Hello friends, first and foremost let me thank you all for participating in and contributing to this wonderful forum. I can imagine that, like me, thousands of others have found community and encouragement on this site. Although I have not posted before, and only just recently made an account, I have been using gmatclub as a resource since I decided to sit for the GMAT. I am writing now, over a month after the date of my exam, because it's just now that I am feeling proud of what I accomplished, and how I accomplished it.
I was never a good student. I never studied, never did any homework, and was famously disorganized. I never thought I would want to or even could pursue a postgraduate degree. But eventually something changed and after some introspection, I decided that I wanted more out of life, and more from myself. Fast forwarding to February of this year, I decided to take the GMAT and demanded nothing less than perfection from myself.
Because of my work and personal schedule, I could only study for three days out of the week. I would study from 2 pm to 7 pm, and would think about the test obsessively. I learned a few things I think are worth sharing.
1. Just about everyone I spoke to mentioned that the study plan I had carved out for myself was unrealistic and counterproductive. It takes some people a short while to get into a study groove, but I found that it would take me a significant amount of time to get settled in and feel fully present and fully engaged with my study materials. Having the big study window took some of the initial pressure off and allowed me to get comfortable at my own pace. The few times I tried to study in smaller intervals I saw no benefit compared to when I stuck to my guns. Find what works for you.
2. Nothing will cripple your plans and routine like poor/insufficient sleep. Nothing will help you stay on track and focused like good, sustained rest. Work on your sleep hygiene and make an effort to get sun in the mornings/early afternoon. I had not realized how much of my past demotivation was linked to irregular circadian rhythms and a lack of quality sleep. Wakefulness was crucial to the motivation and stamina I needed for my marathon study sessions. Giving some thought to how you can sleep better could yield serious benefits.
3. The
OG study materials should be the core component of any study plan. If possible, spring for the extra verbal and quant review books as well. However, I think that sticking to exercises that are at one's level of competency is crucial, so using materials that let you filter by difficulty should be prioritized. It is also very important to understand the format and nuances of the test, and the official guides are the best tools for achieving this. I will also add that in my case I found it instructive to start my prep with untimed time controls, and only began to worry about time after the first few practice tests.
4. Teaching the material you are learning will help you encode and retain info! Find friends, family members, co-workers, forums, anybody and anything! Teaching and discussing problems are the best way to comprehend and retain material (particularly the tricky stuff).
5. I found it essential to understand why I found certain problems difficult. As an example, I realized there were many world problems (particularly
Manhattan Prep ones) that would tie a knot in my brain and I would have to re-read several times. I discovered that these problems were difficult for me because I was trying to visually piece the data together linearly, and after some thought, I determined it would be better to start with what the answer SHOULD look like and work backward. That small change saved me tons of time and helped me limit my errors.
6. Lastly, I believe taking practice tests regularly and frequently should be an integral part of any study plan. Practice tests can help you understand the test itself and develop appropriate goals. They can help you diagnose issues in your study regimen and materials, as well. The official tests are best, but I used
Manhattan Prep mocks to deal with more difficult quant problems just in case.
I started studying in late February and took my test on June 1st. I will list the materials I used below (I purchased several more, but I will only list the ones I actually used):
GMAT
OG +Quant & Verbal Review (excellent, unrivaled accuracy)
Manhattan Prep Advanced GMAT Quant (good for refining techniques)
Math Revolution Question Bank (good for itemized, high difficulty practice)
gmatclub SC pdf
gmatclub DS/PS threads
It's important to note I started with a relatively high baseline on my first practice tests (740-50q, 44v) but had pronounced weaknesses in SC and DS. Looking back I should have spent more time reviewing the verbal section. I wanted a perfect 800, and was disappointed when I didn't get it. However, now I realize that I underwent a transformation for the better, and if I could do it anyone can do it too.
Anyways, the point of this post, outside of sharing my experience, is to motivate any lurkers out there to challenge and demand more from themselves.
I am planning to take the LSAT next, and cannot seem to find a place (like this one) to help me plan my preparation. Can any of you fine people point me in the right direction?
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18 Jul 2018, 15:22
