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15 Oct 2017, 03:16
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I've been using GMATClub for about a month as a not-so-active member (ie: not too may posts, just reading tips and answering GMAT questions), but after my terrible 2nd attempt at the GMAT yesterday, I think I need some advice/constructive criticism/REALLY ANYTHING. Please go to TL;DR section if you don't feel like reading my entire post and would like to just help me with how I can improve my studies.
I took my first GMAT in April 2017 after 2 moths of self studying while working full time. I got an embarrassing score of 600 (V27 Q45), was depressed for a few hours, but then thought hey it was my first attempt and I tried, so all I need to do is improve.
I didn't get much studying done between April and September (just doing some OG 2017 questions by myself (again, self study) here and there, but it was also because I was on the fence about moving back to my home country vs staying in the U.S.), but from mid-September I tried to dedicate all of my time to studying (ie: not working. At all.). Took another mock exam, scored basically the same as my first real GMAT (590...) and began studying. I didn't have the OG so I ordered the 2018 book... but it took 2 weeks to arrive (should've bought materials while I was still in the US). (PSA: Anybody planning to move anywhere where they think the prep books will not be sold at the local bookstore: BUY THEM BEFORE YOU LEAVE. SERIOUSLY. #1 biggest mistake for me so far with my GMAT prep). I also subscribed to a prep course with some tutoring hours. With a combination of the OG2018, video lessons, and tutor sessions, I did what I thought was intense studying for 1 month. My final mock exam (GMATPrep Exam pack 2) was 640 (V31 V47?), so I was not ecstatic about the improvement shown in the mock exam, but due to personal reasons I couldn't reschedule my exam to a later date this time.
GMAT Exam #2: 500 (V18. Q I have no idea, I didn't even check I was too shocked with the 100 points decrease and low verbal score...)
Yep. Drowned myself in my own pool of tears.
So after being depressed for a few hours, I feel that I need to just restart all of my studying. It's frustrating that I got an even lower score after studying hard (with a tutor, focusing on only verbal too..!) for a month. Since I'd like to apply for RD 2 this year, I have about 2 months to study and retake the exam. I am not confident in applying in RD 3 because my work experience is not outstanding.
I'm thinking maybe some uncontrollable factors played into my poor score for my second exam (couldn't sleep the night before, and had a few days before the test when I was feeling really down and didn't eat at all.. and of course, test anxiety), but that's not going to fly with the AdComs. I'm sure they'd rather see a great score than read a sob story.
TL;DR
I'd like to get some help on how to improve my verbal score immensely in 2 months. I'm not too worried about quant because I feel I could work on that section by myself and keep up with my 45-47 range. (Also, what's with the GMAT scoring in which verbal scores are more heavily weighted?! Gosh darn.)
(Sadly) I consider myself a fluent speaker (not native), but I am one of those people who will sometimes use colloquial language in writing. Now that I think about it, I might have been a little ignorant with studying the basics for the verbal section because I considered myself a fluent speaker... Shame on me.
Also, to avoid my previous horror with the 2 weeks shipping crisis of my OG 2018, if anybody can provide me with great verbal study material that's accessible on the internet, that would be fantastic.
Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you!!!
PS: I head reading for pleasure also helps increase verbal score... Any recommendations that I can find online? (Seriously, I'm so sad that books written in English are so difficult to find in my country...
)
I took my first GMAT in April 2017 after 2 moths of self studying while working full time. I got an embarrassing score of 600 (V27 Q45), was depressed for a few hours, but then thought hey it was my first attempt and I tried, so all I need to do is improve.
I didn't get much studying done between April and September (just doing some OG 2017 questions by myself (again, self study) here and there, but it was also because I was on the fence about moving back to my home country vs staying in the U.S.), but from mid-September I tried to dedicate all of my time to studying (ie: not working. At all.). Took another mock exam, scored basically the same as my first real GMAT (590...) and began studying. I didn't have the OG so I ordered the 2018 book... but it took 2 weeks to arrive (should've bought materials while I was still in the US). (PSA: Anybody planning to move anywhere where they think the prep books will not be sold at the local bookstore: BUY THEM BEFORE YOU LEAVE. SERIOUSLY. #1 biggest mistake for me so far with my GMAT prep). I also subscribed to a prep course with some tutoring hours. With a combination of the OG2018, video lessons, and tutor sessions, I did what I thought was intense studying for 1 month. My final mock exam (GMATPrep Exam pack 2) was 640 (V31 V47?), so I was not ecstatic about the improvement shown in the mock exam, but due to personal reasons I couldn't reschedule my exam to a later date this time.
GMAT Exam #2: 500 (V18. Q I have no idea, I didn't even check I was too shocked with the 100 points decrease and low verbal score...)
Yep. Drowned myself in my own pool of tears.
So after being depressed for a few hours, I feel that I need to just restart all of my studying. It's frustrating that I got an even lower score after studying hard (with a tutor, focusing on only verbal too..!) for a month. Since I'd like to apply for RD 2 this year, I have about 2 months to study and retake the exam. I am not confident in applying in RD 3 because my work experience is not outstanding.
I'm thinking maybe some uncontrollable factors played into my poor score for my second exam (couldn't sleep the night before, and had a few days before the test when I was feeling really down and didn't eat at all.. and of course, test anxiety), but that's not going to fly with the AdComs. I'm sure they'd rather see a great score than read a sob story.
TL;DR
I'd like to get some help on how to improve my verbal score immensely in 2 months. I'm not too worried about quant because I feel I could work on that section by myself and keep up with my 45-47 range. (Also, what's with the GMAT scoring in which verbal scores are more heavily weighted?! Gosh darn.)
(Sadly) I consider myself a fluent speaker (not native), but I am one of those people who will sometimes use colloquial language in writing. Now that I think about it, I might have been a little ignorant with studying the basics for the verbal section because I considered myself a fluent speaker... Shame on me.
Also, to avoid my previous horror with the 2 weeks shipping crisis of my OG 2018, if anybody can provide me with great verbal study material that's accessible on the internet, that would be fantastic.
Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you!!!
PS: I head reading for pleasure also helps increase verbal score... Any recommendations that I can find online? (Seriously, I'm so sad that books written in English are so difficult to find in my country...
) 
