Hi,
I felt I should share my GMAT experience too as I know how agitated I was before clicking the start button
. I am just mentioning my experience in coping up with all the stress and anxiety.
GMAT is a grueling exam, no doubt about it. Kudos to you for attempting it 4 times and not giving up in the middle. Surviving those 4.5 hrs was difficult enough for me let alone the thought of re-taking it seems like a daunting task.Honestly speaking, I wasn't even ready to take the exam date as I always underestimated my capabilities. Only after a friend (who scored 740+) motivated me did I finally take the date and decided to try my luck.
Even while practicing I couldn't sustain staring at a computer for more than 3 hrs, however, I gradually picked up the habit of sitting long hours only after I created an exam room scenario in my bedroom. I would practice with earplugs on in pin drop silence and time my answers. The initial phase of adjusting to this habit change is really really difficult but absolutely necessary. I have seen people who scored 750+ in mocks but bombed the real GMAT. I realized that is not the skill, rather just exam fear that comes into play - This is exactly what I needed to prepare for.
Took all my mocks on laminated answer sheets and 12-inch computer screens (that was the size of monitors in my exam hall!!! - Extremely cheap quality and dismal contrast). Adjusting to the same font/contrast went a long way in helping me read the text displayed and focus effectively.
Finally, I took a week off before my exam date to immerse myself completely into the environment. I had to adjust my sleeping cycle to wake-up early at 7 am, as I had scheduled my exam for 9, take a bath and wear the same clothes that I had decided for my exam day.
I deliberately did not eat breakfast!!, I knew I wouldn't be able too on the exam day so why not start with it now. I had to even plan my water intake so that my bladder wouldn't screw me during the exam. Lastly, I had decided to eat 2 kit-kats (one in each break).
Luckily, my habits materialized during the exam and I got what I aimed for.
Final Advice: I still recall how frightened I was before entering the exam room but I did not try to fight my fear, rather embraced it. I thought and strolled for 2 hrs, with my future flashing before my eyes and everything hinging on these 4 hrs. I had vowed to not even think about anything else once I hit the start button on that monitor, therefore, please please think about all the other irrelevant things (future, score, schools) etc. before the commencing your exam. In those 4 hrs, all you should care about is solving those questions, that's it. Some questions are tough and can make you sweat but you need to realize there are 40 others that can boost your score. So don't bother about what you answered in the previous questions- Its a waste of time. You'll have all the time in the world to analyze and introspect later on - those 4 hrs, its you against the world.
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08 Jan 2019, 06:11
