My GMAT Journey (now-24th June) 760 (Q49,V44) 30/07/09

Just my opinion but the OG11 math q's are easier than the 700-800 level questions you'll see on the real test. So while you might nail all of the OG11 equivalent questions to get your score range in the upper 40's, maintaining it will be more difficult once you do hit the upper level q's. If you're scoring naturally in the low 40's (like I did before taking Manhattan), Veritas or Manhattan quant review isn't just a nice to have, it'll be absolutely beneficial for you to hit the high 40's with consistency. Good luck!

cheers for that - indeed - i tried some gmat club tests today and they were a step up. need to put in a lot more work. also it gets a bit drab doing more than one test very important i realise to keep concentration and attention levels up. tomorrow will hopefully be better.

gymmin and then SC + combinatrics after...

che,
dg

well mission accomplished yday. went through SC Manhattan - today is fairly simple. Really hone in all the SC questions in OG and literally finish it. That'd be a good day I think. Exercise I find, is crucial to keep the neurons poppin. And even a slight "over the toppness" on diet induces lethargy which one really can't afford. And I have Touch today....Touch Rugby...woohooo.....

So the date is May 29th. It's funny - this time last week I was quite elated about the score on the diagnostic. That has disappeared and am now left with this this gnawing nervousness which is building...it is mostly around my quant. I think to go from 42 - 50 is hard. I just wish there was some some book - I could just read or a whole host of problems I could do to guarantee i had tried my best. I am getting some Veritas stuff this week.

So far I have
(1) OG
(2) Gmatter (more for verbal I think are the quants good on this)
(3) Getting Veritas
(4) Should I get the GMAT Club tests?

Saw your post about combinatorics (sp?). I'm guessing you mean probability, permutations and combinations? I scored a Q49 on my GMAT a week ago and didn't see a single one of those problems. BTW I went from 42 to 49 and it was a lot of work but far from impossible. I just needed to get familiar with what the questions were really asking. At the core, each Quant question is easy enough to be solved in 2 minutes or less, so there's an easy question in there somewhere.

Even Manhattan really de-emphasized that combos/permus in class. Maybe just spend a day to get the basics down. If you do get a really hard combo/permu question you're probably doing really well at that point so 1 miss won't hurt you.

thanks duuuma - appreciate this. yeah i meant combi/perm problems. how long did it take you to go from 42 - 49. Any specific strategies? I can see the easy angled usually but I'm taking too much time. I think from today onwards, every q I get wrong, or don't know, i'll write it down. Organise the ones I am getting wrong into the different sections say simple algebra, or simple geometry, so forth and constantly refer back to them. That might be a good way of getting better at "seeing the angles". Thoughts/suggestions?

how did you do on verbal?

che,
dg

Study took a bit of a hit today. A bit slow off the blocks. Darn IPL!

Therefore I made a big decision. A huge decision. Cut off my cable TV connection.I know ...I know... tough times ...tough measures....

Considering I have also lent out my PS3 my intent on nailing this is evident. No sports channels and PS3 for a month - wow. I ended up getting injured in my game of Touch yesterday as well. That's going to keep me out of sport for another month. Looks like there is going to be no excuse to some good ole "stay at home" study time.

I did an SC table up - so that instead of the 125 pages on the Manhattan I had all the different types of SC visible. I am going to try to do that for every topic. It should prove for good review.

Oh, I got my Veritas books today. Classy looking. Real classy looking. I had a quick look through - the questions did not seem to be too spectacularly hard. At least - it gives me some good direction.

Hope gmatters worldwide have had a good day!

che,
dg

yesterday was a good day. things achieved - went through SC thoery, did 25 SC Q's from OG, finished a GMAT Club Quants test. Completed one MBA entry essay. Requested transcripts. Touched base with referees. Productive.

Today is going to be even more productive!

Setting up a meeting with alumini of a school I am interested in.
Do one more GMAT club test (2hours) - with proper time constraints. Do 50 SC from OG (1 hour). 50 crunches. Go through mistakes from yday (30mins * 2). Start on my Veritas books - there is Veritas 0 (1 hour) (which is introduction to quants) I should be able to power through, I am going to hit up Veritas CR (1.5 hrs) as well. I have not been giving CR & RC too much love recently, so need to balance things out.

Finally need go through some quants notes as well (1.5 hours). That's a total of 8 hours. That would be a good day.

eaz it...squeez it....just sit back and breez it...
over and out,
che,
dg

It has been a frustrating two days. Yesterday I spent time working on my essays. I had a friend, who had successfully side-stepped all the hurdles of MBA applications, go through my first essay. Ripped it to bits. Back to the drawing board.

I had to get a lot other things done today. Met up with a referee to ask if would well...be my referee and met up with alumni of the institution I am most keenest on. That was 3/4th of the day. Then had to spend $65 at the physio on a shoulder injury from 3 weeks ago. Dang it! First the groin, now the shoulder.

Tomorrow I have to spend some time away at a friend's bday bash. Fortunately there is going to be another alumni who will be there - so will get some MBA-value add there. Have to put in at least 2 hours now...hmmm....on a GMAT club test I suppose....

Also need to block out completely what's happening for the next 2 weeks. Watch this space....

had a solid day of study! workin...sloggin...toe tappin....sentance correcting...critical reasoning day....got lots of done....

the key for me is to - change scenes every 2-3 hours...or so....keeps things fresh...i think if i stay too long in one spot...in aint no work...(SC that!)

Veritas is proving to be super duper useful....its simple, takes things at an excellent pace - proving to be an expensive but sound investment...

got quite a bit combinatrics/probability done and s.c one today. am about to go through my abysmal gmat club quants test. tomorrow i am going to take it really seriously...

i have also - started working on some essays and had a mini break through on what one of the main queries....gave me a lot of clarification on how to best answer...as my mate pointed out...data mining is important....

body has also healed up quite a bit from a few sports injuries...so am going to venture out to the gym tomorrow - 0700 - i know ...all a bit daft really...

hope y'all....are doing well....its gettin a bit ...cold over here...

che,
dg

Keep up the good work!!!

whoooooo...
tired....but kinda feeling energized by the work ethic.
today was an absolutely solid day.

did another gmat club test - another abysmal result. a bit of improvement. reviewed all the questions properly however. there are still some subject areas i need to focus on. probability, geometry, integer d.s - quite a few actually. finished 2 hours worth of scing.....
then came back and brainstormed/data mined for essays
spoke to another alumni
touched base with both prospective referees....

still feel i can do more

happening day tomorrow.....

6-8 gymmin...

0830 - 1000 (gmat club test)
1015 - 1200 (finish Veritas SC and review)
1230 - 1330 (review quant test and previous test)
1345 - 1500 (initiate critical reasoning study)
1530 - 1600 (plan out of rest of the month)
1600 - 1700 (finish data mining and allocate appropriate points to qstns)
1700 - 2030 (WOLVERINE - a man needs some mirth...)
2030 - 2130 (review things learned today)

....one month....to go...gulp.....

che, dg

so its been a while....

why....well....i have had a bit of a roller coaster...

you know what this is hard work....going through question upon question on geometry/probability/algebra....can be ....hmmm...

MIND NUMBING......

but i'm....doing well now....things are on the up......made a big decision....moved the test......to June 10th....a bit more breathing space....i want to do well....hell i wanna kick ass....

and you know what - i'm learning how to study....

its

....

yup....

MIND NUMBING...

good luck. hope you don't write your AWA like you type.

cmon....everyone loves the dots.......

I took a few days off. 3 to be precise. I was starting to numb with the number of quants questions I was doing. Then I did a GMAT club test today. Again.
I got creamed. Again.
Darn it! I am pretty sure I know nearly all the quants content now; 2 mins a question and if there are going to be questions like the Club questions...toughi toughi. Tomorrow I start on Verbal. And I am re-revved up about Quants again as well.

I just thought I was getting the hang of this....had even mapped out "an evening to the movies - Star Trek"

sigh....



28 days to go...sounds like a horror movie...

che,
dg

Thanks fgmat!

in fact today was a solid day.

did a verbal gmatclub challenge (which does not reach the high standards set by the quants)
did a quants (9) gmatclub challenge and for the first time just finished (scraped through - last 5 questions were a bit rushed) but crossed the 20 mark today - for the first time. big day. and i felt good while i was doing the test. at least i did not feel dire. which was really, really heartening.

and then went back and went through all the questions in test 1. i was pretty comfy with most of them. even though it was the second time i was completing it - it was a very positive, learning experience. a new found confidence is threatening to pulverize the nagging concerns.

confidence is key,
i imagine
in doing well in this CAT (rap that!)

ontop of this pretty much finished - CR on Veritas as well. spent an hour spinning at the gym - so yeah solid day!

Need to get through reading comprehension, and then SC's on GMAT Club. Have to shiny up the CV and write up some more drafts on the essays. Finish all of GMAT club challenges, and OG, and then do the trial tests. oh yeah and practice AWA.

whooo....lots to do!!

i don't know if it's a bit too late but study is definitely intensifying. you know when your in the zone when your gymming or playing sport and you are so focused on pushing yourself you feel like you want to keep repeating the action over and over again. i am starting to feel that about quants.

lol.

i did gmat math challenge 11 and it was another 20+ (low) the goal is that by the time i am on 20 - 25, i need to be in the late 20's. i have 7-10 days to push myself there.

verbal is annoying. i feel like i have a really good handle on it. nearly overconfident. was able to get through all the veritas material - quite straightforward. will go through manhattan and og. am also going to sit a diagnostic over the weekend. just over 3 weeks to go.


gulp


che,
dg

it's been a while.

i have been locked up in a dungeon and been tortured by watching reruns of old Dr Phil reruns.



so the last few days have involved some studious quants work. and then today i did my second gmat prep test. i did the first 1 around 5 weeks ago. i got a 660 with i think a break down of 40 38 (V-Q) .. I think.


I did not do it properly today. I was very sluggish with my quants - was distracted and really regret it. Verbal got really really really hard.

i got a 690. 44 40 breakdown. I sucked lemon at quants - it was bad. had a quick go through and made some silly mistakes, timing was fine, got complacent and then messed up the last q's.

i think i could have done better on quants. i think focusing on the gmat challenge questions helped but - i think it is important i do a decent portion of easier questions for familiarity - from OG. I think composure makes a 20 point difference on the test. If your calm - your much more likely to kick ass.

On verbal - 90% of my errors was on SC - didn't make a mistake in RC and CR was aight. So clearly I need to really work on SC. Man verbal was exhausting - some of those q's were so tight. And I got 2 long-ass RC's.

A buddy of mine urged me to really get on top of the gmatter program. Great idea. So 50 q's on that daily. I am still going to try to do every challenge test twice but - I am going to amp the workload up a bit by going through OG and Veritas maths questions again.

Test is on 10th June. Taking away 5 days for just practise tests and chill - that leaves me with *GULP* 2 weeks.

Let's streamline that a bit more and make that 10 days.

Alright.....

I'm really glad I did a diagnostic in the beginning and now kinda in the middle of study. It's helping me hone in on the areas and customise my study.

I think it's going to be important that 5 days before the test - I really do chill. You gotta draw a line. No more "I could do this", "I could have done that", "I wish...." It's game time and if you've got a good body of work behind - all you can do is just go there and give it your all - with a smile.

che,
dg

p,s:
any tips, suggestions, advice - I'm all ears.