GMAT prep - how I want to fix my studying

[blitz]

Hello to all,

Where to begin in this post is somewhat troubling. I thought I could crack the GMAT in just a few weeks of serious prep but I am terribly wrong.

My exam is scheduled in a little over 2 weeks from now and I although I thought I could have been ready, I really am not. I believe the main reason is because I really am not focussed. Although I have all the MGMAT guides, I have yet to even read the geometry and FDP guides. As well, I did not fully complete the word translations guide. For verbal, I went through the RC guide (just reading) and did about half of the SC guide (did not even start the CR guide). Of course, not of the 'advanced sections' have been read either. I've been going through the self-study classes but the last 3-4 I've done in succession without even doing the required homework (just by reading what I'm typing for my prep so really sounds like a disaster).

I did GMATPrep. I knew I had some work to do in quant.. but verbal really threw me off. Some of the RC passages I was barely reading and guessed on a bunch of them. Even the SC and CR seemed weird.

Here are my results from GMATPrep 1:

Total Score: 430 (Q29, V20) --> OUCH!


I was planning to do 50 hours per week of studying for the next 2 weeks. However, having already studied the last couple of weeks (not even getting close to 50 hours per week), I have already been feeling burnt out.


All is not lost
I believe I am going to postpone the exam until late September/early October. My school's R2 deadline is mid-October. I need to do the exam before the R2 deadline which makes a lot of sense. From now until then I will be busy with certain things (have another exam to study for and run my own consulting business which varies in how busy it actually gets).

I believe I can spend an average of 25 hours per week on GMAT studying from now until then (take out 1 week in August where I will be on vacation). Some weeks I will be able to spend more (i.e. 35 hours) while others may be cut down to 10-15 hours. I am about 12-13 weeks away from my exam date.


I think I need to develop a very clear study plan which is achievable and realistic for my time frame. I'm open to anyideas.

Here are materials I have:

All MGMAT guides (5 math, 3 verbal)
MGMAT OG Companion (for 12th edition quant only)
MGMAT Foundations of GMAT Math (completed April/May 2010)
MGMAT Guided Self-Study Prep Course (completed 8/9 lectures)
6 MGMAT CAT tests (none attempted)

OG 12th edition
OG Math 2nd edition
OG Verbal 2nd edition

Target Score: 700 (although I can live with 670-690)


Suggested study plan from a 700+ scorer:

Since my new exam date is going to be in approximately 12-13 weeks, I've set a study schedule which I will study for the GMAT approximately 20-25 hours per week. This allows me to complete 1 MGMAT guide per week (starting with the Math guides). The format would be as follows:

MGMAT math guide (for example: Number Properties):
Read the whole book (including advanced sections) and take notes. Taking notes is time consuming but it is important as it will help remember. Once the book is complete, re-read notes and important examples and then (and ONLY then) do the OG problems in OG 12th edition and OG quant (2nd edition).

Same process to repeat for all 5 MGMAT quant books.


For verbal: do 1 MGMAT guide per week. Take notes, study them and then do the OG problems 12th edition and OG verbal (2nd edition).


Assuming all goes well, that should take up 8-9 weeks of my prep. Then, the last 3-5 weeks will be focussed on doing MGMAT CATs (6), GMAT Prep 1 & 2 and many problems from the OG which I had difficulty in (or got wrong).

Have gotten mixed reviews about an error log. Need to see which type of error log will work best for me as some people have told me it is very time consuming and may add little value.


Would appreciate some feedback.


Thanks!

BLITZ

[StaceyKoprince]

Goal score: 670, ideally 700
Time: 2 weeks originally; postponing to late Sep / early Oct

Read the whole book (including advanced sections) and take notes. Taking notes is time consuming but it is important as it will help remember. Once the book is complete, re-read notes and important examples and then (and ONLY then) do the OG problems in OG 12th edition and OG quant (2nd edition).

That's not how I would do it. :) This is what I would do:

Read a chapter. Do the in-action problems at the end of the chapter. You don't necessarily need to do them all. If they're really easy, skip to some of the harder ones. If they're really hard, go back to the chapter again or even go back to the Foundations of Math book.

Then, do a couple of OG problems - easier (lower-numbered) if you found the material difficult, or medium if you found the material not too bad. Just get a taste for how this material tends to get tested by OG.

Then go to the next chapter and repeat. After you have finished the general chapters, do a mixed set of easy-to-medium OG problems across all of those chapters. MIXED - so that you don't know what type of problem you're about to do next. Don't do them all, just some.

(NOTE: if you still have access to the class recordings, watch the class after finishing the general chapters but before doing your mixed OG set.)

If you found any chapters very easy, then go do the advanced chapter for that topic (you can do this before watching the tape). Otherwise, don't worry about the advanced chapters yet.

Then move to the next book and repeat. At any point that you feel you've mastered (or mostly mastered) a regular chapter, then you can start to try the advanced material - this may not come until weeks later when you're reviewing. If you continue to feel fairly shaky with a chapter, then you may never try the advanced material for that chapter. You do not need to do all of the advanced material in order to score 670 to 700.

After you've done an advanced chapter, do some OG questions from that chapter (again, don't start with the hardest and again, don't do them all).

After you've finished the second book, make your mixed OG set from the first AND second books, not just the second book. After you've finished the third book, make your mixed OG set from the first 3 books. And so on.

After you do any official-format problem (whether from OG or MGMAT), analyze your work thoroughly. Use this article to help: http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/10/09 ... ce-problem

At the end of a study session, write down:
(a) what you learned / got better at that day
(b) any weaknesses you identified that day
(c) any careless mistake tendencies or other bad habits you identified that day
(d) the 3 to 5 major things you learned that day that you want to make sure you remember

At the beginning of a study session, look through your end-of-session notes from the last few sessions.

Next, I do NOT think you should save your 6 CATs for the last 3 to 5 weeks. I think you should take one now, under 100% official conditions (including essays), and then use this article to analyze your strengths and weaknesses:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/09/23 ... tice-tests

Then use that knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses to help develop your study plan. You may be able to tell from the test, for example, that you can do the advanced chapter for quadratic equations right now, but you're probably going to have to wait on doing advanced geometry chapters.

Then, maybe halfway through your study of the books, take another practice test. Don't expect much from your score; the idea is to (a) gain practice in a simulated testing situation, (b) test yourself on the things you've tried to learn so far, and (c) get a new read on your strengths and weaknesses so that you can continue to customize your study plan. Do the same thing at the end of your 8-9 weeks (so take three tests total over your "review of the books" period).

If you haven't already read this one, here's an article about how to learn from your errors:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/04/ ... our-errors

[blitz]

Hi Stacey,

Thanks so much for your advice! It's a lot to process in a 5 minute read. I'm going to revise my study schedule accordingly.

We will be in touch.

[StaceyKoprince]

Good luck - let us know how it goes!