Life threw me some curve balls during my classroom course

[08/08]

I feel sort of silly posting this on the forum, but I could definitely use some guidance in getting refocused, so here goes...

I am mid-way through a Manhattan GMAT classroom course, which I have found to be very helpful. However, in the past two weeks, I have gotten slapped with some major, unexpected challenges at work and related to my health that have temporarily derailed my studies. Naturally, I now plan to take the GMAT a few weeks later than I had originally planned. I had hoped to apply Round 1 to the school of my choice, but now I'm thinking that Round 2 may be the more realistic option. We'll see. Class ends in mid-September, and I'm guessing I'll need a month of self-study after that.

I know that the best thing to do right now is to get back in the saddle and start studying again, but I am feeling overwhelmed and off track, due to these recent circumstances. The MGMAT study guide suggests keeping up with the class and going back to review material I have missed after the class ends. In addition to this strategy, do you instructors or fellow students have any other tips for:

1) Appropriate resetting of goals after a temporary setback during a course.
2) Moving past "oh no, I'm so behind!" anxiety to regain one's positive momentum in studying

Thank you!

[StaceyKoprince]

I hope whatever threw you for a loop is getting better now.

Don't think of it as being "behind." Think of it as "I'm rearranging the order in which I'm doing things." Ignore the stuff for the two classes you missed. You'll do two additional weeks (weeks 10 and 11) during which you'll do all that stuff for those two classes. Keep up with the current class so that you can ask questions and follow along during class. Talk to the center director or Student Services in NY (studentservices@manhattangmat.com or 800.576.GMAT) about making up the two sessions you missed. If it works with your schedule, you can make those up with another in-person class. You'll have to find a class that isn't sold out (and you can only do this for up to 3 class sessions - FYI). If making the sessions up with a live class doesn't work, you also have tapes of the classes available online (in your student center). So just do two normal weeks for those two classes - the only different thing will be that they are out of the normal sequence, but that's not a big deal.

So, basically, add 2 weeks to whatever time you'd already been planning to take after the course. If you feel like you can't get yourself started up again right away, take another week. (Though, if at all possible, I do recommend that you get back into it right away - the longer you wait, the harder it will be to get motivated again and the more you'll forget.)

Finally, explain this to your teacher and ask him/her for advice, too!

Good luck - let us know how it goes!

[08/08]

Student Services was willing to work with me and I was able to transfer into a section that started slightly later than the one I was in. So now I have some make-up time. I will follow your advice and revisit the material I missed AFTER the class ends. Thank you for your reply.

[StaceyKoprince]

Good - I'm glad you got something worked out! Good luck with your prep!