Hello Everyone,
First, I would like to comment on how excited I am to join the forum. I have read the very detailed review on GMAT study plans. It was absolutely excellent! It gave me a little bit more room to make my own plan.
My GMAT experience has been a highly convoluted one. My last attempt at the GMAT only produced a 550. I must confess - I totally ran through it. I freaked, lost my cool, and just gave up. I am usually not a quitter - not by a long shot. I have had many successes, and I dont ever quit. NEVER. However, something inside of me just said "no more". I have not attempted the GMAT since. That was about 1.5 years ago. During that time, I took a
MGMAT course. Last month, I took a Veritas course. Why did I take two courses? Well, I had about a 1.5 year lag, so I wanted to brush up. This leaves me with a bit of a conundrum.
What books are best to use?
I like
MGMAT - especially the number properties book and Geometry. I am terribly weak in the problem solving and DS questions. Math is definitely not a great area for me. I have taken advanced mathematics courses, but these always made sense. GMAT math never seems to!
So, I have crafted a plan. May I request your opinion?
Month 1 (already in process):
Review the fundamentals - EVERYTHING. This includes number properties, algebra, arithmetic, geometry, etc. Do the problems in the "MGMAT Foundations of Math" book. I also have a Veritas "Math Essentials" book. Would it be good to utilize both?
Review various flashcards of all fomulas, methods, and other strategies. List methods, traps/tricks, and other areas of weakness (and how to address them) in spreadsheet/error log. In the log, I have several tabs. One tab goes over all the methods I will be using for various question types. My biggest problem is consistency - sometimes I just do not know how to start a problem. I sometimes will not remember the exact method. Thus, I am keeping a list of methods by my side. I plan to drill these and learn them. I will not blank out on a question!
Run through problems in MGMAT and possibly Veritas books. Do drills with timed sessions. Plan to review 10-25 questions per practice session. Timed. Will review questions for errors, method, traps/tricks, etc. for at least 30 minutes.
What other books would be good to utilize for practice questions? I have the MGMAT Guides - Set of 8. I have the Veritas books as well. Furthermore, I also have the OG 12, Verbal Review, and Quant Review. I also have the PowerScore CR bible. HOWEVER, I do like MGMAT's approach to CR. I really do not like Veritas's approach to it. It was ....well...confusing. PowerScore was good, but also a little confusing. Any recommendations?
Futhermore, what are the best "quiz banks"?
[b]Month 2VERBAL, VERBAL, VERBAL. Is it a good idea to keep both sections separate? Should I be doing a little of both each time? How should this work?
Review and annotate methods for verbal questions. Concentrate on understanding of modifier errors, pronouns, antecedents, gerunds, critical reasoning arguments, and reading comprehension.
*Since QUANT is such a weak area, I may do a few questions each day to refresh my knowledge. This is to keep the material current in my own mind.
-Will do practice tests in the second month? Is this a good idea?
Month 3Timed tests. Will run through these and see where I stand. Any weak areas will be addressed through additional practice.
I plan to take the test in October 2011.
Thanks to everyone!
-A
Will review questions in various books and will time them. Will also spend a lengthy amount of time on REVIEW. Review is crucial, since I want to understand the intricate nature of SC questions. Already have a familiarity with these question types - want to sharpen skills!