Study Strategy Question when finished with lessons

Question

Hi there,

I am wondering if anybody has advice regarding my study strategy - I went through the Manhattan Prep All the Quant and All the Verbal books, and am now narrowing my focus to Official Guide Questions. I've been studying since late January and was planning to take the test in mid-April, but with Coronavirus stuff my plans have been thrown off - I ended up taking about a 12 day break and am having trouble getting back into a routine. I think part of my struggle (aside from the world being turned upside down) stems from having no lesson plans to get through anymore - prior to the last two weeks, I was working at least 15 hours a week, doing a mix of lessons and OG questions.

I haven't taken a practice test in over a month due to distractions caused by the coronavirus and just figuring life out during this crazy time, but I plan to take another one in the next couple of days. The last one I took (Manhattan Prep CAT), I scored a 630, but I was only about halfway through the Manhattan Prep lessons at that time, so I believe I will be better at this point. I am aiming to score over a 700. I'm hoping to be able to score in the 90+ percentile in Verbal, because my math skills are not great - I don't have a quant background, and doing GMAT math is the only math I've done in about 10 years - my highest math score on a practice test so far was in the 42nd percentile.

Any advice on how to organize my work in the coming weeks is much appreciated. I plan to take the test in May, but it will depend on openings and/or the impending online at-home option while testing centers remain closed (I am in an affected area in California). I have about half the OG online questions left to work with, the 2020 OG book, 3 more Manhattan Prep CAT tests and all 6 Official Guide exams. Given the wealth of materials I have, I am just looking for some organizational tips to figure out the best way to use these tools effectively - I assume I should also look back over my notes too. Thank you so much in advance for any advice!

LeoN88 · Answer

Hello, did you get a chance to look at GMAT study plans recommended by our experts? GMAT Study Plan - 2020 Edition If you search there are other such posts on crafting an effective study plan- https://gmatclub.com/blog/2012/02/3-mon ... -students/ Please go through them and let us know if you need any further assistance!

Gmatsaiyan · Answer

Follow the following study plan:-
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-study-p ... ml?fl=menu
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-self-pr ... tml?f=menu

Courses that can help with your prep:-
https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-co ... ml?fl=menu

Best books for Quants:-
https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-ma ... ml?fl=menu
Best books for Verbal:-
https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-ve ... ml?fl=menu

Best Gmat practice tests:-
https://gmatclub.com/forum/all-gmat-pra ... ml?fl=menu

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  MaddyK9 , and welcome to the community. Since you have already gone through the Manhattan Prep guides, you will want to begin your practice in earnest soon. I am a proponent of  qualitative  study over  quantitative  study--i.e. taking the time to understand the core concepts, what the questions are asking, and what makes each  incorrect  answer incorrect. Thus, I refrain from suggesting any x-hours-a-day study plan to students I work with, especially, again, once they have worked through guidebooks on their own. I think a 10/10/20/10/10/20/practice test approach would suit your needs. Rather than exhaust valuable official questions, particularly on the Quant end, you can focus on just 10 practice questions in days 1 and 2 of each week, then 20 the next day, and so on, leading up to a practice test at the end of the week. This method will keep your test-sharpness keen and your motivation high. There are refinements to make depending on your results in a given day and where you need to spend more or less time, as well as switching up a Verbal day with a Quant day and so on, but the general idea is pretty simple. If you force yourself to spend time with the material in a constructive way instead of feeling some compulsion to finish your OG questions with no real aim, you will stand to gain valuable core knowledge and test-specific technique.

You will definitely want to build a stronger Quant foundation, as you should never rely solely on one part of the exam to buoy the rest of your score. It is okay to be decent at math rather than stellar, but do not let that turn into an excuse to ignore it and allow your score to suffer as a result. If you do not understand a certain part of the Manhattan Prep guide on Quant, then write a post about it, pinpointing what you do not grasp. Sure, there are links I could leave here for you to peruse on theory, but the guide you already possess discusses that very theory. Somewhere there is a disconnect, and it will be your job to find out what the source may be, topic by topic. That takes time, but it sounds as if you have that in abundance right now.

If you have further questions regarding any of the above, feel free to ask. I like to say to newcomers that this is a community that wants to see you succeed. Sometimes knowing that that community is behind you can provide the proper motivation to keep going.

Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

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