How to create a schedule for the 10 Strat. Guides (5th ed.)

[kirant88]

Hi,
After having done some research and having attended a Webinar on beatthegmat.com where Liz from MGMAT gave a presentation on IR, I fell in love with the Manhattan GMAT.
I bought the 10 Strategy Guides (5th Edition). I read through the MGMAT Roadmap Guide and found out that my Gameplan is the most important. Every time I sit to prepare my GMAT Study Schedule/Syllabus, I don't know where to start from and how to go about doing it. It is quite nerve wrecking.
Is it possible to obtain the Study Syllabus from MGMAT. Can someone provide me a Study Syllabus to follow. I found a sample syllabus on MGMAT forum, is it possible to obtain the entire syllabus for those who have bought the 10 strategy guides?
I need some help on getting me started.

Kiran

[StaceyKoprince]

Good questions. I'm not sure whether the course syllabus is open to the public - you'll have to ask our Student Services department:

studentservices@manhattangmat.com
US and Canada: 800.576.GMAT
skype: m.gmat

Next, I can tell you a good general format to follow. On your first pass through the material, you're going to go over everything. (Later, you'll only return to certain areas to review weaknesses, etc.)

Start by reading a particular chapter, doing some of the problems at the end of the chapter (don't need to do all - if you're getting it, move on to the next chapter - but do try some). Try a couple of OG problems after doing a chapter, but don't do the whole problem set - save most problems for later.

After completing a few chapters in the same book, try doing a mixed set of OG questions (so that you don't know exactly what you're getting - you have to figure it out, just like on the real test).

As you finish a second book, third book, etc, again do mixed sets of OG questions.

Also, look here:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ould-i-do/

If you'd like, once you devise your study plan, come back and share it with us here; we'll tell you what we think.

Big Note: you're not making a plan that will take you all the way till test day. Your first big plan is to get through all of the material once. After that, you'll create another plan that will be customized to your own strengths and weaknesses.

[kirant88]

Hi Stacey,

Thank you very much for your reply.

To get myself started, I created a schedule by looking at the "Bird's Eye View of Class" page from the sample MGMAT Syllabus. I merged the "In Class" section with the "At Home" section.
As I cannot attach my Schedule which I created on Excel, here's the schedule for the 1st 3 weeks, and my basic approach.

1st Week:
FDPs: Reading all the chapters of this strategy guide and solving all the problems at the end of each chapters. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter.

SC: Reading the 1st 3 chapters and solving all the problems at the end of each chapter. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter.

2nd Week:
Algebra: Reading 1st 4 chapters and solving all the problems at the end of each chapter. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter.

SC: Reading the 4th chapter and solving all the problems at the end of this chapter. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after this chapter.

RC: Reading the 1st 3 chapters and solving the problems at the end of this chapter. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter.

3rd Week:
Algebra: Reading the remaining chapters and solving all the problems at the end of each chapters. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter.

SC: Reading the 5th chapter and solving all the problems at the end of this chapter. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after this chapter.

RC: Reading the 4th chapter and solving all the problems at the end of this chapter. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after this chapter.

CR: Reading the 1st 2 chapters and solving the problems at the end of this chapter. And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter.


I will also be going through the MGMAT CAT exams on the 1st/2nd, 6th and 7th week.
During my extra time I will see the Thursday with Ron Videos, and the videos on Khan Academy.
And as written on Roadmap Guide, I am not spending more than 2 hours on one strategy guide.

This is the schedule for the 1st three weeks. My basic approach is to read all the Strategy guides and solve the OG 13th ed. problems after every chapter. I wish to complete this within 8 - 9 weeks.

For my final preparation, I will note down my weaknesses (using the results of my CAT Exams) and re-read the appropriate chapters to strengthen the weaknesses. I will again go through the OG 13th ed. problems that I solved wrong (oh yes, I am keeping a detailed Error Log, thnx to the posts on MGMAT forum). I will go through the OG 2nd ed. Quant. and Verbal. (This time I won’t solve the problems chapter-wise). I will do the CAT Exams of MGMAT and the 2 GMAT exams. I will also go through the "Extra Question Bank" of MGMAT.

You have suggested that I do mixed sets of problems of different chapters to understand the question type. I am planning of doing this only with the 2nd ed. OG books. Is this approach OK? If not, do I do the easy problems, or the first few problems of the OG13th ed. after every chapter and solve the remaining tougher problems later?

The reason I planned to go through the entire 13th ed. OG book along with the strategy guides is so that when solving the problems after reading the chapters, it will be easier for me to apply what I learned in the chapter, and more importantly by solving problems, I will retain what I learnt in the strategy guides for a longer time.

Waiting for your response.
Kiran TL

[StaceyKoprince]

Great. I'm going to comment only on the things that I would do differently - if I don't comment on something, that means I like it. :)

And solving all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter.

Don't do them all. Do enough to feel like you're making progress and learning something, but save some for review later. Try a medium (middle-numbered) one first, then go up or down depending on how easy or hard the first one was for you. But save a decent number of Qs for later.

One *major* issue is that the real test will *never* tell you, hey, I'm about to give you a divisibility problem! You will have to figure out what each problem is for yourself and you will have to jump back and forth randomly among topics. Most of your practice needs to be in that form.

In fact, I wouldn't do more than 2-3 OGs at the end of one chapter before moving to another chapter in the same book. After doing a few of the chapters, I'd then start mixing from all the ones I've already done, so that I can start to get mixed practice even before I'm done with all of the books. When I move onto the 2nd quant book, I'd toss in one or two randomly from the 1st book, just to keep me on my toes. And so on.

So you may still mostly do all the OG Qs by the time you're done with the strategy guides for the first time, but they won't all be done chapter-by-chapter only. They'll be mixed and more spread out over time.

MGMAT CAT exams on the 1st/2nd, 6th and 7th week.

6th and 7th is too close together. Early on, at least 3 weeks between tests - make substantial progress before bothering to spend 3.5 hours taking another one. The only time I'd do a CAT only one week after another CAT is towards the very end.

Other than that, in general, your approach looks good. Let me know how it goes!

[kirant88]

Hi Stacey,

Thank you very much for your reply.

I have made the necessary changes in my schedule. I won't do all the OG 13th ed. problems after each chapter. As you said, I'll do no more than 3 OG problems after every chapter.

Note taken for the MGMAT CATs.

This forum motivates me to work harder and SMARTER. :)

Thanks
Kiran

[StaceyKoprince]

love it! good luck and check in as you go!