Have you heard the expression “out of sight, out of mind”? To maintain a high level of GRE motivation, avoid taking too many days off from your studies. Of course, it’s OK to take a day off now and then, but don’t let one day turn into two, two turn into three, and so on.

The fact is, you must learn to prioritize GRE prep among all the other things you have going on in your life. I’m sure you’ll be constantly presented with more “fun” ways to spend your time, but you will need to learn to say no to those opportunities. For example:

• Thursday happy hour: Thank you, but no thank you. I need to prepare for the GRE.
• Brunch on Sunday: Sounds wonderful, but I need to study for my GRE.
• A weekend road trip: Sorry, I need to prepare for the GRE.
• Netflix binge-watching: No way! I need to prepare for my GRE.

Remember that the fewer non-essential and non-GRE-related activities you do, the more time you’ll have to prepare for the GRE and the less likely you’ll be to lose your motivation. Then, after you ace the GRE, you’ll have plenty of time for all the fun activities you missed out on.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep