GMAT Strategy

I had nightmares about DS questions last night, and I think it will only get worse.

Does anyone have any suggestion about how to relax the day before the test?

Liquor?

My test isn't until September 11th, but I had a mini panic attack yesterday anyway. So I went to the gym and exercised until I was no longer stressed. I will probably do this the day before the test so that I am tired enough to sleep well.

Uwhusky,

I am sorry to hear that you are having nightmares! Unfortunately, I still have nightmares about the GMAT, and I teach the dang thing.

Anyways, exercise is definitely one of the better ways to relax before the exam. Really, anything that takes a lot of energy is good. The basic idea is that you want to be so tired that you fall asleep naturally without "the fear" setting in before nodding off.

Go for a long walk at the local park/botanical gardens. Go bowling with some friends. Go out to eat, or go see a movie. The main thing is to NOT just stay home and sulk. (Also, do not get drunk. One drink to calm nerves is fine, but keep it to one drink!)

Also, this may seem silly, but I also have a "happy place" to go to when I get nervous just before or during the test. My personal happy place is an image of carebears running around in a rainbow forest. It is incredibly stupid (and embarrassing) but it makes me laugh every time, and therefore calms me down.

It doesn't hurt to give yourself a pep talk. I had a student who created a "test-day" mix-tape. It had songs like "Eye of the Tiger" and so forth. This all sounds dumb, but the problem is a psychological one, so there really isn't a specific solution akin to solving a wicked DS problem.

Let me know afterwards if any of this works for you, or if you find something else to calm your nerves. As an instructor for The Princeton Review, I am always trying to give good advice of this nature to my students, so anything helps!

I know one way drink heavily

Definitely exercise! I exercised on both days preceeding my test and it worked a treat. Don't overdo it, but do just enough to get rid of the nervous energy and to make you slightly tired. With all the endorphins that get released, you'll be calm on the big day.

It is important that you put yourself in a positive frame of mind. Some ways do so:

1. Read GMAT success stories. I have an old file that might help you. Attaching it here.

2. Talk to people who have taken it recently and done well. Either through PMs, over the forums or if you know someone personally then over the phone. Always helps soothe your nerves.

3. Close your eyes and visualize that you are taking the actual test. And think as you are clicking through the questions you are able to solve them correctly, your confidence is going up and you are feeling energized. Finally after hitting the submit button on the last question and you see your dream score. Q- 50, V-44 Total 760!

4. On the test, tell yourself that there are about 11 experimental questions in verbal and about 9 in quant. So the probability that the particular question you are trying to solve is very, very high - so guess and move on. Don't dwell on it too much!

All the best and let us know how you did.

Arun

On weekends when I study over 6 hrs/day, I dream about solving questions related to the topic I had studied during the day.. the entire freaking night!! Even when I take a power nap during the day on a weekend, Im solving problems in my dreams.. Power nap isnt so much a power nap when you are exercising your brain the entire time!!
AND my GMAT is more than a mth away!

@uwhusky - when do you take yours?

A week from today. I have not been sleeping very well due to the heat wave...

Dream of a 760