights out but they are giving all the credit to Eli in the States. I am not a Giants fan but I do not like the Patriots so I was glad when they lost.

I am glad to hear everything is working out. I haven't made it through the other Manhattan math books but I do plan to purchase the GMAT Club tests very soon. I had to cut back on my studying on the weekends and I started to take more breaks. I was studying 12-14 hours on the weekends but it seems like I wasn't learning the material. I would see a problem and my mind would go blank. Even today I limited my studying because a GMAT instructor (online) stated you should take more breaks and limit your studying to six times a week. He might have a point. Too much of anything can be bad. LOL.

Lolcat33 · Answer

It is hard to give you the best answer but I can relate to things you say. So here is my advice.

I am a former athlete as well (extensive experience/success) but right now GMAT is the priority. If I do not get enough work done, I get a practice out of my schedule and move on. There will be unlimited amount of time to work out but there will be no unlimited amount of time to ace the GMAT. It seems to me that you are very passionate about working out and I do not blame you but as someone else said in this thread, pick your battles. I look at the GMAT as big competitions I prepared for in the past. It will be hard, you will have ups and downs both in motivation and in results but if you want to do well you have to consistently work hard. Do not forget about the strategies for preparation and testing because they are crucial.

I lift three times a day and take a 6 mile run on Sundays. Decent, but nothing fancy. I recommend you to do cardio with an iPod as working out while listening music can serve as meditation. Make sure it is kind of music that will help you zone out. That really helps me.

As far as the whole thing with stress, I feel ya. There will be days when you will be under huge stress and there will be days you will be feeling great. When I am stressed out about my future I tell myself what my coach always told me and my teammates many times: "Do not worry about things you do not have control of and think only what you can do." I mean, if you worry about something related to the future it will serve you no good. You can organize (I see you do), and do something about it (I think you are).

Another advice: you started with Number Properties and you already think of other material. Do one thing at a time and do not worry about the other guides. Since I started, there were parts of chapters I did not go all that thoroughly because I wanted to see what is in the next chapter. I am confident it was a mistake.

Trust me, it is hardest at the start. After around two months of studying I feel very confident and got a whole lot more motivated. Talk to people, use skype and social network. Finally, there are some really wonderful people on this forum (after all they are all future MBAs :lol:

) and they can really help you out.

Hope it helps!

p.s. Steelers did not make it this season, but at least starting from a few hours ago Novak Djokovic is the best athlete in the world for 2011 8-)

) and they can really help you out. Hope it helps! p.s. Steelers did not make it this season, but at least starting from a few hours ago Novak Djokovic is the best athlete in the world for 2011 8-)

rdevorse · Answer

My timeline was to take it late April, before May because I fly back to the States in June. I really want to take the test before the format changes to include IR, so mid May at the latest.

They do have yoga here, but it's just as outrageously expensive as my gym membership. I pay 3x's as much/month for the gym, and yoga sessions cost 4x's as much here. It has a lot to do with the cost to actually own space in this city, so I will only invest in one right now. I look froward to trying some when I come back to the states though.

I do like your study method.. 2 on and one off. I usually do something similar. Study for an hour or two, and then take a 15-20 min brake. I'm going to try and build my stamina over the next month, and by next month I should be able to take GMAT practice tests.

Haha Wow, props to you sir. Having the intense self-discipline of sitting still for 12-14 to study for GMAT every weekend.. I would go insane. Actually, I just had a wisdom tooth pulled Saturday so I took the day off and just watched The West Wing and ate ice cream. I haven't had a Saturday like that for years.

Nothing fancy?! Whoa.. if you're lifting three times a day, when do you give your muscles time to recover?

Lolcat33 · Answer

I've meant per week...It would be impossible and unnecessary to lift three times a day. And I do not lift like in good ole days, I maintain. For now.

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