You have a busy schedule, and test prep isn’t typically at the top of your list. That’s why the competitive mindset we teach is so important. It takes real discipline to plan out your prep time in advance and to stick to that schedule. Most students unfortunately do not have any kind of structured plan for test prep, so if you do follow through on a plan you will be ahead of the curve. Never forget that you are in a competition, and true competitors build the work ethic they need to gain an advantage. During breaks from school it is important to take some time to recharge and refresh prior to jumping back into all of your tasks when school resumes, but these times are some of the best opportunities you will have for locking in solid score gains. Everything just has to be balanced properly.
Can you set aside 2 hours a day? If that doesn’t sound possible, then how about 1 hour? If your reaction to that is still extremely negative, can you give me 30 minutes? Is it really impossible? If you still think it is, can you do 30 minutes every other day? Surely at least one of these levels of effort feels feasible to you. Push yourself. What is the highest level of effort you can consistently commit to? Are these questions a bit annoying, or will you follow through on your commitment to have a positive, competitive mindset? This is your process. Be ambitious, but don’t set yourself up to fail by setting a crazy goal. Think about the break. Will you be traveling? Are you able to set up a distraction-free environment? How much time every day or every other day will you be able to put in? The answer can’t be zero if you want your best score.
Now that you have a realistic goal of how much time you will be able to dedicate to high quality test prep, pick the days and the times. Mark them on your calendar. Don’t just read the sentences and put it off for later: complete each step right now. There’s no benefit to waiting, only a risk that your scores won’t get optimized efficiently. Did you fill out your calendar yet? If you have to switch one of the slots around because plans changed, that’s ok. Don’t let uncertainty about what you will be doing stop you from blocking off those times.
Do you know what you’ll be spending those times working on? Put notes in the times you have in your calendar. Are you going to be watching specific videos or completing certain problems? Are you going to be reviewing your work from a practice section? Do these questions feel a bit annoying at this point or are you feeling more excited about where your score is going to be after you put in this work? Can you block off enough time to take 1 full practice test? Keep in mind that blocking off this time and committing to it properly will allow you to politely tell everyone that they have to leave you alone completely while you are working. Please be respectful and courteous to everyone around you if you need to establish that rule.
Are you feeling good about your plan? Did you actually put a plan together while reading this or did you shrug that off? Here’s another chance to go back and actually answer the questions and make progress if you haven’t done so already. If you do, your scores will get better. This is all part of the competitive mindset you have to have. Take action. Be confident. Your hard work will pay off!
Email us (info@menkingtutoring) if you have any questions about how to make sure your prep plan over your next break is as productive as possible.