Efficient studying

[Slewis2002]

Hi all,

After several months of following this site and researching online, I have decided to begin my GMAT studies. I have purchased the following texts:
- OG 13
- OG Verbal 2nd edition
- OG Quant
- Kaplan Premier
- Kaplan 800
- Manhatten Sentence correction


I have been studying for one month, starting on 1st March. My Undergraduate degree is a Masters in Physics so, although I need to brush up on the high school math, I decided to focus my studies on the Verbal section to begin with. In this first month I have covered all of the Verbal sections in the Kaplan Premier text. My first test (GMATPrep1) was 560(Q40,V27). I took GMATPrep2 exactly one month later on 1st April and scored 600(Q39,V34). Whilst this is some improvement I need to improve this considerably as my target score is 730. My exam is booked for 21 July.
I work quite long hours in my job but have been studying on average 2 hours per weekday and 4 hours each day at the weekend. I know this is a big ask but I am willing to put the work in. I would just like some advice on the following:

1) I feel like I am spending a lot of time studying but I am worried I am not sutdying as efficiently as I could be. At the moment, I am working my way through Kaplan Premier text, making notes as I go along and completing all questions as I go along. I am logging my answers into an error log and analysing the asnwers I get wrong or struggle with, making extra notes if needed. I am not using any other text at the moment. Does this sounds like an efficient way to study?

2) I plan to do questions from other text books after fully reviewing the Kaplan Premier book. Is this the best way or should I be doing questions from other texts as I go along?

3) I have now moved on to reviewing the Quant section but I am worried that I will loose my knowledge of the Verbal section. How do I keepo this fresh in my mind whilst still devoting enough time to Quant?

Any feedbackl would be much appreciated!

[[email protected]]

Hi Slewis2002,

Many GMATers have busy lives, and finding time to study can be challenging, but it sounds like you're making it work. You've also made some nice progress, considering that you've been studying for just one month. Most Test Takers need that first month just to get familiar with the material, but you're clearly learning and improving at the same time.

As to your questions (and some suggestions):

1) Finishing this first book is a fine idea, but you might consider interspersing some work with the OG13. The material in that book will allow you to retain and maintain the knowledge you gained from your earlier studies (for example, you can do a sampling of SC questions once a week, even though you might have moved on to another subject).

2) While book-work is a nice way to get started, there's a significant physical difference between working out of a book and working on a computer. The GMAT will require you to sit in front of computer, take notes, refer back to the screen, etc. for the better part of 4 hours. To hit your goal, you'll have to train for THAT series of interactions. As such, you might consider purchasing some online/computer-based resources to help you build up your endurance and consistency while working on a computer.

3) You should plan on taking an ENTIRE CAT every 1-2 weeks. Also plan to fully review each CAT, so that you can learn from your mistakes.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich