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I finally took my GMAT

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frida1980

Well-Known Member
I've been studying for this test for years. The last three times I was preparing to take it, I got sick. Twice with the flu. After wising up and taking a flu shot, I got a stomach flu. I just studied myself to death! This time, instead of four hour study days, living off mostly coffee, and cramming so much that was dreaming in fractions, I decided to take four days off and not study at all.

I'd been studying for two months and had taken four practice test over the last three weeks. Everytime I decided to cram before the test, it backfired, so I just left. If I hadn't learned it by now, the new information would throw me off during the test. So I stayed at the beach for a few days and relaxed. I got back on Tuesday signed up for a test for today. It seems like everything seemed to want to go wrong before hand. They only had morning appointments, and I'm a night owl! My brain doesn't turn on until 11! My birthdate was wrong in the system, and I almost couldn't take the test because of that. I couldn't get any sleep last night, on top of the travel fatigue that I already had! I had pains all over and was starting to get a migraine before I took the test! I was so upset, I was practically in tears before I went into the building.

Believe me, that test was not easy at all! I especially hated the quant section. So may questions from left field! After I got to the last question of verbal, I realized I had 6 minutes left. Terrible sign, meaning I probably rushed through the test and made a lot of careless mistakes. It didn't matter anymore. I was just ready for the stupid thing to be OVER!

Then I clicked for my score....

700! 89 percentile! FIRST TRY!

I immediately started to gasp for air, in shock! The test proctor rushed next to me, thinking I was having an asthma attack. (I told them I had asthma ahead of time and gave them my medication, just in case) I had to whisper to the poor woman that I would tell her outside. After I got out what my score was, she and the receptionist congratulated me. The receptionist mentioned that so many people take the test without preparing at all. I was just overjoyed that I hit my goal the first try.

Oh my god, I cannot believe I got a score that high after everything that just happened. I wonder what would happen if I took it on a good day?
 
700? That is AWESOME! You can get into any school with that score. Mid 600 is average for top tier.
 
Keen said:
700? That is AWESOME! You can get into any school with that score. Mid 600 is average for top tier.
Click to expand...

Maybe not every school. But I know the receptionist told me that I should start looking at better schools than the ones on my list. Hee...
 
Thanks for posting OP!

The GMAT is the barrier standing in the way of my MBA dreams. I do fine on the verbal section but the quant section is like Greek to me. Even in my studies, I feel lost because my approach is often the less preferred way (translation: longer and more time consuming) but it seems to be the most logical approach to me. This causes frustration as I end up running out of time regardless of whether I get the answer right or not. I've joined Beat the GMAT and GMAT club and do the practice questions but find it really discouraging that so many of the participants are foreigners who are extremely strong in the quant section and are only lacking in the verbal section due to English being their second language. Quite frankly I feel I'd be better off retaking a couple of high school courses in geometry.

Any suggestions on your study habits and materials used would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
 
Black Ambrosia said:
Thanks for posting OP!

The GMAT is the barrier standing in the way of my MBA dreams. I do fine on the verbal section but the quant section is like Greek to me. Even in my studies, I feel lost because my approach is often the less preferred way (translation: longer and more time consuming) but it seems to be the most logical approach to me. This causes frustration as I end up running out of time regardless of whether I get the answer right or not. I've joined Beat the GMAT and GMAT club and do the practice questions but find it really discouraging that so many of the participants are foreigners who are extremely strong in the quant section and are only lacking in the verbal section due to English being their second language. Quite frankly I feel I'd be better off retaking a couple of high school courses in geometry.

Any suggestions on your study habits and materials used would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

It was vice versa for me. So I focused on excelling in the quant section. Then I explained in the application my low score in verbal was due to English being my second language. They bought that.
 
Congratulations!

Every time I think about the GMAT, I'm like. .. maybe next year. .... :lol:

Sent from my SCH-I545 using LHCF
 
Black Ambrosia said:
Thanks for posting OP! The GMAT is the barrier standing in the way of my MBA dreams. I do fine on the verbal section but the quant section is like Greek to me. Even in my studies, I feel lost because my approach is often the less preferred way (translation: longer and more time consuming) but it seems to be the most logical approach to me. This causes frustration as I end up running out of time regardless of whether I get the answer right or not. I've joined Beat the GMAT and GMAT club and do the practice questions but find it really discouraging that so many of the participants are foreigners who are extremely strong in the quant section and are only lacking in the verbal section due to English being their second language. Quite frankly I feel I'd be better off retaking a couple of high school courses in geometry. Any suggestions on your study habits and materials used would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I'm probably not the one to ask for this. I bought my first materials about the test five years ago. I started to seriously study in late 2011. I was "ready" to take the test in 2012, 2013 and early this year. Everytime I got sick, it took a long time to recover since I'm asthmatic. That always stopped my momentum with the test. But here are all the things I did that helped me with the test.

1. Manhattan GMAT books

These are the most comprehensive books on the test. They break down each area of concentration, (Algebra, Geometry, Fractions and Decimals, number properties, Word Problems, etc) and explain exactly how to solve them. I studied hard from these books. I highlighted them, outlined the chapters, made detailed note cards, did every problem several times. Most importantly, buying these books new gives you access to GMAT practice exams! You need those. No test questions are harder than these...

2. GMAT prep class

Actually, I didn't take a prep class with Manhattan GMAT. Those cost $3000! Instead, I found one at a local community college. This was outstanding! I learn best from a classroom setting, so I gleaned a lot of knowledge and practical skills from the class.

3. Study Buddy

I found someone great at math to help me with the exam. We met every Sunday and studied questions, went over quant and reviewed past practice exams. This continued to keep me focused on the exam. It's easy to procrastinate when your studying alone, but with someone else you start to prioritize the test.

4. Studying

I studied for the last few months about 3 or 4 times a week. By this time, I had most of the information I just needed to answer the questions effectively. I kept getting tripped up by careless mistakes. So I focused on resolving those issues. I did all the quant problems in the Original Guide. (Their much too easy though) I also did the drill problems with MGMAT Advanced Quant. It wasn't just knowing the basic about the problems but being used to doing them that helped. Doing them over and over helped me recognize what the problem was and the best way to solve it. I think it's like a muscle memory, once it's in you can do it instinctively.

5. Practice Test

I had been bombing my practice test until recently. But I figured out pretty soon that I needed to do them more often so I could get used to the length of the test. The first times I sat for the four hour practice test, my head was on fire! But by taking them at least once a week really really helped. I got used to the test format, conquered my test taking fatigue, and was better prepared for the exam.

This is also a great thing about Manhattan GMAT. When you take MGMAT practice exams you can use analysis to find out what areas your weaker in and focus on them. After about three test, I focused on what areas I wasn't good in and pulled those areas up.

6. Study question banks

With each of the Mahattan GMAT books I bought, I also had access to test banks. I ignored these until recently. But once I started to take them, I was grateful for them. I could practice test questions in a timed format for only 50 minutes instead of 4 hours. This is really what turned me around. I tended to panic once I saw the clock. After about two of these banks, I started to calm down about the time and focus more of the questions. After I did that my practice test score went from a 620 to a 690.

7. Reading

Yes, just reading. After I rediscovered the library, I got interested in checking out books. Even more when I got my Ipad. My reading comprehension score shot of from 52% to high 82% just because I was reading more.

That's all I can think of right now. I'll add more, if I think of anything else.
 
Black Ambrosia said:
frida1980 How did you find someone great at math to be your study buddy? I've not had any luck finding study partners but I definitely see the value in having one.
Click to expand...

He was already a friend of mine. He works in mechanical engineering, so his math was on point. Although I've found lots of people who scored pretty high on the exam who were willing to help. I just found them in my organizations. Through networking, Toastmasters, or randomly. I know a lot of people from my class linked up with each other. There are a lot of ways for finding a study buddy/group. Try meetup, Facebook, or look at library bulletins. Especially around college campuses. The math section is so similar to the GRE that pairing up with someone taking that test can help too.
 
Ok, I thought of some other tips.

Practice booklet

You don't have scratch paper when you take the GMAT test. What they give you instead is laminated graph paper with a wet erase marker. This throws a lot of people off. People are used to pen and paper, You're only given 9 sheets, so people run out of these when doing the sections. After you run out of space, you have to raise your hand so the test proctor can come over and bring you another. This can waste a lot of precious minutes.

To get into a habit, I laminated 10 sheets of graph paper, bought some wet erase markers and did all my studying and practice test with them. By doing this, I could conserve space on the practice booklet and save time.

Brain food

This is an intense test. Really intense. Make certain you eat the right foods before the test. Think requires a lot sugar. I found that if I ate grains, rice, cream of wheat, oatmeal, before the test I could avoid a lot of the fatigue during the test. During the eight minute breaks drink a Boost or protein shake. This will recharge your brain so it drive through the next section.

Don't overdo it.

I think you can see from my OP, that I was really overdoing it. I studied for 4 hours per day and let the stress eat me alive. Give yourself a break regularly and don't study for more than 2 hours.


GMAT Apps

There are lots of clever apps for GMAT for studying on the go. I used to play with them all the time.

Get really cozy with your local libraries.

I used my library to death. To save money, I checked out GMAT books. I studied there all the time. I used practice rooms to take the test in.The librarians knew me by name. They pointed me to the resources that I needed and helped me along the way. It was a God sent. As soon as I get my new job I am sending a donation to my libraries.

Earplugs

These are perfect for drowning out background noise and letting you focus on the test. Even in a "quiet" libraries, lot of little noises can completely through you off.

Learning how to clear your head

On the day of the test, you brain needs to be focused entirely on the test. If your feeling overwhelmed at a point, always take a deep breath. That will help calm and relax you so you can focus. In between sections, use a visualization technique. Imagine you in a place that calm and relaxes you. Describe lots of details, until you can picture yourself there at moment. That's how you put the previous sections behind you. You can't let this test get to you. Mind over matter.

I also went to the test center the day before the test to check out the facilities.I wanted to see how far the bathroom was from the test center. Where were the lockers? Did I have enough room to do minor stretches? How cold is the study room? What types of monitors did they use? And the receptionist was nice enough to tell me what I couldn't wear the next day. Meaning my fluffy jacket and my knit hat were prohibited. Good things to know ahead of time. While I'm sure it made me look completely insane, it also took a lot of the tension out of coming there the next day. I can assure you, the receptionist will be taking to people about this "pre-test day visit" of mine for years to come. It really did pay off.

That's all can think about right now. I'll add more if I can think of any.
 
I just got the last portion of my GMAT score. They just analyzed my essay for the Analytical writing portion of the test! The score is between 1 and 6! I just scored a 6, the highest score! 92 percentile! I cannot believe this! This is amazing!
 
frida1980 said:
I just got the last portion of my GMAT score. They just analyzed my essay for the Analytical writing portion of the test! The score is between 1 and 6! I just scored a 6, the highest score! 92 percentile! I cannot believe this! This is amazing!
Click to expand...

Congrats great job
 
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