study organizer excel spreadsheet

[jzoom1]

Hi,

I am currently enrolled in a 9-week In-person course and I have been using the study organizer excel spreadsheet. My instructor mentioned the expected outside-of-class workload should be about 10-15 hours a week, but going by the approximate time for each task in the spreadsheet, the total for each week seems to be something like 25-30ish hours. Even if I remove the "Advanced" tasks, this still seems like a bit much. I tend to be a slower worker, and although I skim through some of the Foundation material more quickly than the estimated time (and I don't always do every one of the drill problems), I find that overall it seems to take me about the same amount of total estimated time, or more. I am not even working full-time right now but I admit am already starting to feel a bit burned out. I also noticed that the study organizer has a number of tasks (such as O.G. problems) that are not listed in the syllabus, and are also not designated "Advanced" or priority C. Are both the syllabus and study organizer on the website up-to-date and synced?

I asked my instructor for advice but it seemed he is not too familiar with the study organizer and told me to check with student services. I was wondering if you can offer any clarification on how to approach using the study organizer, or if you have any other general study plan advice for me. Thanks.

[kenneth]

I have exactly the same issue. I am also on a a 9-week In-person course. I am on week 2 in London. Based on what the instructor stated, I was expecting 10-15 hours. Am trying to stick to the excel organizer excluding advanced items, and I am struggling to get through the content, with 25 hours a week.

How does the excel organizer fit with this idea of 10-15 hours a week?

Does the excel organizer prepare you for a much deeper understanding of the GMAT than what the 10-15 hours a week guideline?

Help!

[StaceyKoprince]

Please do NOT do everything in the excel spreadsheet. :) It includes absolutely everything we have (more than just the syllabus), but we don't intend for each person to do every last thing. We're just trying to make sure you know what's available but then you should pick and choose based upon your own strengths and weaknesses and your goal score.

For example, don't do every last problem for areas where you're already strong - just move on to more advanced material. For the weaker areas, do NOT move on to the advanced material - save that for later (if ever).

Also, certain areas are not very commonly tested. Geometry in general is not as common as the other areas. Combinatorics, probability, and overlapping sets are also not all that common. On the other hand, number properties and algebra are very common.

On verbal, the four major CR types are Assumption, Strengthen, Weaken, and Draw a Conclusion (or Inference). On SC, modifiers, meaning, and parallelism are critically important.

Bottom line: if the excel organizer is stressing you out (and it would stress me out!), go back to the regular syllabus. If you really like the excel format, then use it - but remember to adjust based on your strengths and weaknesses so that you don't totally burn yourself out.