Dont give up. What is your goal in taking the GMAT? Not to discourage you, but, unless you have a shining GPA, awesome letters of recommendation, the whole nine yards, your score will impact very negatively with top schools.
Reviewing your score tells me that you need to work on both your verbal and quant sections. i see you put in 4 months of study which is great, but when you score below the 400 range, you have to revamp your study plans.
Certain schools accept the GRE. I say this because GRE math is easier, but you have to pass its verbal section, which is a killer. Otherwise, I advise as follows:
1. Learn by repetition - answer questions, then take a break, repeat the same questions. Your problem must lie in you not grasping the underlying principles of the questions being asked. For each question, ask yourself, do I understand what is being asked, or am i rushing to calculate a question for the sake of it? The logic of the GMAT (to me) is more important than the solving of the question.
2. Get a study partner if you can. i found out during my practice that talking through problems with someone helps you to better understand what you are dealing with. Preferably, get someone better at math than you. In my case, I worked problems out with my wife who is a grad student and it really helped.
3. In your case, I would advise further tutoring (I know its expensive, but it does help immensely.
4. As you prepare, take available practice tests Manhattan GMAT has 6 tests ($39), Kaplan and others have theirs. My strategy was to take a practice test on one day, get my results, sleep on them, review the questions the next day, then take another practice test, get my results, and review the next day
5. Break down the GMAT into its different components
For example, I broke down the math section into the various sections and quantified my level of understanding. If for example, my understanding of permutations was low, I would include that in my list of urgent topics, meaning that each day, i would make a point of getting at least three permutation/ combination questions and try and work them through. I spent less time on what I was "good" at, but always remember, even if you believe yourself to be great in a certain area, continually work at least one problem in that area a day.
6. I dont know how much time you have until your next GMAT sitting, but sometimes it might be to your advantage to breakdown the sections and decide to tackle them on a week by weak basis say " for the next 5 days, i will focus on Arithmetics and Critical reasoning period. At the end of which you will begin a different section of the exam, say geometry and sentence correction. At the end of each period (doesnt have to be a whole week, take a whole practice test). This way you focus more on each specific section, rather than being overwhelmed by 15 sections and less than enough time.
I state that this is just my take, and I hope that others will give you their take on how they approach the GMAT. Remember there is no one-size fits all strategy, like with religion, you have got to find your own path!!!
(. I feel like a total failure. I do not want to waste time, I have let 2 semesters go by for my chances of getting into the schools that I desire. My goal has been to break 500 on test day, but I have come up short once again. Even though I know a lot of material, I am lost. What to do?!
