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06 Feb 2012, 13:16
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello all,
I have been using the Manhattan material and have done 4 practice tests. Ranging in the 530-590 area (target 720).
How I study is essentially to take a weakness area highlighted in the Manhattan tests and then study it for 2-3 weeks. This involves reading the entire book on that area, taking notes, doing all the problem sets and doing the OG questions for those areas. I then do a test.
I JUST started timing my questions and noticed that under a 2 minute constraint, I get a lot of questions wrong/guess. I can get them right if I spend about 3 minutes. I noticed my test scores declining and decided to review chapters I had already studied.
How should I best go about this?
My question is this, I have 15 chapters to review across three content areas (number properties, fractions, decimals and percents, word translations) - should I continuously focus on 1 area until I can do ALL the OG questions from that content area < 2 minutes, or cycle everything in order to retain that content?
I study 2 hours daily after work from 8-10pm and on weekends for about 5 hours.
Expert advice sorely needed!!!
I have been using the Manhattan material and have done 4 practice tests. Ranging in the 530-590 area (target 720).
How I study is essentially to take a weakness area highlighted in the Manhattan tests and then study it for 2-3 weeks. This involves reading the entire book on that area, taking notes, doing all the problem sets and doing the OG questions for those areas. I then do a test.
I JUST started timing my questions and noticed that under a 2 minute constraint, I get a lot of questions wrong/guess. I can get them right if I spend about 3 minutes. I noticed my test scores declining and decided to review chapters I had already studied.
How should I best go about this?
My question is this, I have 15 chapters to review across three content areas (number properties, fractions, decimals and percents, word translations) - should I continuously focus on 1 area until I can do ALL the OG questions from that content area < 2 minutes, or cycle everything in order to retain that content?
I study 2 hours daily after work from 8-10pm and on weekends for about 5 hours.
Expert advice sorely needed!!!
07 Feb 2012, 18:24
Kudos
Bookmarks
Bumping this - can anyone provide some insight??
07 Feb 2012, 19:16
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Oxfordbound,
That’s an excellent question
and while I don’t think there is one magical ratio, making sure to constantly review concepts you’ve learned will prevent them from atrophying.
Your current approach – studying a specific concept and tackling all the OG problems pertaining to that concept may result in a tunnel vision. However, I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Become confident in an area, say percents, by making sure you can finish medium-level questions in < 2 minutes (you don’t necessarily have to go through every single problem in the guide the first time around).
Then move on to a different concept, say exponents, but make sure to come back to percents a couple of times a week during your study time.
Of course concepts will start piling on, but the hope is by revisiting concepts after they’ve incubated for a little while, you will need to spend less on them each time.
Also by varying up the problems you expose yourself to during your study sessions you will mirror the structure of the actual test.
Speaking of which - it is also important to do random problem sets whenever you can. That is you want to wean yourself off of a predictable problem set – you need to be ready for test day. By re-exposing yourself in this manner to problems across the board you can also determine which areas need more work and which ones you can spend less time on.
For problem sets, I would recommend doing ten random problems at a time, varying difficulty. Perhaps you can do them every other day, leaving you enough time to focus on a concept.
Hopefully, by making your study approach more dynamic you will be able to adapt to the dynamic – and very challenging – test that is the GMAT.
That’s an excellent question
and while I don’t think there is one magical ratio, making sure to constantly review concepts you’ve learned will prevent them from atrophying. Your current approach – studying a specific concept and tackling all the OG problems pertaining to that concept may result in a tunnel vision. However, I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Become confident in an area, say percents, by making sure you can finish medium-level questions in < 2 minutes (you don’t necessarily have to go through every single problem in the guide the first time around).
Then move on to a different concept, say exponents, but make sure to come back to percents a couple of times a week during your study time.
Of course concepts will start piling on, but the hope is by revisiting concepts after they’ve incubated for a little while, you will need to spend less on them each time.
Also by varying up the problems you expose yourself to during your study sessions you will mirror the structure of the actual test.
Speaking of which - it is also important to do random problem sets whenever you can. That is you want to wean yourself off of a predictable problem set – you need to be ready for test day. By re-exposing yourself in this manner to problems across the board you can also determine which areas need more work and which ones you can spend less time on.
For problem sets, I would recommend doing ten random problems at a time, varying difficulty. Perhaps you can do them every other day, leaving you enough time to focus on a concept.
Hopefully, by making your study approach more dynamic you will be able to adapt to the dynamic – and very challenging – test that is the GMAT.
