How to restart

[afvatcha]

Hello,

I took the course in 2008. I did horrible in my first attempt. I re dedicated my self in 09 and fizzled out. I am starting again in 11. I worked through the fundamentals and just about finished the first guide (Number Properties).

My Question is,how should I go about studying? At first, I thought I should take the CAT to see where I am. Then I thought atleast get reacqauinted with the materials. Now I am thinking that I should work on my stamina, go through all the guides and some of the questions and take my first CAT after that.

I notice I keep pushing the CAT back further and further. I think I am scared of the results. My first two attempts ended poorly with lots of frustration.

Do you have advice on a study strategy for someone like me?

Thanks,

[StaceyKoprince]

It has been long enough that you should basically start fresh. You'll have to decide first whether you want to study on your own or take a course. (Note: if you took our course, you get a discount if you take it again, so you might want to look into that.)

If you want to re-take the course then you should follow the syllabus provided with the course. If you want to work on your own, then you may also want to look into getting new books. We're on version 4.1. If you have version 3, those books are pretty similar, but if you have version 2, the books have changed a decent amount since then.

If you decide to work on your own, start with this article:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/02/ ... study-plan

Then, yes, take a practice test to see what your current strengths and weaknesses are - this will help you to set your priorities for study. Take it under as close to official conditions as possible.

Then, use this article to analyze your results:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/e ... -part1.cfm

That will help you to set your priorities for your study.

You can also follow our course syllabus yourself if you want; go here:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/freegmatlearningforum.cfm

Under the highlights section, click on "Official Manhattan GMAT Course Syllabus [pdf]"

And continue to use the forums - especially if you study on your own. Here's a guide to how best to use the forums:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/05/ ... the-forums

[afvatcha]

Stacey,

Thanks for your help! I should have mentioned in my original post that I renewed my MGMAT membership; I have the new books and I am eligible for the course.

I think I have read your article about five times now. Besides being very helpful, it is completely the opposite of what I have been doing (and counter to the way I think). Let’s hope that’s why my scores stink! I have been plowing through the practice guides (I try to analyze my mistakes, but I think I have to step it up in that area).

I will force myself to take the CAT next weekend. Can I post my scores and analyses (which will be based on your other article) to get your feedback? Have you ever advised a student to go through all the material because the test scores are too low to concentrate in just the weakest area?

In respect to the portion of your article regarding learning styles, I think I would benefit in working in a competitive, but friendly group. Do you know of ways people get together to study the GMAT?

Thanks Stacey!

[StaceyKoprince]

I'm glad the info is helpful. :)

You can absolutely post your scores and analysis - but make sure you actually give me your analysis, not just the data. You need to know how to assess the data yourself, so give both and then I'll tell you where I agree and disagree!

Have you ever advised a student to go through all the material because the test scores are too low to concentrate in just the weakest area?

Yes and no. If someone wants a 700 and starts off with a 400, then yes, that person needs a comprehensive program. At the same time, some things are more commonly tested and some things are less commonly tested. Even in my classes, where we are covering everything, I still tell my students which things are more important because they are more frequently tested, regardless of strengths and weaknesses. There's always a balance, basically.

Let's see, study groups. We do have a folder here in the forums for people looking for study groups, so do post something there, but I don't think that folder gets a lot of traffic. The forums at Beat the GMAT (www.beatthegmat.com) are heavily used by self-studiers, so you may have more luck there - try posting in both places.

Think about what you're looking for, too, and make that very clear. Do you want to find people in your geographic area and actually physically meet? Do you want to set up an electronic group (eg, Yahoo group) and mostly "meet" that way? Do you want to meet up to study regularly, even when you're each studying separately / quietly (just to keep you motivated and make it harder to slack off)? Do you only want to meet when you discuss stuff actively, in which case maybe you each work separately on lessons or a set of problems for a few days or a week, and then you get together to hash through things?

Finally, try to find people whose strengths and weaknesses complement yours - that is, they're good at what you're not good at and vice versa. Then, everyone has something to bring to the table (to help others) and everyone has something to learn!

[afvatcha]

Hi Stacey,

As per my previous posts, I took the practice exam (MGMAT) and have been studying the results. I was hoping you could help me with your thoughts, and devise a study plan.

First off: I took the test under official conditions. Less than eight minute breaks, and I did attempt the essays. My computer froze for a few seconds (twice) during the verbal part of the exam. Also, I recognized one or two of the Reading Comp. passages from previous tests when I took the exam in 09’. I was surprised that its the same passages and question bank. I called the student services people and they said that sounds correct.

Prior to taking the test I worked through the Foundations of GMAT Math and took the diagnostic. I received a 85% on the Diagnostic.

On the test I received a 570 (Q 36, V32). This might be sad, but as a starting point, I was not terribly disappointed. I am dreaming of a monster score.

Analysis:

Timing-On the Quant this (timing) seems to be an issue. 7 questions in the way too slow category, 1 correct 6 wrong. This did hurt towards the end of the test. 5 wrong questions in the way too fast category, but not all of them were at the end. Point taken. Timing must be improved!

Verbal timing-2 questions in the way too slow category, but both were correct, but still slow (CR). Need to work faster on the RC outline as well. One RC outling took me 6 min.

Now to the assessment reports. The assessment report showed a 75% accuracy in Geometry, 63% FDP, 44%Word Translations, 33% Algebra, 29% Number Properties. On the Quant section, there was atleast a 30 second difference between right and wrong answers. On FDP’s it switched!!! 1:12 on correct answers and 2:19 on incorrect answers.

Verbal show SC 67%, CR 50%, RC 50%.

I see timing is an issue. How do I go about rectifying this? Also, in a more general sense, where do I go from here? I read your article on developing a study plan. My question is, what do I study. How should I spend my time? I will go over every question in this test and start on my error log and journal.

Thanks Stacey

[StaceyKoprince]

We add new questions all the time, but we don't remove questions unless we decide something's wrong with them for some reason. So, yes, you may see things that you saw 2 years ago. I'm surprised that you can remember questions from that long ago! You must have a really good memory!

I think 570 is a good starting point, too. Yes, it does sound like you have timing issues (not unusual). This article can help:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2009/12/ ... management

I think you would also benefit from a timing exercise: learning about how long one minute is without looking at a watch or stopwatch. If you don't have one already, buy yourself a stopwatch with lap timing capability. When you go to do a set of problems, start the stopwatch but turn it over so you can't see the time. Every time you think you're one minute into a new problem, push the lap button. When you're done with that problem, push the lap button again, then repeat the process for the next problem. When you're done with the set, see how good you were - and whether you tend to over or underestimate. Get yourself to the point where you're within 15 seconds either way on a regular basis (that is, you can generally predict between 45 sec and 1min 15 sec). Also check your timing for the entire question, of course.

Now, how do you use that when doing problems? If you're not on track by one minute*, make an educated guess** and move on. (The general idea is that if you're not on track by the halfway mark, you're unlikely to figure out what's holding you back AND have time to do the whole problem in the 1 min you have left.)

* For SC, 1min is well beyond the half-way mark (we're supposed to average about 1m15s here), but you can almost always eliminate at least some choices on SC in that timeframe. Once you've got that "I'm around the 1min mark and I'm struggling" feeling, go through any remaining choices ONCE more. Pick one. Move on.

** This also requires you to know HOW to make an educated guess depending upon the type of problem and the content being tested. So that's something else to add to your study: how to make educated guesses on different kinds of problems.

For content, start with Algebra and Number Properties for quant. What materials are you using to study? Do you still have your MGMAT books from your class a few years ago? What edition are they? (We're on edition 4.1 right now.) If you have 3.0 edition books, you probably don't need to update them - but if you have 2.0 edition books, you should consider getting new books, at least for the areas that you identified as weaker based on your first practice test.

Finally - because you took our course before, you can actually re-take it at a pretty significant discount. If that might be of interest to you, contact the office to find out details. If you do re-take it, then follow the syllabus for the course - that's your study plan!

[afvatcha]

Stacey,

Thanks so much for your help!

To answer some of your questions above, I did renew everything so I am eligible for a course. I thought it might be wise to self study before taking the actual course. The books which I recieved say Fourth Edition on it. I think there is a new course on April 20th. Per your advice above, I was thinking of going through the Alegbra and Number Properties books and maybe a Verbal book to and then take the second CAT (before 4/20/11) to see where I am. Do you think that sounds like a good plan?

Im sorry for bombarding you and I have a lot on my plate to get started with. Just two more questions I will leave you alone...for awhile:)

1. I've read almost all of your recent posts (you are a tennis fan, that's awesome), and you suggested an article, for another person, about analyzing each an every question, i.e., did the test taker recognize what the question was asking, did the test taker choose the best method to solve, etc. Should I be going into that depth for my first CAT? For instance, I got a Geometry-Slope of line question wrong, should I open up the geometry book and study that chapter now. Or go back to this question when I do the geometry guide?

2. In another post, you may suggest that a student study a section, then study another section and then, for example, do 5 questions from one and 5 questions from another. For the Number Props. and Algebra guides, should I be doing this at this point in my preperation?

Ok...I will not bother you for atleast...a good amount of time.

Thanks so much! Go Fed!

[StaceyKoprince]

I think that does sound like a good plan. And although you don't need the comprehensive Foundations of Math program, there may be times that you want to dive into the book when you uncover a specific weakness, so just keep that in mind.

Don't analyze every question on your first CAT, no. Do the ones that you're studying right now - so, for example, do the NP book, then go back and analyze the NP problems from that test. Because you're at the beginning, you may first want to do the relevant chapter in the NP book, then try the problem "fresh" again, then analyze it.

And, yes, save (for example) geometry questions for later, when you do geometry.

In the beginning, it's okay to study things within one book to start (so just NP, then just Alg), but after you've learned it, your review should start to mix things up. So, three weeks after learning both NP and Alg, you might say, "Okay, today I'm going to give myself a quiz to see how much I remember" and then you put together a mixed set of NP and Alg. (And the more you do, the more "mixed" sets you have.)

Yes, I'm a tennis fan. Djokovic is on quite a roll right now!

[afvatcha]

Hi Stacey,

I in trouble and I don't know what to do. As I mentioned, I started this process in 08. Tomorrow is the 7th class of my second MGMAT course. I just took practice test number 2 and I dropped 40 points to a 530. I have read your articles and I have studied from the MGMAT books. I don't know what do do at this point. I think I am missing something that is so painfully obvious, but I just dont get it.

Anosh

[StaceyKoprince]

You need to do two things:

1) talk to or email your teacher to ask for support

2) use the below article to analyze your test and try to figure out WHY your score is what it is, what is holding you back, etc.

http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/02/ ... sts-part-1

Ideally, do that analysis today and then summarize it for your teacher. (Note: that article uses my own terminology, but your teacher may not have seen the article and may not talk about things in the same way - so, if you refer to your "buckets," the teacher might not have any idea what you're talking about. Just talk about your strengths and weaknesses according to the definitions of the various categories.)

If you also want to discuss here, then post that analysis here as well - but definitely talk to your teacher right away, because he or she is in the best position to help!

[afvatcha]

Hi Stacey,
I spoke to my instructor about my declining score, and why it consistently hovers in the same area. We, almost immediately, identified timing as a problem. Besides timing we also considered concentration and fatigue/stamina. Physical fatigue is not an issue, but I do think I lose concentration at points throughout the test. This is only compounded as the test goes on(fatigue). What do you suggest to combat this issue?
Thanks!

[StaceyKoprince]

Timing: read this article
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... anagement/

For mental fatigue, do several thing:
(1) All practice tests from now on must be taken under 100% official conditions, including essays and length of breaks. Nothing to eat or drink except on break. Etc.

(2) For study sessions, plan 90 minutes to 2 hours of work (literally know exactly what you're going to do for the whole two hours), then start and DO NOT STOP except for one 10-minute break in the middle. No checking email. Don't get anything to eat. Don't even go to the bathroom (except during the break)! Make yourself concentrate for 45 to 60 minutes at a stretch. (It's okay that this is shorter than the 75-minute sections on the real exam. Studying is actually more fatiguing than taking the test, because you're trying to learn / remember new stuff when studying. You're not trying to learn while taking the real exam - you're just trying to use everything you've already learned!)

You can do #2 also when you have stuff to do for work. Plan out what you're going to do for the next 60 minutes, then do it without stopping / letting yourself get interrupted or distracted.

Finally, think about what kind of food gives you good, steady energy. Generally, things with complex carbohydrates, protein, and a little fat work well over a several-hour period. Test stuff out until you find a good combo of food and drink that will help. (Avoid tons of caffeine or sugar - you have a high, then you crash.) On your breaks, exercise - stretch, do some jumping jacks, whatever. Get the blood flowing again!