Cram 60 day study plan into 50 days?

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Cram 60 day study plan into 50 days?

by Oscaralbert » Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:33 pm
Hello All,

Yes, I am a last minute cramer! Is there a method of getting a list of all of the 60 day instructions? My intention is to spread 10 days among 50 days of study. I really look forward to working with the BTGMAT format and any suggestions are welcome! Good luck to everyone.

Thanks,
Oscar

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by ceilidh.erickson » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:26 pm
Be careful - last-minute cramming is not a study method that works well on the GMAT! Unlike tests in high school and college that were based upon facts, the GMAT depends on critical thinking skills. Obviously you need to know your facts (area of a trapezoid formula, subject/verb agreement rules, etc). But be wary of trying to do too much in too little time! Stress and sleep deprivation will be a detriment to your GMAT score.

I can't speak to how to get a list of all 60-day instructions, but you should tailor an approach that works best for you. Here's what I'd recommend:

- take a practice test, either from GMATPrep or from a major test-prep company (MGMAT offers a free one, as do many others). Review your test in a lot of depth - where are your strengths? Your weaknesses? Holes in your content knowledge?

- Devise a day-by-day plan to attack those weaknesses, and don't focus as much on your strengths.

- Don't just memorize rules, formulas, and the "right" approaches. Think critically about the way the GMAT is constructed - what kinds of questions are asked and how, what kinds of traps they set. Develop your strategic guessing skills alongside your content knowledge.

- Don't stress yourself out! Learn what's learnable in 60 days, but don't go crazy. A week of sleeping and eating well before your test will do more to improve your score than a week of late-night cramming sessions.

Good luck!
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education