How to Make the Most of Your Final 7 Days Before the GMAT - Part 3
In part 1 of this series, we talked about your new mindset for the last week: you're no longer trying to lift your score. Instead, you're trying to peak within your current scoring range. (If you havent already, read that first part now.)
In the previous installments, we discussed these steps:
Day T-minus-7: Take a CAT
Days T-minus-7 and T-minus-6: Review the CAT
Days T-minus-5 to T-minus 3: High-level review and light practice
And now were ready for (drumroll, please)
Days T-minus-2 and T-minus-1: Wind down
Total time: 2 hours on day T-minus-2. 1 hour on day T-minus-1. (Seriously!)
If you were preparing to run a real marathon, the last thing you would do is run a practice marathon the day before. The GMAT is no different. Its a mental marathon and youre going to rest your brain for the last couple of days.
On Day T-minus-2, I review only the major process for each question type and my overall timing strategies (that is, I dont do any content review). I try a problem or two of each type, with a focus on practicing a very systematic set of steps: this is what Im going to do on every one of these problems. What Im going to do, by the way, is make a series of decisions.
This is how I'm going to decide that the problem is so hard that I dont even want to try in the first place.
Here is when I decide which particular strategy / path I want to use to solve.
This is how I would lay out my scratch paper to make sure that Im working carefully and not introducing any careless mistakes in my work or my reasoning.
Here are the criteria Ill use to decide that the problem just isnt happening, for whatever reason, and I need to let go.
Heres how I would make an educated guess, if possible.
I dont personally review math formulas / rules or grammar rules in these last two days because I have a very good detail memory for these kinds of things. If youre like me, then dont allow yourself to get obsessed with those details and lose sight of the big-picture review.
If, on the other hand, youre like some of my colleagues, who have other strengths but dont have a great memory for all of those details, feel free to continue your flash card review during this time. Remember, though, that you dont want to spend hours on this. Your most important goal at this stage of the game is to make sure your mind is mentally fresh for test day.
On day T-minus-1, Im giving you just 1 hour for everything! At this point, you really do know what you know and what you dont know isnt going to change. High-level review only, really just to refresh your memory and to make you feel like youre doing something besides sitting there and stressing out.
Heres what else youre going to do on that final day. Get everything together that you want to bring to the test center. Youll need your ID (if youre testing in a country for which you dont hold citizenship, youll need your passport), whatever you want to eat and drink, and some kind of jacket or sweater in case the testing center is cold.
You will not need any notes or study materials. Dont bring these to the testing center. If you really want to review certain notes, do so before you enter the testing center and then throw the notes away. You are not allowed to review any study materials in the testing center. Nor are you allowed to use your cell phone or any other electronic device for any reason. (You also arent allowed to wear a watch, so you might just want to leave that at home.)
Finally, plan something to do the night before that will help to take your mind off of the test. Go to your favorite restaurant or binge-watch your favorite TV show. Hang out with a friend who will make you laugh and wont stress you out at all. (Dont try a new restaurant or similar; you dont want to have a bad experience stress you out. Do something familiar.)
Day T-minus-0: Test Day
This is it! A few last pieces of advice:
Plan to get to the test center 20 to 30 minutes early; you dont want to be stressed out about arriving late.
Do a few warm-up problems before leaving the house or just before entering the test center. Make these super easy; this is the equivalent of stretching or jogging for a few meters before the race starts. (Dont even check your answers! Thats not the point.)
Do take the two breaks; dont let the adrenaline and stress trick you into deciding to keep plowing ahead. Your brain needs the break.
Do have something to eat and drink on the breaks. Your brain needs fat and protein to function well; complex carbs do a good job of stretching out the delivery time (in your bloodstream). So have some kind of whole-grain something with your favorite fats and protein mixed in: turkey and mayo sandwich, hummus and pita with tahini sauce, that sort of thing. Even the old standby PB&J will work!
If you start stressing out about your performance or score during the test, distract yourself: you can think about that just as soon as you finish this current problem and then just the next problem and then just the next one. Keep your mind on the current task at hand (the problem on the screen right now).
Take care of yourself
During the final week, take care of your physical and mental health. (Try to do this all the time, of course. :))
Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning (and at the time youll have to get up for the real test, of course!). Exercise or play a game, clean the house or take a walkdo whatever you normally do to get your blood flowing in a physical way. Put on some music and dance!
Dont tell everyone you know about your test date. If you do, you may find yourself thinking about having to tell everyone how you did after and those kinds of thoughts can be really distracting during the test.
One last thing before I let you go: Id like to give a shout-out to one of my colleagues, Avi Gutman, who was the inspiration for this article. Thanks, Avi, for pointing out to me that our students would benefit from this kind of resource!
Good luck and happy studying!