Some motivational Thoughts from various people

Logitech BTG : USE YOUR TIME and HIT HARD in the BEGINNING and FINISH STRONG and keep moving...GMAT places some tough questions just to tip you off the balance and demoralize you and steal your time. Don't fall into it. Just smile and say WHATEVER and move on...that's okay! And try not to get hit in a row..just like a computer game...Keep that LIFE BAR green  

What a way to put it...

(1) Immediately write down the topic and scope after reading the first paragraph of a given passage. Doing so will help you think about questions relating to the main point or main purpose. 

(2) Try to go into an RC passage with an attitude that you are excited to learn about the information it contains. It takes some practice, but this strategy helps you maintain your focus while you read.

(3) Read linearly. That is, try not to read sentences or parts of passages over and over again. Doing so wil slow you down dramatically and actually confuse you because the ideas in the passage are not being read in logical order.

(4) Do not skim, but read quickly. This is a personal strategy. I find that I digest information better when I don't gloss over too much detail.

Psychology of the exam

I think I messed up owing to following reasons.
(1) loosing my cool during the math section, and guessing on too many questions due to lack of time.
(2) Doing really good on SC, but doing blunders in the initial sections of the test on Critical reasoning questions, and doing pathetically on Reading comprehension questions, not being attentive enough to focuss throughout the verbal question, for verbal I need to be extremely alert in order to succeed.

Only a few weeks to go before my 4'th Attempt at GMAT, I am doing timed practise, you can't shy away from yes/no DS, and inequalities, along with absolute value questions. If you do them well, you can be assured of a 48 in Math... which is all you need really, and in order to get a verbal above 40, you need to be extremely fresh, not tired, and extremely focussed, and practise better techniques on tough CR, where you falter, and practise more RC, under timed conditions. Give GMAT PREP couple of more times. My timetable is under preparation.

Shall I start with RC?

Time to take some RC in hand... let's see how I do on RC and CR, will try to complete OG11 RC at least 3 hours today. Will keep you guys posted on the status. Only difference will be the approach will be timed, and will be coherent with Stacey Koprince's tips on BTG.

Maverick's re-engaging

Never Say Die...

Loosing is not a defeat unless you let go. Thanks to experiences of many people who have tamed the beast, I have following comments about my last test day.

(1) Verbal on actual GMAT is way tougher than any of the practise tests.
(2) I was sweating, and my timing completely messed up in GMAT QUANT owing to some really tough questions and my ego of not letting them go, also the test center had a lot of distractions like the AC was not working, they had to turn it off and ON adjust temperature all while my exam was going on, I feel like demanding my money back, I am going to launch a complaint. But I don't think that was a good reason for failure, cause most problems were during Quant, and I did not do really bad on it.
(3) I had all the symptoms of "Anxiety" viz. Sweaty palms, shorter attention span, distorted sense of passing time, panic, reduced concentration. Need to control these, mostly they caused all the havoc. There was nothing wrong in my preparations, I am confident that I am 700+ material. My english is not bad enough to fetch me a 28 in GMAT Verbal.
(4) I fell in traps during the verbal, and I did not apply the techniques I learnt. I was never pressed for time. Need to practise RC, and need to be even better at SC, and CR.
(5) First few questions _ my notions about these made me lose a lot of time on these questions.


Strategies to Re-engage.

(1) The anxiety I experienced was not "Stress" it was panic, it is normal during an exam, have to understand that it is the essential adrenaline rush, which is needed to do well on the exam.
(2) Believe in your abilities, have good level of confidence, and do not worry about the result, because your next attempt is going to be just for yourself. Not anyone else.
(3) Have to study the traps on the GMAT very carefully especially on the Verbal.
(4) Try to get things first time right. Re-reading questions and passages I waste a lot of time.
(5) Have a solid strategy, considering a real life GMAT scenario. What kind of questions will you skip totally. What kind of questions you will skip if you are hard pressed for time, decide how you will react to particular type of questions?


and, No matter how many attempts it takes, I am going to screw the GMAT! I have 1 more year, and I can take the GMAT 10 times at least If I need to. Hey GMAT, guess what, maverick's re-engaging you!

Sorry guys

Sorry Guys, I did not make it. My Verbal was 28. And I have nothing more to say at this moment.

Abhinandan

Continuously taking GMATPREPs

Have been continuously taking GMATPREPS for last 5 days, and I have been happy so far, with the preparation levels, I have made myself a certain set of guidelines by which I will try to write the wednesday's exams.

Just thought should put up a word here. Will come back with the detailed de-brief of my affair with the GMAT.

Towards the end, Let me tell you, that GMAT is smart, and you should give it due respect. Hope everything turns out to be well.

Peace,
Abhi