Hi all,
I am fairly new to this forum and to the process of writing the GMAT. I come from a Social Science background and earlier on in 2013 I signed up with Veritas GMAT course without even knowing what the GMAT entailed, thinking that I would score decent. After taking the first Diagnostic Test, my dream to even write the GMAT was shot down. So, I just breezed through the course without much effort because I simply couldn't keep up.
However, recently I've been reading a lot of the success stories on this forum and have managed to regain the strength to start studying for the GMAT once again. I've purchased the MGMAT series, All access to Magoosh videos, and the Official Guide.
I've started out with Quant, since math has always been hell for me . I have been studying for about a month but I feel that I have no sense of direction because the GMAT covers a wide range of topics. I've tried making my own study schedule but it hasn't been working because I'm not covering the topics strategically.
I'm debating on whether I should follow the 60 Day GMAT Study Schedule by Brent or follow the Magoosh Quant Focused 3 month schedule. Can someone help me get a sense of direction because at this point I feel VERY HOPELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ankita
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Hi ankita_s,
To help you plan out the next few months, it's important for you to define the specific aspects of the Quant section that are giving you trouble. To that end, how comfortable are you with:
1) Math knowledge (formulas, definitions of math vocabulary).
2) Math skills (doing math by hand)
3) Math patterns (Number Properties, relationships between variables)
4) Quant tactics (everything that's not math)
5) Data Sufficiency
Once you define your "weak spots", then you can start tackling the material in small "chunks."
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
To help you plan out the next few months, it's important for you to define the specific aspects of the Quant section that are giving you trouble. To that end, how comfortable are you with:
1) Math knowledge (formulas, definitions of math vocabulary).
2) Math skills (doing math by hand)
3) Math patterns (Number Properties, relationships between variables)
4) Quant tactics (everything that's not math)
5) Data Sufficiency
Once you define your "weak spots", then you can start tackling the material in small "chunks."
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
-
David@VeritasPrep
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Ankita -
I am sorry to hear about your struggles with GMAT! You mentioned that you purchased the Veritas course and then got disheartened by your diagnostic and went through the course "without much effort."
Since you have already purchased the Veritas course I wanted to let you know that you can retake the course for free with no questions asked. I would really suggest that you do this. Having already been through the course might make the material seem a little more familiar but if you were able to really focus this time I think that you could take better advantage.
You can go to this link https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat/gmat-course-options/ and see the options for when courses start. If you originally took the course in-person you can see what options are there for your city by entering your zip code. If you originally took the course online you can see when those courses begin and who the instructor is!
Do not give up on this. Contact me if you need more information about any of this. I can also suggest some materials to help with the more basic parts of math.
In the meantime here is an article on having the courage to imagine your own success on the GMAT. https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2013/01/ ... n-the-gmat
David
I am sorry to hear about your struggles with GMAT! You mentioned that you purchased the Veritas course and then got disheartened by your diagnostic and went through the course "without much effort."
Since you have already purchased the Veritas course I wanted to let you know that you can retake the course for free with no questions asked. I would really suggest that you do this. Having already been through the course might make the material seem a little more familiar but if you were able to really focus this time I think that you could take better advantage.
You can go to this link https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat/gmat-course-options/ and see the options for when courses start. If you originally took the course in-person you can see what options are there for your city by entering your zip code. If you originally took the course online you can see when those courses begin and who the instructor is!
Do not give up on this. Contact me if you need more information about any of this. I can also suggest some materials to help with the more basic parts of math.
In the meantime here is an article on having the courage to imagine your own success on the GMAT. https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2013/01/ ... n-the-gmat
David
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KevinRocci
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Anika,
Happy test prep day!
Studying for the GMAT is not an easy endeavor. It is full of ups and downs, and I can totally understand your frustrations and anxiety. This is common with students that I work with, so don't feel like you are the only one who is having trouble. Many people hit a wall and give up, abandoning their plans, so it is awesome that you have jumped back into studying and are feeling revitalized.
My first suggestion is to take the test at your own pace. I am not sure what your schedule is like or when you plan to apply to business school, but if possible, try to take it slow. This means that you might have to study for a longer period of time, but at least you will know that you have plenty of time to improve and that you don't have to make a drastic change overnight. This will take some of the pressure off.
The next suggestion is to use a study plan. There are so many concepts to cover in the verbal and math sections, plus integrated reasoning and argument analysis. The worst mistake is to dive in and haphazardly jump from one topic to the next. This is the easiest way to be frustrated and lose focus. Without direction or a map to follow, it is hard to track what you have done so far, more importantly, what improvement you have made. So, I definitely recommend using a study schedule from here on out.
I am partial to the Magoosh study schedules. I think they do an excellent job of breaking up all the concepts and questions into manageable junks. Also, it gives you an idea of what to do each day and each week so you don't have to wonder what to do. I am not as familiar with Brent's schedule, but I will say that he is a great educator, and we use some of his lesson videos in Magoosh. So I am sure that his schedule is great too. I would recommend trying one day from each schedule. Spend a day working through Brent's schedule and Magoosh's schedule. You'll get a sense of the work load this way and also the tone and style of the schedule. After trying both out, use the one that you found easiest to follow and understand. One bonus of the Magoosh schedule is that it will help you to build your math skills. It emphasizes practice and review of math concepts so that you can improve your math abilities.
Additionally, if you have a Magoosh account, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can use the Help tab on the website, and we can answer your questions regarding the schedule, math concepts, or Magoosh practice problems. Don't go it alone. We are here to help.
And this brings me to a final point: some students do better when they can study with others. So taking the Veritas class again might be a nice way to meet people in your position and form a study group with them. It is always easier to take on these big tests when you have people to study with. You might also look into a Meet Up group in your area to see if there are study groups already out there.
Well, I hope that this helps! Remember that you will have these ups and downs. It is a normal part of the process. There is hope and you will improve. I promise! It just takes time and effort.
Cheers,
Kevin
Happy test prep day!
Studying for the GMAT is not an easy endeavor. It is full of ups and downs, and I can totally understand your frustrations and anxiety. This is common with students that I work with, so don't feel like you are the only one who is having trouble. Many people hit a wall and give up, abandoning their plans, so it is awesome that you have jumped back into studying and are feeling revitalized.
My first suggestion is to take the test at your own pace. I am not sure what your schedule is like or when you plan to apply to business school, but if possible, try to take it slow. This means that you might have to study for a longer period of time, but at least you will know that you have plenty of time to improve and that you don't have to make a drastic change overnight. This will take some of the pressure off.
The next suggestion is to use a study plan. There are so many concepts to cover in the verbal and math sections, plus integrated reasoning and argument analysis. The worst mistake is to dive in and haphazardly jump from one topic to the next. This is the easiest way to be frustrated and lose focus. Without direction or a map to follow, it is hard to track what you have done so far, more importantly, what improvement you have made. So, I definitely recommend using a study schedule from here on out.
I am partial to the Magoosh study schedules. I think they do an excellent job of breaking up all the concepts and questions into manageable junks. Also, it gives you an idea of what to do each day and each week so you don't have to wonder what to do. I am not as familiar with Brent's schedule, but I will say that he is a great educator, and we use some of his lesson videos in Magoosh. So I am sure that his schedule is great too. I would recommend trying one day from each schedule. Spend a day working through Brent's schedule and Magoosh's schedule. You'll get a sense of the work load this way and also the tone and style of the schedule. After trying both out, use the one that you found easiest to follow and understand. One bonus of the Magoosh schedule is that it will help you to build your math skills. It emphasizes practice and review of math concepts so that you can improve your math abilities.
Additionally, if you have a Magoosh account, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can use the Help tab on the website, and we can answer your questions regarding the schedule, math concepts, or Magoosh practice problems. Don't go it alone. We are here to help.
And this brings me to a final point: some students do better when they can study with others. So taking the Veritas class again might be a nice way to meet people in your position and form a study group with them. It is always easier to take on these big tests when you have people to study with. You might also look into a Meet Up group in your area to see if there are study groups already out there.
Well, I hope that this helps! Remember that you will have these ups and downs. It is a normal part of the process. There is hope and you will improve. I promise! It just takes time and effort.
Cheers,
Kevin
