GMAT Prep 2

Lack of preparation, focus and efforts has put me down below on 600. Got 37 in Quant (decrease of 5 points) and 42 in Verbal (increase of 5 points). 

A few lessons I learnt are:

1. Do not party one day before GMAT (I did that last night and took the exam too lightly).

2. Sleep well (have completely destroyed my sleeping schedules over the last couple of weeks).

3. Maintain consistency. I should say I have almost floundered away the advantage and tempo I had reached after studying one month in the US. I could see this happening every day after the last GMAT Prep exam.

So now, it is time to get things back in order. I still think the dream 750 is still in my reach, provided I apply myself well and work as per plan. Sincere efforts are the key now!

Am not in the best of my moods, but I think I deserved this. Now, off to the last lap in the GMAT journey. I will make sure things are turned around in the days to come.

51 days to go....

I gave up drinking....

Not that I was any alcoholic, but I have really stopped taking any alcohol in my system. The resolution came a couple of days back when I realized that being in Japan exposed me to parties that invariable included drinking with my clients. And that would eventually lead to ZERO productivity over the last couple of weeks.

In the last couple of days, I could practically do NOTHING. I was planning to take a test today, but am really low on confidence as I haven't practiced Quant at all. But I believe I will take it tomorrow, and will take tests every subsequent weekend.

There are only 53 days left now, and hopefully I will be able to take out time for my GMAT Preparation...

53 days to go... 

Balance Sheet July 27

My conscience has really been biting my mind now.

It has already been another couple of days that I haven't updated the blog.

Here is what I did today.

1. Quant: Practically nothing!

2. Verbal: Did 10 CR from GMAT Club Kaplan Test. Got 7 right, 3 wrong.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Start with last 50 problems in PS and DS. Really understand the concepts well.

2. Verbal: Continue CR set on GMAT Club.

Have to really keep track of what is happening. And plan to stop drinking from this week.

55 days to go... 

GMAT Pitfalls...

I almost fell in one now.
Haven't updated the blog for last 3 days. Haven't really studied any specific topics or solved any sums. Now I can really feel the importance of being in the US and having all the time at my disposal. Being in Japan, it has become a bit difficult to maintain the speed and sincerity in my efforts. This is a big pitfall in the GMAT journey and I am lucky that I have more than a month to gather myself again and work towards my goal.

Over the last three days I have worked on Sentence correction mainly. I also talked to a couple of friends from Wharton and thought about my application essays. So now, it is high time I get back to GMAT prep. Will write in detail about my exact plans later this week.

I think I have got into a comfort zone ever since the 640 last month. It is high time now that I move out of this and make sure my GMAT Prep score is consistently around 750. Let me work hard now...

57 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 22

It was my birthday yesterday, so took it light.

1. Quant: Did nothing.

2. Verbal: Did 10 CR from GMAT Club Knewton Test and got only 5 right. Partly because I took it while working. Need to improve the performance!

Plan for today:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Continue GMAT Club Knewton Test for CR.

My calculations about the countdown were very vague till now. Now I will count from tomorrow (July 24) till the day before the test (September 21). This is coming up to 59 more days left to go!

Balance Sheet July 21

Was not able to work much...

1. Quant; Did about 15 PS problems from OG.

2. Verbal: Started with GMAT Club CR test.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Continue GMAT Club CR. Also read MGMAT SC Guide.

60 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 20

One more post with jetlagged eyes!

Well I could study well early in the morning today as I got up at 5 am.

1. Quant: Did 15 PS and 5 DS problems. OG going well.

2. Verbal: Continued reviewing MGMAT SC Guide.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Continue MGMAT SC Guide. Have to start with CR tests on GMAT Club.

Am really sleepy now....

Balance Sheet July 19

Jetlag continues. I was very happy to see Japanese businessmen without suits today morning, for a change. It was a pleasant surprise.

1. Quant: Did a couple of problems from OG.

2. Verbal: Continued MGMAT SC Guide. Almost half done.

Plan for tomorrow:

First need to get rid of my jetlag.

1. Quant: Move ahead with OG PS and DS Review.

2. Verbal: Continue MGMAT SC and start GMAT Club SC Test.

Looking forward to a productive week.

62 days to go....

Balance Sheet July 18

A day with a heavy jet-lag!
Was able to work a bit on Quant. Progress on verbal has been slow, but at the same time, was able to focus on MBA Applications and B-School research.

1. Quant: Did 15 PS sums from OG and 5 DS. Revised Coordinate Geometry.

2. Verbal: Was not able to work on CR. Will do it tomorrow during office hours.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS review. Revise Coordinate Geometry.

2. Verbal: Start GMAT Club test for CR.

Tomorrow may be a hectic day, but looking forward to the first day in office after 2 months in the US.

63 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 16/17

Just realized I missed out on 2 days by travelling from US to Japan.
I started from Dallas on July 16, at 8:30 a.m. and reached Tokyo on July 17, at 7 p.m. Reached home finally around 10 p.m.

Had taken the route from Dallas --> Minneapolis --> Tokyo. In the process, was awake for more than 30 hours and ended up dead tired to do anything yesterday (July 17). Thus, two valuable days of GMAT Prep were lost! Those of you who are balancing their GMAT prep with a job that involves lot of international travel, make sure that you are aware of this phenomenon. "When traveling East to west (e.g. Japan to USA), you gain a day, but when traveling west to east (USA to Japan), you lose out on a day.

That means the sirens are blowing now, and I need to get my act together. This time, it is really really serious and I don't want to miss out on anything. There has been a change in my attitude towards the exam ever since I scheduled the appointment. Each moment has become priceless and has started forcing me to regret that I did not use it for GMAT Prep. In my case, a lot depends on this exam and I hope the stress and crazy feelings don't lead to a nervous breakdown!

Was a great start to the day today. Will just brief you on what I did in the flight and my plans for today.

1. Quant: Did not do anything. I was sure I would be short on sleep and did not venture out in the territory of complex problems. Was rather content reading the book "Ahead of the Curve" by Philip Delves Broughton. It's a great insider's view in HBS Full-time MBA program and is really inspiring.

2. Verbal: I take reading the book as RC practice. Also read through another couple of chapters in MGMAT SC, but may have to review them as the study conditions were not the best.

Plan for today (July 18):

1. Quant: Revisit OG PS and DS. Will now focus on the weak areas only.

2. Verbal: Will start with GMAT Club CR. I believe my CR may be rusty by now.

Plan for the week ahead:
1. Work: Get back to the work habits of Japan. Long commute to and from the office, hell long working hours, drinking 3 nights a week (have vowed I will not drink till I crack the GMAT) and lots of stress. However, after the 2 month break, I should say I will be much more refreshed to rejoin work in Japan. Looking forward to good things at the workplace :)

2. GMAT Study: Plan to leave office at 6:30. Get back home by 8, have dinner by 9:30 and study 2 hours every day, from 9:30 to 11:30. Main focus will be studying for Quant and taking GMAT Mock tests once August starts.

3. Applications: Have already chalked out the Applications strategy. Chicago-Booth will be my first try. Once things warm up, will take on the Penn-Wharton App, which is actually top in my wish-list. Harvard will be last, partly because it's deadlines fall one week after Booth and Wharton deadlines. Have dedicated 2-4 hours every weekend for brainstorming, structuring and writing Applications. Will keep you posted about this too.

That's all for now. Will post a balance sheet in the evening on the progress today.

Time to start work!

63 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 15

Did not really do anything. Bid farewell to all colleagues and thanked them for the incredible support I had received. Everything was so fantastic. This business trip in the USA has really been a revelation. Will be in transit over the next two days and will surely work on a couple of GMAT concepts.

All in all, the takeaways have been fabulous.
1. I got a completely new perspective on the GMAT, MBA and my career ahead.
2. I could bring myself up to the minimum level of preparation for GMAT. With this I should be able to take on the actual exam scheduled on September 22. I think I will need to put in concentrated efforts in the next 60 days.
3. I also learnt what are my strengths and weaknesses. I think now I will have to work on my stamina and ability to perform under simulated test conditions.
4. Was able to instill a sense of excitement in my life. GMAT and MBA are my new goals, instead of just hanging around in the current job.
5. It has been a great way to reflect on the life I am living, and the life I want to live.

I think the best way in which I can thank all the people who have helped me to get into this positive mindset, is to crack the GMAT and achieve a score above 700, preferably 750! I promise I will not fall short on putting in my efforts.

It's a promise!

65 days to go...

My Wallpaper

Yes, what you see above is exactly the wallpaper on my laptop computer, the thing I see the most during a day. The small red circle shows the mapping of my GMAT prep score on June 18 (Q42 V37, GMAT Score 640). The bold red circle in the right corner shows my aim, raw scores of Q46 V47 or vice-versa and GMAT score of 750. I have put the wallpaper to remind myself of the task that lies ahead of me. This is a bit eccentric, but really works for me. It was very easy to create this image file as it is available on GMAT Club, and you can use MSPaint to edit it.

Need to focus!

67 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 14

Wharton also announced the essay topics and deadlines for application today. The dates are pretty much same as last year. Essay topics too are not much different from last year's topics.

The day was excellent as I could study something about SC and also do some Quant.

1. Quant: Did 10 DS and 5 PS from Official Guide.

2. Verbal: Read and reviewed MGMAT SC Guide. This book is really a must read! The concepts are explained in such a way that they become crystal clear. I am happy I read the reviews on GMAT Club and laid my hands on the books.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Review basic concepts of Probability and Combinatorics.

2. Verbal: Continue to read MGMAT SC Guide.

The sequence of my application will be Booth, Wharton and Harvard, as the deadlines for Round 2 are Jan 4 for both Booth and Wharton, and Jan 10 for Harvard. But before that, I need to make sure GMAT goes really well.

My business trip will end tomorrow, and tomorrow's post will be my last post from the USA. I hope to come back with a good GMAT score and lots of hopes to get into one of the Top-10 B-Schools. There may be a 1 day lag in the posts, but will surely update what I did during my flight :)

Cheers!

67 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 13

Got an email today about Chicago Booth releasing their Full-Time MBA Essay topics and application deadlines. Things came in pretty as expected. But first, the balance sheet!

1. Quant: Did 10 PS. Wanted to do DS but didn't get the time.

2. Verbal: Am really lagging behind. Could not do anything.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: PS and DS need more thrust.

2. Verbal: Need to get into CR and complete SC.

Well, back to the application deadlines. Booth has it on Jan 4 for round 2 and Harvard has it on Jan 10. Not much of a change from last year's dates. Will start with the essays soon and will share my advice on it.

Good night!

68 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 12

Was at work all day long.

1. Quant: Did a couple of problems. Could not give time to either PS or DS.

2. Verbal: Read a couple of articles. Not really moving.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Do at least 10 PS and DS problems

2. Verbal: Continue MGMAT SC. Also look at some CR.

Need to focus as time is running out.

69 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 11

Worked fully on SC today.

1. Quant: Did a few problems from OG. Reviewed incorrect problems from GMAT Prep exam no 2.

2. Verbal: Completed 3 chapters of MGMAT SC Guide. Amazing way to get a grip on SC. A must read!

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Do at least 10 problems each of PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Do some CR and continue reviewing MGMAT SC Guide.

Today was a good day for studies. Looking forward to tomorrow as well.

70 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 10

I don't know why have I become so lethargic. Did not really work well today. Just did a few sums.

1. Quant: Looked at OG PS. No DS.

2. Verbal: Read a few articles on the net.

Plan forward tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue PS and DS. Work on Probability again.

2. Verbal: Concentrated work on SC.

I need to think of ways to motivate myself and make use of the last week of this trip where I will get time to study. Once I return to Japan, it will be hell as usual. Need to focus in this week!

71 days to go...

The countdown begins!

Yes, I scheduled my GMAT exam today. The exam will be on September 22, at 10 a.m.
So the countdown has already begun!

1. Quant: Worked on overlapping sets and statistics today. Will now accelerate the OG Review.

2. Verbal: Did a couple of GMAT Club questions.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue OG review.

2. Verbal: Start with SC. It has been pending the whole week.

Now I'm almost 2.25 months away from the test. Will take a GMAT Prep around end of July and check the progress. Looking forward to the run-up to the exam!

Balance Sheet July 8

Did nothing much as far as practice is concerned. Chalked out my entire plan for the application process.

1. Quant: Did a few DS problems. Need to work on PS.

2. Verbal: Read a few passages on NYT.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Will go full-fledged for Quant. Will solve GMAT Club tests.

2. Verbal: SC review and GMAT Club tests.

Am too tired and sleepy now. Will write in detail tomorrow.

Balance Sheet July 7

Am still at office....waiting for the day to get over.

Of course from the GMAT prep perspective, it was a great day.

1. Quant: Did some DS and PS problems from OG. Am slowly building my confidence about Quant. Also did some problems from a Quant Test from GMAT Club. These really help.

2. Verbal: Did a couple of CR and SC problems.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue solving 15 problems of PS and DS everyday as well as working on GMAT Club Tests.

2. Verbal: Am yet to start with SC. Need to accelerate now.

Enjoy!!!

Balance Sheet July 6

Was a hectic day and did not get much time to study.

1. Quant: Did 15 problems each of PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Took it easy. Need to start with MGMAT SC Guide.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue with another 15 problems each of PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Start MGMAT SC Guide.

Balance Sheet July 5

Completed the OG today!

As I have been saying all through, RC has been a pretty strong point, and so is part of SC as well as CR. What needs to be worked on are PS and DS.

The strategy is very clear now. Will completely focus on Quant and work on MGMAT Guides for Quant as well as SC. Lot of people have been saying Quant and SC are areas that give you opportunity to score high. So will work on them intensively.

1. Quant: Did a few PS problems.

2. Verbal: Completed OG RC. Got 80% accuracy. Need to continue this form so that once I strengthen Quant, my score will really shoot up.

Plan for tomorrow: 

1. Quant: Start with PS and DS revision. Will thoroughly revise OG and simultaneously refer MGMAT Guides.

2. Verbal: Start MGMAT SC Guide.

Cheers!

Balance Sheet July 4

Well had a good start to the day. Could work a bit on Verbal. I am looking to finish the OG as soon as possible so that I can start off with reviewing more important areas.

1. Quant: Did not do anything. Just relaxed.

2. Verbal: Did a couple of RC problems. RC is really crystal clear and am happy about it.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue with DS.

2. Verbal: Work towards finishing off OG RC.

I think I will get more time this week. I am sure I need to accelerate now...

Balance Sheet July 3

It was a great day complete with studies as well as some fun.

1. Quant: Did some basic Probability stuff. Was great to grasp the OR and AND problems well. Was happy I could get the problems right too.

2. Verbal: Did 2 RC problems. Found out that my RC is pretty sound and need to rush through the remaining part. Have to work more on SC, and will do that tomorrow.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Complete Probability. Move ahead to Overlapping sets. Also check out some DS.

2. Verbal: Do RC and look at MGMAT SC.

Need to accelerate now. Have got into July already, so need to be ready with all the sections by mid July and get into complete practice mode by August.

Cheers!

Balance Sheet July 2

Slowly but surely I am getting back in the study mode.

1. Quant: Worked on Combinatorics and completed revision of MGMAT problems. Also completed Probability.

2. Verbal: Did 2 RC passages and got only one wrong answer. This means now I need to focus more on SC and CR.

More or less my weak areas are clear now. Will focus more on Quant and continue revising SC, CR and RC.

Plan for tomorrow:
1. Quant: Work on MGMAT Probability problems. Also try to review OG DS.

2. Verbal: Solve OG RC. Continue MGMAT SC.

Will try to do at least 1 GMAT Club test tomorrow.

Looking forward to a good study session in the morning.

Balance Sheet July 1

Well, not much to update.

Was busy whole day in various things and just did a few things on DS.

Basically reflected on the results of the efforts after 1 month of GMAT Prep. It is very clear that I am now becoming very impatient about the whole process of actually solving problems and reaching the conclusion. I am more concerned about getting the right answer, which is extremely dangerous, because I am not concentrating on the process. And unless I concentrate on the process, I will not be able to get consistent results.

So I thought of taking a break today. Will start study tomorrow, with renewed vigor. I think the target of 750 does not give me so much margin to go off-track and try to claw back. Whatever I need to do, will happen over the next three days.

Looking forward to a productive weekend.

Balance Sheet June 30

One month in the preparation, I can see a bit of lethargy coming in.

Anyways, here is the balance sheet. Will write separately on the laziness aspect.

1. Quant: Worked on some MGMAT Flashcards, missed out on DS :-(

2. Verbal: Did another RC, but had to leave halfway.

I think I need to take tests to reinforce my fundamentals as well as interest. Will have a good long weekend, and will come back strong now!

Cheers!