BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Hit the wall...

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:36 pm

Hit the wall...

by NoahTheGreek » Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:31 pm
I need a little motivational help right now....I will try to keep my story as brief as possible.

I have been studying for the GMAT for the past two months for roughly 8 hours a day and I take the test on FEB fifth. I believe I have a good understanding of the material and when I work through practice problems in the OG12 and other various books I get a good percentage of them on the first try. My issue today is that when I go to do CATS I feel like I am a fish on land, I have no clue what is going on and for most of the problems I have no idea how to answer them correctly (mostly quant). I have taken a few of the old retired paper tests that I got off the GMAT website and I have been doing pretty well ( scoring between 640-740). When I go to take CATs on MGMAT or the GMAC software I fall apart. I don't understand how I can breeze get through all the material in the books and work problems out but when it comes to taking the CATs I don't recognize any of the problems and usually end up throwing something.

I am not really sure what to do at this point, with less than 2 weeks before I take the test I am starting to think I should just throw in the towel and start preparing for next year. Any suggestions....

Thanks a lot.
Top
Source: — GMAT Strategy |
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:23 pm
Location: Malibu, CA
Thanked: 716 times
Followed by:255 members
GMAT Score:750

by Brian@VeritasPrep » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:16 am
Hey Noah,

Honestly, I think you're a poster-boy for "overstudying" and the negative impact that it can have on someone's test experience. I can't imagine what someone would study for 8 hours a day for two months! There are a lot of situations in life in which the harder you try, the harder it is - I don't know if you've ever swam or watched swimming in the Olympics, but if you watch a kid "try his hardest" and then watch Michael Phelps, it's like they're from different planets. The kid will just thrash about, throwing himself at the water and splashing all over the place; Phelps, en route to another world record, doesn't look like he's trying at all...it looks absolutely effortless. The reason? All the kid understands is "effort" - the harder you try, the better you do. But in most pursuits, including the GMAT, efficiency and controlled effort are much more important for success. I can picture you taking a test right now - I'd be willing to bet that you're pressing your pen hard against that notepad, frantically jotting down calculations, and your hair is a mess at the end from your rubbing your head as you concentrate. Am I right?

Now, the good news is that your efforts to date aren't wasted - I'm sure you've learned quite a bit and should be poised to score pretty well. But you absolutely must train yourself to relax - right now all that effort that you've put in thus far is manifesting itself as stress. Every time you face a problem and begin to struggle I'm almost positive that you're feeling that despair of "I can't believe it...I've worked so hard yet I can't even solve this problem". And stress breeds more stress...

My suggestion - over the next week, take 1-2 practice tests and tell yourself going in that you do not care about your score, or whether you even finish all the questions. Put a radio or TV on in the background if you think it will help, or walk away mid-test for 90 seconds to get a drink or a snack - the whole goal should be to take a "casual" practice test and to just go through the process of taking a test without any pressure whatsoever. Treat it as an experiment - if you don't worry about the clock and don't think about your score, I think you'll find that in the end you do better than you have been.

One other tip - smile and laugh at yourself. It sounds cheesy but smiling does release endorphins that affect your whole mood. When you're starting to struggle, laugh - "Two months of full-time study and I can't factor this equation...come on!". The thing is, you know how to do this stuff; you just need to loosen your spirits enough to let yourself do it.

On test day, remember this - you CANNOT fail. A low score just means that you have to take it again, but unlike a college class in which a low grade goes on your "permanent record" and counts against your career GPA, the GMAT does not. As long as you ultimately post the score that you want, a poor performance on test day will not count against you. So go into the test feeling no pressure because, quite honestly, there is no pressure.
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

Looking for GMAT practice questions? Try out the Veritas Prep Question Bank. Learn More.
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:36 pm

by NoahTheGreek » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:57 am
WOW! I am amazed how you did that, that is exactly what I look like taking tests and how I feel internally. I am riddled with stress. I am going to take you advice and try to practice more on calming down rather than getting all of the information out of my head. As I sit here and think about it my best practice score came after I took a 3 day break for new years. I think I am going to try to just review one subject a day for the next couple weeks.

Thank you so much.
Top
User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:38 am
Thanked: 2 times

by iridebikes » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:09 pm
If I were you man I would try and relax, maybe go out and get wasted or at the very least spend some time doing something you enjoy, something that your rigorous study schedule has pushed you away from over the past few months. I started preparing in November and I scored a 520 (my verbal score was over a 40, math below a 20). I have maintained a 3.9 in college and like yourself, have devoted a lot of time to this test over the past few months. What I have taken away from this experience and those sadistic data sufficiency questions is you can only do well, the best you can do. Think of where you started a few months ago and where you stand today. I'm sure THAT will put a smile on your face, reading 700+ success stories will not. This test is about you and no one else. For example I am applying to not so competitive business schools, in which the their graduates start out at around 65-70k if they land a job after graduation. The average gmat score is 550, the average for these schools, whose AVERAGE gmat score is 550, opens to the door to a starting income that is 70% greater than the median per family income in our country! You and I along with the rest of beatthegmat posters are up against a well educated, well rounded group of people. Keep this in mind while you're studying, its a hard test but it IS beatable. Test anxiety will only screw you up as your emotions will fluctuate too much during the exam and the evidence will be in your score. I was an amateur bodybuilder and I have learned that although you're constantly being compared to what OTHERS have, you can only compare results with those of which you had achieved before your contest prep (in your case, the gmat). Every time you do a practice problem you get a little bit faster because your brain quickly makes connections with past problems/data. At some point after reading this post, look at problems you got wrong when you first started your prep, I bet you laugh at yourself. In a few more months you will be laughing at the problems you're struggling with now
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1