Im too Slow

[StaceyKoprince]

Nice! That's fantastic. :)

It's always fine to do what works for you - so if you can get the performance that you want without taking any notes, that's totally fine. Most people can't, but some people actually can build a "scaffold" or "outline" of the passage in their heads and hold that for the length of the passage + questions.

Your performance will probably fluctuate a bit - it won't always be almost perfect, of course - but this is definitely a big step in the right direction. Congrats!

[kouranjelika]

Thanks Stacey! I actually took another test today and on one of the passages got ALL questions incorrect haha.
I'm not super bummed out, I think it's not because I didn't understand the passage, it is because I didn't understand the questions. Also I got like 3 passages in a row at the very very end, which was super weird and uncomfortable (for one of the questions, I only realized I was on a new passage until I got to the questions lol).
And btw, I actually love these passages, I think they are so interesting. I don't know if you'v had a chance to read the one on Nutmeg trade and how due to it's rarity New Amsterdam was given off to the Brits by the Dutch, who immediately renamed it into New York and here we are doing MANHATTAN gmat now :). Fascinating. I almost cried when I read the ending, was a spectacular passage.

Stacey, I am having an issue upping my verbal score. I have plateaud and can't seem to get it up. My Quant is at 45-47 stable, I think I can get this higher if I pay more attention, but Verbal is stringent at 37. I took the GMAT Prep test yesterday and got 35. I am getting way more incorrect in Quant (and there are less questions, so a much higher proportion), what do you recommend? I keep feeling I did such a good job on the Verbal and then the same crappy result every time. Please give me some advice. I don't understand this crazy scoring.

[kouranjelika]

If you don't recall the passage, I actually added it to my blog here: http://globalnewyorker.tumblr.com

[StaceyKoprince]

That is one of my favorite passages - I love the Nutmeg passage. I've actually looked up more / read more about the topic because it's so interesting.

If you haven't already read my reply to your other post: your verbal score is at / above your quant level now. The scoring scale is just as crazy as the algorithm itself.

V35 is 75th percentile; V37 is 82nd percentile.

Q45 is 66th percentile; Q47 is 70th percentile.

So it's working - your verbal is better than your quant now! Given that you think you can get Q to go higher, that should be your next area of focus.

[kouranjelika]

haha me too (on researching the subject afterwards). I find the knowledge I have accumulated now due to these passages is phenomenal.

Speaking of which, I know you guys always talk about eating protein for studies, but was I the only one who read the rat tryptophan experiment passage? I totally started googling foods that have tryptophan afterwards (and have been buying them ever since). And, as per the passage, I actually think that when I eat too much protein, I don't feel very enthusiastic and motivated (perhaps it is the amino acids blocking the passing of the tryptophan from my bloodstream into the brain? Thereby, not only not increasing, but actually decreasing the serotonin level in my brain and hence de-motivating and bringing me down?) You now probably think I am totally nuts! :) I think the GMAT will do that to ya!

Thanks so much for your help and the other thread post.

[StaceyKoprince]

ha, that's awesome.

You don't want to eat too much of anything before or during the test - you don't want to be hungry but you don't want to feel totally full either. :)