2 Weeks Until Doom!! Can't focus!!

[rinoa]

I've been hovering on BTG for the past month and have found everyone's stories both frightful and motivating. I have 2 weeks left until my first official take of the GMAT in early December and am finding this last stretch really difficult. I can't focus. All I want to do is buy Christmas decorations and bake cookies and do nonsense stuff.

Here's my story thus far.

I started with a Princeton Review class mid September but wasn't taking it seriously at all. I didn't do my homework and only took my practice CATS in which I scored the following:
PR CAT 1 530
PR CAT 2 530
PR CAT 3 470
PR CAT 4 480
PR CAT 5 490

The class ended by mid October and I stopped studying for a bit because I was highly demotivated by my scores.

After Halloween I realized I only had a month left and I finally found BTG and realized there are some really dedicated people out there...which inspired me to hit the OG book hard. One week in of PS and DS problems, I retook PR's CAT 1 (last took it 2 months ago so I was pretty sure I wouldn't remember anything). Surprisingly I got a 610, so I realized my study methods must have changed for the better.

Now 2 weeks away, I just took GMAT Prep 1 and scored a 650, after doing PR CATS again with scores all around 570-640.

I feel like it's impossible to get that 700 score...especially with my sudden dose of holiday-attention-disorder. Any tips for some drastic improvement within 2 weeks??

Thanks in advance everyone!

[prateek_guy2004]

Dream big....Sleep well..study hard core.......

[Bara]

Happy Thanksgiving and pre-holiday cheer.

I have good news and not-so-good news. The good news is: you've been back on the path and have been doing great! sounds like a turnaround, Ah ha! moment and that you followed the course which may lead to victory. The not so good news, is you may need to take the test again.

To increase your chances of success on the test, take stock of the following:

The bottom line is to look at your mistakes and learn from them. Likely the OG explanations aren't the best - - but isolate whether your incorrect answers fall in the spectrum of Math (basics, arithimatic, algebra, geometry etc..) and Verbal (CR, RC, SC). For verbal isolate further - which types of SC, CR and RC are you not getting correct. Use this data so you can craft a study plan with laser sharp focus on what you need to do these last two weeks. With or without the gingerbread house you're making

I don't want to rain on your parade, but I wouldn't use TPR results the second time too seriously.

1) it is a 3rd party test

2) you DID see them before. Even though you THINK you don't remember, it seems to me you've not done nearly enough work that you recognize some of it. Use the real GMAC tests available.

3) realize you may take the test again 4) if you do take the test again, plan on an average of 15 - 20 hours of study, a week, for 6 - 8 weeks. Spread that out longer if you need to, but this is a test that rewards thorough knowledge, critical thinking, jumping through mental hoops, staying confident, and focused.

4) Identify our mental weakness/resistance. Why are you distracted by the holidays? What will get you back in the game?

You'd likely also fare better if you could work with a professional to hone in on what you want. More ROI on your time - - but that is up to you. You can always prepare like a rock star now, and see how you do on this test, and decide after next steps with the GMAT, if any.

Good Luck!

[rinoa]

Thank you for the advice

I am definitely mentally prepared to take it again...