GMAT Strategy

I have until May 29 to get ready to take the GMAT. I am currently enrolled in the Manhattan GMAT online course. I was doing just fine until I started working more on my job since around April 1. Of course, I am about two weeks behind in the material for the course. And, of course, I am wondering if I can go through all of the things that are necessary to do well enough on the GMAT. I am not looking to score a 700 or better. If I score a 550 or 600, that would be great.
I want to get to the point where I can concentrate mostly on doing practice problems and taking practice tests right after May 6, when the class ends. However, I am not quite caught up with things yet. Luckily, I asked to take time off work until after I take the test. So, I am putting everything else on hold until the day of the test. So, I am going to be doing a whole lot every single day.
I plan to use this forum for the inspiration and the help that the people using it seem to be doing for each other, too. I am hoping that I can be there for you as well.
Greg

Hi Eric,
I decided to go back to some of the recorded Manhattan GMAT(MG) online class sessions. I used the ones that are not recorded by my class instructors. It was a great thing to listen and learn like that. In essence, I was trying to recapture some of the material that I either didn't understand or was not there for the actual class because of work.
I picked several different recorded class sessions looking for what I needed. Honestly, I was amazed by what I learned in the process. Their online labs are great for learning and practicing, too.
I know that I sound like a "spy" for Manhattan GMAT, but it is true that their whole process has worked out very well for me. Even if it is true that I am behind right now, I know that I am on a roll that is going in the right direction.

Thanks,
Greg

Hi Eric,
Right now is what I call a very challenging time for me. When I say challenging, I used that word in the most positive way possible. Of course, I have lots of work to do in regards to my GMAT prep work. But, having Manhattan GMAT as my guide, I know that the end result is going to be very good. At the same time, I know that I want to put the effort into this that will make things happen for me when I do things right. In my case, it is very important for me to get back to being on top of what I am supposed to be doing not only in the class, but for myself as well. I certainly would not want to find myself being still behind with things when there are only two weeks left until test day. That is why I am using every angle that is available to me in the preparation process right now.
Greg

I am moving right along in my MG class because it is important to keep up with the current week's material. This week, I started doing geometry because that has always been a rather difficult subject for me. In addition, I am working on parallelism in sentence correction and drawing a conclusion in critical reasoning. I have also started doing two reading comp passages every Tuesday and Thursday. I also started doing the two AWA's once a week, too. Basically, I study certain things on certain days of the week. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are my math study days. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my verbal study days. There have been some weeks where I have had to study both math and verbal on the same day. I usually reserve Fridays as a day off, except when I am going to take a practice test. At the same time, I have been zeroing in on some of the strategies that the online courses and labs do a very good job of giving me some very important tips and techniques that I can use. I would say that the next two weeks will be very busy for me not only with the current class material, but also with the material that I did not understand that well or with the material that I missed in the class sessions when I had to work. I am focusing a lot on both the math and verbal strategies and how to use what I have learned to help me to be able to practice problems more efficiently and correctly. I am also working on my timing with just about anything that I practice. I bought a very handy timer that I can use for up to 99 minutes at one time. That timer is perfect when I need to do problems for 2 minutes because it counts down from 2 minutes. I can also do practicing in blocks of time, like 75 minutes when I want to mimic the math or verbal parts of the test.

Today, I posted a rather long play by play of what my study schedule is like. After this, I want to be more specific about what I am doing. I like starting my "study" day by looking at what I will be doing and how I will be doing it. That gives me the sense of purpose that I think that is very important. It keeps me inspired, too.
Greg

I am taking strategy lessons right now. The MG strategies about how to rephrase data sufficiency questions so that I can find the answers faster and more efficiently, too. I am pretty amazed with how that works. In turn, practicing DS problems with those rephrasing tools in mind has to be the next step. I will be doing that on Friday.

Today is verbal study day. I have a whole lot to do in sentence correction, critical reasoning, and a bit for reading comp. There again, MG offers a diagramming lab..where I can look at it any time. The more I look at it, the more I am becoming good at knowing how to diagram an argument. The more that I know how to practice CR arguments using that technique, the better I am going to be on test day.

Reading comp is another kind of "bird" for me. Of course, MG has a really good technique for dealing with any kind of RC passage. I would call it like a unigue kind of quick look at the RC passage where you outline only certain things to get yourself comfortable with what the point is of the whole passage, without having to read it word for word.

So, I am off to look at more of those MG strategies..and then, practice, practice, practice.
Greg

Keep it up Greg. With detemination you can climb mountains.

Oh to be able to take time off of work to study for this insane test!! Oh how I wish life could just be put on hold so I could study. But to no avail, life goes on whether or not I want to take this test.

I've been trying my hardest to put aside at least 2 hours of study time each day. That hasn't even been happening. I come home exhausted from work or I have to do stuff around the house. I have a ton of responsibilities in all avenues of my life.

I also am using recorded sessions of the Manhattan GMAT, like Greg I got really far behind in the class due to work obligations and home obligations. I love Manhattan GMAT....I sincerely do not believe how people study for this test without it. It's awesome.

And my test is next week, the 5th of May....am I ready for it? Nope. Am I still going to take it? Yep. I've already put it off twice. This test is starting to get expensive!!

So here's to all the people out there struggling with time management!!!

All the best greg!!!

I am one of you guys. Working full time and preparing in the evenings. Took me some time to get the momentum but now i am in full pace. It's bit hard to keep life disciplined by saying no to parties (too difficult, believe me)and movies, but I am specific now.

Keep it up and you will succeed. Hard work never goes waste.

Manish

Hi notmyking, itobean, and Manish,
You do sound a lot like me when it comes to studying for the GMAT. I wouldn't say that I am completely free from work, it is just that I asked for more extra time off. But, of course, I have had to go in to work at the worst possible times when I should have been studying. It was difficult for me to say no because that is my livelihood, too. However, I am taking the Manhattan GMAT course that started on March 11. I was doing just fine when I was working a short schedule. However, things kind of changed in the beginning of April. That is when I started to get behind in the class. And, that MG course is very demanding for just about anybody, especially if you want to take their materials and the way that they present them, seriously. I like that prep program because it is a well developed, structured study program. I tried to study for the GMAT on my own before, but that didn't work. I have also taken other GMAT test prep courses, too. They were nowhere near as good as the Manhattan GMAT prep course, either.
Yes, it is very difficult to be able to study after working all day. Of course, there are other variables in life that one has to deal with, too. Just to let you know, I am moving in the right direction now, because I made the choice to ask for a lot of extra time off from work. Honestly too, I am not sure how I would have been able to get caught up if I was working like I normally do. So, I decided to really pull out all the big guns and use any GMAT resource material that is available to me..and use it to my advantage.
Thanks very much for the encouragement, too.
Greg

I have used one more trick. I take a nap of 1/2 hr to 1 hr to recharge my energy level after coming back from work.

It is good to keep a journal when I am doing my studying, so here I am.
I like using this forum in the morning before I study or go to work. It gives me the incentive to keep moving along.

This is math day for me, so I am going to work on finishing FDP's and part of Geometry, too. I am finding it very useful to look at the recorded MG online class sessions from previous weeks. In addition, to march ahead, I have already looked at the recorded MG class session #8. I am starting to get caught up doing things that way.

I am also trying to deal with time management in regards to when I study and practice, too. I am lucky because MG also has a timing strategy lab that I have looked at, but I didn't go through the whole thing. I am using a timer now for everything that I do. That includes studying the strategies involved, too. The MG problems come in sets of 15, so I am giving myself 30 minutes to complete the whole set. However, when I do the Official Guide problems where I set up a time to do them, things don't run so smoothly. I guess I do have my own answer: Obviously, I didn't know the content material well enough to be able to do the OG problems given a time constraint. I am trying to work on doing a better job with the content material and my timing as well. That is why I mentioned the fact that I am using any of the other GMAT resource materials that I have. Those things give me the extra help when and if I need it. I think that it is always good to have some extra resources available when I am working on something "academic" and "psychological" like studying for the GMAT.

It is off to the books for me now. No naps today. Honestly, I don't do well at all with sleeping during the day.
Greg

I'm with you - I love a good nap when I get home from work. Helps me recharge!!

I just did the timing strategy lab last night and it was amazing. Really helpful. I don't have a problem with time on the test....but it helped me to realize that if I can't figure the problem out in 2 minutes - I'm not going to figure it out!

I've decided not to do another practice exam before my test date. I just find it too discouraging. I'd be happy with a score in the low 600s. My GPA and work experience speaks volumes about me.....but I'm trying my best. I've decided also to have a better mindset about it. If I panic and freak out - I freeze....so I'm going to just relax, study as much as I can, and just tackle it head on next Saturday....and then it will be lots of beers afterward!!