I have become a big time procrastinator for GMAT studies. Need help.

Question

Could anyone suggest me some tips which could help me stop my habit of procrastination whenever I sit to study for my GMAT? Planning to give GMAT in January and I have to touch a 700.

Princ · Answer

Try out to find a study buddy in your area, who is also planning to give GMAT around January.

rohan2345 · Answer

Hi Prasannathawait, Welcome to GMATCLUB! I recommend that you watch this video by Magoosh. I believe it may help you get the push you need. https://magoosh.com/gmat/2015/gmat-tues ... rastinate/ Hope this helps All the best!

VeritasPrepBrian · Answer

One thing that leads to a lot of procrastination in any self-improvement pursuit is an "all-or-nothing" kind of attitude (I have to study for 2 hours per day minimum or I have to get up at 5am every day to go to the gym). The lift is too daunting so you either put it off until "a better time to commit to it" (which invariably never comes...you're waiting for the week that's super light at work with no holidays or social engagements, and then maybe you'd start next week but you have to give yourself time to adjust to Daylight Savings so maybe the week after would be better...there's always something) or start and go all-in for a few days then realize you hate the commitment and burn out quickly.

Try making smaller, more-attainable goals for yourself to get into the habit (I'm going to make sure I get to the library at least twice this week, and I'll do 5 practice problems every morning over breakfast instead of scrolling social media) and then get further into it when you either start to see progress or realize you need a little more time to see that progress.

Try making smaller, more-attainable goals for yourself to get into the habit (I'm going to make sure I get to the library at least twice this week, and I'll do 5 practice problems every morning over breakfast instead of scrolling social media) and then get further into it when you either start to see progress or realize you need a little more time to see that progress.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Prasannathawait,

About 4 weeks ago, you mentioned that you had scored 320 on a practice CAT. Have you taken any additional CATs since then (and if you did, then how did you Score)?

Studying for the GMAT involves a lot of little 'pieces' - so you should not expect to master this process too quickly (and it takes time and repetitions to properly become familiar with everything you'll need to do to earn a high Score). This is all meant to say that studying in small 'chunks', over time, is what most Test Takers need to commit to to improve. You might find it beneficial to focus on the short-term 'gains', such as focusing on a particular question type, getting comfortable doing math by hand, learning grammar rules, practicing Tactics, etc. In addition, investing in a GMAT Course of some type (either Guided Self-Study or instructor-led) might also help give you the structure that you need to be efficient with your studies going forward.

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

AjiteshArun · Answer

Maybe you could book your GMAT appointment. Just having that date there in your mind might help

GMATPill · Answer

As a procrastinator, you'll want to do things in pieces at first -- because that's your natural state. Do a few questions here and there -- but don't consider it actual studying.

Instead, specify a date when you will actually study and commit once that happens.

Start off studying sort of "on-the-side" -- then once you commit to kicking things into high-gear -- then it's nothing but studying. Live, breath, and sleep the GMAT for full entire days. And then rest -- and then go at it again - then rest. Then review - and kickass on the exam.

https://www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-t ... study-plan

We also recommend a "Divide and Conquer" approach first.

That is - focus on specific sections - like Sentence Correction. Dedicate an entire day - heck, dedicate multiple consecutive days dedicated ONLY to sentence correction.

For example: tomorrow is "Sentence Correction Day" - and don't move on until you feel you've made a significant improvement and have results to show.

If you operate with that kind of work ethic - and apply that process to RC, RC, PS, DS, etc. -- then you will have individually made good progress in each section.

Then from there, it's about mixing and matching different verbal and quant questions - just as you would see them on the actual test. So take practice tests to simulate this mental switch between different question types under time pressure.

For practice, we recommend the practice tests from mba.com as was from supplemental resources such as this one from GMAT Pill:
https://www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-t ... ctice-test

To learn more about GMAT Pill - read our stories at https://www.gmatpill.com/testimonials

Prasannathawait · Answer

Thanks alot for your reply.
Not taken any more CAT as I don't feel confident enough now but surely will do in a week.

Akshit03 · Answer

Hi,

Use online courses to stay on track.
For example, TTP for Quant and E-gmat for verbal.
They all tell you the statistics.
So you could leverage on that by being a little bit self-critical and to see if you have reached the desired score for each of the sections.

I also was procrastinating it, but by using online platforms, I can track my progress.
P.S Knowing what exact score you want in Quant and Verbal to achieve 700 will be really helpful.

All the best.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Prasannathawait,

Procrastinating in your GMAT prep is quite common among test-takers. Certainly, the idea of diving into the unknown can be frightening, especially when you don’t have a clear picture of how long the study process may take or where your starting point should be. After all, how intimidating would it be to start a race with no clear picture of the finish line?

For now, let’s focus on achieving one goal at a time, OK? Your first mini-goal needs to be  familiarizing yourself with the GMAT  and then taking an  official GMAT practice exam . Once you take that practice exam, you will get a better sense of your starting point as well as the finish line.

That being said, to be successful with your GMAT prep, you will need to keep up a sustained level of motivation. As with anything in life, if you are not motivated, you probably won’t succeed. How set on going to business school are you? If you don’t end up getting into an MBA program, is that a game changer for you, or is an MBA just “nice to have”? If your answer is that getting an MBA could significantly change your life for the better, then what is more important than getting off the couch and studying?? Yes, it’s not necessarily fun to study for the GMAT, but this situation is just a microcosm for life. You will encounter many things in the future that you would rather not do; however, part of your success will be defined by how you handle those challenges.

Now, I realize that “get motivated” is easier said than done, and reaching out here for advice is a great first step. Additionally, it might be helpful to learn from others how to “flip the switch” so you can stop procrastinating. There are  many books  you can read and  videos you can watch  that can help drive you to stay motivated, not just in your GMAT prep but in everyday life.

Additionally, there are things you can do right now to reduce distractions and get motivated to prepare for the GMAT. For instance, beyond considering your goals, look at what you are doing instead, whether it be hanging out with friends (too often), binge-watching Netflix, or getting sucked into a social media hole. The point is, when we are unmotivated to complete a task, we grasp onto anything and everything but that task. To get yourself to train for the GMAT instead, catch yourself when you start getting even a little bored of doing those other things. You can say to yourself, “OK, I’ve messed around enough. Time to make some progress in my life.” The moment you feel even halfway motivated to do some prepping, go at it.

Another trick to get yourself to train for the GMAT is to find something about the test that gets you going. For instance, if there is a type of question that you feel intimidated by, go directly to working on that type of question. This move works really well because any GMAT-related skill that you build will drive up your score. So, you can always make progress by finding something GMAT-related that you are at least a little curious about or interested in and becoming an expert in that thing. If, for example, the fact that you are not so good at answering probability questions is bugging you, go straight to that topic and deal with what is bugging you. Then, find another topic that is bugging you and work on it. This way, your own curiosity, rather than a book, will direct you, and so things may flow better.

Overall, there are many moves that you can make to prioritize your GMAT prep. You can consider the outcome of getting a high GMAT score and be motivated by that prospect, you can learn how to motivate yourself by reading about doing so, you can decide to live life to the fullest and go after what you want rather than doing things that will eat up your time and derail your progress.

You also may find it helpful to read this article about
 how to score a 700+ on the GMAT .

I’ve got your back, my friend! If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out.

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I have become a big time procrastinator for GMAT studies. Need help.

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