Let me share with you my experience,
i studied around 6 hours or less per day for five months. and the rest of the day i used to watch movies, go outside for food, tea, burger, shwarma etc with friends. this is what i used to do in lahore. but once in a while when i would visit home for a few days i never touched books. I do remember the day before my first CSS paper i.e Essay and Precis, it was friday and i used my whole day in shopping to buy new dresses for exam days, and at night i slept earlier so as to take exam with fresh mind.
Now, the whole idea is,
i studied in a managed way, i only studied what i deemed important, my direction was firm and i did not bother wasting my time over unimportant things. I used to cover 1 topic from 1 good source and i never touched multiple sources for a single topic. I never took tension about the time that i consumed in studying.. I only studied when i really wanted to, and i never put undue pressure on myself for that, except during exam days. I slept, i enjoyed, i partied, i studied, i qualified and i got allocated into my beloved Group Alhamdulillah.
I know, not every one thinks like that, but be purposeful, be productive, be qualitative. Be cool, be calm and relax.
Your brain is a masterpiece. sometimes it figures out things itself without even asking you. you have got all the answers in some of your brain's vaults.. it will open them itself, you just have to keep it happy. Don't overrule your brain, this will hamper its efficient functionality, rather do counseling with it and move with mutual understanding.
If you could manage your studies and keep a general idea of where are you moving, then even 6 hours are more than enough per day... only if you focus and understand.
Give CSS only what it wants.. it does not need your blood, or your happy moments. so don't push 'your
self' into it or you will get crushed.
Note that, Everyone has right to contradict.
Regards,
Faisal Karim Qureshi
41st CTP (OMG)