Cool, misty, damp, class-free day

I miss my Manhattan Gmat class. :(

Even though every time I went I felt half retarded due to the top level questions they were teaching, but I got used to it and learned to like it. I really can't wait to be back in school and doing that academic grind again. Also, I did feel a bit of accomplishment by actually learning something in a formal way. I feel I haven't really learned something in a long while. The way I gain knowledge is more of a hunting & gathering mission more than a formal teaching experience.

Anywho, I am going to take another practice test at the MGMAT testing center. Not exactly to see leaps and bounds from the practice test earlier this week, but rather to increase endurance and to get used to the feel of testing. I am such a sucker for aesthetics . To really do well on this thing I need to know the feel, smell, look or the test. So more testing it is.. blerg.

Combinatorics and Quadratics

OK.. I think I understand Combinatorics now.

Quadratics I sorta of understand better, yet not comfortably. The problem is there are not many quadratic questions in the Official Gmat guide book. Which leads me to think there are not that many on the real test, most likely not a good thing to assume. I will have to google this more today while at work.

PS I really don't want to go to work today. I hate that place/job/industry/staff

Post-Course Assesment

So out of all the students that took the prep course with me, I am the only one that has actually taken the 3rd practice test. Lame, yes, but I will take that as a token of over-achievement on my part. Yay me.

In the post-course assessment, she noted exactly what I thought she would... quadratics, exponents, and inequalities. Seems like I do best with number properties and geometry, so she suggested I develop some kind of formula for myself to go into those problems with so I am systematically prepared. She also noted I could be doing better at reading comp even though I have high marks, that I could be easily getting them all right. Interesting. So she suggested 2 hours on each noted topic and 3-4 hours one day this for reading comp alone. Ouch.

So I am going to rearrange some of the practice test plans I have for the rest of this week and do more of the type of studying the instructor suggested. With the death of Ted Kennedy, things are a bit all over the place. I find it unlikely I will get much of this work done while at work like I like to do. Better now than the week of the actual exam I suppose.

Thursday: 10a-12p Combinatorics
12p-2p Quadratics

Friday: 10a-12p Stupid mtg for work (dammit)
1p-4p Reading Comprehension

Saturday: 10a-12p Critical Reasoning
2p-6p MGMAT #4 @ the MGMAT Testing center

Sunday: 10a-12p MGMAT #4 overview
12p-2p Inequalities
2p-4p Exponents & Roots.

Monday: 11a-2p GMAT Prep #1

Yea, I got some work ahead of me. ugh. I wish they gave points for effort alone.

Practice Test #3

630 Q41 V35

So a bit down in Q and up a bit in V. Ok, better, warmer. Glad to see that my last Practice test was indeed more of a fluke than anything. At least I am in the 600 range. Technically it is an improvement of 70 points from my standing official GMAT score. Which is sorta amazing to think about... and dammit I will take that little ego boost.

I will also take a little drink tonight thank you very much.

Practice Test #3, Shut Up Brooklyn

Ugh Practice test #3. I am going to try it at home, with loud Brooklyn in the background. Hey I will give it a shot and hit pause if there is some over the top noise (sirens, etc). Muddle through. This will be the 3rd MGMAT test, I need to finish it for my MGMAT instructor to give me a full analysis on what to work on. Which I already know she will say "algebra, quadratics, exponents", but I will let her say it.

Thursday I will take my first GmatPrep test. now for those in the know, those are supposed to be the most accurate in assessing your skills to the GMAT. The MGMAT are notoriously more difficult, the instructor even said this in the class. She said it is highly unlikely you will get combinatorics on the GMAT that are as complex as the ones on MGMAT. Even knowing this, I still would love to have a MGMAT that is 650+... for my ego if nothing else. I have read that there is about a 40 +/- on MGMAT scores. With that, the 620 I got could be really a 660. Hmm still not exactly what I want on test day, but nice to think about nonetheless.

Gameplan Time

Today I am going to review a few sticky topics and maybe do some drills. The points of fundamental weaknesses are getting smaller and smaller. Seems like I have a hard time applying formulas to problems.. or at least recognizing what kind of problem it is. I think these types of issues will fade with practice. Well here's hoping.

Yesterday was pretty darn fun. Brunch in NYC is a sacred thing.. and with M* it is always great. M* is a part-time MBA student at NYU and works full time. This chick hustles... so if she is up for brunch, I'm going because you may not see her for months. Lucky for me, she is also going for consulting, so I can get information through her and maybe she will help me land a job in the future.