Distraught. My hard work didn't pay off for the GMAT.

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valentta: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 2; Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:46 am

by valentta » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:30 pm

I'm completely sad. The first time I took the GMAT I was actually depressed. So sad is a lot better. Took the GMAT for the first time in 09, crammed it all in a month. Got a 380. Bad. Very bad. So on 2011, I learned my lesson. I didn't cram, instead I tried to prepare myself for it a lot better and thoroughly too. Ok, so I took a 2-1/2 month prep course, then I studied on my own. By they way, my weakness was everything (as you might imagine) but more so on Math. of course. So after the class ended in April, I comitted my self to studying five days a week about 2-3 hours. Then when I became unemployed later that month, I was studying 7-8 hours everyday. Everyday for almost 2 whole months was devoted to Math. Only Math. In fact, the only time I studied verbal was the last week before the test, which was June 25. My score? 370. Bad. Very Bad. How the heck did I get this score? I don't get it? Can someone please let me know? I know I have never been a good test taker. At all. But still, this was an epic failure. Might I add that this time around my math was a 13 as opposed to 23 on the first time I crammed it for a month...and I studied it for 2 whole months this time for 7-8 hours, 5 days a week!!! Why God Almighty why hasn't my hard work paid off?? Can someone please offer some suggetions?? I was thinking of studying for a whole year this time. I dunno. At this point I'll take any suggestions.

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:30 pm

tauciukas: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 2; Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:56 pm

by tauciukas » Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:42 pm

I feel your pain and frustration, I took it in may last year also got 380 and thinking of taking one more sometime very SOON actually ASAP.

I am worried the same will happen to me. thanks for sharing this , now i know that hard work sometimes doesn't pay as ALL other PEEPS here say it does ughh

#$#% GMAT

jk2010: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 66; Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:41 am; Location: Washhington, DC; Thanked: 8 times

by jk2010 » Fri Jul 01, 2011 8:06 am

Valentta,

How did you study? Often, it's not the QUANTITY of studying as much as the QUALITY of studying that makes the difference. Without fully understanding the process you used for all those hours and weeks, it's hard to assess what could have gone wrong. What resources did you use to study? Did you follow a program of any sort? Did you use an error log in your studies?

Bens4vcobra: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 76; Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:10 pmFollowed by: 2 members; Thanked: 3 times

by Bens4vcobra » Fri Jul 01, 2011 8:44 am

Studying for 7-8 hours a day seems extreme. If you are THAT weak in Quant (getting a 13) then you definitely don't need to cram. You need to move slowly. Take 1-2 days off per week. Study in short bursts of 1-3 hours (min/max) at a time. You are not allowing your brain to fully grasp the logic behind the math concepts. The GMAT doesn't test raw math ability like high school standardized tests. It tests your ability to use logic/reason with those concepts.

I don't post much on these forums but I can't even count the number of posts I see like this. I'm just curious, what is the big hurry? The GMAT isn't changing until June 2012. That gives you almost a year to take the exam in its current format. So many posts in the Strategy section are from people who seem to be in a hurried panic to take the test. Why? B-school will always be there. Relax and take your time with it. This is a process. You're going from A-Z in 4 weeks. It's just not going to happen.

My overall point? Create a plan that doesn't set you up for failure. Take your time. You might even end up enjoying the journey. Afterall, isn't that what life is about?

"It takes no ability to give effort. Toughness is not God-given; it's a choice. The discipline to execute is a habit." - Nick Saban

GMAT/MBA Expert

Brent@GMATPrepNow: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 16207; Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pmFollowed by: 1268 members; Location: Vancouver, BC; Thanked: 5254 times; GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Fri Jul 01, 2011 11:41 am

I'd like to echo Bens4vcobra's response.

When studying the math, you should stay with one concept at a time, until you have examined that concept from every conceivable angle.

So, for example, once you have studied the basic concepts related to exponents, examine every OG12 exponent question, plus any other exponent questions you can find (there are other official resources, plus no shortage of questions on this site). Take your time with this, and always review the solutions until they make sense. This is, by far, the best way to master the math content.

There are resources out there that have categorized the OG12 questions as well as the Quant-only OG. For example, BTG's 60-day Study Guide does this (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide), and I have categorized the questions in my own Learning Guide: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/learning-guide/part-1

Cheers,
Brent

Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com

valentta: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 2; Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 11:46 am

by valentta » Tue Jul 05, 2011 10:37 am

Thank you Bens4vcobras and Brent GMAT Instructor. You're absolutely right. what is the hurry? Part of it is just my impatience. I will def. try out your suggestion in studying 1-3 with 1 0r 2 days off. That should help me absorb it the material a lot better. I hurried through math and went over too many topics in a short amount of time, so whenever I went back to something I thought I had mastered, I had already forgotten it. This time around I do have to really take it slow, practice a topic as much as I can, get it down packed, and then move on to the next topic.

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