GMAT Strategy

Currently am confused on what to do, really on how to start prepping for the GMAT. I would like to go to business school an Ivy league school. So I need about a 700+. My plan was to self study for the first 2 months (May-June) and then take a prep course which I already signed up for (Veritas Prep in July). I was supposed to take a diagnostic last week and analyzed to see where I needed work, which I did not do. I work 40hours a week but work has slowed down a lot and I get off at 3:30pm so I have no excuse for not studying. I think in fact I know am scared to take the diagnostic test. I don't want to get a bad score, and I am worried that I have not started studying like I should have been studying. What should I do one thought is to get a tutor and if I do any suggestions.

Practice tests fear - the right thing to do is once you see this post, close all your browsing work and start off the test with an aim to post the diagnostic score back on this post. Then you will get in tune. Don't skip AWA, it will help you reduce your anxiety.

Refer my following post on tutors..
https://www.beatthegmat.com/private-tuto ... tml#460791

I think some people underestimate how difficult it is to work and study.
I had the same problem while writing my dissertation; and I had a part time job, just 5h a day(plus 1,5h to get and come back from work), 6 days a week.

it seemed fine, a day has 24h, "even if I'm busy 6/7h a day I'd have plenty of time.." Well it does NOT works this way. Your mind is not free, and after work you are tired and just want to relax but you have to begin thinking about the books.

you never get to disconnect your brain.
And if your goal is not just to "pass" an exam but to get top marks it is 10 times more difficult.

I spent 7 of the worst month of my life, I was obsessed from getting the top score (summa cum laude) and when I finally got it I was not so sure anymore that it was worth it.

My advise is, if you work, to take it easy on the exam; take your time. Maybe study just 3/4 days a week and take the exam a couple of month later, and don't give it too much importance. A dignostic test is just that: a test to know where you are. And the test? You can always take it again.

So relaaaaaaaaaaaaaaax and take it easy man

I am not sure where you are "stuck" since you have not indicated any problem area.

Is your question "I don't want to get stuck"? Or rather how to optimize your study plan? I had blogged about it many moons ago here: https://www.crackverbal.com/top-4-mistak ... -the-gmat/

I am happy to answer any questions on that topic.

Arun

Thanks for all the advice, I took the Practice test and I made 460. I have 3months 3 weeks ( 1 month 3 weeks to self study and 2months of class) to study any suggestions. Attaached is my score report.

Well First of all you were way too hasty in the first 6 questions:
You spent HALF the suggested time on them and got 5 out of 6 wrong.
You probably thought they were quite easy, but REMEMBER there is almost Always a trick. Even if you think you giot the right answer, use your time!
there is no point in finishing the exam with 5 minutes letf. Of course you can always get a question that would take more than the 2 m inutes you are allowed per question BUT I think that when you are a couple of minutes earlier is more than enough, use any extra time to double check your answers. Above all in DS problem because they are the trickier part (in fact you got more than 3 out of 4 of them wrong). Even if you don't actually need to "solve" them in order to answer, if you have time it can be very usefull because it helps you to find mistaken assumption you have done at a first reading.

In addition you NEVER EVER, under any ciscumnstances, spend 7 minutes on a question. I think you can spent 4 minutes TOP, and only if you are SURE you are close to the answer AND you had a minute to spare.
The real trick is to NEVER be more than 2 minutes late on the schedule. Is better to just "throw away" an answer and move on than answer many question in one minute to try to catch on with the time.

I understand how difficult it is, and I made this error many time myself. In my exam I was quite late because I didn't want just to guess a couple of question, Result? I answered the last 3 question in less than 2 minutes. And I probably still got the other 2 questions wrong. I Think I threw away a good 2/3 more points on my final Quant for this reason.

I've given another look at you timing:
You finisched it 8 minutes in advance!!!!!!
take you time man!