DCS80 wrote:Certain things just ARENT sticking with me! I don't know what it is, but still seems foreign when I see these phrased in a problem sample.

DCS80 -- Good question. I think you could get a lot of interesting replies here, but the biggest thing I'd offer is that you need to somehow 'change up' how you are studying this. Take a look at Stacey's blog post -- https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... our-study/. It provides some great tips on how to consider fine-tuning your study approach.

Additionally, consider mixing up the time/way you are spending on problems -- try morning instead of night, record it and play it back on your commute to work, etc.

Lastly, are you a note-taker? If not, try it out -- research shows time and time again that when you write something down, the effects are quite impactful.

Hope this helps.

-Brian

To help with retention, I suggest a systematic (even methodical) approach, in which you take the time to master each topic/concept (e.g., percents, ratios, exponents, etc).

So, for each topic/concept, you should:
1) Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.)
2) Learn GMAT-specific strategies related to that topic
3) Practice dozens of questions all related to that one topic.
4) Don't stop working on that topic until you have mastered it
Then, and only then, move on to the next topic.

You should also use an Error Log (aka Improvement Chart) while completing questions from the Official Guide (OG). You can find a free downloadable Improvement Chart here: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-error-log. This will help you identify and strengthen your weak areas.

I also suggest that you spend a lot of time reviewing the responses from the Experts on this site, since they often model the steps you should be taking when answering question.

Cheers,
Brent

Hey Guys,

I also want to throw something else out there. An hour a day is good if you're really doing it daily. But if you're taking a couple days off a week, you're moving into an amount of work time that, I would argue, is not enough to allow you to retain stuff. Think of it this way: when people are taking our class, we expect 8-10 hours a week of homework, plus 3 hours of actual class. That's 11 to 14 hours a week, which is 1.5-2 hours a day. That's 50-100% more than you're currently doing, even if you're never taking a day off.

Hope that helps!

-t

DCS80:

Good question on the note-taking front. Obviously, there are some basics -- always draw the geometry problems, bring over key information from question, write-down the letters and cross out the ones you eliminate (esp on DS.)

Other than that, the suggestion I'd make is you to forcibly alter your degree of note-taking during some of your prep work (i.e. one day, go crazy on notes... the next day, barely take any notes.) What feels more comfortable -- where can you get the best balance?

Hope this helps.

-Brian