FC2012 wrote:
Hello everyone,
Long time reader around these forums as i contemplated about MBA for about 2 years. Finally decided that i would start studying for it. My goal is to write it in April. I have already started a little bit of prep with the
manhattan gmat books. I got the 4th edition books and they are very informative. I have only finished the first two books on number properties and fractions, decimals and percent.
Today i wrote my first mock CAT, i was doing ok i guess... but i didn't eat or drank any water through out the day (had some beer last night to help me sleep) so in the middle of the verbal section, i got a huge headache... taking a test looking at the computer screen is extremely difficult for me...so in the middle of it.. i jsut gave up as i cannot concentrate any longer ... good thing too because i got a nose bleed right after (it's cold and dry where i live)
I aim to get a 670, which i think it not out of the realm of possibility for me i think.. with a little over a month to prep for it.. i am taking the month off.. so i can do 8 hours of study a day for a month... (yea right....)
my question is.
1.) i know i am not fully done studying the basic concept yet... but when i wrote the GMATprep test.. is it normal to feel like you don't know anything...? I have a scientific background particularly biophysics .. so the math is not too foreign to me.. but the language... it's just soooo confusing...anyone who read the word translation of
manhattan gmat.. is it going to help? or should i just practice more questions?
2.) verbal.. i am born chinese.. but has been living in canada for 12 years... you can say i am native speaker.. but the verbal section appears to be ... alien lol... I started to look for the 2/3 split and stuff.. but it still baffles me... is the
manhattan gmat SC book and the powerscore CR book going to be ok for my prep? coz i bet you i probably got a 0 in verbal today
Now i might just be really really dumb... but could i get some advice?? i've always done well in my math courses over my life.. but this stuff just zaps my confidence...maybe i am just too out of touch with these subjects after finishing a masters of science in biochemistry...i just can't see to grasp the question...
Dear
FC2012,
I'm happy to share my thoughts about what you have asked.
First of all, I DON'T think you are dumb ---- I think you just need a little more introduction to strategies relevant to the GMAT.
Just a general health suggestion that addresses what happened in your test --- hydrate yourself. Drink at least 10 glasses of water a day, and add a couple more for each beer your drink. Believe it or not, being properly hydrated may play a role in memory processes, if only because other health & detox processes in the body are supported. Also, in general, I would say any beer before a GMAT, practice or otherwise, is a bad idea.
The
MGMAT books are excellent. I would also like to recommend
Magoosh --- our full package is much less than the cost of the
MGMAT set. First of all, here are some study schedules you may find helpful:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/gmat-study-schedule/I would suggest --- follow the one-month plan, and supplement it from whatever material you can fit in from the Version C three month plan.
I will also say --- that entire free blog will be full of information you will find helpful.
The
Magoosh product has 200+ GMAT video lessons, covering all the content & strategies you need. We can help with your issues of "translating" word problems and mastering the verbal sections. We provide ongoing email support, to explain any of our own questions and any questions from the
OG or official material. Here's a sample SC question:
https://gmat.magoosh.com/questions/3284Here's a sample DS question:
https://gmat.magoosh.com/questions/1021For each of those, when you submit your answer, the next page will have a complete video explanation. Each one of our 700+ GMAT question has its own video explanation, for accelerated learning.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mike