Feedback:11-Day "Last Push" Study Plan (For Stacey Koprince)

[james.jt.wu]

Hi Stacey,

Apologies for the duplicate - I posted this originally as a response to your comments in one of the BeatTheGMAT articles. Since I am a MGMAT Student I figure it is probably more appropriate to post this here instead.

I hope to get your thoughts on my plan of attack for the next 12 days before GMAT, if you don't mind.

A quick summary of my progress thus far:

1.) Took MGMAT 9-week Classroom course last summer
2.) Resumed studying this January, on and off, and finished the core curriculum in June (minus the Green and Purple Supplementary questions, which I'm saving for this last push)
3.) Thus far I have taken four MGMAT practice tests:

a.) Overall Score: 720-770
b.) Quant Score: 48-50
c.) Verbal Score: 40-45

4.) Recently gone through all of the OG questions I've done (Math and SC), re-did questions I either gone wrong or unsure of and noted improvement areas. I also redid questions I got wrong on the practice tests.

If you're thinking "wow what a model student", I am about to break your heart. I have real troubles with timing (even though I do all practice questions timed). During the practice tests above (especially the 770 one), I had to pause multiple times during the test due to anxiety, and I didn't do the essay questions either. Therefore, the scores are absolutely inflated, and I feel awful every time I read a post by you that warns people not to do this.

Now, I do think I have a shot at my target score (720+) - I usually find that questions I pause on I end up getting wrong anyway. The real benefit of pausing is to calm my nerves so I can keep going with the test.

I am going to be on vacation until the 14th, and I really hope you can help me put together a "last push" plan to get my target score (720+). I am going to get about 10 hours each day to study from now till the 14th. Despite my less-than-ideal practice test setup, I do know all of the 700+ materials well, and I just need to execute it right.

Here is a high-level overview of what I'm looking to do from now till 8/14. Can you provide some feedback?

Week 1 - 8/1 - 8/6

1.) Analyze all 4 practice tests to understand strength and weakness
2.) Use Green and Purple Supplementary book to target weaknesses
3.) Take remaining MGMAT Test #5 and #6, timed, with essays, no excuses

Week 2 - 8/7 -8/13

1.) Continue Green and Purple Supplementary books for target treatment
2.) Take GMATPrep Test #1 and #2
3.) Finish last batch of target treatments
4.) Chill on 8/13 (I know this is important)

A note about the practice tests - I know you're not supposed to be taking practice tests in such frequency, but I find my biggest problem is stamina, timing, and anxiety management. I really need to get used to taking 3.5 hour tests and doing more tests is the only way that I can improve on this area.

Optional Activities - Do you think any of the following should be bumped into my 2 week plan?
1.) Weekly Challenge Archive
2.) MGMAT Question Banks
3.) GMATPrep Flashcards
4.) Already ruled out - PowerScore CR Bible
5.) Other activities that I am leaving out?

I apologize for the long post and I really think I have a good shot at getting a score if I spend my time wisely, be disciplined in my practice tests, and manage my anxiety appropriately.

Thank you Stacey for your help. GMAT is one of the most stressful ordeal I've ever had to go through, and you and the MGMAT Staff have gotten me a long way. Please just help me push through this last two weeks! (and please don't make me feel worse about my practice tests than I already am )

Regards,

James

[StaceyKoprince]

1. Check your BTG PMs.

2. Be very careful not to burn yourself out - 2 hours studying, then stop for AT LEAST one hour (ideally 2) before doing more. You can't cram - your brain won't remember it all. And the more you try to put in on the same day, the worse your brain will be at creating good long-term memories of that material.

2a. Really, be careful. I just spoke with a student today who did exactly that - spent 10 hours a day for the last two weeks - and he totally burned himself out by test day and scored 100 points lower than he wanted. He's mad at himself now about burning himself out.

3. NEVER use the pause button. NEVER. Well, okay, if your house is on fire. That's the ONLY exception. (I'm not just being funny - I'm actually serious, as well!)

4. You know those 5 to 6 questions on which you just can't resist pausing? Those are the same ones on which you should be making guesses within the designated timeframe. I would be willing to bet that you probably know by the 1min mark or so that this one's going to be one of "those" problems. That's immediately when you try to make an educated guess. Then move on at or before the average time expected for that type of question (2m on quant).

5. Most people have to do what I described in #4 between 4 and 7 times in each section. (Well, they should be doing it. Lots of people don't cut themselves off and then get into trouble.)

6. If you do not do what I described in #4, then you are really running a big risk of having a not-fun experience on test day.

Read this article:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... s-on-quant

This Saturday, go to BTG to see my next article on building a Game Plan in your last 14 days. Use the general process to practice what I've described above.

Finally, your last 10 to 14 days need to be about comprehensive review. Don't try to learn a bunch of new stuff. You're already doing well with the content, as evidenced by your practice test scores (though, yes, those scores may be inflated due to skipping the essays, and yes, if you don't fix that quant pause habit, then you may have a nasty drop on test day). Review. Content, technique, pacing, educated guessing, etc. Review, major areas only.

[james.jt.wu]

I will be careful about burn-outs :) I am curious - I actually don't feel much burn out... but actually enjoying the experience (except when I pause on practice tests) - what happened to that student of yours? Was he or she strong with the content already, or was she weak in the content and just tried to cram everything in?


My priority for the next 10 day:

1.) 2-3 more practice test (including two GMAT Preps) - I know the contents, but need to pace. If I pace well, I will do well on this test it's pretty simple. No more pausing... if I feel the need to pause, I'm just going to guess and move on. Key to high score is not get a gazillion 700-800 questions right (even though I can get them if I get more than 3 mins), it's about getting the 600-700 all correct, and then snag a few hard questions here and there. This was enough to get me a 770 on practice tests.

2.) Run analysis on what areas I tend to get stuck on, drill on the guides again, drill on the OG questions I did before.

3.) Finish the 600-800 level questions left on the Green and Purple Supplementary Guides (30 sets at a time, no stop, no bathroom, not even if house on fire) - I use these to practice strategic guessing... though they're not that hard :(

4.) Attend Ron's Thursdays (I find them fun - call me a nerd)

5.) Err... I don't have a 5th item, I just felt like you always have 3-5 bullets oh I'm blanking out. Well, I will keep you posted on how my next practice test goes (WITH ESSAYS, WITHOUT PAUSING).


Thanks again for your help.
James

1. Check your BTG PMs.

2. Be very careful not to burn yourself out - 2 hours studying, then stop for AT LEAST one hour (ideally 2) before doing more. You can't cram - your brain won't remember it all. And the more you try to put in on the same day, the worse your brain will be at creating good long-term memories of that material.

2a. Really, be careful. I just spoke with a student today who did exactly that - spent 10 hours a day for the last two weeks - and he totally burned himself out by test day and scored 100 points lower than he wanted. He's mad at himself now about burning himself out.

3. NEVER use the pause button. NEVER. Well, okay, if your house is on fire. That's the ONLY exception. (I'm not just being funny - I'm actually serious, as well!)

4. You know those 5 to 6 questions on which you just can't resist pausing? Those are the same ones on which you should be making guesses within the designated timeframe. I would be willing to bet that you probably know by the 1min mark or so that this one's going to be one of "those" problems. That's immediately when you try to make an educated guess. Then move on at or before the average time expected for that type of question (2m on quant).

5. Most people have to do what I described in #4 between 4 and 7 times in each section. (Well, they should be doing it. Lots of people don't cut themselves off and then get into trouble.)

6. If you do not do what I described in #4, then you are really running a big risk of having a not-fun experience on test day.

Read this article:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... s-on-quant

This Saturday, go to BTG to see my next article on building a Game Plan in your last 14 days. Use the general process to practice what I've described above.

Finally, your last 10 to 14 days need to be about comprehensive review. Don't try to learn a bunch of new stuff. You're already doing well with the content, as evidenced by your practice test scores (though, yes, those scores may be inflated due to skipping the essays, and yes, if you don't fix that quant pause habit, then you may have a nasty drop on test day). Review. Content, technique, pacing, educated guessing, etc. Review, major areas only.

[StaceyKoprince]

Was he or she strong with the content already, or was she weak in the content and just tried to cram everything in?

Decently strong on content already, though with some mistakes in terms of stamina preparation (eg, not doing essays on practice tests). The primary cause was burnout though. The student was even suffering from insomnia that last week.

Ok, it sounds like you have a plan. Good luck - let us know how it goes!