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infinitemac
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Worried that I am taking too long to study? 24 Apr 2017, 16:58
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I started my GMAT journey in January - I signed up for an in person Veritas prep course, which ended in mid February. Classes were every Saturdays from 10 am - 6 pm and spread over six weeks. These classes covered two topics (i.e. algebra and SC) in each class, and although the class was helpful in learning strategies/tips/tricks, they went by way too fast and I could not keep up with the pace given that I am also working full time and have a 2 hr commute.

Veritas has 11 prep books (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, SC, RC, CR, advanced verbal strategy, DS, stats/combinatorics, word problems, and AWA & IR). My approach to studying in university and what makes most sense to me is to always start with the foundations and basic concepts, and then do as many practice problems to enforce this learning and practice the strategies.

I will admit that I have not been studying all days of the week - some days I go to the gym (I try to go twice a week) and I have some days that I usually spend time with my family and friends.

I feel like I am taking too long because out of the 11 books, I have only completed the arithmetic, algebra and geometry books start to finish. I have not touched verbal at all. I am getting worried because I plan to write my GMAT by the end of August, but I feel like the start to end approach is taking too long. The thing is that I feel that if I do not do all the practice questions in the books, I will miss out on concepts. I am aiming for a mid 600 score, but would be happy with a solid 600 as well.

I haven't taken any practice tests yet either because my plan was to finish all these books and then take a practice test, and then based off of what I got wrong in the tests go back and practice OG guide questions.

I feel like I am running out of time and kind of panicking. I know that I shouldn't do all the questions in each of the books but don't want to risk missing out on certain learning opportunities.

What do you guys think I am going wrong with in my approach and how do you feel that I can improve? Any help is appreciated!
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Worried that I am taking too long to study? 24 Apr 2017, 17:04
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Hi. You concern is very valid. Are you building in review of previous concepts into your schedule? For example a regular reviewing the Quan topics are covered several months ago?


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Worried that I am taking too long to study? 24 Apr 2017, 17:12
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Hi. You concern is very valid. Are you building in review of previous concepts into your schedule? For example a regular reviewing the Quan topics are covered several months ago?


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Yes - definitely putting in review of the previous concepts. I have flashcards that I regularly use to go over the concepts during my commute and have been noticing that the DS questions that I have been working on include all the arithmetic, algebra and geometry concepts that I have learned. I can confidently say that I know almost all concepts i.e. unique factor trick, 3-4-5 triangles, inequality rules, etc. I am pretty comfortable with the concepts now, just have been trying to work on the tricks that the questions throw i.e. not considering +ve/-ve, zero, word problem questions, etc.
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Worried that I am taking too long to study? 24 Apr 2017, 19:41
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Hi infinitemac,

If you've been studying consistently for 3+ months, then you really MUST take a FULL-LENGTH CAT (including the Essay and IR sections) sometime soon (perhaps this weekend). That initial diagnostic CAT is important - it helps to define your strengths and weaknesses and gives you a basis for comparison as you continue to study. Most Test Takers are not happy with that first CAT result, but that's not a big deal - the extra months of available study time are there so that you can IMPROVE on this initial practice result. Until you have that score, we won't know exactly what you should be working on. Once you've taken that first CAT, you should report back here and we can discuss how best to proceed.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
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Worried that I am taking too long to study? 25 Apr 2017, 12:29
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Hi infinitemac,

If you've been studying consistently for 3+ months, then you really MUST take a FULL-LENGTH CAT (including the Essay and IR sections) sometime soon (perhaps this weekend). That initial diagnostic CAT is important - it helps to define your strengths and weaknesses and gives you a basis for comparison as you continue to study. Most Test Takers are not happy with that first CAT result, but that's not a big deal - the extra months of available study time are there so that you can IMPROVE on this initial practice result. Until you have that score, we won't know exactly what you should be working on. Once you've taken that first CAT, you should report back here and we can discuss how best to proceed.

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


Thanks so much. I have the GMAT software downloaded - do you think it would worthwhile to take one of the official full length CATs or should I use another practice test? I am planning to take the practice test this Saturday so will report back on my results.
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Worried that I am taking too long to study? 26 Apr 2017, 11:38
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Hi infinitemac,

Right now, we need the most realistic assessment of your skills possible - so you should use one of the Official GMAC CATs.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
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Worried that I am taking too long to study? 29 Apr 2017, 12:52
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Hi infinitemac,

Right now, we need the most realistic assessment of your skills possible - so you should use one of the Official GMAC CATs.

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

Hi,

I just completed one of the official GMAT CATs and scored really bad - I scored 460 with scaled score of 31 in Quant and 21 in Verbal. :cry: Here is a debrief on how I felt for each section:

Quant:
The timing really got me. I normally take my time when answering questions, so having that time pressure made it a lot worse. I am normally the type of person who likes to take their time to really understand concepts. I definitely lost time, had to guess on a bunch of questions. I noticed the categories that each question belonged to but I had a hard time recalling concepts. I also took a bit of extra time to remember basic arithmetic.

Verbal:
I thought I did really well and even had an extra minute or so at the end. The RC questions were most difficult because of the length and the types of content that they contained. I guess my score makes sense though because I haven't started on any of the verbal books.

I'm not sure what to do at this point - should I continue with the books, or go back to the math foundations and review them? I think I am feeling overwhelmed with having to get through all of the Veritas books. I don't know what the right approach is at the moment. I am hoping to apply to my preferred program by November and have rescheduled my test for August. I think I will start by going over all the questions in the CAT to see what I missed and what can be done.
Thanks,

infinitemac
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