GMAT PREPARATION…
I am, and always have been, your typical “average” student. Don’t get me wrong, I did alright for myself in high school and during my engineering
That being said I am going to share what little I can about my GMAT experience and hopefully help some of you out there who are currently in the belly of the beast. Now I am no expert on
Step 1: Researching as much as humanly possible and psyching yourself up for the journey ahead
We’ve all heard the clichéd ‘knowledge is power’ phrase.
As for the psyching yourself up part, I suggest you take a look at the success stories on these websites. Reading them can really help you picture that glorious moment of seeing that 780 flash across your screen, having your pick of b-schools and having the bragging rights to an almost perfect score. Believe me, it does wonders for your confidence. Take everything you can learn from these GMAT veterans, absorb it and then strive towards it.
Step 2: Coming up with a game plan that will work for you
The first step to coming up with a study plan is to give a practice exam. Again there are a plethora of them available online to get you started. The official GMAT practice tests are by far the most
Now comes the hard part. Actually sitting down with the wealth of knowledge you gained online and from the practice tests and coming up with a plan on how to tackle the next few months of your prep. Ideally you would have at least 2-3 months of 3-4 hour days to put aside for your GMAT preparation. For those of you stuck on this
Step 3: Sticking to your plan even if it kills you
Remember when you were a kid and somebody left a candy bar lying there on the counter. Just within reach, not a grown-up in sight and it was your
Step 4: You know it –
Once you’re done with a section of your study plan or whenever you feel the need for a re-assessment of your skills take a crack at a practice exam. Like it or not it’s the only
Step 5: Preparing for G-Day
There’s a lot of info out there about what to expect on test day. Here are some of the things I remember.
There is such a thing as over preparing. Keep your last day of prep short and sweet. Get a good night’s sleep to make sure you wake up refreshed and ready for
Utilize the break as best as you can. After your done going toe to toe with the GMAT quantitative section some of
Take a break to recharge your batteries by having a power bar or a drink of water. It will help clear your mind. Remember that it’s just the eye of the storm. Take a day to visit the test
For those of you who have stuck with me through this long and rambling journey here are some additional nuggets of wisdom:
Error Logs: Again these are available on the http://www.beatthegmat.com/ They are a fantastic tool for keeping track of your prep and serve as a diagnostic tool as the questions are segregated topic-wise.
Advanced Guides: For those of you really aiming for the stars there are a lot of advanced study guides and advanced material available to give your prep that extra nudge in the posterior that it requires. I personally used the Manhattan GMAT Advanced Quant and Verbal guides and was extremely pleased with the results.
Whatever your final score is the key is not in letting the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat get to you. Either way you still have a long and arduous admissions process ahead of you. I was extremely pleased with the 700 I
Looking back on the whole experience now, I can’t think of a better way to prepare students for what lies ahead once they make it into a business school. Preparing for the GMAT requires careful planning, strategizing and sacrificing more than a few nights of blissful sleep. From the last few months that I’ve spent at the MYRA School of
Cheers!
Joann Mathews
PGDM1, The MYRA School of Business