Share your GMAT - LIFE balance story

Question

Dear All

I realise that prepping for GMAT is tough on our daily routine and we try our best to work with the time we have. Please share your experiences with others of how you dealt or are dealing with prepping for the test.

Think of this as a "best practices" thread.

How do you prep

- inspite of 40-50 hours weeks
AND/OR
- inspite of your family committments / committment to a significant other
AND/OR
- inspite of having to take frequent long breaks in your prep due to several different problems.

Sharing your story will definitely serve as a motivator for members in a similar situation. The intent is to share ideas and learn from others ideas on how to effectively manage your prep.

This is your forum. Participate, for thats the best way to learn

Thanks
Praetorian

Thanks Praetorian

rxs0005 · Answer

Hi all

this is def an intersting tpoic to discuss , I work in the east coast in a IT company and belive me its been really difficult to cope up with work and GMAT and social life whcih i think is imp too. I took my first GMAT got 620 and realised i had not paid attention to erro log but just thought that if i complete more study material i wud be ok but missed so that was really inane of me!!. 

Right now i took a month vacation i am in india and studing hard to beat the beast but with this vacation and India with all its festivals i feel like i am VACATIONING more and studing less.

Bottom line my experience is make time!! / Make most of that TIME regardless where ever you are but give 110% to the time u study GMAT and we shud be ok

hope it helps !!

have a good one y'all

rxs0005

maaverick · Answer

Interesting topic, indeed.

I'm planning to take my exam in April '05. Since I live in Germany, the winter here is a good excuse not to be travelling much - that's a BIG time saver for me. I have the 3 most gloomy months for my preparation and definitely won't miss the outdoors much. It is however, very important to have SOME physical workout, so I'll be devoting one week-evening to the gym and perhaps a long walk during the weekend.

My wife has been extremely supportive. She has promised to take care of my share of household work, but with an incentive of a Italian holiday during the summer, which I've most happily conceded to. 

Workwise, winters are normally sluggish, so I'm hoping to stick to a 40 hrs/week session over the next couple of months. I guess this should be possible. 

All in all, it seems like a near ideal situation for a working person preparing for the exam and I hope to make the best of it.

ninomoi · Answer

I was pregnant when I did GMAT the first time. It goes without saying I did not do well at all! I was always so tired! I know there maybe women out there who could do exams whilst pregnant, but some reason I couldn't. So I decided to wait till I gave birth to my baby. It has been extremely tough I will not lie(due to an operation), but I have been blessed with a nice husband. Also my mum and mum in law recently came by to help me out so that is cool! I am still knackered (as we say in the UK means tired), but I try to make a conscious effort to get some gmatwork in daily no matter how short. Nothing in life is easy, is it? :lol:

U can send me a PM if u have any questions/suggestions

U can send me a PM if u have any questions/suggestions

srijay007 · Answer

I will share my experiences briefly.

I started my prep around May 2004 spending around 3 hrs a day 7 days a week. However in mid-June a 2 week business trip ripped my preparation apart. I again restarted my prep last-week of June and believe me I had to start pretty much from scratch. I did OG, Kaplan and PR and took the exam last week of July, scoring 670. During the 4 weeks of my prep I went thru too many fundas and didnt spend enough time to comprehend my learning. I undertood the fundamental principle of GMAT learning the hard way, one that is repeated many times in many posts i.e. Take a step back and analyze your mistakes ... dont just practise!

I took a 1 week break and restarted my prep. I studied 2-3 hrs on weekdays 6 hrs on weekends. After 6 weeks I took the test again and scored a 700. I followed LSAT material and spent lots of time understanding the fundamentals of SCs instead of learning from exhaustive practise. I also spent equal amount of time in RCs, my weak point.

Social life has gone bland since the month of May. After GMAT I started focusing on essays and occassional business trips didnt help much. There has been no respite! My friends have stopped calling me for movies and dinner. And that is not their fault! because everytime they call I was either busy preparing for my GMAT or busy with essays or travelling. I hope in the end all this sacrifice is worth the effort. I am single and I guess married people might have a different story. 

I might sound a bit melodramatic but to be honest I have got used to this now. Yes preparing for GMAT was boring! but spending time on essays is a lot of soul searching and a different kind of fun.. I have started enjoying it!

Would love to hear what others have to say ...

NEWKID · Answer

Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night and think if the pain and sacrifices i am undergoing in life are worth anything. A part of me tells that I don't have the aptitude for it.2 GMAT attempts and you are still so behind..I feel sick and I go back to sleep. But then again in the morning when I get up, I realize that itz my attitude that will make my life. So, I start my battle for GMAT again. How many times can the GMAT beat me.? :-D

...Lets see.! I have spent money on GMAT preperation like crazy. I have made sacrifices.Itz been 4 years since I have been away from college. Itz not easy managiing work and GMAT prep.You plan something for the evening and then a crisis comes in the office and you can't study for the next few days. Initially, preparing for GMAT was a pain for me.But Iam so happy to find a few sites...Visiting a few sites like this....GMAT club.. and sentencecorrection.com makes me feel confident. Itz like brushing my teeth. If I don't make a visit to the sites everyday and check the questions theree, I don' t feel good. Last week, I was in Chicago attending a training on learning and leadership.They taught a few things there......I was somehow relating the key points taught there with the GMAT prep....These GMAT forums are an excellent place. You get materials, You get answers to ur questions, You get mentors,you get motivated...and last but not the least.. You make friends..You learn a lot about life. Anyway, to sum up what I learnt in training. All learning in life happens -Between Questions and Answers -Through a narrative -When you are Non Judgemental -Offer and receive gifts of life. All the best and as lets tame the GMAT.!

kayser1soze · Answer

hey guys, 

good posts, i am planning to hit the GMAT in late april - early may. started a few weeks ago reading kaplan/pr . just finished the fall semester at my undergrad so during xmas break i'll have enough time to pick up the pace. i work more than 40 hrs a week and plan to spend about 50-60 hrs in prep. i know it might be alot but i am targeting a high score since i want to compensate for other parts in my apps. thnking about quitting my job in march to dedicate about 80-90 hrs a week to full time gmat prep. what do you guys thinkg. can you spell - burnout ;]]] . i am starting to think like one, i rarely go out and think about anything else but gmat, percentiles, cr, rc, sc, quant, b-school gmat medians and means and rankings. will i survive without going insane, i am obsessed with 750+ score. and since i have a pattern of not doing that good on standardized tests i think i might need more practice than the normal 2-3 months 30-40 hrs a week. i am going full speed at 9000 rpm redlight zone hardcore prep style. any other hardcore prep study freaks who are willing to share their study plan????

praveen_rao7 · Answer

That is so true. Last time when I gave my GMAT I was pushing myself on all cylinders. Night before the exam, I ended up with a major health problem. I am not saying it is because of GMAT prep I guess it contributed to it. When you are very stressed, body's immunine system won't function very efficiently. After all the hardwork, I ended up with a bad score, devastated mind & health & several months of recovery. Now, I have to try GMAT all over again. :cry:

One suggestion to you all is take good care of yourself while preping for GMAT. Take plenty of vitamins & minerals to keep your body's resistance high.

Praetorian · Answer

Finals got over and finally i have a chance to read through all these wonderful posts. All the stories have a common theme - regular people in extraordinary situations, trying to live their dream. If thats not inspiring , then what is. 

Do you have a story to share? We would love to hear it. 

Praetorian

kayser1soze · Answer

a question for the people scored 700+

- how many hrs a week did you study? and how many months?
- on an average, based on observation or experience how many hrs a week would one need to put into prep if one is targeting 750+ score [assuming 40-50 hrs/week full time job] ??

any advice is welcome.

acquangel01 · Answer

hi!!!!!!!!new to this site!!!!!!!i gave my first attempt and the outcome was really terrible!!!!did not do well!!!!!!!!!thinking of giving it again?may be end march/april?anybody has any tips on how i should go about it?suggestions are welcome!!! :cry:

Paul · Answer

Hi, you might want to read this link: https://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=11176

Praetorian · Answer

Welcome to the club. do not worry. most dont do very well on their first attempt. its mostly nerves and in some cases, not enough preparation.
You may want to tell us how you prepped and what materials you used. 

Read the discussions in the Share your GMAT experience forum and the GMAT forum. I am sure they would be helpful.

Please feel at ease to ask any questions.

thanks
Praetorian

thenine · Answer

Thanks for the insperation....I am just starting to throw together my study plan for the second attempt at the GMAT. I like you did not have agreat first socre and was getting nervous about embarcking on this again.

Thanks for the story.

AJB77 · Answer

I still have more than a month to go before I sit for my GMAT. I can tell you that so far it has been one of the biggest challenges in my life to make time to study. I work 60-70 hours a week so it has been hell for the last 3 weeks. I can only pray that I don't fall sick

The only good news for me is this site. I can regularly visit here when I'm at work so that GMAT constantly stays in my mind.

BULLdoser · Answer

Hi I took GMAT last month but could mop up only 510(41Q,19V).I feel utterly depressed.Can you guide me in following fields,
1)I'm a full time worker.I can spend max 20 hrs in 7 days . From today onwards when should I schedule my 2nd attempt?(I'm now eyeing for GMAT only,regardless of admission itinerary).
2)Should I take it by 2005,otherwise ACT may change the test pattern FOLLOWED BY ETS
3) I've got these materials 
KAPLAN2005 +CD
PR2005+CD
KAP800
PR VERBAL(JUST PURCHSED)
PROF DAVE BOOK+CD
OG(LAST TIME I GOT THIS 5 DAYS PRIOR TO MY TEST)

rianah100 · Answer

Hi,
I am 37 yr old software engineer that is tired of not having a good career path. Married recently, would like to have kids and work FT. So far, it hasn't been too bad. I plan to take GMAT 4-6 weeks.

k12345 · Answer

Hi i got a 490 in my gmats i got 2 questions to ask

1) while i was in the math section i think i might have skipped 3 questions couz of lack of time ... and in the verbal i skipped 5 question couz of lack of time ... how many poins do u think i must have dropped by.. ??

2) with a 490 is there any hope

richavatsala · Answer

Hi,

I have been lurking around for a while...basically with the hectic schedule of my prep days didnt warrant me with much time to post at all.I was reading New Kid's post and was like...hey thats me.I took my gmat today and guess what I got a 510.I never expected such a low score in my dreams.2 months of hard work and dedication ruined in a second.\I am in a dilemma..when do i take the test again???Should i take it within 6 weeks or maybe after 3 months.\with a demanding work schedule which requires around 12-14 hrs daily,its difficult to leave the preps now and then come back again after a few weeks.\basically,once one gets the momentum..one keeps rolling...

really dejected.any pointers???

R

banerjeea_98 · Answer

I hear you ! It is very tough to balance GMAT and work. I know becose I have been there myself. However, I have always been a proponent of structured approach to GMAT. Unless one has a structured approach to this test, one can't just beat it by emotionally saying "I will kill this beast". I suggest you create a daily study schedule for yourself in an excel spreadsheet. This schedule shud address ur study needs based on ur weaknesses, which u need to first ponder on. With 510 score, I think u need to start again from the basics and then slowly build on getting skills. Kaplan verbal and math workouts are good to build on basics. Once u are done with basics, then join the club forums in full swing, specially Math forum. Offcourse based on your work schedule, you need to come up with the time frame for your next GMAT.


Good luck !

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