GMAT Exam Approaching - Anxiety is PRESENT - The Beat The GMAT Forum

GMAT Exam Approaching - Anxiety is PRESENT

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Ahodge24: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 14; Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:50 am

by Ahodge24 » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:49 am

I have been working for about 3.5 years in Corporate Finance (M&A, Financial Modeling, Valuations, Strategic Finance, FP&A, Investor Relations, et cetera.). I am passionate about going to school Full-Time, especially at a Top-Tier institution. The GMAT is the only challenge standing in my way of going to a competitive B-School. My goal is a 630+.

I have been trying to battle this exam for quite some time. 2008 I graduated from Providence College and immediately enrolled in a Princeton Review course because I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to find a job (job market was shaky)...I started studying for about 1 month and had registered for the exam. Long story short, I found a job and stopped my GMAT prep and went into the exam with no preparation. I took the exam 2 more times after but again with not enough preparation. With that said this will be my 4th attempt.

I have been using:
1) Kaplan Premiere with CD 2011 (mostly for Math which has helped me a lot)
2) Official Guide 12th Edition (additional practice)
3) Princeton Review Manual
4) MGMAT Sentence Correction and Reading Comprehension
5) Flashcards - all concepts
6) THIS EXAM IS MY LIFE NOW...I HAVE BEEN STUDYING EFFECTIVELY AND DILIGENTLY DAILY (TAKING 1 DAY TO
RELAX)

Starting this Sunday, I will be taking practice exams weekly. I am enrolled in a Kaplan Course which starts in 2 weeks and finishes in May. My exam is Scheduled 6 days after my class ends which I feel is good. I will follow a tight schedule with a clear road-map. I do feel confident about this exam coming up which I haven't felt before. I feel burnt out from the studying and preparation (2-3 hrs/night after work)...but the sacrifice (NO LIFE) is worth the outcome...

Can anyone offer some advice - that would be greatly appreciated...I plan on posting in the future about my success story.

4P'S: PRACTICE-PURPOSE-PLAY-PASSION - "You practice with a purpose so you can play with a passion"

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Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:49 am

Mr Smith: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 18; Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:27 amFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 5 times; GMAT Score:770

by Mr Smith » Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:32 pm

Hey,

Let me add one more and perhaps the most important P- Patience
Be patient, and wait for the score. Do not let your past experiences intimidate or discourage you. Go with a very fresh mind. Since this is the first time you are preparing for the exam, This IS your first effective attempt. Remember this. Believe this.

Secondly, the clichÃ©: Quality much more important than quantity. So when you practice, be sure to give each question due time. Just solving a lot of questions will not help. After solving them sit with each of them, compare its solution with yours and make sure you had covered each intricate detail and concept used in the model answer. Identify the concepts you find harder than others and practice them more. I myself practiced only OG and then Full length tests for a week. I felt that importance should be given to the coverage of concept rather than the coverage of questions.
Be sure to attempt full length simulated Exams before the actual test. Good for conditioning your mind to deal with exam day stress.

This exam is NOT your life. Such beliefs are certainly good for motivation. But they can equally harm you by generating unnecessary stress. Just relax. Its just an exam.
At the same time, it IS a very important exam. So DONOT lose focus and the passion that you have now at the beginning of prep. Keeping yourself motivated till the end is the most important secret of every success.

In the end: DONOT think of target scores. Just do the best prep. you can and Donot Lose focus and keep working till the end.

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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 » Sat Apr 07, 2012 5:38 am

I think your Study Plan is fine. However, I do question why you scheduled your test for 6 days after your class ends.

You should ensure that you successfully reach your target score on at least 2 practice tests before you even think about registering for the test. This is your 4th attempt; when you enter the test center, you should be 100% confident that you can get the results you need. So, 2 weeks before your test date, make sure that you take some practice tests. If you don't get 630+, reschedule.

Cheers,
Brent

Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com

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