Here it is.. another debrief..of the many available on the site.. cannot compare myself to the greats here, but yes, I am a satisfied soul today and it's all thanks to you guys!*choke up here*
My GMAT journey has ended for now, but would I give it again if I had the opportunity?Yes.Give me one more month and the SAME resources and I'll get a figure of 700+.I am that confident because in the last days before the exam you achieve something of a nirvana, you realize where you went wrong.. ..I have no plans of appearing anytime soon and so I would like to help everyone here to learn from my mistakes
Everyone wants a 700 score. who would'nt?But my suggestion to everyone out there is "do not go blindly after a score, go for the score that will satisfy you".Remember,if you have never scored a 700 on your practice tests(No people getting a score of 700 after multiple retakes of gprep does NOT count),you are only setting yourself up for disappointment by expecting the God to grace you with magical powers on test day. As the enlightened Calvin says:
The world isn't fair..but why isn't it ever fair in MY direction??"
I repeatedly got an average of 660 in my tests and you will find many threads where I am seeking help. trying to get over the barrier. so before the tests I said to myself "Just do to the Best of your capability. Get 660 in the real thing. you have gotten it time and again at home so shouldn't be a biggie"-this relieved the tension. You are not aiming high, you are aiming at your level and you know its achievable. I suggest you guys try it..
I derive inspiration from music and I found this website on the day before the exam,did'nt get a chance to use it but FYI:)
https://testprepny.com/pages/products_gmat.htm
3-4 days before the exam:
Didn't feel like studying..heard the same reaction from other people too. if you fall under this category, don't fret. You don't feel like studying?DON'T. I studied a bit and the first day fretted that I wasn't able to,. after that I just let go.Whats done is done. If you haven't been able to change your score in so long, fat chances you'll get it done in the last couple of days..Ohh right. you have magical powers..!Then that's different! :0
Pre-test day:
Made plans to chill in the evening so I knew I have only limited time if I wanted to study. Just went over my notes and flash cards. Did a couple of SC and CR from prep test I had taken and most importantly already reviewed. .this gives you confidence because you recall your learning's and realize hell. .you know something!
As a wise friend once said:
"You got a 660?Okay.so contrary to what you think, you do know SOMETHING. If not, you would have gotten something in 400's..**Revel in the enlightened moment here**
Found this artcile on stress-relieving..VERY helpful:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/strategy-series-stress.cfm
Anyways, so after going through each section, I was getting a bit anxious, so left it all, met up with a friend and had a blast. Came back>dinner>Off to sleep.
Test day:
I had my exam at 10:00 Am, decided to leave by 8:15(Monday, work-traffic).Didn't get up too early. The more time you have, the more panicky you will become. Just went through my notes for an hr...on the way kept reading all the encouraging msgs from friends:
"You can do it!"
"It's not the end of the world"
"Make sure you stay calm"
"You better do well I want my treat"
"Don't forget to Breathe!!"
"Time for handwork to pay off"
"Make sure if you encounter a hottie you take his number!!"lol..
Side note here: I had made sure to take three things:
My glasses(I wear contacts) Please people take them as a precaution. The two times I have had problems with my contacts in the 10 years I have worn them, BOTH were in mid-exam when I was in college.
Take my acidity medicine(Long hrs of tension gives me headaches and acidity..sheesh..what all I have to reveal for you guys!)
My jacket(Its 24C here..ya laugh.. I'll be laughing when you freeze you're a** off in the super cold test environment) Was I glad of this move! I was freezing even with my trusty jacket on!
Test experience:
Entered and saw two guys chatting about how they had 8 years of work-ex and how one of them had gone over ALL the AWA topics(it had taken him a week if you are curious)
Decided to not take part in any conversation with them and stood alone in a corner(Yes ofcourse this was after I gave the AWA guy weird looks)
AWA:Had not prepared much here, wrote like I was talking to a friend..did'nt take too much pressure..
Is AWA important: Yes,in terms of strength. When you are reviewing your practice tests do not forget to do a search on your AWA topic! That way you don't have to worry about AWA much.
Do I have to work hard for AWA: Not really, if you are doing your AWA's with your tests you should be fine.
Break: Came out. One of the parents of a girl who entered late were waiting for me with awaited breath(Yes,parents.You got it right)I was gobbling up my sandwich even though I wasn't hungry while they went with 'How was it? Was it good? Was it good or VERY good? Which colleges you applying? Our daughter is sitting on the other comp..*Bad looks ensued here* They got the point and I prayed and headed to conquer the quant section:
Quant is my weak point. I have seen many people here masters of math, getting 49-50 with a yawn. Not me. struggled and struggled and struggled even more. Never got to the target of even 48.I knew my test was going bad, the questions were easy, with each question I got disappointed, a sinking feeling.. oh no. I am screwing it up.. made sure not to make silly mistakes in my terrified state..
In the Q-V break: The turning point:
I almost broke down in the loci knew I had made a mess of everything. I was so disheartened. Looked at ,myself in the mirror and couldnthelpbut thinking that all the efforts had gone to waste. it was all over. I had read stories of how the Quant mood carries over to the verbal. which in itself Is a tiny monster waiting to chew your head off. I gathered my courage, jumped up and down and wonder of wonders...got angry!
Will I let the exam win? NO!
Will I give up halfway? NO!
Will I let my handwork go to waste? NO! No ..NO WAY!
I actually made boxing actions before I headed in..
Verbal:
Couldn't really predict. I thought it was all too easy. For Arc this is what I thought before plunging in:
"cry baby! You find RC's difficult? I mean are u freaking serious? The answers are right there under your nose, all you have to do is READ and comprehend, and you find that Difficult? Boring? Pathetic! All you have to do is READ! You can do it!"
When it was time to see my scores, my hands were shaking.. I had finished BOTH section with 5 mins to spare.(No you cannot judge me)I did'nt think I had the courage, told myself: if you were meant to cry, you will, if not, you'll not. Closed my eyes and expected 580/610 honestly..prayed,chanted and opened my eyes. there it was:
670(Q44 V38)
Too numb...
In the end :guys, Work hard, My hard work played off on the day of the test. all the Sc's day after day after day.. DO not give up. even if you have messed up Quant remember. that's just 50% of the paper! You can face others with a low score, how the hell will you face yourself went you know that you gave up midway?
Looking back:
I started this forum when I didn't even know what the acronyms SC,CR etc stood for..would'nt have been able to do this without all your support! One of the mistakes I did was when I asked questions(And oh man did I ask silly ones!)I didn't take the time out and follow the thread. Make sure you do that. In the last one week make sure to revisit ALL the questions you asked. I didn't have the time and heck I had like Hundred's!
Now you get to read articles which guide you through everything.. make use of it! It was too late for me but I have seen articles from experts which tell you how to analyze practice tests, the correct way of using Gprep, the right way of going about SC's..Use these!!
Tip: When making notes/flash cards do not just write the rule down. Also mention how it is used. I realized it too late though. But you guys def, do it.
E.g.:
Rule: to find the no. of integers within the range use last-first/range+1
Sample: Gprep question like sum of integers between 99 and 301..
Rule: Being is almost always redundant except...
Sample: write down the sentence you encountered where "being" was properly used.
Materials:
Didn't really use Kap800 and Pr1012.
OG11,VR,QR OG12(last 50 questions each section)
Sc1000 (around 100 questions. searched EACH one in the forum. if you are not going to do this please do not use this resource)
Brutal SC (oh man oh man. do not keep this for the very last...my suggestion do it in the beginning and you will realize where you stand *shudders at the thought*)
Grockit (a bit), Magoosh (loved this one)>Use these fun tools guys. specially when you don't feel like studying or are too tired.
Found the SC and Quant list of Gprep too late(these are the compiled questions from prep floating around in the forums)Wish I had found it sooner.. real gem. .do these after you are done with your final prep.
Remember:
We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons. - Jim Rohm
In the very end, I know that I am at no par with the gurus here. they have infinite knowledge and are much better teachers than I am. but I guess there are many people like me.,who do not use or even know all the fancy terms of SC specially.. who want the simplest approach without being too technical or remembering too many rules. People out there..jus buzz me. I'll be here. Its too eerie to not get up and visit this site after I have done it for months!!
Any questions? Buzz me!
which proved fatal in the D-day. In short, i didn't have any idea of the exam or its complexity. By seeing all these points, yes this score was very deserving for me 
