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lifeisshort
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Studying full-time, best daily strategy (time use) 01 Apr 2010, 14:38
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I'm currently not working & have no other obligations, thus, I'm able to dedicate 100% of my time and focus 100% of my energy into preparing for the GMAT (goal is 700+). I need to be eating, living, and breathing GMAT.

You may think this would be a simple matter, but I’m asking for advice. So, how would you recommend breaking up the day?

-What should be the total “target number” of study-hours in a day (min/max)?
-Should the number of consecutive hours of study be capped to a certain amount (min/max)?
-Should I pretend the weekends don't exist? At least one day off, or none at all?
-Tips on combating study fatigue & staying focused throughout the day?
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Studying full-time, best daily strategy (time use) 01 Apr 2010, 15:20
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lifeisshort
I'm currently not working & have no other obligations, thus, I'm able to dedicate 100% of my time and focus 100% of my energy into preparing for the GMAT (goal is 700+). I need to be eating, living, and breathing GMAT.

You may think this would be a simple matter, but I’m asking for advice. So, how would you recommend breaking up the day?

-What should be the total “target number” of study-hours in a day (min/max)?
-Should the number of consecutive hours of study be capped to a certain amount (min/max)?
-Should I pretend the weekends don't exist? At least one day off, or none at all?
-Tips on combating study fatigue & staying focused throughout the day?
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Your questions are very subjective, and no two study plans will be identical.

You need to figure out what you need to study. For some people, he/she can handle 10 hours per day, while others can only handle two or three hours per day.

Read debriefs in the share your gmat experience thread. This will give you an idea of what others have done.



Best of luck,
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Studying full-time, best daily strategy (time use) 01 Apr 2010, 15:43
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mohater
lifeisshort
I'm currently not working & have no other obligations, thus, I'm able to dedicate 100% of my time and focus 100% of my energy into preparing for the GMAT (goal is 700+). I need to be eating, living, and breathing GMAT.

You may think this would be a simple matter, but I’m asking for advice. So, how would you recommend breaking up the day?

-What should be the total “target number” of study-hours in a day (min/max)?
-Should the number of consecutive hours of study be capped to a certain amount (min/max)?
-Should I pretend the weekends don't exist? At least one day off, or none at all?
-Tips on combating study fatigue & staying focused throughout the day?


Your questions are very subjective, and no two study plans will be identical.

You need to figure out what you need to study. For some people, he/she can handle 10 hours per day, while others can only handle two or three hours per day.

Read debriefs in the share your gmat experience thread. This will give you an idea of what others have done.



Best of luck,
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There's no "one size fits all", obviously. Nevertheless, I'd still appreciate others to share their knowledge, lend their advice, and give specific answers to the above questions.
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Studying full-time, best daily strategy (time use) 02 Apr 2010, 12:06
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I posted a similar topic not long before you. Depends on your study style. Personally even in college I waited till the last minute, didn't go to class or do homework and crammed 12+ hour study sessions a couple days before the test. Worked well for me. Others need to do a little each day to retain. How long of "free time" do you have to study? I only have 6 weeks between jobs, so I'm studying 6-8 hours a day. I would say do 3 hours minimum, and not more than 12 hours.

Take a day off if you're feeling burned out. For me little breaks like going out to dinner with friends is enough to refresh me. And I don't plan on taking any days off. Again it's a matter of what works for you. I don't do well studying nonstop for long periods of time but sometimes even a 1-2 hour break is enough to re-energize you.

My college finals week: Study for 6 hours, sleep for 2 hours, repeat.
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Studying full-time, best daily strategy (time use) 02 Apr 2010, 16:29
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IMO, i don't think you can treat the GMAT the same you can treat a final exam. personally, even though i had a lot of free time during my gmat studying, i limited it to 2 hrs~ per day (except on days that i took full length tests, in which case it was 3 hrs).

a lot of the GMAT isn't necessarily knowledge based (like memorizing equations/formulas, definitions, dates); rather, it's more about having a good background knowledge of all of the materials, and then applying good test taking skills (pacing yourself, knowing when to skip questions, not freaking out) in order to do well. this can only come through practice practice and more practice to gain stamina and familiarity with the test.

so, to answer the OP's question, i'd say don't overdo it. just because you can dedicate 10 hours a day to the exam doesnt mean you should. as with most things in life, i'd say have a healthy balance and dont get stressed out by the exam prep.
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