How do you stay motivated?

Question

I'm just curious as to how you guys stay motivated while preparing for the exam. I've been hitting the GMAT pretty hard these past couple of weeks and I feel like I'm burning out.

I couldn't find any threads related to this topic so if there are any, please point me in the right direction.

tt11234 · Answer

i have the same problem--staying motivated!! now i am trying to believe that good education= good job (since i don't realy like what i am doing now)...

YourDreamTheater · Answer

Read all the successful GMAT write-ups on this board! Most of them have one thing in common -- hard work.

Whenever I need a boost, I come to the "GMAT Experience" board here on GMATClub and read a few of the 700+ write-ups.

BM · Answer

It can certainly be difficult to maintain a positive attitude throughout your entire study plan. As with all things, some days will be good, and others bad. That's life.

You might feel particularly overwhelmed once you think of the big picture. Nobody can handle thinking about the GMAT, MBA, and life and family afterward. It's simply too much. Just focus on what you have to do   today   and things will fall into place. Just take things one step at a time. It's much easier to accomplish smaller goals. Eventually, things will add up.

YourDreamTheater has a good point; read some of the GMAT Experience topics. That helped me, especially when I needed a break.

vwjetty · Answer

I'm not sure if it's gonna help but I try to make the GMAT thing personal for me. Like for now, screw all the grad apps and the essays and ultimately whether I get in or not, right now, at this moment in time, it's the GMAT vs Me. And I try to think about the rewards that will come with having a good GMAT score, not to mention the bragging rights as I have some pretty friendly/intense competition around me with fellows students whom are also taking their GMAT's as well.

nonameee · Answer

You might find this useful: gmat-prep-burnout-77149.html

jackharrywa · Answer

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others With These statements
1. Trust in yourself. 
2. Try not to say you don't have enough timer. 
3. There are individuals who work throughout the day.
4. Confidence

TimNollan · Answer

I always try to relax if I feel that I can not learn anything. If you are very nervous, then the result can be sad.

salmino · Answer

I come to the "GMAT Experience" board here on GMATClub and read a few of the 700+ write-ups.

arun@crackverbal · Answer

There are actually multiple things at play here. I am going to put in the form of a statement. You can use the usual "Agree most - Neutral - Disagree most" to see which of the statements are applicable to you. #1) I am just not able to motivate myself to sit down and study for the GMAT This is a classic case of "inertia". A student in a state of rest continues to be in a state of rest unless and until acted upon by an external force

Heard of the Nike ad that says "Just do it!"? That is your mantra here. Don't plan - don't analyze - just do. Sit down every day for about 30 minutes. Don't have any expectations of doing anything. Read through the T&C in the OG. Read up the questions. Languidly solve a few. The key here is to get the momentum. As anyone who is preparing for the GMAT would attest - preparation is all about gaining momentum. Once you get to the state when you start "missing" your routine - you know the GMAT bug has bitten you. #2) Studying for the GMAT is very stressful and shoots up my anxiety This is typically caused when the student has one of the following 3 reasons: (a) a deadline close by - okay, so you booked your GMAT date a three months ago and thought it was sufficient time. Now you realize it isn't. Just push the dates out. It is better to miss an application deadline (a bummer!) than apply with a low GMAT score. (b) unrealistic expectation of improvement - so you studied for 3 weeks and went from 550 to 580. I know that is painful. However, this is the GMAT. There are no shortcuts. You need to learn WHY you are making the mistakes and not focus on WHAT those mistakes are. And don't assume everyone has the same learning curve. Don't' assume everyone has the same background. (c) is a student hypochondriac - you worry too much. You start fretting over every single error, every point improvement, every silly mistake. Learn to enjoy the journey. People who do well on the GMAT don't enjoy the prep as a result. Rather people who enjoy the prep - end up with a kickass score. Nobody has scored well by feeling miserable. So as a first step, stock your fridge with some cold beer

#3) GMAT prep has left me burned out and brain dead. The OP on this thread perhaps suffers from this problem. It typically happens when you study for long hours. Remember that the human brain is an expensive tissue for your body to maintain. Wondered why you feel drained after a 3-hour GMAT test and not watching Avengers: Endgame for a similar duration? That is because the kind of studying needed on the GMAT is very intensive so even a short 1-hour session can leave you exhausted. Respect that decision fatigue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_fatigue is real and try to either (a) not do any other activity that consumes your brain power so much (b) keep your study sessions around 2 hours at a time (maybe 3 if you are really adventurous) #4) I feel overwhelmed with all the topics to study on the GMAT Remember GMAT is a thinker's test and not a doer's test. So stop trying to memorize all those grammar rules (Harvard Business School is not interested in a high school grammar teacher). Stop trying to mug up a bunch of formulae to crack quant. Just take a deep breath and write down all the topics on a sheet of paper. Start slowly - pick 1 topic - let's say Coordinate Geometry. And during your study session focus only on that topic. Forget everything else. Don't overthink. Keep knocking off the topics one by one. #5) Solving GMAT questions is frustrating as I am not sure I am making any progress This is a bit of a corollary to point #2 above however, the slight difference is that there is no time pressure. In this stage, it might make sense for you to stop whatever you are doing and spend 1-2 days just analyzing. What is your biggest challenge? (i.e. using the 80/20 rule can you see any specific issues that are dragging you?) What technique doesn't seem to be working? (i.e. do you see some areas where you just don't seem to be able to get to the right answer) is your concern real or perceived? (i.e. stressed based on actual test scores or just your own self-assessment) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hope this helps. I am happy to answer any questions you may have based on this

Arun

romie75 · Answer

Hi

I haven't found much mental support for the GMAT online, and sometimes, I wish I had more readings and stories to relate to. I started preparing for the GMAT three months ago. I've been studying full time and already put in 450 hours. To be honest, I am not 100% sure that I want to do an MBA, but it's been on my mind for some years now, so I thought if I could get a good GMAT score, the door to a top MBA school would be a little more accessible if ever I decided to go down that path. My experience studying the GMAT has been tough. I am very driven and self-motivated, studying everyday, having a tight schedule drawn out on an excel spreadsheet including study time, sport session and sleep hours (I know it's intense

). I've really been putting in my best. I started at 590, and I'm still stuck around 650 (best score is 670 so far) aiming for 700. I expected it to be hard, but I am surprised at how hard it is to hit the top 600, 700 scores. I have a masters in Neuroscience, I worked in big firms, I -modestly- don't think I'm not smart. But I haven't done any pure math or logic in over ten years, and I struggle with the quant section. Learning a new way to think, developing new brain patterns, adopting logic and quants habits are things that take time and a lot of hard work. After 450 hours, I see a huge improvement but I also hit a tough reality : for me, it's not enough. You read a lot of success stories; friends, family members, colleagues have told me "of course you can do it, you're smart". And it's disheartening to face the fact that I don't have their easy ability to score well on the GMAT. Of course I know that I have the capacity. We all do, but for some people this means 2 weeks of studying, for me, probably 6 months, for others maybe 2 years. I get so frustrated. I have highs, where I see myself improving and reaching my goal, and then I'll be disappointed by a score and feel down and lonely in this battle. Anyways, my test is in one week, and even though I won't score 700, I'm glad I tried so hard. No regrets. Of course, I know that I have learned so much from this experience and I like to think that my brain is a lot stronger than it was four months ago, which will benefit me for the rest of my life. I guess, that, in itself is a huge reward.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi romie75,

You clearly have been working hard, so as long as you know you've put in your all, you have nothing to be ashamed about! At this point, just focus on doing the absolute best you can on your GMAT. Let us know how things turn out. Good luck!!

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

All the best romie75. Just focus on the process now. Do not worry about the results. Do reach out if you need any help with the prep.

maiphgx · Answer

I am terrible at standardized tests. I had a hard time with the SAT, so GMAT is another dead end to me. However, I totally forgot about how terrible my SAT studying was, and the only thing that stays with me is the SAT score, which determines what schools accepting me and then what jobs opening up to me. Perhaps, one day I will forget about my current struggles with GMAT, and what matters for the long run is how high on GMAT I can score now. I always try to hinge on this thinking path when motivation dries up. Good luck with the studying!

mc93 · Answer

Don't psych yourself out because you had issues on the SAT. Your brain has developed since then. You will have to work hard, but you can do it. Just make a plan and commit.

romie75 · Answer

maiphgx , Thank you for your note! I ended up getting 690 on the GMAT which I'm satisfied with. I was aiming for 700, but given how hard I work and how tough it was to get my grade up from 580, I decided I was happy with 690. I also thought standardized test wasn't my thing, (it's really not something you learn in the french education system). But I kept telling myself, anyone can achieve anything if they put in the time, effort, and determination, and I was no exception. I gave myself a three months deadline and didn't give up until the very end... and it paid off! 
I also know many brilliant people who don't enjoy studying, maths or tests and they never bothered with the GMAT. Doesn't make them less brilliant. That's what I told myself in tough times. Good luck!

andyhilton27 · Answer

Set goals. 
Choose goals that interest you. 
Find things that interest you within goals that don't.

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