A CRY FOR HELP!! 4 month GMAT STUDY PLAN OR ANY TIPS!!!!

Question

So I have been on and off studying for the Gmat for 2 years and the last month and a half I finally buckled down and began studying . I took my first diagnostic exam in a long time today and scored a miserable 460. 31 Q and 23 V but I am taking it as a good step cause the last time I tried taking a diagnostic I freaked out. I took the gmat in 2017 and I cancelled my score due a low score(believe around the same score I receive today ) and I became discouraged.I really want to start school this fall and due to somethings on my application that will already stand against me, I really need a good score. Here is the thing , I have read forums to try to get a study plan but I get so overwhelmed with all the info , I just truly don't know where to begin. Long story short is my way is not working and I need some serious help . A side note , I have been using the official gmat verbal and quantative book for practice questions and I seem to do well on those but it does not translate on the diagnostic today . Please help !!!!!!!

A little info -Would love to take this test by April (March would be ideal but I see it may not happen) -During the week, Mon-Thurs I know I can dedicate maybe 2 hrs a night to the exam -My Saturday -Sunday schedule is iffy because it changes every weekend due to my side job in retail job but, I could squeeze in possible 5 hrs on one of these days. (I am considering quitting it in order to study but, i definitely will need the money if I decide to take a kaplan or a manhattan prep class) -I have a hard time with standardize test I think due to focusing so I'm aiming high but, Im realistic due to previous exams. I interview well so I can make that up in the application process for a part time- weekend mba program.

adkikani · Answer

Las890703

Welcome to GmatClub and hopefully your onward journey shall be lot smoother.

Here are my two cents.

First and foremost you need to be consistent my friend. You need to devote min 2 hrs on working day and 
5-6 hrs on weekdays to reach a respectable score (read 700+) Whether you do 10 SC Qs or 1 RC passage 
or couple of PD/ DS qs GMAT respects students who have been persistent in their efforts.

I am assuming it was free gmat prep 1 exam. Based on the same, it seems evident that your concepts in both quant and weak are weak.
It would be better if you could grab couple of books (Manhattan / Powerscore CR Bible). Do try to leverage what you learn in theory with
a set of practice Qs.

You can definitely find any good study plan as in  here 
However it is important to stay diligent and take a mock after a month of study to gauge of your direction 
of study.

It would also make sense to know if any of good online courses (reviews found  here )
since usually most of them have free trial to accustom yourself to e-learning.

Hope this helps. Wishing you all the best for your prep!

pushpitkc · Answer

Hey  Las890703

Welcome to GMATClub! First off, don't lose heart!
You will have to work equally on both the sections and I don't think you need more time than you already have. 
2 hours a night daily and 5 hours on the weekend for 3 months is good enough time to improve your scores!

You should focus on concept building and follow that up with dedicated practice specific to the topic you have studied. 
IMO, You could subscribe to the eGMAT/empowerGMAT/Target Test Prep courses. Most of the prep companies offer a 
free trial and using the free trial you can understand which course suits your needs.

Hope this helps you!

souvonik2k · Answer

Hi
Sorry to hear that your Gmat didn't go well.
You need to improve on both Quant and Verbal to improve your score. I would suggest to brush up the fundamentals of Quant and Verbal from the MGMAT guides first and then attempt OG questions. OG questions are great for practice but you need separate resources for theory.
Go through each and every question of OG and understand the solution. If any doubt you can search the question in the forum. All OG questions are discussed in detail and will give you more than one way of solving a question.
Additionally, you can subscribe to the Gmatclub self study plan as it has a good mix of theory and practice.
Hope it helps.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Las890703,

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) What is your goal score?
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Las890703 · Answer

Thank you all for the advice. I have been looking at the manhattan study guides because I have read the foundation guides . Like mentioned, I have not been consistent which is probably not working well for me but ,my plan is to buckle down and get this done .I plan to buy the manhattan guides next week but in the meantime , read for leisure to work on my verbal , practice problems, and find gmat concepts on here until the guides are in my hands . My next question is after I receive the guide, should I plan to complete each one weekly ?

Second, someone asked about my Gmat score expectations but , with my history of standardize test taking , I honestly will be satisfied with a 610 but would love to get somewhere in the 650 range. I want to apply to Northwestern , Loyola, University of Chicago, and Depaul but am getting discourage due to test scores . In regards to books, I own a kaplan review book but didn't care for it , I did the official gmat review books but I am learning maybe I need piece by piece training with all the topics. I really can't put this off another year so I am committed to creating and implementing a study plan that works for me. Just feeling overwhelmed and discouraged but you all have been a great help

DAVEexamPAL · Answer

Las890703  studying over a three month period, when you have 2 hours on weekdays, is definitely possible - but it requires having a focused study plan. I suggest something of a mini-plan for each GMAT topic (such as circles or probability): spend one weekday going over the material from a book or video guide, spend the next day solving questions, and the third day going over your practice and reviewing. You have enough to devote a few days like this to each topic. 
 Here is a post I've written about building a 3-month study plan, perhaps it can be of assistance

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Las890703,

You've named some highly-competitive Schools, so it's likely that you'll need a score higher than 610 to put together the properly-competitive applications) to apply. You might also want to go over your application plans/profile with an Admissions Expert. There's a forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admission ... tants-124/

Based on this recent CAT score - and everything else that you've described, you would likely find it beneficial to invest in a GMAT Course of some kind (either Guided Self-Study or instructor-led). Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at our site (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

If you have any additional questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

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