How do I deal with brain fatigue ?

Question

When I'm practicing verbal reasoning questions, after having done about 30 questions(30 minutes) I begin to get incredibly sleepy, so much so that I can't keep my head up. I want to increase this capacity so that I'm able to get the most of the lockdown. How do I go about this ?

mykrasovski · Answer

Sounds like you are cramming through a lot of questions. It is almost never a good idea to slam through a bunch of questions. In GMAT prep, quality >> quantity. If you have time, do a set of Verbal questions, take a short break, and then do a set of quant questions. Iterate.

Then take another break and review your errors. A good rule of thumb is to invest into review 2x of time you spent into doing questions.

Then take another break and review your errors. A good rule of thumb is to invest into review 2x of time you spent into doing questions.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

This link may be of interest: https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-do-you-d ... fl=similar

bb · Answer

I would suggest reading books and fiction. Spending time reading and processing information for lengthy periods of time. My suggestions is gmat fiction.

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ARIEN3228 · Answer

First: 30 questions in 30 minutes- wrong approach !! I suggest you alter this method. Focus on Quality over Quantity. If you are doing this method to improve speed, give yourself atleast 105 secs per question.

Second : I read somewhere that on an average human brain is capable of functioning at its peak for 40 minutes during study. Now, If one wants to build stamina, improve concentration he/she should train his/her brain. Get into the habit of reading. Start off with reading stuff that you like.

Third: If you are able to squeeze out 30 mins in a day, please invest those minutes in some physical activity. You will see its benefits immediately. Home workouts are buzzing these days. Meditation could also help.

Last but not the least EAT well, SLEEP well.

Dont study for GMAT, Train for it.

unraveled · Answer

I would not vote for 30 Questions in 30 minutes either verbal or quant. And, thinking that in this lockdown you should utilize it as much as possible is a wrong idea. This is bound to fail you as under too crunch a situation you are going to make mistake even trivial ones.

I agree mostly with Arien and would add that you should consider breathe exercise during preparation. I never thought it is helpful but since nothing was paying good i tried breathing activity, improving a lot at least in reducing in mental fatigue which is most important during actual test.

Consider it..!!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ConfusedParrot,

Based on what you describe, there could be a number of factors that are causing you to get tired. Do you get this tired when you work on Quant questions? What type of environment are you studying in and what time of day are you typically studying (re: are you studying more often at the end of the day)?

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

ccooley · Answer

This might not really be a GMAT-related problem at its core. I'm not a doctor, but I wonder how good your sleep hygiene is in general! Think about things like: do you usually feel well-rested while doing things other than solving GMAT problems? Do you need a lot of coffee to get through your day? Here's a starting point for some reading on the topic: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/s ... giene.html It's normal to struggle with focus during a marathon Verbal session, or towards the end of your official (or practice test) Verbal section. But this sounds like it's beyond what most people experience, so you may have a deeper issue to address here that won't just be resolved with GMAT-related work.

freedom128 · Answer

30 Questions in 30 minutes either Verbal or Quant?

Well, do it incrementally. If you don't do incrementally, you definitely feel exhausted. Gmat prep is a progressive marathon, not a sprint. 
 
Start with 30 questions in 60 mins for both Q and V. Rest well. 
Then, try 30 questions in 50 mins for both Q and V. Don't forget to take a few hours break. 
Later, try 30 questions in 45 mins for both Q and V. Rest well again. 
Finally, Then, try 30 questions in 40 mins for both Q and V. Rest well and reflect what went wrong.

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How do I deal with brain fatigue ?

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