Guidelines for GRE Preparation While Working

The big question is, how do you study for the GRE while working?

By itself, studying for the GRE is not an easy endeavor. When you have a full-time job, studying for the test is harder. Are you unsure about how to mix GRE preparation with a full-time job? Do you worry about how to study effectively for the GRE without going crazy? Are you interested in learning how to study for the GRE while working?

Tip #1: Be Proactive in Making GRE Study Time

The biggest secret to preparing for the GRE while working is being relentlessly proactive in scheduling your GRE study time. You must make studying each day non-negotiable.

You must commit to preparing for the GRE and schedule time each day to execute your GRE prep plan. Remember: there is only time for the things for which we make time.

When working full-time, you must carve out time for personal growth and development. Otherwise, you may find that your days become occupied with only the demands of your job and that, as a result, you experience self-stagnation. Don’t let stagnation occur! Your first step toward career progression is to create time each day for GRE studying. Making your GRE prep a top priority for a few months will pay huge dividends over your lifetime.

Tip #2: Be Realistic About How Long It Will Take to Prepare for the GRE

When you’re realistic about how long it will take to prepare for the GRE, you’re setting yourself up for success. If you’re unrealistic, you’ll always be rushed and unnecessarily stressed.

Preparing for the GRE is tough enough while working. The last thing you want is to have to rush or be under unnecessary pressure. Most people find that their GRE prep takes more time than expected.  

Tip #3: Do the Bulk of Your GRE Prep in the Morning

A secret to preparing for the GRE while working is to wake up early and finish your GRE study before you leave for work.

If you leave your GRE prep for after work, you’ll likely find that a few things happen:

• You’re too tired to study, so you skip studying.
• You have limited time to study.
• The studying you do is not that productive.
• You have a more challenging time concentrating.
• You retain less of what you learn.

When you study for the GRE in the morning before you leave for work, you’ll tend to see that:

• You study with much more regularity.
• Your study time is much more efficient.
• You get more done.
• You have better concentration.
• You retain more of what you study.

A secret to preparing for the GRE while working is to wake up early and finish your GRE study before you leave for work. So, go to bed early on weeknights and wake up early on weekday mornings. Get some coffee and spend two hours studying before work. Your brain and body will be well-rested and ready to absorb new information.

There is also something satisfying about beginning the day by doing something for yourself, something that will help you grow and will have a positive impact on your future. By the time you get to work, you’ll have put in a good amount of study time — what a great feeling to have in the morning!

Tip #4: Study for the GRE on Your Way to Work (If Possible)

If you’re able to, using your morning commute to prepare for the GRE is an excellent use of time. Ride the subway into the office? Drill your GRE flashcards.  

Similarly, if you’re taking a car to a meeting, use that time to master some vocabulary words. On flights to other cities to see clients, watch GRE videos, take some good notes, and review your error log. You get the idea! You may start looking forward to traveling to work — travel time could become your prime GRE study time.

Now, if you drive, you can study, too! Listening and recalling in the car is a great way to get in a lot of study time. How? You can pre-record a list of the vocabulary words or math formulas you need to know, with built-in pauses that allow you to say them aloud as you are (safely) driving. Then you can listen to the correct answer and check your response. Another great option is to listen to a GRE podcast. Of course, your primary focus must be on driving. Safety first!

Tip #5: Use Your Lunch Break for GRE Prep

Your lunch hour is another optimal time to study for the GRE. Rather than go out for lunch, head to a quiet place, break out your GRE materials, and have a GRE power hour! You could bring a healthy meal replacement shake or a premade sandwich to work, so you don’t spend time procuring or preparing lunch. Use the saved time to prepare for the GRE.

You will best learn in strategic, well-spaced chunks. If you study in the morning before work, by lunchtime, your brain will have had time to store what you studied. So, continue exploring the topics you worked on in the morning. Your lunch break is the perfect time to tackle practice questions and reinforce the morning’s topics.

Tip #6: Get Some Exercise After Work

Exercise has proven health benefits. Besides being essential for the body, exercise is just as necessary for the brain. Exercise balances and recalibrates neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Without this recalibration, it’s easy to feel stressed and anxious. These emotions are never optimal for learning and growth. In addition, exercise substantially improves your ability to learn and process new information. Since you know all this, get some exercise after work!

Go for a run, take a long walk, hit the weights, or do some yoga. If you’re a multi-tasker, hit the elliptical or the treadmill at the gym and review your notes or flashcards during your workout — just be careful! Evening exercise is a great way to de-stress, leave the day behind, and prepare for a productive evening of studying.

Tip #7: Use Your Evenings to Master the GRE

Of course, you’d rather go for martinis or see a movie than spend the evening studying for the GRE. We feel you there. However, if earning a good GRE score is important for your future success, evenings must be a time for GRE prep.  

Once you get home, take another hour or two to engage in GRE work. You may be a bit tired. So, depending on your stamina, this study session might be better spent reinforcing what you’ve already learned rather than starting a new topic. For example, if you studied ratio questions in the morning and reviewed them during lunch, the evening may be an excellent time to work through several high-value ratio practice problems. Once you get tired, stop studying and relax. Studying when you’re too tired to retain information makes no sense.

Tip #8: Cut Out Unnecessary Stuff in Your Life

There is no getting around the fact that preparing for the GRE is time-consuming. To find the necessary study time, you’ll have to cut out the unnecessary stuff in your life.

Sit down and list the things in your life that demand your time. Then rank these things from most important to least important. Take a hard look at the items low on the list. Could you, temporarily, pause these things?

No one wants to cut out what they enjoy. However, you can think of these temporary pauses as an investment in your future. For example, you could skip a weekly poker game, stop watching Netflix, or postpone a vacation.

Tip #9: Hit Your GRE Prep Hard on Weekends

The weekend is a wonderful time to accelerate your GRE prep. Wake up early on Saturday and Sunday morning and head to a cozy coffee shop. Get yourself something healthy to eat, and then spend the morning mastering the GRE.

There is so much you can work on. You could begin working through new material, review past material, or do a mix of the two. Try your best to study until lunch time.

If you follow this study plan, by Sunday night each week, you’ll likely have logged 20 or more hours of GRE study, an amount that, over a few months, can lead to a substantial increase in your score. Always keep your eyes on the prize! These few months of commitment are an investment that will pay dividends throughout your career.

As you move closer to your GRE test day, you’ll want to take your full-length GRE practice tests on Saturday or Sunday. At this point, you may choose to move your studying back home or to a private room at the library. You’ll want to be able to focus on these practice tests, and a coffee shop may make doing so hard.

TIP #10: Be Strategic with Your Vacation Time

Of course, you’d rather head to Aspen to ski or to Bimini to snorkel with dolphins. We would too, to be honest. However, you could strategically use your vacation time to prepare for the GRE. For example, if you have four weeks of vacation a year, you could devote three of them to GRE study.

Take one week early in your GRE preparation to get a jump start on your prep. Then, save the other two weeks to use during the practice test phase of your GRE prep.

Many dedicated professionals skip using their earned vacation time because of their work commitments. We understand this situation, to a degree. Job performance is important. However, with something as important as doing well on the GRE, it’s probably well worth it to take your vacation time and use it to invest in your future.

Now, if you can’t take a few weeks off, you could instead begin to take some days off here and there. For example, maybe twice a month you could take a Friday off. Then hit the books hard on those days.

Tip #11: Use Time Between Jobs to Study for the GRE

If you’re switching jobs during your GRE prep, you could arrange things so that you have a few weeks or even a month-long break. Then, use that time to hit the GRE books hard. As we’ve seen so far, the key to effective GRE prep is being strategic and creative with making time to study. Many little strategic moves can add up to a bunch of productive GRE prep time!

Tip #12: Plan Your GRE Prep Around Slow Periods at Your Job

Many businesses have periods that are less demanding. It would be wise to schedule your GRE prep during these times. For example, if the duties of your current job are lighter during the late winter and early spring, those months would be a great time to prepare for the GRE. Unless you absolutely have to, try not to schedule your GRE prep during the busy periods at your job.

Tip #13: Always Have Your GRE Materials Handy

Make a point of always having your GRE materials with you wherever you go. You never know when you’ll have a few spare moments to get in some GRE study.  

Tip #14: Get Your Tribe Invested in Your GRE Success

It can be helpful to let your friends and family know that you’ll be offline for some time while you prep for the GRE. Let them know what you will, and will not, be able to do. Better yet, rally your tribe to be your champions and get them invested in your GRE success. Have them cheer you on! Then you can celebrate with them once you earn a top score on GRE.

Tip #15: Prepare with Accurate, Applicable, Efficient, and Effective Material

When you’re working a full-time job, you can make your life easier by using GRE prep materials that are accurate, applicable, efficient, and effective. Not all GRE prep materials are created equal. So, it’s important to do your research and find the best materials available.