Below is a practical, high-achiever–style plan adapted to your goal (TOEIC 900), constraints (18 hrs/week), preferences (practice tests + digital tools), and challenges (procrastination, poor focus, weak vocab retention). It gives exact daily timing, proven techniques, mindset reframes, recommended resources, and a 7-day starter action plan you can begin immediately.
1) Daily schedule (exact times & durations)
You have 18 hours/week → allocate 2.5–3 hours on six days, with one lighter day for review/mental rest. High-achievers use consistent short blocks, focused bursts, and built-in recovery.
Suggested weekly pattern:
Monday–Saturday: 3 hours/day = 18 hours
Sunday: Rest or 30–45 min light review optional (not required)
Daily timing (example for typical day when you can study morning + evening; adjust to your actual routine but keep rhythms):
Intensive Reading practice (TOEIC-style passages, timed)
20:00–20:30 — Short Active Recall/Anki session (30 min)
Vocabulary + error flashcards
20:40–21:00 — Main Evening Block 2 (20 min)
Grammar focused micro-lessons (targeted weak points)
Total daily = 25 + 30 + 50 + 30 + 20 = 155 min ≈ 2 hours 35 min (rounded ~2.6 hours). Six days → ~15.6 hours; to reach 18 hours, add a 50–60 min weekend mock test or extend one weekday by 30–40 min (see 7-day plan where Saturday has a full practice test).
Key micro-rules:
Use 50-min focused work + 10-min break for main blocks (some days use 25/5 Pomodoro if you struggle focusing).
During breaks: stand, hydrate, eye rest — no social media.
Start each session with a clear single objective (e.g., “one passage accuracy 85% under 20 minutes”).
Finish each day with a 5-min “what I learned / next target” note.
2) Techniques — exact methods to use
High-achievers combine evidence-based learning techniques adapted to TOEIC format:
Active recall
Self-test first: before looking at notes, try to answer vocabulary or grammar prompts.
After each practice passage, write down the main idea + 3 question types you missed.
Spaced repetition (SRS)
All new vocabulary, troublesome idioms, and error patterns go into SRS (Anki or Quizlet with spaced intervals).
Create two card types: recognition (definition → word) and production (word → definition + sample TOEIC sentence).
Focus management
Pomodoro variants:
50/10 for deeper reading/listening.
25/5 for vocab drills or when focus is poor.
Use website/app blockers during study windows (Cold Turkey, Freedom).
Practice test strategy (high-achiever approach)
Weekly timed full or half TOEIC tests under exam conditions.
Immediately: mark answers, then do a targeted error analysis session (do NOT just see score).
Create error tags (Listening: Part 2 confusions; Reading: Inference questions; Vocabulary: word families) and add to SRS.
Interleaving and mixed practice
Don’t do only vocabulary or only listening for long stretches. Mix types within a session (e.g., listening mini-test then a reading passage) to improve transfer.
Retrieval plus elaboration
For each new word, use it in a short sentence relevant to TOEIC contexts (work/email/announcement).
Explain grammar rules aloud in plain English and create 1–2 example sentences.
Metacognitive review
Weekly review of progress metrics (accuracy by question type, time per question) and adjust focus.
3) Mindset — how a high-achiever reframes your specific challenges
Procrastination → “Procrastination is a habit, not a character flaw.” Break it by lowering the entry barrier: start with a 5-min micro-task (e.g., open Anki and review 5 cards). High-achievers make starting automatic, not heroic.
Lack of focus → “Focus is a muscle.” Train it with progressive overload: begin with 25-minute focused rounds and increase to 50 minutes. Track sessions and celebrate streaks (visual progress is motivating).
Weak vocabulary retention → “Knowledge without retrieval decays; retention is the product of testing and spacing.” Treat vocabulary as production tasks (use words in sentences + SRS) instead of passive reading.
Outcome orientation → Shift from “I must score 900” to daily process goals (“Today I’ll improve Part 7 skimming speed by 20%”). This lowers anxiety and increases consistent effort.
Failure reframing → Errors are data, not proof of inability. High-achievers keep an “error log” and use it as a map for targeted practice.
4) Resources — exact tools, books, platforms for your context (practice tests + digital, SRS-friendly)
High-achievers pick high-quality, exam-specific materials and digital systems:
Digital tools
Anki (free desktop + mobile): SRS for vocab and error cards. Use Cloze and sentence cards.
07:30–08:00: Listening drills focused on Part 2 (single-response questions).
19:00–19:50: Timed mixed practice (Parts 5–7 short set).
20:00–20:30: Error analysis + add 8 SRS cards.
20:40–21:00: Light review & relaxation ritual (prepare mentally for Saturday full test).
Day 6 (Sat) — Full mock + deep review (3.5–4 hrs)
09:00–12:00 — Full TOEIC mock test (Listening + Reading, timed). This is the week’s keystone session. Strict exam conditions (no phone).
12:10–13:00 — Immediate error analysis: categorize every mistake and add 20–30 Anki cards (vocab, grammar, traps).
19:00–19:30 — Light review of highest-frequency errors (don’t overload — focus on top 5 recurring errors).
(If you need to hit 18 exact hours, extend this day by 30–60 min creating SRS cards.)
