Two weeks into preparation, and panicking a bit!

Question

Hello,
So as the title suggests, I am panicking a bit.

I am two weeks in, studying from the Manhattan Strategy guides. I gave one MGMAT and got a 660 (Q45 V35) on the test. So far, i have been able to complete one book from the MGMAT guides for Quant and solved all OG questions for the F-D-P (around 100) of them. Fairly OK with the questions, just a few silly mistakes that don't click. Will come with practice. I am certain Quant is something I should be able to get through with another 2-3 weeks of studying.

Verbal is another story altogether! I need a good score here, to get my goal of 750. Why do I need 750 you ask? Well, two reasons, my GPA is low (2.8) and I am aiming for Top 20 schools (check my list on the side).

I started with SC from the MGMAT book and 3-4 chapters in, I am a little lost. Not sure how to get through Verbal right now.

I need some advice guys. My test is on 10th Sept, which is 10 weeks, to the date, and I cannot push it further. I aim to apply in R1 to at least 2-3 schools, and if needed, in R2 to another 2 schools. Planning to take the last 2 weeks off from work for the last mile push.

I am able to put in 15-20 hours a week, 2-3 hours on weekdays and 10 hours over the weekend, with a rest day on one day of the week.

Regards,
Anupam.

bb · Answer

I don't understand what this post is about. You studied for 2 weeks and what are you panicking about?
You have completed 10% of the work....

anupamgupta2112 · Answer

Hi,
I completely agree. What I really want to understand is:
1. Is giving 15-20 hours a week for 10 weeks sufficient for the kind of improvement I am aiming at? I know this is a function of a lot of things, including individual aptitude and baseline ability, but just a sense of how to do this.
2. For Verbal, I want to know if getting a course like e-GMAT helps. Or are the MGMAT guides enough for all three areas?

Sorry if this is the wrong forum or my questions are very basic. I am just looking for some support on my journey here.

Regards,
Anupam.

PiyushK · Answer

@Anupam: Here is a debrief for you. I hope it will help. gmat-750-in-first-attempt-173725.html.

anupamgupta2112 · Answer

Thanks so much Piyush! It is a great debreif.

PiyushK · Answer

You are welcome.. more time you will spend on club more amazing things you will discover.

Cheers!!

anupamgupta2112 · Answer

I agree Piyush.
Can u help me find out some testimonials for the e-GMAT courses? I am contemplating taking a course, and want to know what are the experiences people have had with them so far.

PiyushK · Answer

I was in e-gmat December batch. Their course and overall syllabus coverage are good. They have explained each topic using audio visual tools (interactive videos) and throw quiz at the end of each topic. Course is worth for those who want to build basics very fast and then exhaust any question bank to test their skill. e-gmat covers same concepts which are published in MGMAT SC or Powerscore CR, but its lucid explanations and strategies to deal with questions are USP of the course.

From my experience I can say MGMAT SC + e-gmat + etc etc will help one to gain necessary 40% of knowledge required to score 700++, but for remaining 60% you will have to burn midnight oil on gmatclub or manhattan forums or other sources.. literally there is no end to building verbal skills. Just keep practicing and learn from mistakes.

Further if you want to read more gmatclub's debriefs go to e-gmat site. There E-gmat has listed links to feedback published on gmatclub.

Or make yourself comfortable with search option available on top right corner.

anupamgupta2112 · Answer

Thank You Piyush. I understand there is no substitute for practising on the GMAT. I will take your advice into consideration.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Well, to use a cliche - it isn't really about how much time you spend, but what you do in the time you have.

Now if the question is 'Can you make a significant improvement in my scores (especially in Verbal) in 10 weeks time?' - it's definitely possible. We've seen quite a few students do this - 6 weeks of Verbal classes followed by a month of practice & mocks. As you mentioned, the base level of the student and how he utilizes his time are major factors. So you want to make the best use of the time available. Practicing is a major component of prep - but it is only one half of it. The other half is analyzing the questions you have solved so far and keeping track of where you are going wrong, the type of mistake you are making, and the 'micro' and 'macro' learning from each question. Since you are just starting out, here's an article we wrote on making your preparation more effective: https://gmat.crackverbal.com/effective-gmat-prep/ Hope that helps.

Regards Gowri Gowri N Kishore Verbal Faculty & Mentor

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