A rant. Read if you want to spoil your party
I seriously doubt that it's Christmas. But for the 10 days off I have from my work, everything seems usual. I have been killing myself at the gym since the last 3 weeks because I have to compete in a regional power lifting championship in the 2nd week of January. I have been writing, feeling a bit down, deleting, feeling a bit happy and then writing again, over the past few weeks. All I think about is essays; anything I have on mind is related to b-school; what I have in my hands is a qwerty keyboard and a barbell.
As MFT once said 'why drink when you can improve yourself?', I will follow his advice. On this Christmas and New years eve I will work at improving myself, at taking a step towards achieving my goal, at doing something that I really want, at spending time on the things I really care about. These days, I find no difference between 5:00AM, when I jog 5kms in the chilly December winter and 11:00PM on a Friday night, when I'm busy editing my essays. There is a rage within, a little beast inside with a sledge hammer constantly pounding my heart. Every time I think about pulling the little b*****d out and snapping his neck, he seems to be getting bigger and stronger. He's there everywhere - in my sleep, at the newspaper stand, in my closet. I feel a connection between me and him. Sometimes, he seems to be feeding on me. Sometimes, I feel I'm feeding on him. I think about how to get rid of him, forget him or beat him to death with an axe. But I don't seem to get the courage. Then I start taking care of him, think about ways in which I can put him to some good use, and he concurs. At whatever task I put my mind to, he gives me the energy of a hurricane and the focus of a monk to move ahead. I don't feel anything upon seeing those things that disturb most of my friends. I've lost the ability to feel, to smile and to cry.
You people enjoy Christmas and New Year. It comes only once in a year!
Adios,
Unplugged
Sorry for the abrupt ending....
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
108/120
Yup, that's what is my TOEFL score. Though I was a bit anxious about the listening section, as people who sat beside me started their speaking section, the scores are OK. With this the TOEFL chapter is complete, and the books will be moved from my study table( I had kept them in case my shitty luck pops up its head)
After receiving comments from my reviewers, I changed the essay structure( not style and content)at least 8 times. Despite being so busy, 2 of my reviewers have been very kind to give me an in depth analysis of my stories. I really appreciate them.
'People, there are still good guys around in this world'. Thanks to LSMBA for his offer to review my essays, I look forward to hearing his comments.
Also, 2 things I felt while writing my Chicago essays
1) 'You will get better at essay writing with time'. I did not believe when people said this and suggested that I write the essay of my number one school last. I did not give it much thought because I had already decided what stories to write and what tone to use long before my GMAT. But, I was proved wrong. The Chicago essays are a lot sharper content wise and style wise. I had to go back and rewrite my Kellogg essays. So, the suggestion is to write the essays of safety schools first, and then start with your top-choice schools. BTW, I'm not applying to any safety schools,and I like Chicago and Kellogg both in equal measure
2) Unlike Kellogg, Chicago doesn't give a lot of room for you to write and paint your personality from different angles. So, chose what you will do with slides carefully because you cannot do much with Essay 2 and Essay 1. Think leadership skills, teamwork etc
I visited my university to collect my transcripts. So, I'm ready to submit the part I of my Kellogg application this week.
All the best to the R1 applicants for the final results. I think the following 2 weeks will be emotion laden for almost all.
Ciao,
Unplugged
After receiving comments from my reviewers, I changed the essay structure( not style and content)at least 8 times. Despite being so busy, 2 of my reviewers have been very kind to give me an in depth analysis of my stories. I really appreciate them.
'People, there are still good guys around in this world'. Thanks to LSMBA for his offer to review my essays, I look forward to hearing his comments.
Also, 2 things I felt while writing my Chicago essays
1) 'You will get better at essay writing with time'. I did not believe when people said this and suggested that I write the essay of my number one school last. I did not give it much thought because I had already decided what stories to write and what tone to use long before my GMAT. But, I was proved wrong. The Chicago essays are a lot sharper content wise and style wise. I had to go back and rewrite my Kellogg essays. So, the suggestion is to write the essays of safety schools first, and then start with your top-choice schools. BTW, I'm not applying to any safety schools,and I like Chicago and Kellogg both in equal measure
2) Unlike Kellogg, Chicago doesn't give a lot of room for you to write and paint your personality from different angles. So, chose what you will do with slides carefully because you cannot do much with Essay 2 and Essay 1. Think leadership skills, teamwork etc
I visited my university to collect my transcripts. So, I'm ready to submit the part I of my Kellogg application this week.
All the best to the R1 applicants for the final results. I think the following 2 weeks will be emotion laden for almost all.
Ciao,
Unplugged
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Done(?) with TOEFL
One hell of a experience it was, indeed - completely unprofessional ETS guys and a bizarre design of the test center and of the exam format
I don't know how much I'll score but the Reading and the writing part went OK. I'm banking on my 5.5 in AWA to get me through the writing section. What's crazy about this exam is that there is a host of candidates( read physiotherapist wanting to do her higher studies, guys wanting to do their MS in Germany because their consultant told them to take the exam!) sitting next to you and speaking loudly when you are trying to concentrate. Can't they provide individual cubicles or noise canceling headphones!
Funny thing was that when I had my listening section, guys next to me had their speaking sections. Here, you will be asked to speak on a variety of topics, and I was completely flabbergasted by the responses of a few candidates. Some spoke of the rigor of the French education and how it churns out the best doctors, while the others spoke of how harmful rays from CRT cannot take the print edition of newspaper out of circulation.
When it was my turn to speak, few other guys also spoke with me in unison. Only in Reading and writing did I have some peace of mind. Going by the experiences of a few guys, I was aware of such environment but was not prepared enough to handle the catastrophe. The exam was supposed to start at 10:00AM but it started at 12:00PM, a network error caused the test admin to restart my computer twice! By the time I was done with the test at 3:30PM, I was feeling so god damn hungry that the thoughts of hamburgers and pizzas were already doing rounds in my head.
The experience was a stark contrast to the GMAT's. But as they say there is something positive in every experience, here too I had one. I went to McDonald's with the physiotherapist and we exchanged numbers.
I'm at the mercy of ETS till they send me some good scores in 15 working days.
I don't know how much I'll score but the Reading and the writing part went OK. I'm banking on my 5.5 in AWA to get me through the writing section. What's crazy about this exam is that there is a host of candidates( read physiotherapist wanting to do her higher studies, guys wanting to do their MS in Germany because their consultant told them to take the exam!) sitting next to you and speaking loudly when you are trying to concentrate. Can't they provide individual cubicles or noise canceling headphones!
Funny thing was that when I had my listening section, guys next to me had their speaking sections. Here, you will be asked to speak on a variety of topics, and I was completely flabbergasted by the responses of a few candidates. Some spoke of the rigor of the French education and how it churns out the best doctors, while the others spoke of how harmful rays from CRT cannot take the print edition of newspaper out of circulation.
When it was my turn to speak, few other guys also spoke with me in unison. Only in Reading and writing did I have some peace of mind. Going by the experiences of a few guys, I was aware of such environment but was not prepared enough to handle the catastrophe. The exam was supposed to start at 10:00AM but it started at 12:00PM, a network error caused the test admin to restart my computer twice! By the time I was done with the test at 3:30PM, I was feeling so god damn hungry that the thoughts of hamburgers and pizzas were already doing rounds in my head.
The experience was a stark contrast to the GMAT's. But as they say there is something positive in every experience, here too I had one. I went to McDonald's with the physiotherapist and we exchanged numbers.
I'm at the mercy of ETS till they send me some good scores in 15 working days.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
TOEFL - T-3 days
I did my first practice test in the OG yesterday. First 2 sections back to back and the next 2 after the gym break
For those of you who have their exams in near future, here's a run down of the exam
There are 4 sections. You can score a max of 30points in each section (TOEFL iBT is for 120points)
1) Reading - Takes about an hour to complete. Will have around 45 questions with very long passages. The GMAT strategy will not work here - you don't have to understand the passage, you just have to look at the portion where you can find the answer. So, the prudent thing to do is read the question first.
2) Listening - Takes again around 50 minutes. Will be a bit unsettling if you don't pay attention.The trick here is 'memory'. Few questions, but not all, are based on memory. So, note taking while listening is very important. Other than this, there's nothing which is worth mentioning
BREAK
3) Speaking - A Sucker of a section despite being the shortest( 20mins only). There are some 6 tasks which more or less require 60 secs of speaking after 15secs of preparation. These taks are basically a combination of (Listening, Reading, Reading+ listening)and speaking, which is your talk. In other words, you'll hear some lecture or a conversation for 1 min and you'll be asked to speak something. The craziest thing is the response time. 15 secs is not sufficient for me even to begin thinking about a topic forget about coming up with points.
Since there is no option to guage your own 'talk', the best option is to record your voice in the voice recorder which comes with Windows and compare it with the sample 'high level', 'medium level' and 'low level' responses provided in the OG. And I hear that people who have been expecting 30 have got some of the lowest of scores and people who thought they did poorly got above 25. So, the idea is to prepare for the worst and well hope for, you guessed it right!
4) Writing - If you manage to maintain your sanity by the end of 3rd hour, you'll be asked to write 2 essays of about 1/2hr each. One section is similar to the Issue topic of GMAT, while the other, in which you have to reconcile the points mentioned in a lecture and a reading passage, requires a bit of preparation.
By the time you are finished with the exam you'll not know how you did on the exam. You'll either be very happy that you 'nailed it' or be devastated that you 'screwed up'. You'll have to stay put with this feeling for 3 weeks until someone from ETS grades your responses and sends you the score report. Then you'll know whether the 'nail' did the job or the screw's threads were rough
For those of you who have their exams in near future, here's a run down of the exam
There are 4 sections. You can score a max of 30points in each section (TOEFL iBT is for 120points)
1) Reading - Takes about an hour to complete. Will have around 45 questions with very long passages. The GMAT strategy will not work here - you don't have to understand the passage, you just have to look at the portion where you can find the answer. So, the prudent thing to do is read the question first.
2) Listening - Takes again around 50 minutes. Will be a bit unsettling if you don't pay attention.The trick here is 'memory'. Few questions, but not all, are based on memory. So, note taking while listening is very important. Other than this, there's nothing which is worth mentioning
BREAK
3) Speaking - A Sucker of a section despite being the shortest( 20mins only). There are some 6 tasks which more or less require 60 secs of speaking after 15secs of preparation. These taks are basically a combination of (Listening, Reading, Reading+ listening)and speaking, which is your talk. In other words, you'll hear some lecture or a conversation for 1 min and you'll be asked to speak something. The craziest thing is the response time. 15 secs is not sufficient for me even to begin thinking about a topic forget about coming up with points.
Since there is no option to guage your own 'talk', the best option is to record your voice in the voice recorder which comes with Windows and compare it with the sample 'high level', 'medium level' and 'low level' responses provided in the OG. And I hear that people who have been expecting 30 have got some of the lowest of scores and people who thought they did poorly got above 25. So, the idea is to prepare for the worst and well hope for, you guessed it right!
4) Writing - If you manage to maintain your sanity by the end of 3rd hour, you'll be asked to write 2 essays of about 1/2hr each. One section is similar to the Issue topic of GMAT, while the other, in which you have to reconcile the points mentioned in a lecture and a reading passage, requires a bit of preparation.
By the time you are finished with the exam you'll not know how you did on the exam. You'll either be very happy that you 'nailed it' or be devastated that you 'screwed up'. You'll have to stay put with this feeling for 3 weeks until someone from ETS grades your responses and sends you the score report. Then you'll know whether the 'nail' did the job or the screw's threads were rough
Monday, November 16, 2009
Chief Marketing Officer - CMO?
You can find how the future heads of marketing of FMCG companies will be here. This was presented in the Kellogg Marketing competition held on 13th Nov 2009. Apparently the guy who is singing, wrote the lyrics and edited the video himself.
Thanks to Gil for posting the link. As mentioned in the comments in youtube, I seriously pity the competitors. Man, I now know why Kellogg is the number 1 school for marketing
T-5 days for my TOEFL. I better get back to studying
Ciao
Thanks to Gil for posting the link. As mentioned in the comments in youtube, I seriously pity the competitors. Man, I now know why Kellogg is the number 1 school for marketing
T-5 days for my TOEFL. I better get back to studying
Ciao
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Here's unplugged's brain fry for you......
Yeah, it's up for free on this blog!
I'm almost done with only my Kellogg essays and my brain is fried. I've lost the ability to judge rationally whether a sentence makes sense or not or whether a sentence is grammatically correct.
Here's how I approached the essays ( after the school/program research of course) - I wrote down the stories I wanted to convey in as many words as I could. Once all the essays were complete, I started to trim them down keeping in mind the big picture and culling out the redundancies - That is deleting whatever was mentioned in some other part of the application and that did not merit a mention once again. I went on and on like a raging bull, trying to lock my horns with anything and everything until I got somewhere close to the word limit.
The end result? - Read the title!
I don't know whether it's because I put in too much effort in thinking about the stories and how to differentiate my self or because I'm just not capable of churning out essays after essays as some other applicants do. Anyway, I'm just happy that the essays are genuine and honest, and they have turned out the way I wanted them to
I seriously apologize to the reviewers of my essays. Let's call them the 'JOF' trio for now. While sending them the email a few hours ago, in my half -brain -dead state, I accidentally wrote - 'There are somethings I want you to tell before going through the essays'...... where as I should have written ' I want to tell you ......'. Sorry guys! They're going to think 'What kind of a retard..eh?
There's one tip I have for those of you who haven't started their essays
If you are trying to get your essays reviewed by a person who doesn't know you at all( you ideally should), it makes sense for you to send even your resume. Also, it is always better to work on your resume first before starting the essays. This way, you'll have 2 benefits
1) You will know what areas or stories to concentrate on
2) You will be able to weed out the redundant points I was mentioning earlier
On to Booth now.....
Yours truly fried,
Unplugged
I'm almost done with only my Kellogg essays and my brain is fried. I've lost the ability to judge rationally whether a sentence makes sense or not or whether a sentence is grammatically correct.
Here's how I approached the essays ( after the school/program research of course) - I wrote down the stories I wanted to convey in as many words as I could. Once all the essays were complete, I started to trim them down keeping in mind the big picture and culling out the redundancies - That is deleting whatever was mentioned in some other part of the application and that did not merit a mention once again. I went on and on like a raging bull, trying to lock my horns with anything and everything until I got somewhere close to the word limit.
The end result? - Read the title!
I don't know whether it's because I put in too much effort in thinking about the stories and how to differentiate my self or because I'm just not capable of churning out essays after essays as some other applicants do. Anyway, I'm just happy that the essays are genuine and honest, and they have turned out the way I wanted them to
I seriously apologize to the reviewers of my essays. Let's call them the 'JOF' trio for now. While sending them the email a few hours ago, in my half -brain -dead state, I accidentally wrote - 'There are somethings I want you to tell before going through the essays'...... where as I should have written ' I want to tell you ......'. Sorry guys! They're going to think 'What kind of a retard..eh?
There's one tip I have for those of you who haven't started their essays
If you are trying to get your essays reviewed by a person who doesn't know you at all( you ideally should), it makes sense for you to send even your resume. Also, it is always better to work on your resume first before starting the essays. This way, you'll have 2 benefits
1) You will know what areas or stories to concentrate on
2) You will be able to weed out the redundant points I was mentioning earlier
On to Booth now.....
Yours truly fried,
Unplugged
Monday, November 9, 2009
Peer Pressure....????
The 3rd essay from Kellogg - 'Assume you are evaluating your application from the perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Why would your peers select you to become a member of the Kellogg community'? (600 word limit)- is not going as well as I thought it would
When I go deep into the question, I fail to understand the adcom's intent of using the word 'peer'. Of course, I looked up in the dictionary only to find a few meanings which more or less mean 'an equal'.
Now, the reason why I haven't been able to complete this essay despite spending my weekend on it is that I really don't know who will be the peers of a student member of adcom.
There are 2 versions on the web as to what means 'a peer'. The blog here implies that a student member of adcom will work along with faculty who are on adcom, a handful of other student members of adcom, then there are members from pure adcom staff. In this case, the peers will be the people who are evaluating the application.
Clearadmit's analysis assumes that 'peers', in this case, are fellow class mates. The dynamics of your response will change dramatically depending on what you think is the meaning of 'peer'. In the first case, you would want to round off your candidature by touching upon your stats , your 'unique' experiences and how you would contribute. In the second case, you are better off addressing specific reasons as to why the student body would want you as its member.
What do you guys think?
When I go deep into the question, I fail to understand the adcom's intent of using the word 'peer'. Of course, I looked up in the dictionary only to find a few meanings which more or less mean 'an equal'.
Now, the reason why I haven't been able to complete this essay despite spending my weekend on it is that I really don't know who will be the peers of a student member of adcom.
There are 2 versions on the web as to what means 'a peer'. The blog here implies that a student member of adcom will work along with faculty who are on adcom, a handful of other student members of adcom, then there are members from pure adcom staff. In this case, the peers will be the people who are evaluating the application.
Clearadmit's analysis assumes that 'peers', in this case, are fellow class mates. The dynamics of your response will change dramatically depending on what you think is the meaning of 'peer'. In the first case, you would want to round off your candidature by touching upon your stats , your 'unique' experiences and how you would contribute. In the second case, you are better off addressing specific reasons as to why the student body would want you as its member.
What do you guys think?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Updates on essays...........
Indeed, I'm having a crazy time writing essays. I've started to completely ignore my fitness routine. It so happens sometimes that I'm glued infront of my laptop for 6 hrs without a break. This happened twice in the last week. I opened my laptop at 7.00PM and went to sleep at 12:30AM. But, you know what, I'm beginning to enjoy writing as it is turning out to be not as intimidating as it did while I worked on my career goals essay.
I've completed 3 essays from kellogg.My brother really liked my writing style and he said the story 'stuck'. But, until and unless I have them evaluated from a third party, I'm not believing him. So, I'm actively looking out for reviewers who will be kind enough to critique my essays.
'Evaluating your own file from an adcom perspective' is pending. I seriously don't seem to have any ideas on how to approach this essay.
One more thing, I found a 'readability test software' , which is a useful tool to test how readable are your essays. I found it on GMAT club and thought it might be useful. I also read that Harvard business review's scores fall between 45 and 50, reader's digest - mid 50s. My essays, which are currently over their specified word limits have fared well( the scores are close to 60!). But, I don't know how they'll look after I trim them down.
I've also booked a date for TOEFL. It's on 21Nov2009. And as per some of the debriefs on some forums, the exam is not as easy as I thought( the sheer duration of 4hrs will be draining) and not as tough as the GMAT( people say TOEFL is walk in the park). One section I'm quite vary about is the speaking section as the scores seem to be following a random pattern.
I'll have to devote atleast 1hr every day to do well on the exam
Adios,
Unplugged
I've completed 3 essays from kellogg.My brother really liked my writing style and he said the story 'stuck'. But, until and unless I have them evaluated from a third party, I'm not believing him. So, I'm actively looking out for reviewers who will be kind enough to critique my essays.
'Evaluating your own file from an adcom perspective' is pending. I seriously don't seem to have any ideas on how to approach this essay.
One more thing, I found a 'readability test software' , which is a useful tool to test how readable are your essays. I found it on GMAT club and thought it might be useful. I also read that Harvard business review's scores fall between 45 and 50, reader's digest - mid 50s. My essays, which are currently over their specified word limits have fared well( the scores are close to 60!). But, I don't know how they'll look after I trim them down.
I've also booked a date for TOEFL. It's on 21Nov2009. And as per some of the debriefs on some forums, the exam is not as easy as I thought( the sheer duration of 4hrs will be draining) and not as tough as the GMAT( people say TOEFL is walk in the park). One section I'm quite vary about is the speaking section as the scores seem to be following a random pattern.
I'll have to devote atleast 1hr every day to do well on the exam
Adios,
Unplugged
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I need to get organized
The past few weeks have been quite demanding to say the least. Having visited my parents after quite a long time, having attended a friend’s marriage and having finalized draft 1 of my goals essay, I feel exhausted. As if this is alone is not sufficient to bring me down to my knees, the sheer number of things on my ‘to do list’ is instilling in me a sense of fear. My fitness routine is thrown out of gear as I’ve not been working out since 1 month. Things to do ( not in order)
1) Visit my university to collect the transcripts
2) Write TOEFL
3) Prepare Resume
4) Complete essays for at least 3 schools by December 15 2009 ( Kellogg, Chicago, XXX)
5) Decide what XXX is? Wharton, MIT or Ross
6) Coach my Recommenders
7) Scout for reviewers
8) Have the essays reviewed
Since I’m not used to writing essays, I’m requiring more time. Normally, I need only 1 or at the max. 2 drafts( this is because I try to select the right word or double check the spelling while writing). When people say their Booth essay has undergone 25 transitions over a period of 2 months, I go speechless. Either way, it’s quite evident – the more time I spend on the essays, the better they look. Essays are the only means by which I can possibly make it to the schools I’m applying to. I’m a bit concerned by the amount of time I took to write the career goals essay for Kellogg( 2 full weeks!) that I’m beginning to wonder how much time I’ll be needing to hammer out 15 essays. Even after spending 15 days, the essay stands at around 900 words vs. the required 600 word limit.
I’ve been through a lot more tense situations in life but I’ve to admit that this pressure seems ‘different’. This experience definitely comes second to a marathon or a killer physical training when it comes to self discovery
I think I’ll revamp the blog a bit to include the links to essay questions, the deadlines and some other links I visit often
1) Visit my university to collect the transcripts
2) Write TOEFL
3) Prepare Resume
4) Complete essays for at least 3 schools by December 15 2009 ( Kellogg, Chicago, XXX)
5) Decide what XXX is? Wharton, MIT or Ross
6) Coach my Recommenders
7) Scout for reviewers
8) Have the essays reviewed
Since I’m not used to writing essays, I’m requiring more time. Normally, I need only 1 or at the max. 2 drafts( this is because I try to select the right word or double check the spelling while writing). When people say their Booth essay has undergone 25 transitions over a period of 2 months, I go speechless. Either way, it’s quite evident – the more time I spend on the essays, the better they look. Essays are the only means by which I can possibly make it to the schools I’m applying to. I’m a bit concerned by the amount of time I took to write the career goals essay for Kellogg( 2 full weeks!) that I’m beginning to wonder how much time I’ll be needing to hammer out 15 essays. Even after spending 15 days, the essay stands at around 900 words vs. the required 600 word limit.
I’ve been through a lot more tense situations in life but I’ve to admit that this pressure seems ‘different’. This experience definitely comes second to a marathon or a killer physical training when it comes to self discovery
I think I’ll revamp the blog a bit to include the links to essay questions, the deadlines and some other links I visit often
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
GMAT - 7XX
I'm done with GMAT and got a 7XX score. As I wrote at some other place, I'm not going to retake until and unless an adcom wants me to
I had taken the GMAT on 15 Sep2009. What was I doing for 1 month? I had serious thought about cutting off life support of this blog. But, I talked my mind out of it as I realised the immense benefits that writing a blog showers on you while you are in the midst of writing essays
I'll be back with an update on the essays
Until next time, I remain......
Unplugged
I had taken the GMAT on 15 Sep2009. What was I doing for 1 month? I had serious thought about cutting off life support of this blog. But, I talked my mind out of it as I realised the immense benefits that writing a blog showers on you while you are in the midst of writing essays
I'll be back with an update on the essays
Until next time, I remain......
Unplugged
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Corporate blues
The work pressure is increasing exponentially. There have been a few issues over the past few days on account of petty politics, which left a bad taste in my mouth and has me thinking about these issues even at home. As though the pressure from GMAT is not sufficient to ruin whatever free time is left, the issues at work are getting under my skin
I happened to blast off a guy from another department because he did not do what was agreed upon. BTW, this guy is twice my age and 2 levels above me in terms of designation. Then my boss blasted him for the same reason yesterday. Though calm and composed from the outside, this guy, I’m sure, is looking at opportunities to pin me down. It seems like he has dedicated his full life to taking my pants down. As a result I have turned over cautious for the past few days and am trying to stay one step ahead of him
I DON’T LIKE POWERPLAYS. Partly because of my inherent nature and partly because of Mr.S, my previous boss. Mr.S shielded me from all the petty issues and even though I did get in to some issues, he would pull me out. It helps sometimes to have a strong boss. But at times, it’s not that helpful because it is very difficult to come out of his shadow and make your own mark, and you won’t learn the tips and tricks to move up the ladder. My present boss is quite a contrast. He is a very submissive chap. As a result, I have to create my own rules and write my own destiny. I still dislike politics and get very disillusioned if I find myself fending off my colleagues’ attempts at maligning me
There is so much energy that I want to use for something good and not for handling some fat ass’ cheap shots. I felt the same thing in my previous organisations also. I guess becoming an entrepreneur is the only way out. Or I’ll ask my new found friend at the gym to consider me for a role in movies. He’s just started shooting for his first movie
Adios,
Unplugged
I happened to blast off a guy from another department because he did not do what was agreed upon. BTW, this guy is twice my age and 2 levels above me in terms of designation. Then my boss blasted him for the same reason yesterday. Though calm and composed from the outside, this guy, I’m sure, is looking at opportunities to pin me down. It seems like he has dedicated his full life to taking my pants down. As a result I have turned over cautious for the past few days and am trying to stay one step ahead of him
I DON’T LIKE POWERPLAYS. Partly because of my inherent nature and partly because of Mr.S, my previous boss. Mr.S shielded me from all the petty issues and even though I did get in to some issues, he would pull me out. It helps sometimes to have a strong boss. But at times, it’s not that helpful because it is very difficult to come out of his shadow and make your own mark, and you won’t learn the tips and tricks to move up the ladder. My present boss is quite a contrast. He is a very submissive chap. As a result, I have to create my own rules and write my own destiny. I still dislike politics and get very disillusioned if I find myself fending off my colleagues’ attempts at maligning me
There is so much energy that I want to use for something good and not for handling some fat ass’ cheap shots. I felt the same thing in my previous organisations also. I guess becoming an entrepreneur is the only way out. Or I’ll ask my new found friend at the gym to consider me for a role in movies. He’s just started shooting for his first movie
Adios,
Unplugged
Sunday, August 16, 2009
GMAT Prep2 - 680 Q47 V36
It was a crazy exam indeed. It was ridiculously hard
Q - 47 - 12 incorrect - 1, 6, 9, 12, 14, 21, 26, 29, 31, 34, 35, 37. As you can see, I got 5 incorrect in the last 9 questions. Math was ridiculously hard as I encountered around 4 probability questions. I'm usually good at these but they were a step above. Since 47 is close to my target of 48, I have no complaints.
V - 36 - 11 incorrect - 6, 13, 17, 23, 29, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40. I was right on track till question 29. But I ended up with 7 incorrect in the last 12. Reason - Ran out of time. I don't know whether my mind was exhausted from the MGMAT CAT I had given or for some other reason.
One more thing, the scoring algorithm has definitely changed and the GMAT is getting tougher at least in terms of scoring if not in terms of level of difficulty of questions. The reason I say this is because, last time for the same number of mistakes in Verbal I was getting 38 or 39. That is, if the incorrect answers are randomly distributed, the score you get in the end and the number of incorrect used to add up to 52. I can prove it from the sample scores on few blogs. Now, the mistakes and the score do not add up to 52, but to 47 or 48 or 49. I think these represent 3 levels. The result of this reduction is that the number of mistakes you can make to score more or less the same score that you got an year ago, is reduced by 4
Frankly, I'm getting used to seeing such low scores. Now, I don't feel anything. No emotions. You know what, I plotted a mental graph of the scores I got on the CATs and the graph, with every exam, has been headed down south. My mission of 600 seems right on track
I think God doesn't want me to do my MBA. He has something else in store for me
Ciao,
Unplugged
Q - 47 - 12 incorrect - 1, 6, 9, 12, 14, 21, 26, 29, 31, 34, 35, 37. As you can see, I got 5 incorrect in the last 9 questions. Math was ridiculously hard as I encountered around 4 probability questions. I'm usually good at these but they were a step above. Since 47 is close to my target of 48, I have no complaints.
V - 36 - 11 incorrect - 6, 13, 17, 23, 29, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40. I was right on track till question 29. But I ended up with 7 incorrect in the last 12. Reason - Ran out of time. I don't know whether my mind was exhausted from the MGMAT CAT I had given or for some other reason.
One more thing, the scoring algorithm has definitely changed and the GMAT is getting tougher at least in terms of scoring if not in terms of level of difficulty of questions. The reason I say this is because, last time for the same number of mistakes in Verbal I was getting 38 or 39. That is, if the incorrect answers are randomly distributed, the score you get in the end and the number of incorrect used to add up to 52. I can prove it from the sample scores on few blogs. Now, the mistakes and the score do not add up to 52, but to 47 or 48 or 49. I think these represent 3 levels. The result of this reduction is that the number of mistakes you can make to score more or less the same score that you got an year ago, is reduced by 4
Frankly, I'm getting used to seeing such low scores. Now, I don't feel anything. No emotions. You know what, I plotted a mental graph of the scores I got on the CATs and the graph, with every exam, has been headed down south. My mission of 600 seems right on track
I think God doesn't want me to do my MBA. He has something else in store for me
Ciao,
Unplugged
Thursday, August 13, 2009
I've lost count of the number of times I felt destroyed in the last few months
I really don’t know what is going on with me.
A stupid decision I made during last month prevented me from giving GMAT Prep II last Saturday. I felt terrible about it and ended up wasting 2 days. Sometimes self inflicted pain causes more pain than does pain inflicted by others. The worst part is that I still don’t know whether I’ll be able to write the exam even this Saturday. I feel I’m losing valuable time
Last week, I took MGMAT CAT4 – only quant and scored 51 in quant. It’s nothing to brag about because I had set no time limits and solved the whole section is 85mins. I think the mind set of not having the time pressure made the difference because I took MGMAT CAT5 yesterday and scored 690 Q50 V35. I set 85mins time for quant and solved it just in time; verbal was as usual completed with 20 mins to spare. The thing that I’m concerned about most is that despite following the same methodology while solving CR and RC, I get varying scores in Verbal. I think I’m going to give one more CAT from MGMAT - MGMATCAT6- the last one and will slow down considerably in verbal to see how far I can push my score.
I think I’m fairly comfortable in quant now and 48 in quant is easily gettable unless I screw up on the test day. Anything above that will be a bonus. To make it past 720, I need to get at least 40 in verbal. I don’t know how I’m going to manage that as I seem to have no problems with Stamina. I just pray that GMAT throws no twisted questions.
Time is running out fast. I think R1 will be very difficult for me
Cheers,
Unplugged
A stupid decision I made during last month prevented me from giving GMAT Prep II last Saturday. I felt terrible about it and ended up wasting 2 days. Sometimes self inflicted pain causes more pain than does pain inflicted by others. The worst part is that I still don’t know whether I’ll be able to write the exam even this Saturday. I feel I’m losing valuable time
Last week, I took MGMAT CAT4 – only quant and scored 51 in quant. It’s nothing to brag about because I had set no time limits and solved the whole section is 85mins. I think the mind set of not having the time pressure made the difference because I took MGMAT CAT5 yesterday and scored 690 Q50 V35. I set 85mins time for quant and solved it just in time; verbal was as usual completed with 20 mins to spare. The thing that I’m concerned about most is that despite following the same methodology while solving CR and RC, I get varying scores in Verbal. I think I’m going to give one more CAT from MGMAT - MGMATCAT6- the last one and will slow down considerably in verbal to see how far I can push my score.
I think I’m fairly comfortable in quant now and 48 in quant is easily gettable unless I screw up on the test day. Anything above that will be a bonus. To make it past 720, I need to get at least 40 in verbal. I don’t know how I’m going to manage that as I seem to have no problems with Stamina. I just pray that GMAT throws no twisted questions.
Time is running out fast. I think R1 will be very difficult for me
Cheers,
Unplugged
Saturday, August 1, 2009
GMAT Prep 1
I did the GMAT Prep1 today and scored - 720 Q50 V37
I'm a bit happy and a bit unhappy with the score. Before the test, I wanted to score at least a 45 in verbal( that is why I'm unhappy). After the test, I wanted a score, which would take my total score above 700( So, I'm happy)
To say the least, the test was polarizing. I ended up spending way too much of my brain power in AWA and was left gasping for oxygen while doing Verbal. I did not yet do the post mortem of the test. Will do it tomorrow. But going by the number of errors in Quant and Verbal, I think I got lucky in Quant and a bit unlucky in Verbal
Q50 - 9 errors( crazy!)
V37 - 10 errors( a handful of them in the initial 15. I think this is the reason).
After the autopsy tomorrow, I'll post again about the learnings
I have not yet scheduled for the exam. I think the situation this time around is goin to be something like this - I decide on day X that I'm ready and I'll schedule for an appointment on X+7th day.
I'm freaking out!
Adios,
Unplugged
I'm a bit happy and a bit unhappy with the score. Before the test, I wanted to score at least a 45 in verbal( that is why I'm unhappy). After the test, I wanted a score, which would take my total score above 700( So, I'm happy)
To say the least, the test was polarizing. I ended up spending way too much of my brain power in AWA and was left gasping for oxygen while doing Verbal. I did not yet do the post mortem of the test. Will do it tomorrow. But going by the number of errors in Quant and Verbal, I think I got lucky in Quant and a bit unlucky in Verbal
Q50 - 9 errors( crazy!)
V37 - 10 errors( a handful of them in the initial 15. I think this is the reason).
After the autopsy tomorrow, I'll post again about the learnings
I have not yet scheduled for the exam. I think the situation this time around is goin to be something like this - I decide on day X that I'm ready and I'll schedule for an appointment on X+7th day.
I'm freaking out!
Adios,
Unplugged
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Interested in reading........read on??
I found a good article(see below) at Businessweek. The article below appeared on June29 2009 in one of the sections
Title:- Summer Reading List: The B-School Edition
Looking for a little light reading to while away the hours? These books might be just the ticket
By Francesca Di Meglio
Reading books can give managers and aspiring managers a new perspective and insight into the human condition that drives their businesses. "Reading will make you a better businessperson and a better, happier person," says Erik Gordon, associate director of the Zell-Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business (Ross Full-Time MBA Profile). "Students don't want to hear it. They want to know the magical formula that will get them rich tomorrow, but we have a duty to try and convince them."
In fact, Gordon and his colleagues at the Zell-Lurie Institute came up with a summer reading list focused on inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit in students. Whether you are holding down an internship, writing a business plan, or lounging by the pool, reading is an investment that pays big dividends.
Business lessons can continue long after the classroom doors are closed for the summer. That's why BusinessWeek asked professors and students at top business schools to share the five books they'd put at the top of their personal summer reading lists. Titles ranged from the classic novel to contemporary nonfiction, but when read together create an encyclopedia of leadership, just the thing to productively while away a summer as the financial crisis continues. A rundown of the most popular picks follows. For the complete list, visit "Summer 2009 Books: MBA Reading List" on the Getting In blog.
challenging ideas of success
It comes as no surprise that Outliers: The Story of Success (Little, Brown & Co., November 2008), by Malcolm Gladwell, appeared on more summer reading lists than any other book. Its subject, after all, is one that's near and dear to B-schoolers' hearts: success and how to achieve it. To explain what separates the extraordinarily successful from the also-rans, Gladwell examines personal stories and histories of entire populations. For example, he traces the Asian history of working in rice paddies to explain the work ethic that leads Asians to score higher on math achievement tests.
Readers find the book appealing because it challenges traditional notions about what success is, says Kevin J. Martin, executive vice-president of the student association at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business (Darden Full-Time MBA Profile). Americans like to think hard work is all it takes to achieve great things, says Martin, but this book shows that circumstance, knowing the times in which you live, and getting help when you need it also makes a difference.
Sometimes the greatest lessons, especially those about leadership, are gleaned from role models of the past. One of Gordon's top picks, The Aeneid (Penguin Classics, January 2008), by Virgil (with a translation by Robert Fagles and introduction by Bernard Knox in this version of the book), is a classic that reads like a modern-day work. Readers follow Trojan warrior Aeneas as he goes from defeat on the battlefield and a doomed love affair in Carthage to the founding of what would become the first Roman settlements and, ultimately, an empire.
advice for troubled leaders
Gordon is struck by the temptations and sacrifices that Aeneas faces in his journey. "It's about a guy who's a fabulous role model for entrepreneurs," says Gordon. "You're a human being. You're not a superhero. Your heart will be troubled." Indeed, Gordon's favorite quote from the book offers advice for troubled leaders: "And though his heart was sick with anxiety, he wore a confident look and kept his troubles to himself." Words to live by, whether you're a Trojan warrior or a business leader.
Books that seem to be all about fun and games can have deeper meaning if you read them closely. Poker Winners are Different (Lyle Stuart, March 2009), by Alan N. Schoonmaker, is great for those who want to win at playing poker, but it can also offer advice on how to be a winner in general. "This book will help you become one of that small percentage of winners. If you are already winning, it will help you win more," according to the book. "You will see how winners and losers think, feel, and act; then learn what to do to increase your profits."
Leadership is on the minds of many these days. What does it mean to be a leader? Who will lead the world moving forward? As James W. Dean Jr., dean of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School (UNC Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA Profile), prepared for a trip to South Africa, he read Long Walk to Freedom (Steck-Vaughn, September 2000), the autobiography of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years during apartheid. Passionate about his causes, the Nobel Prize-winning Mandela persevered, but he also admits to his shortcomings, says Dean. He hopes his students recognize that leaders are not perfect, but they are persistent.
simplifying economics
Taking advantage of the resources available to you is another sign of leadership. In Yes We Did! An Inside Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand (Voices That Matter) (New Riders Press, May 2009), author Rahaf Harfoush, who spent three months with Obama's New Media Team in Chicago, describes the campaign's use of technology—particularly blogs, social networks, Twitter, and SMS messaging—to win. Whether you're selling soap or a Presidential candidate, knowing how to effectively use the technology at your fingertips in the service of brand-building is a necessity, and this book offers insight into doing just that, say readers.
You might think the nation's business school students would have had their fill of economics after Econ 101, but you'd be wrong. Many are picking up Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science (W.W. Norton & Co., September 2003), by Charles Wheelan. Ceri Evans, a liberal arts major and former high school teacher now enrolled at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management (Rotman Full-Time MBA Profile) counts herself among Wheelan's fans. "It explained the principles of economics," says Evans. "It's a textbook with the readability of a novel or newspaper." The book simplifies economics—from gross domestic product to inflation—and discusses issues such as what good can come of government regulation, and the pros and cons of taxation.
To be a winner, it helps to be on speaking terms with one's inner loser, which is what Pat Conroy attempts in My Losing Season (The Dial Press, August 2003), a book that appears on Dean's list. The title refers to Conroy's losing basketball season in his last year as a cadet at the male-dominated Citadel in the 1960s. For Conroy, the experience of loss and humiliation held powerful lessons. "The basketball coach shows how very poor leadership can be so demoralizing and demeaning to players that it can cause terrible outcomes for the team and personally," says Dean. It's a book that teaches aspiring managers what not to do.
learning from Buffett
Warren Buffet is an undisputed winner in every sense of the word. For a fuller picture of the man, a good place to start is The Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of Life (Bantam, September 2008), by Alice Schroeder. The title comes from one of Buffet's favorite sayings: "Life is like a snowball, and all you need is wet snow and a really long hill." Schroeder had unlimited access to Buffet and interviewed him endlessly, rummaged through his files, and talked to his friends and family to share his life story in a narrative form. "He's the biggest business name of our generation," says Martin. "I think everyone should know his story." What Martin took away from the book, he says, was how this socially awkward numbers guy made lots of money, but put it to good use and was quite charitable because he'd rather leave behind a better world than lots of material goods.
In The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (Random House, April 2007), Nassim Nicholas Taleb thrashes MBA-toting and Nobel Prize-winning experts who use economic models to predict the future. A financial trader, Taleb looks at unpredicted events and phenomenon, such as why a book becomes a best-seller, to show that things aren't always what they seem. "Life does not behave with regularity. Those who think it does, Taleb says, will always be tripped up by the unexpected," writes Ninad Shinde , a student at London Business School (London Business School Full-Time MBA Profile), in an e-mail about his reading list. "Black Swan extends that idea beyond the financial markets he concentrated on in Fooled by Randomness to just about all walks of life."
Some managers fail to realize how important it is for them to have a basic education in psychology. Reading about psychology is at least a start. Stumbling On Happiness (Vintage, March 2007), by Daniel Gilbert, offers a fascinating—and sometimes even humorous—look at how humans are different from other animals because they try to predict the future in search of happiness. "[This is] an absolutely fantastic book that shatters our most deeply held convictions about how our own mind works," writes Shinde. Why people try to predict the future, and why they rarely succeed, are the focus of Gilbert's book—and not a bad thing to ponder poolside as the summer of our economic discontent continues.
Title:- Summer Reading List: The B-School Edition
Looking for a little light reading to while away the hours? These books might be just the ticket
By Francesca Di Meglio
Reading books can give managers and aspiring managers a new perspective and insight into the human condition that drives their businesses. "Reading will make you a better businessperson and a better, happier person," says Erik Gordon, associate director of the Zell-Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business (Ross Full-Time MBA Profile). "Students don't want to hear it. They want to know the magical formula that will get them rich tomorrow, but we have a duty to try and convince them."
In fact, Gordon and his colleagues at the Zell-Lurie Institute came up with a summer reading list focused on inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit in students. Whether you are holding down an internship, writing a business plan, or lounging by the pool, reading is an investment that pays big dividends.
Business lessons can continue long after the classroom doors are closed for the summer. That's why BusinessWeek asked professors and students at top business schools to share the five books they'd put at the top of their personal summer reading lists. Titles ranged from the classic novel to contemporary nonfiction, but when read together create an encyclopedia of leadership, just the thing to productively while away a summer as the financial crisis continues. A rundown of the most popular picks follows. For the complete list, visit "Summer 2009 Books: MBA Reading List" on the Getting In blog.
challenging ideas of success
It comes as no surprise that Outliers: The Story of Success (Little, Brown & Co., November 2008), by Malcolm Gladwell, appeared on more summer reading lists than any other book. Its subject, after all, is one that's near and dear to B-schoolers' hearts: success and how to achieve it. To explain what separates the extraordinarily successful from the also-rans, Gladwell examines personal stories and histories of entire populations. For example, he traces the Asian history of working in rice paddies to explain the work ethic that leads Asians to score higher on math achievement tests.
Readers find the book appealing because it challenges traditional notions about what success is, says Kevin J. Martin, executive vice-president of the student association at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business (Darden Full-Time MBA Profile). Americans like to think hard work is all it takes to achieve great things, says Martin, but this book shows that circumstance, knowing the times in which you live, and getting help when you need it also makes a difference.
Sometimes the greatest lessons, especially those about leadership, are gleaned from role models of the past. One of Gordon's top picks, The Aeneid (Penguin Classics, January 2008), by Virgil (with a translation by Robert Fagles and introduction by Bernard Knox in this version of the book), is a classic that reads like a modern-day work. Readers follow Trojan warrior Aeneas as he goes from defeat on the battlefield and a doomed love affair in Carthage to the founding of what would become the first Roman settlements and, ultimately, an empire.
advice for troubled leaders
Gordon is struck by the temptations and sacrifices that Aeneas faces in his journey. "It's about a guy who's a fabulous role model for entrepreneurs," says Gordon. "You're a human being. You're not a superhero. Your heart will be troubled." Indeed, Gordon's favorite quote from the book offers advice for troubled leaders: "And though his heart was sick with anxiety, he wore a confident look and kept his troubles to himself." Words to live by, whether you're a Trojan warrior or a business leader.
Books that seem to be all about fun and games can have deeper meaning if you read them closely. Poker Winners are Different (Lyle Stuart, March 2009), by Alan N. Schoonmaker, is great for those who want to win at playing poker, but it can also offer advice on how to be a winner in general. "This book will help you become one of that small percentage of winners. If you are already winning, it will help you win more," according to the book. "You will see how winners and losers think, feel, and act; then learn what to do to increase your profits."
Leadership is on the minds of many these days. What does it mean to be a leader? Who will lead the world moving forward? As James W. Dean Jr., dean of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School (UNC Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA Profile), prepared for a trip to South Africa, he read Long Walk to Freedom (Steck-Vaughn, September 2000), the autobiography of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years during apartheid. Passionate about his causes, the Nobel Prize-winning Mandela persevered, but he also admits to his shortcomings, says Dean. He hopes his students recognize that leaders are not perfect, but they are persistent.
simplifying economics
Taking advantage of the resources available to you is another sign of leadership. In Yes We Did! An Inside Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand (Voices That Matter) (New Riders Press, May 2009), author Rahaf Harfoush, who spent three months with Obama's New Media Team in Chicago, describes the campaign's use of technology—particularly blogs, social networks, Twitter, and SMS messaging—to win. Whether you're selling soap or a Presidential candidate, knowing how to effectively use the technology at your fingertips in the service of brand-building is a necessity, and this book offers insight into doing just that, say readers.
You might think the nation's business school students would have had their fill of economics after Econ 101, but you'd be wrong. Many are picking up Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science (W.W. Norton & Co., September 2003), by Charles Wheelan. Ceri Evans, a liberal arts major and former high school teacher now enrolled at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management (Rotman Full-Time MBA Profile) counts herself among Wheelan's fans. "It explained the principles of economics," says Evans. "It's a textbook with the readability of a novel or newspaper." The book simplifies economics—from gross domestic product to inflation—and discusses issues such as what good can come of government regulation, and the pros and cons of taxation.
To be a winner, it helps to be on speaking terms with one's inner loser, which is what Pat Conroy attempts in My Losing Season (The Dial Press, August 2003), a book that appears on Dean's list. The title refers to Conroy's losing basketball season in his last year as a cadet at the male-dominated Citadel in the 1960s. For Conroy, the experience of loss and humiliation held powerful lessons. "The basketball coach shows how very poor leadership can be so demoralizing and demeaning to players that it can cause terrible outcomes for the team and personally," says Dean. It's a book that teaches aspiring managers what not to do.
learning from Buffett
Warren Buffet is an undisputed winner in every sense of the word. For a fuller picture of the man, a good place to start is The Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of Life (Bantam, September 2008), by Alice Schroeder. The title comes from one of Buffet's favorite sayings: "Life is like a snowball, and all you need is wet snow and a really long hill." Schroeder had unlimited access to Buffet and interviewed him endlessly, rummaged through his files, and talked to his friends and family to share his life story in a narrative form. "He's the biggest business name of our generation," says Martin. "I think everyone should know his story." What Martin took away from the book, he says, was how this socially awkward numbers guy made lots of money, but put it to good use and was quite charitable because he'd rather leave behind a better world than lots of material goods.
In The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (Random House, April 2007), Nassim Nicholas Taleb thrashes MBA-toting and Nobel Prize-winning experts who use economic models to predict the future. A financial trader, Taleb looks at unpredicted events and phenomenon, such as why a book becomes a best-seller, to show that things aren't always what they seem. "Life does not behave with regularity. Those who think it does, Taleb says, will always be tripped up by the unexpected," writes Ninad Shinde , a student at London Business School (London Business School Full-Time MBA Profile), in an e-mail about his reading list. "Black Swan extends that idea beyond the financial markets he concentrated on in Fooled by Randomness to just about all walks of life."
Some managers fail to realize how important it is for them to have a basic education in psychology. Reading about psychology is at least a start. Stumbling On Happiness (Vintage, March 2007), by Daniel Gilbert, offers a fascinating—and sometimes even humorous—look at how humans are different from other animals because they try to predict the future in search of happiness. "[This is] an absolutely fantastic book that shatters our most deeply held convictions about how our own mind works," writes Shinde. Why people try to predict the future, and why they rarely succeed, are the focus of Gilbert's book—and not a bad thing to ponder poolside as the summer of our economic discontent continues.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Again devastated - MGMAT CAT3 - 670 Q46 V35
I had time to look back on my earlier posts to understand my thought process and the way my preps have progressed. This post today reveals 2 things
1) Looking at the dates between the last post and the present one, it is easy to make out that something stopped me from posting on Sunday( the day after my CAT). If it were a good day, I would have posted on the day I took the test. I did not post because I scored very low on MGMAT3 – 670( Q46 V35). If practice scores are anything to go by, I might end up getting around 600 in my real GMAT because I have at least 6 more tests to take and the scores seem to reduce by 10 points with every test. The analysis revealed that 50% of my errors in verbal, the differentiating factor between a stellar 7XX score and a mediocre 6XX score, were in SC strangely. And in 90% of those SCs I ended up picking the wrong one after eliminating 3 of the 4 incorrect choices
2) The diversity of the posts( look at the number of posts with labels as ‘GMAT’ and those with something ‘other than GMAT’) reveals that there is nothing going on in my life except work, workout, GMAT. My social life is on hold and the number of unread messages in my gmail inbox reads 927( excluding ‘cheap Viagra’ and ‘help’ emails)
Everything I planned is going in for a toss. This despite being regular with the studies. I guess the results are what causing the disruption. I’ve taken a drastic step in my preps. I’ve decided that I won’t continue with MGAMT anymore and will move on to GMAT Preps. I’m losing momentum and getting disheartened with my low scores. So, this weekend will be GMAT Prep1 – a reality check
The applications are already out. Since I’m applying only to 2 schools in R1 – Chicago Booth and Kellogg, I’m still not freaking out.
All depends on GMAT
Oh, if you read my earlier posts, you would know that I hurt my shoulder trying to impress a girl at the gym. I ignored the problem thinking it will heal automatically. But I was wrong. I had to visit a orthopaedic on Saturday. The X-ray revealed an inflammation on the shoulder and the doc has advised 3 weeks of abstinence from gymming/sports( no over head movements). In addition that, I’m on ‘ultrasound physiotherapy’( I heard this for the first time) and medicines for 2 weeks.
Adios
Unplugged
1) Looking at the dates between the last post and the present one, it is easy to make out that something stopped me from posting on Sunday( the day after my CAT). If it were a good day, I would have posted on the day I took the test. I did not post because I scored very low on MGMAT3 – 670( Q46 V35). If practice scores are anything to go by, I might end up getting around 600 in my real GMAT because I have at least 6 more tests to take and the scores seem to reduce by 10 points with every test. The analysis revealed that 50% of my errors in verbal, the differentiating factor between a stellar 7XX score and a mediocre 6XX score, were in SC strangely. And in 90% of those SCs I ended up picking the wrong one after eliminating 3 of the 4 incorrect choices
2) The diversity of the posts( look at the number of posts with labels as ‘GMAT’ and those with something ‘other than GMAT’) reveals that there is nothing going on in my life except work, workout, GMAT. My social life is on hold and the number of unread messages in my gmail inbox reads 927( excluding ‘cheap Viagra’ and ‘help’ emails)
Everything I planned is going in for a toss. This despite being regular with the studies. I guess the results are what causing the disruption. I’ve taken a drastic step in my preps. I’ve decided that I won’t continue with MGAMT anymore and will move on to GMAT Preps. I’m losing momentum and getting disheartened with my low scores. So, this weekend will be GMAT Prep1 – a reality check
The applications are already out. Since I’m applying only to 2 schools in R1 – Chicago Booth and Kellogg, I’m still not freaking out.
All depends on GMAT
Oh, if you read my earlier posts, you would know that I hurt my shoulder trying to impress a girl at the gym. I ignored the problem thinking it will heal automatically. But I was wrong. I had to visit a orthopaedic on Saturday. The X-ray revealed an inflammation on the shoulder and the doc has advised 3 weeks of abstinence from gymming/sports( no over head movements). In addition that, I’m on ‘ultrasound physiotherapy’( I heard this for the first time) and medicines for 2 weeks.
Adios
Unplugged
Monday, July 20, 2009
Manhattan GMAT CAT2 - 680 Q47 V36
Needless to say, I’m devastated by the score. I had this strange feeling that I was not doing well in Math, but I scored better than last test. When I reviewed, I found that too many blind guesses went right( around 5). But, I ran short of time for the last 5 questions and I had to guess all and all of them were incorrect. I think I’m still at around 47 in math. Considering my last time score of Q48 and assuming the fact that the level of questions will not change dramatically in 1year, I think Q47 seems on target. Anything above Q48 is a bonus. The reason I’m giving up on not trying for Q50 is that Q48 to Q50 requires exponential effort and will fetch me just 20 points. I always believe the effort should be worth the squeeze. I’m better off investing that time in verbal and mental conditioning
Verbal was what killed me in CAT2. I thought I was in control of the test throughout. I finished with almost 20mins to spare. It would have been 25 mins, if had not purposefully slowed down for the last 5 questions. The post mortem revealed that I marked a full RC wrong. Even though this passage had 85 lines, I found it easy but simple mistake of not paying attention to a few words cost me dear. The number of mistakes in CAT2 verbal is not very different from that in CAT1. In fact, they are pretty much comparable. I think I made 5 more errors in CAT2 than in CAT1. I don’t know why the score has fallen by 10 points
One more new found development is that I have a hard time concentrating on Mondays. This is because the pace of preps falls considerably on Saturdays and Sundays. Keeping this in mind, I have to prepare a strategy for my D day
Confidence is very low and I’m finding it tough to keep going. God, please help me
Verbal was what killed me in CAT2. I thought I was in control of the test throughout. I finished with almost 20mins to spare. It would have been 25 mins, if had not purposefully slowed down for the last 5 questions. The post mortem revealed that I marked a full RC wrong. Even though this passage had 85 lines, I found it easy but simple mistake of not paying attention to a few words cost me dear. The number of mistakes in CAT2 verbal is not very different from that in CAT1. In fact, they are pretty much comparable. I think I made 5 more errors in CAT2 than in CAT1. I don’t know why the score has fallen by 10 points
One more new found development is that I have a hard time concentrating on Mondays. This is because the pace of preps falls considerably on Saturdays and Sundays. Keeping this in mind, I have to prepare a strategy for my D day
Confidence is very low and I’m finding it tough to keep going. God, please help me
Friday, July 17, 2009
Ahem....mmmhhhh...
I've been using the above 2 words very often since past 3 days. In fact, they get a mention in every second line I speak. Whenever I get up in the morning, it feels as if a small cloud has engulfed my throat. It takes lot of effort to clear it. I'm also feeling a bit feverish.
Bloody, there is a doctor in my company's first aid center and he is one crazy guy. Though I have respect for his age and degree( I think he is over 50 and works for one of the best hospitals in the country), I think he is a nut. Below is an excerpt from today's conversation
Me:- Good morning Doc!
Doc:- Hi Unplugged! You are not seen since so many days.
Me:- Oh Doc! I've been keeping really fit these days Is he crazy? Doesn't he want the people to be healthy??? I though of saying 'I'm having an apple every day( remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away)
Doc:- How is your stomach? I remember treating you after you did some 300ab crunches and destroyed your abdomen
Me:- Oh yeah! I'm fine and the abs are fine too
Doc:- Do not work out too much....blah...blah......(Non stop)
Me:- But I......., Doc......., No, but.........Please.....
Despite doubling the rate of the cough and 'ahem...mmhhh'., I was ignored
Doc:- (After 5 complete mins) Tell me what's wrong?
Me:- Thank god! At last! Doc I have cough
Doc:- I had the same problem 2 days back. This is a minor problem.Don't pay attention to it? You'll be OK in 1 or 2 days
Me:- I also have a running nose
Doc:- Ah, this is minor problem?Even I have a running nose. See.....(wiping his nose with a tissue paper).
Me:- Doc, I also have a pain in the right shoulder blade and I'm barely able to workout
Doc:- Everyone suffers from pain one day or the other...blah...blah....
Me:- (Crazy shit! I resisted the thought of punching his over sized tummy a good 100 times)
OK doc. I'm leaving.
Doc:- No Unplugged. I was just kidding. Sit down
Me:-No doc, I'm fit and fine. I'm feeling better than ever and as you said, these are relatively minor problems
Doc:- Here, take these tablets and see me on Monday
Me:- Thanks! I'm taking these with a rather heavy heart as that little talk of yours cured every thing...
Doc:- You kidding...right?
Imagine what would happen if such doctor is asked to treat an emergency case. This is not a one off case; Every time I go to see him, he behaves in such fashion. I don't know whether it is because of sheer incompetence or because it is different way of treating
Tomorrow, by the way, is Manhattan GMATCAT2. I'm looking forward to it
Ahmmm, mmhh...haanahhnnnnn
Adios,
Unplugged
Bloody, there is a doctor in my company's first aid center and he is one crazy guy. Though I have respect for his age and degree( I think he is over 50 and works for one of the best hospitals in the country), I think he is a nut. Below is an excerpt from today's conversation
Me:- Good morning Doc!
Doc:- Hi Unplugged! You are not seen since so many days.
Me:- Oh Doc! I've been keeping really fit these days Is he crazy? Doesn't he want the people to be healthy??? I though of saying 'I'm having an apple every day( remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away)
Doc:- How is your stomach? I remember treating you after you did some 300ab crunches and destroyed your abdomen
Me:- Oh yeah! I'm fine and the abs are fine too
Doc:- Do not work out too much....blah...blah......(Non stop)
Me:- But I......., Doc......., No, but.........Please.....
Despite doubling the rate of the cough and 'ahem...mmhhh'., I was ignored
Doc:- (After 5 complete mins) Tell me what's wrong?
Me:- Thank god! At last! Doc I have cough
Doc:- I had the same problem 2 days back. This is a minor problem.Don't pay attention to it? You'll be OK in 1 or 2 days
Me:- I also have a running nose
Doc:- Ah, this is minor problem?Even I have a running nose. See.....(wiping his nose with a tissue paper).
Me:- Doc, I also have a pain in the right shoulder blade and I'm barely able to workout
Doc:- Everyone suffers from pain one day or the other...blah...blah....
Me:- (Crazy shit! I resisted the thought of punching his over sized tummy a good 100 times)
OK doc. I'm leaving.
Doc:- No Unplugged. I was just kidding. Sit down
Me:-No doc, I'm fit and fine. I'm feeling better than ever and as you said, these are relatively minor problems
Doc:- Here, take these tablets and see me on Monday
Me:- Thanks! I'm taking these with a rather heavy heart as that little talk of yours cured every thing...
Doc:- You kidding...right?
Imagine what would happen if such doctor is asked to treat an emergency case. This is not a one off case; Every time I go to see him, he behaves in such fashion. I don't know whether it is because of sheer incompetence or because it is different way of treating
Tomorrow, by the way, is Manhattan GMATCAT2. I'm looking forward to it
Ahmmm, mmhh...haanahhnnnnn
Adios,
Unplugged
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Manhattan CAT1 - Analysis + After effects
There was too much booze over the weekend, so I couldn't concentrate on my studies yesterday( monday). The last thing I want is to lose whatever I've learnt over the past couple of months. So, no booze till I write the GMAT
I managed to analyze my mistakes of Manhattan CAT1 yesterday after I came back from the office. There were atleast 8 questions that I could solve without even looking at the correct answer. I really don't know why I missed them during the test. I think because of 2 reasons 1) I was a bit careless 2)The questions were way too wordy and long. I have to cut out the mistakes caused by carelessness if I ever dream of getting close to 50 in real GMAT
Verbal was good. No issues here. I have to stick to my plan of solving around 3 RCs and 10 quesions in SC and as many in CR
Ciao,
Unplugged
I managed to analyze my mistakes of Manhattan CAT1 yesterday after I came back from the office. There were atleast 8 questions that I could solve without even looking at the correct answer. I really don't know why I missed them during the test. I think because of 2 reasons 1) I was a bit careless 2)The questions were way too wordy and long. I have to cut out the mistakes caused by carelessness if I ever dream of getting close to 50 in real GMAT
Verbal was good. No issues here. I have to stick to my plan of solving around 3 RCs and 10 quesions in SC and as many in CR
Ciao,
Unplugged
Friday, July 10, 2009
First practice test, weekend plans...etc
The scores from my MGMAT 1 are in
730 Q45 V45
I took the test at 9:00AM today. I took the test in full, including AWA. I thought I did well in math but Q45 is definitely very bad. I need to buckle up and revise a few concepts that are giving me problems. Sets, Venn diagrams and mixtures are a few. I'll try to review the math part of the test and solve all the questions once again untimed.
Now, I still don't believe I scored 45 on the verbal(WTF??) This is my highest score in verbal till date and I still can't make anything out of it. I have my reservations against MGMAT verbal though. This is because they are not representative of the actual GMAT test questions. But, one strange thing that happened today is that I destroyed SC and RC completely. I made, I think, 2 errors in each of these parts. I finished verbal with 10mins remaining.CR was problematic because I am not used to the MGMAT's logic( and I don't want to be)
730 feels damn good. It raises the expectations, which is a bit bad. This is because the higher your expectations, the higher are the anxiety levels and your fall( god forbid) will be quite painful. This is what I learnt from my first attempt.
The future course of action is to take GMAT club math tests on alternate days and revise the mistakes of MGMAT and GMAT club on the 'off days', while solving around 3 RC passages, 10 SCs from my error log and around 10 CR from OG. As I have been saying previously, this time I'm not taking a GMAT date 1 month in advance. I plan to book the test date on a 1 week's notice. Of course, it depends on how I score on my practice tests and the all important GMAT preps
Oh! I took leave today because all the people in my office went on a team building exercise for 3 days. I didn't want to waste 3 fucking days, so I told my boss that I was not interested. Initially, he told yes then when my whole department opted out, he got pissed. He made a huge issue out of this and the HR guys were involved. It took a lot of persuasion and talk to still convince him. But, the relationship got a bit strained and I have to repair that incase I want him to write my recommendation. He, being from a different country, will have to be dealt differently.
No longer did I finalize some plans on how to spend my a bit longish weekend that my long time freind called and told he is dropping in. Since he lives in a different city, I couldn't say no. My whole weekend will go in for a toss. I'll try to squeeze in a bit of time but it is goin to look a bit odd. He'll say lets go out for a beer and check out a few girls; I'll say I have to study a bit. His response will be WTF? From when did you start studying....et al? But, I think it'll provide much needed relaxation to my fried brain. It'll help me get back to my preps on Monday with renewed vigour. No study this weekend :-(
Will post again if I get pissed or if something worth writing comes up
Ciao,
Unplugged
730 Q45 V45
I took the test at 9:00AM today. I took the test in full, including AWA. I thought I did well in math but Q45 is definitely very bad. I need to buckle up and revise a few concepts that are giving me problems. Sets, Venn diagrams and mixtures are a few. I'll try to review the math part of the test and solve all the questions once again untimed.
Now, I still don't believe I scored 45 on the verbal(WTF??) This is my highest score in verbal till date and I still can't make anything out of it. I have my reservations against MGMAT verbal though. This is because they are not representative of the actual GMAT test questions. But, one strange thing that happened today is that I destroyed SC and RC completely. I made, I think, 2 errors in each of these parts. I finished verbal with 10mins remaining.CR was problematic because I am not used to the MGMAT's logic( and I don't want to be)
730 feels damn good. It raises the expectations, which is a bit bad. This is because the higher your expectations, the higher are the anxiety levels and your fall( god forbid) will be quite painful. This is what I learnt from my first attempt.
The future course of action is to take GMAT club math tests on alternate days and revise the mistakes of MGMAT and GMAT club on the 'off days', while solving around 3 RC passages, 10 SCs from my error log and around 10 CR from OG. As I have been saying previously, this time I'm not taking a GMAT date 1 month in advance. I plan to book the test date on a 1 week's notice. Of course, it depends on how I score on my practice tests and the all important GMAT preps
Oh! I took leave today because all the people in my office went on a team building exercise for 3 days. I didn't want to waste 3 fucking days, so I told my boss that I was not interested. Initially, he told yes then when my whole department opted out, he got pissed. He made a huge issue out of this and the HR guys were involved. It took a lot of persuasion and talk to still convince him. But, the relationship got a bit strained and I have to repair that incase I want him to write my recommendation. He, being from a different country, will have to be dealt differently.
No longer did I finalize some plans on how to spend my a bit longish weekend that my long time freind called and told he is dropping in. Since he lives in a different city, I couldn't say no. My whole weekend will go in for a toss. I'll try to squeeze in a bit of time but it is goin to look a bit odd. He'll say lets go out for a beer and check out a few girls; I'll say I have to study a bit. His response will be WTF? From when did you start studying....et al? But, I think it'll provide much needed relaxation to my fried brain. It'll help me get back to my preps on Monday with renewed vigour. No study this weekend :-(
Will post again if I get pissed or if something worth writing comes up
Ciao,
Unplugged
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
(unknown subject)
Today, I feel like shit. This is one of the days on which you feel like your dreams are fading away. Despite trying so hard, you feel as if your efforts to hang on to ‘your dream’, to the thing you most care about seem to be just not enough. Then there are days when, for no good reason, you seem to be so full of energy and enthusiasm that the whole world seems to be at your feet.
The reason for this is that my poor scores on GMAT club tests and continuing poor show in RC. I’ve taken 3 tests in GMAT club and the scores are all over the place. They range from 20% to 90%. The mistakes are pretty silly, and while reviewing, I get correct 50% of the mistakes I made without even looking at the answer. This shows that I get a bit tensed during the test.
RC is killing me. Although I manage to read even an LSAT passage in less 5 minutes, I score at least 1 wrong in every passage. Maybe, it is because of the vague questions and the water tight answer choices. I’ll have to sort the problems out in RC as quickly as possible because it can turn into a show stopper. One peculiar thing I’ve found is that, the passages on which I’m focussed, I never miss even a single question. On the passages where I’m not interested, I end up making too many errors. Focus, I think is the key to doing well. I really don’t know how to stay focussed for 10mins (the duration of a typical RC passage), let alone 4 hrs for the actual GMAT
God be with me
I’ve laid out a broad plan for my D-day. According to this plan I’ll need to give a MGMAT test this week end at 9:00AM, which by the way is the time I plan to write the GMAT. I’ll post my scores this week end. This time around, until and unless I get 3 continuous 700s in the practise tests (including at least one 700 in GMAT prep), I won’t schedule for the exam
The reason for this is that my poor scores on GMAT club tests and continuing poor show in RC. I’ve taken 3 tests in GMAT club and the scores are all over the place. They range from 20% to 90%. The mistakes are pretty silly, and while reviewing, I get correct 50% of the mistakes I made without even looking at the answer. This shows that I get a bit tensed during the test.
RC is killing me. Although I manage to read even an LSAT passage in less 5 minutes, I score at least 1 wrong in every passage. Maybe, it is because of the vague questions and the water tight answer choices. I’ll have to sort the problems out in RC as quickly as possible because it can turn into a show stopper. One peculiar thing I’ve found is that, the passages on which I’m focussed, I never miss even a single question. On the passages where I’m not interested, I end up making too many errors. Focus, I think is the key to doing well. I really don’t know how to stay focussed for 10mins (the duration of a typical RC passage), let alone 4 hrs for the actual GMAT
God be with me
I’ve laid out a broad plan for my D-day. According to this plan I’ll need to give a MGMAT test this week end at 9:00AM, which by the way is the time I plan to write the GMAT. I’ll post my scores this week end. This time around, until and unless I get 3 continuous 700s in the practise tests (including at least one 700 in GMAT prep), I won’t schedule for the exam
Hail the King........
The man has accomplished what most legends haven’t. He is second to none. Ladies and Gentlemen he is none other than Roger Federer.
Man, isn’t he a genius?! The magnitude of the achievements this guy has accomplished at his age is jaw dropping to say the least. Most of all, there are 2 things I like most about his personality
- The calmness with which he handles every situation, or every shot for that matter, is simply amazing.
- The second thing is a bit hard to articulate. I’ll give it my best shot though. Every legend or a winner seems to have a reserve of energy from which he draws during the hard times. This reserve comes into play during the most trying of times -when the situation demands that you stick around even when there seems no light at the end of the tunnel, when it is imperative that you dig deep for every point. This chap seems to have an abundance of such reserve energy
As is evident in the final moments of the battle, Roger somehow takes his game a few notches up, while his opponent doesn’t. One mistake, and boom the opponent is crushed with the flair of a Jaguar and the power of a raging bull.
No second thoughts about the tag 'A LIVING LEGEND'
Man, isn’t he a genius?! The magnitude of the achievements this guy has accomplished at his age is jaw dropping to say the least. Most of all, there are 2 things I like most about his personality
- The calmness with which he handles every situation, or every shot for that matter, is simply amazing.
- The second thing is a bit hard to articulate. I’ll give it my best shot though. Every legend or a winner seems to have a reserve of energy from which he draws during the hard times. This reserve comes into play during the most trying of times -when the situation demands that you stick around even when there seems no light at the end of the tunnel, when it is imperative that you dig deep for every point. This chap seems to have an abundance of such reserve energy
As is evident in the final moments of the battle, Roger somehow takes his game a few notches up, while his opponent doesn’t. One mistake, and boom the opponent is crushed with the flair of a Jaguar and the power of a raging bull.
No second thoughts about the tag 'A LIVING LEGEND'
Thursday, June 25, 2009
More prep
Past few days have been quite exhausting.
I'm done with the big 5 topics in Math - Time/distance, Work, Ratio & Averages, Exponents, Surds & Logarithms. I've gotten most of the commonly tested concepts down the nerves of my brain. I have few more big topics to cover( Geometry, Mensuration, Probability/combinations....etc) before I touch DS. This math journey doesn't seem to get over, but I've broadly laid out my plans for the G-day
After getting down all the basics and a bit of practice, I plan to write
1) All the 25 GMAT Club Tests
2) All the 6 Manhattan GMAT Tests
I know about the MGMAT tests. They suck you dry, but the questions in 700-800 range are too good to let go. Infact, I attribute a fair number of points to MGMAT for my OK performance in the last actual GMAT math. I'm a bit excited about the GMAT club tests as I've read quite a few good reviews, and I certainly look forward to solving them. Doing all these Math tests, while keeping the Verbal tempo high is going to be a daunting task, which I really don't know how to manage
Oh! BTW, the OG12 I ordered arrived yesterday. I bought that book solely on a impulse as I was pissed the other day for not getting a few simple CRs correct. Neverthelss, 50 new CRs and as many SCs have been added to the OG11 edition. So, 100 retired questions will be a good practice.
Strategy in Verbal seems to be solve the new CRs from OG, solve the retired paper ETS tests and keep visitng the forums.
Ciao,
Unplugged
I'm done with the big 5 topics in Math - Time/distance, Work, Ratio & Averages, Exponents, Surds & Logarithms. I've gotten most of the commonly tested concepts down the nerves of my brain. I have few more big topics to cover( Geometry, Mensuration, Probability/combinations....etc) before I touch DS. This math journey doesn't seem to get over, but I've broadly laid out my plans for the G-day
After getting down all the basics and a bit of practice, I plan to write
1) All the 25 GMAT Club Tests
2) All the 6 Manhattan GMAT Tests
I know about the MGMAT tests. They suck you dry, but the questions in 700-800 range are too good to let go. Infact, I attribute a fair number of points to MGMAT for my OK performance in the last actual GMAT math. I'm a bit excited about the GMAT club tests as I've read quite a few good reviews, and I certainly look forward to solving them. Doing all these Math tests, while keeping the Verbal tempo high is going to be a daunting task, which I really don't know how to manage
Oh! BTW, the OG12 I ordered arrived yesterday. I bought that book solely on a impulse as I was pissed the other day for not getting a few simple CRs correct. Neverthelss, 50 new CRs and as many SCs have been added to the OG11 edition. So, 100 retired questions will be a good practice.
Strategy in Verbal seems to be solve the new CRs from OG, solve the retired paper ETS tests and keep visitng the forums.
Ciao,
Unplugged
Monday, June 22, 2009
Burn out.....?
I think I'm losing it - whatever Verbal fundamentals I've learned over this period of time are beginning to evade me. This has happened before and there is a possibility that it will happen again. I'll try to describe what exactly is happening with me
As per plan, I needed to write a GMAT paper test( only verbal) over this weekend but I was unable to. Why? On Friday, I tried to solve a few CRs in the night and did not get even a single one correct. My mind was going numb whenever I looked a CR. Even the simplest of the problems was looking damn tough.
The reason, is that my brain cells are probably fried having solved some 500CRs( I'm midway through the 1000CR document). I decided to take a conscious decision of taking a break for a couple of days. So, I took the weekend off(from Verbal) to rest my mind. I'll try to solve about 10CRs and 10SCs today and see how things go. I'm sure I'll get back what I learnt. I think I'll solve about 10 questions apiece from the 3 sections of verbal on alternate days or every third day rather than on a everyday basis, until I completely review Math
The reason for my verbal debacle, the first time around, can be attributed to the burn out factor. This time around, I think, I did not the pace the preparation properly. I left Math completely untouched for a long period of time and this is partly causing the burn-out with verbal. I have to step up the Math prep, while keeping the verbal afresh and also ensuring that my verbal performance is not affected
I was so upset on Saturday and Sunday that I partially broke down a few times and began to doubt my reasons/convictions to do an MBA. But, I managed to recover and finish some chapters in Math.
Passing through a very rough patch - God, I need you to help me
Ciao,
Unplugged
As per plan, I needed to write a GMAT paper test( only verbal) over this weekend but I was unable to. Why? On Friday, I tried to solve a few CRs in the night and did not get even a single one correct. My mind was going numb whenever I looked a CR. Even the simplest of the problems was looking damn tough.
The reason, is that my brain cells are probably fried having solved some 500CRs( I'm midway through the 1000CR document). I decided to take a conscious decision of taking a break for a couple of days. So, I took the weekend off(from Verbal) to rest my mind. I'll try to solve about 10CRs and 10SCs today and see how things go. I'm sure I'll get back what I learnt. I think I'll solve about 10 questions apiece from the 3 sections of verbal on alternate days or every third day rather than on a everyday basis, until I completely review Math
The reason for my verbal debacle, the first time around, can be attributed to the burn out factor. This time around, I think, I did not the pace the preparation properly. I left Math completely untouched for a long period of time and this is partly causing the burn-out with verbal. I have to step up the Math prep, while keeping the verbal afresh and also ensuring that my verbal performance is not affected
I was so upset on Saturday and Sunday that I partially broke down a few times and began to doubt my reasons/convictions to do an MBA. But, I managed to recover and finish some chapters in Math.
Passing through a very rough patch - God, I need you to help me
Ciao,
Unplugged
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Random musings
Many times, I am amazed at myself when I find myself thinking about 100 differnt issues. These thoughts vary from 'how would moon feel like' to 'the latest ad that appeared in todays newspaper' to 'what could be the best strategy for General motors to make a comeback'. Then, I conclude that it's best not to dwell too much on the issues the world is faced with because there are able people at the right positions to take care of such stuff and that I'm better off thinking about stuff I'd have to live with.
Last few days have been damn good physically and emtionally( both being interrelated in many ways than one). Physically, because I've added the long ignored cardio to my weight regimen. I'm running close to 3kms every day after doing weights. It is kind of a nice feeling to have when that average pulse rate on the treadmill reads 160, when every muscle in the body screams because of the lactic acid built up, when you can't take your eyes of the digital clock on the air bike, when you feel as if your viens are pumping battery acid. while, one part of my mind wants me to throw away the dumbells to the farthest corner possible, the other part wants me to continue pumping and push through the reps. This part wants me to punish my muscles; it also wants me not to quit even if loud screams out of intense pain come out from my mouth. The sense of tranquility that comes about after these episodes of intense pain/fight is worth experiencing and it is something that cannot be explained in words but has to be experienced. In the crux of such serenity, you will feel that the issues that you face on a everyday basis, the problems that forced your mind to contemplate quitting, are very small.These things teach more about yourself than any other course ever can.
As promised with myself, I did write a GMAT paper test( only verbal) and scored only 40. The key take aways are
1) I was able to sit for the entire 75 mins without getting disillusioned. Although there were moments where there was a lapse of concentration I think I managed to sit through
2) Because of the over confidence, I was rushing through the questions and as a result I was unable to reduce my 'unforced errors'
3) I had 1min for 1 problem. So the problem of pacing through the test was not a issue
4) Among the 20 odd SC and CR questions, I got 3 wrong in SC and as many in CR. But, when I went through the questions once again, I was able to spot the correct answer without any difficulty. RC was a killer though - I got 7 wrong. The errors are partially due to the format of the pdf version of the test paper - For every passage, I had to scroll 3 pages and look for the answer. This continued back and forth and I lost time
RC shouldn't be a problem because I'm solving 2-3 passages from LSAT papers and scoring at a fairly good rate. GMAT passages are relatively easier compared to the LSAT ones. I'm solving around 10SCs from my error log, 10 - 15 CRS from 1000CR every day in addition to the RC passages. I just hope that I don't lose touch with these 3 sections
Math is underway in full swing. I've made a mental road map of how I want my prep to progress. I'll keep pumping 50 questions from math every day and I hope to get better by 2 weeks. After I'm fairly comfortable with the concepts, I'll have to solve the 25 GMAT club tests, which should see me through in the actual GMAT. As with the workout at the gym, I'll keep solving/pumping questions every day until I feel comfortable to give the full length tests
Oh yeah! If you haven't read about how Gerald Butler trained for 300, look out for the videos on youtube now. You'll be amazed at the dedication and commitement with which these guys put in work to get that look they got. No wonder, Mark Twight is a real bad ass when it comes to workout, dedication et al....
Will be back with the scores from another GMAT verbal paper test
Ciao,
Unplugged
Last few days have been damn good physically and emtionally( both being interrelated in many ways than one). Physically, because I've added the long ignored cardio to my weight regimen. I'm running close to 3kms every day after doing weights. It is kind of a nice feeling to have when that average pulse rate on the treadmill reads 160, when every muscle in the body screams because of the lactic acid built up, when you can't take your eyes of the digital clock on the air bike, when you feel as if your viens are pumping battery acid. while, one part of my mind wants me to throw away the dumbells to the farthest corner possible, the other part wants me to continue pumping and push through the reps. This part wants me to punish my muscles; it also wants me not to quit even if loud screams out of intense pain come out from my mouth. The sense of tranquility that comes about after these episodes of intense pain/fight is worth experiencing and it is something that cannot be explained in words but has to be experienced. In the crux of such serenity, you will feel that the issues that you face on a everyday basis, the problems that forced your mind to contemplate quitting, are very small.These things teach more about yourself than any other course ever can.
As promised with myself, I did write a GMAT paper test( only verbal) and scored only 40. The key take aways are
1) I was able to sit for the entire 75 mins without getting disillusioned. Although there were moments where there was a lapse of concentration I think I managed to sit through
2) Because of the over confidence, I was rushing through the questions and as a result I was unable to reduce my 'unforced errors'
3) I had 1min for 1 problem. So the problem of pacing through the test was not a issue
4) Among the 20 odd SC and CR questions, I got 3 wrong in SC and as many in CR. But, when I went through the questions once again, I was able to spot the correct answer without any difficulty. RC was a killer though - I got 7 wrong. The errors are partially due to the format of the pdf version of the test paper - For every passage, I had to scroll 3 pages and look for the answer. This continued back and forth and I lost time
RC shouldn't be a problem because I'm solving 2-3 passages from LSAT papers and scoring at a fairly good rate. GMAT passages are relatively easier compared to the LSAT ones. I'm solving around 10SCs from my error log, 10 - 15 CRS from 1000CR every day in addition to the RC passages. I just hope that I don't lose touch with these 3 sections
Math is underway in full swing. I've made a mental road map of how I want my prep to progress. I'll keep pumping 50 questions from math every day and I hope to get better by 2 weeks. After I'm fairly comfortable with the concepts, I'll have to solve the 25 GMAT club tests, which should see me through in the actual GMAT. As with the workout at the gym, I'll keep solving/pumping questions every day until I feel comfortable to give the full length tests
Oh yeah! If you haven't read about how Gerald Butler trained for 300, look out for the videos on youtube now. You'll be amazed at the dedication and commitement with which these guys put in work to get that look they got. No wonder, Mark Twight is a real bad ass when it comes to workout, dedication et al....
Will be back with the scores from another GMAT verbal paper test
Ciao,
Unplugged
Thursday, June 11, 2009
And the prep continues........
As I already told, I've shifted( sort of) the focus to RC and Math.
Below, in short, is a short overview of my preps
SCs - I'm solving around 10 questions every day so that I do not become completely unfamiliar with them. I think I'm becoming fairly proficient in these as I'm able to solve any SC I look at in under a minute. But, of late, I've been reading in the debriefs that SC is getting tough in the actual GMAT and that 1000SC is no longer representative of the questions one would encounter in the actual GMAT. I'm getting a bit concerned with this but have finally decided not to bother too much. The only reliable sources now are OG and the GMAT prep. I'll also lay my hands on the retired ETS papers this week end and see how things turnout
CR- A point of concern because out of the 20 questions I solve every day, I'm still getting around 3 wrongs. These wrongs are pretty silly. I get them right as soon as I have a second look at the question. I guess this has to do with the concentration levels. If I cannot fix this problem, I'll never be able to sit through the gruelling 4 hrs. The best thing is to treat every question as a bullet directed towards the GMAT beast. The better you concentrate, the greater the damage you can inflict upon it. In short, I have to think as if my whole life depends on the question shown on the screen
RC - I'm currently solving RCs from LSAT, usually 2 passages with 15 questions. I'm getting around 2 to 3 wrongs, which I think is a fairly bad hit rate considering the fact that I'm spending around 2 mins/question.I'm not too much concerned because GMAT passages are a lot easier than the LSAT ones and because since this is the only second day with the RC, my mind is still getting in the groove. I'll solve around 2 to 3 passages every day until this weekend
Math - Still a spoilsport because of many reasons
1) Even though I scored around 48 or 49 in my first attempt, I fear math because I'm simply not good at it. Since childhood, especially with Math, the correlation has been simple - the harder I prepare the more I score and the more confident I get. I know I'd put in insane practice in my first attempt and was confident of scoring atleast above 48 even at the mid-way of my preps. All that is forgotten now; I have to start afresh( lesser mortals you know!)
2) Math is getting the last slot in my days time table. As a result, the pace of progress has been slow
I'll try sticking to this schedule for atleast some weeks to come so that my mind gets conditioned to the GMAT mindset and I develop some stamina
Will solve an old ETS paper( only verbal) on Saturday and will post the results. I think it, to a fair extent, will show my progress
Below, in short, is a short overview of my preps
SCs - I'm solving around 10 questions every day so that I do not become completely unfamiliar with them. I think I'm becoming fairly proficient in these as I'm able to solve any SC I look at in under a minute. But, of late, I've been reading in the debriefs that SC is getting tough in the actual GMAT and that 1000SC is no longer representative of the questions one would encounter in the actual GMAT. I'm getting a bit concerned with this but have finally decided not to bother too much. The only reliable sources now are OG and the GMAT prep. I'll also lay my hands on the retired ETS papers this week end and see how things turnout
CR- A point of concern because out of the 20 questions I solve every day, I'm still getting around 3 wrongs. These wrongs are pretty silly. I get them right as soon as I have a second look at the question. I guess this has to do with the concentration levels. If I cannot fix this problem, I'll never be able to sit through the gruelling 4 hrs. The best thing is to treat every question as a bullet directed towards the GMAT beast. The better you concentrate, the greater the damage you can inflict upon it. In short, I have to think as if my whole life depends on the question shown on the screen
RC - I'm currently solving RCs from LSAT, usually 2 passages with 15 questions. I'm getting around 2 to 3 wrongs, which I think is a fairly bad hit rate considering the fact that I'm spending around 2 mins/question.I'm not too much concerned because GMAT passages are a lot easier than the LSAT ones and because since this is the only second day with the RC, my mind is still getting in the groove. I'll solve around 2 to 3 passages every day until this weekend
Math - Still a spoilsport because of many reasons
1) Even though I scored around 48 or 49 in my first attempt, I fear math because I'm simply not good at it. Since childhood, especially with Math, the correlation has been simple - the harder I prepare the more I score and the more confident I get. I know I'd put in insane practice in my first attempt and was confident of scoring atleast above 48 even at the mid-way of my preps. All that is forgotten now; I have to start afresh( lesser mortals you know!)
2) Math is getting the last slot in my days time table. As a result, the pace of progress has been slow
I'll try sticking to this schedule for atleast some weeks to come so that my mind gets conditioned to the GMAT mindset and I develop some stamina
Will solve an old ETS paper( only verbal) on Saturday and will post the results. I think it, to a fair extent, will show my progress
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Only reliable sources
Oh man! I got hold of a document, which had some ultra tough SC questions and there were a few explanations I was unable to understand. First of all, the questions do not represent those from OG or GMAT by any strech of imagination( of course this comes from the realm of my limited exploitations with GMAT). There were many questions for which I could not get the right answer and got disillusioned as a result. After scanning through few pages from this dcoument, I happened to attempt a few simple SCs and was unable to work my way through them because the explanations provided in that document disturbed my 'way of working'. However, I learnt a lot of new things, which will eventually go in my error log.
Lesson I learnt today is 'not to get disillusioned and trust your instincts' Any new points learnt along the way can go in the error log but you have to back 'your own way' of solving the questions
This week will see the shifting of focus from SC and CR to RC and math. I'll still keep doing about 10-15 questions from SC and CR while concentrating more on RC and math
God be with me....
Unplugged
Lesson I learnt today is 'not to get disillusioned and trust your instincts' Any new points learnt along the way can go in the error log but you have to back 'your own way' of solving the questions
This week will see the shifting of focus from SC and CR to RC and math. I'll still keep doing about 10-15 questions from SC and CR while concentrating more on RC and math
God be with me....
Unplugged
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Ouch......
Yeah, the title of the post aptly describes my body condition today.
On Friday, at the gym, I was working my chest out. I was all the more pumped up because there was this drop dead gorgeous lady who had joined on Friday( What a day to join!). One of the last set of exercises was the DB flys on an inclined bench. By the time I got down to doing this, I had completely exhausted myself with 5 more sets of exercises with ultra heavy weights. So, I was sitting on the inclined bench facing the mirror with the DBs and this bomb was at my back working on her thighs. Considering the fact that she was a rookie( rookies are given fly weights to start with; they normally spend more time on the machine than an average Joe does because of this reason) and me a seasoned person and considering the fact that the time of performing reps was the only time I could get a proper view of her, I kept on pushing my self so that I could match her time on the machine. The result was fulfilling mentally and hurting physically. I am unable to sleep because of the intense pain and am barely able to lift my right hand.
I had to miss my work out yesterday because of the pain. I'm treating it with ice every 2 hrs. But that's ok. Sometimes you have to live with the the pain to be able to feel that you are alive. I'll start kicking butt again from tomorrow
I had purposefully skipped the preps the last 2 days because my mind was going numb again at the sight of a GMAT question. I needed something to keep my mind afresh. I think it also has got to do with the work I guess. I'm having a real hard time at work. The hours that I spend at work are so intense that I barely get to stop thinking about these issues even at my home. You need something to change over, some kind of switch that takes you from one field to the other. A work out at the gym comes in very handy to do just this. But then again, some things are out of your control( I think you know what I'm sayin here......the bomb at the gym of course!)
I did around 20CRs from the 1000series and got a fairly good hit rate - 2 mistakes that I could've completely avoided; they were very silly indeed
As far as SC is concerned, I think I'm getting a good grip at these. I'm able to solve most of them within a minute. I almost managed to complete the 1000SCs( there are around 30 of them still remaining). The error log in SC says the number of questions for review i.e, the number of questions I got wrong has not yet touched 100. Boy, am I happy. 1 wrong in 10 is fairly good. The goal now is to keep on revewing the ones I got wrong and keep solving some random SCs every day from the forums. This is to ensure that I consolidate what I've learnt and start shifting the focus towards RCs and math
RCs are a big pain. Indeed they are. I started solving 2 RCs every day from LSAT prep book untimed just to get into the groove. I need to take this number up by 2 more by this weekend. From next Monday onwards, I plan to solve the complete verbal section in one sitting. That is, 41 questions in 75 minutes on a regular basis to increase the stamina
Math is killer; It is a completely untouched topic. I'll have to start work immediately else whatever effort I've put in Verbal will go down the drain. Damn, too many ball to juggle and too many of them have to be kept in air
Let's see how things work out. Wait for my next post
Cheers,
Unplugged
On Friday, at the gym, I was working my chest out. I was all the more pumped up because there was this drop dead gorgeous lady who had joined on Friday( What a day to join!). One of the last set of exercises was the DB flys on an inclined bench. By the time I got down to doing this, I had completely exhausted myself with 5 more sets of exercises with ultra heavy weights. So, I was sitting on the inclined bench facing the mirror with the DBs and this bomb was at my back working on her thighs. Considering the fact that she was a rookie( rookies are given fly weights to start with; they normally spend more time on the machine than an average Joe does because of this reason) and me a seasoned person and considering the fact that the time of performing reps was the only time I could get a proper view of her, I kept on pushing my self so that I could match her time on the machine. The result was fulfilling mentally and hurting physically. I am unable to sleep because of the intense pain and am barely able to lift my right hand.
I had to miss my work out yesterday because of the pain. I'm treating it with ice every 2 hrs. But that's ok. Sometimes you have to live with the the pain to be able to feel that you are alive. I'll start kicking butt again from tomorrow
I had purposefully skipped the preps the last 2 days because my mind was going numb again at the sight of a GMAT question. I needed something to keep my mind afresh. I think it also has got to do with the work I guess. I'm having a real hard time at work. The hours that I spend at work are so intense that I barely get to stop thinking about these issues even at my home. You need something to change over, some kind of switch that takes you from one field to the other. A work out at the gym comes in very handy to do just this. But then again, some things are out of your control( I think you know what I'm sayin here......the bomb at the gym of course!)
I did around 20CRs from the 1000series and got a fairly good hit rate - 2 mistakes that I could've completely avoided; they were very silly indeed
As far as SC is concerned, I think I'm getting a good grip at these. I'm able to solve most of them within a minute. I almost managed to complete the 1000SCs( there are around 30 of them still remaining). The error log in SC says the number of questions for review i.e, the number of questions I got wrong has not yet touched 100. Boy, am I happy. 1 wrong in 10 is fairly good. The goal now is to keep on revewing the ones I got wrong and keep solving some random SCs every day from the forums. This is to ensure that I consolidate what I've learnt and start shifting the focus towards RCs and math
RCs are a big pain. Indeed they are. I started solving 2 RCs every day from LSAT prep book untimed just to get into the groove. I need to take this number up by 2 more by this weekend. From next Monday onwards, I plan to solve the complete verbal section in one sitting. That is, 41 questions in 75 minutes on a regular basis to increase the stamina
Math is killer; It is a completely untouched topic. I'll have to start work immediately else whatever effort I've put in Verbal will go down the drain. Damn, too many ball to juggle and too many of them have to be kept in air
Let's see how things work out. Wait for my next post
Cheers,
Unplugged
Friday, May 29, 2009
Prep Updates
There are some days when you are afresh and feel that your mind can absorb any amount of information. It feels like a sponge, waiting to suck in the loose fluid lying around. And on the other days, it sucks( not in the literal sense, of course!).
After a hectic day at work, I get to spend only about 1 to 1 and 1/2hrs of quality time with GMAT. I'm pretty clear this time around; I don't want to cover ground, instead, I focus on what will I learn in the study sessions( even if it means doing only 10 questions each of SC/ CR). This approach has got possitives and negatives. The positive is that you tend to be razor sharp, your accuracy goes up and so does your confidence. As a consequence, you get into a sort of flow. This flow is enough to annhilate any question. The negative is that you won't be training yourself for the so called 'GMAT showdown'.
GMAT is all about pressure. It is about not being in the zone or being without the flow and for one to score well, one has to keep solving questions under such conditions. Not only solve, but get them right too! It is only when you are pushed to the limit mentally, only when you are exhausted and only when you are under incredible pressure that you begin to go blank. It is only under such circumstances that you keep staring at screen, that nothing goes in your head, that you tend to miss even the easisest of questions and that you end up SCREWING THE TEST
One way, I'm preparing to avoid buckling under the load is to solve the questions under test conditions/timed. 1 min per question is enough to induce turbulence in your chest/stomach and send your brain in a tizzy. Only when I solve questions on a continual and consistent basis under such conditions will I be able to do well on GMAT. Perhaps, I need to also increase the duration for which my mind is under stress. This means, I need to do 2 sessions at a time. A session is 15 questions of SC in 15 min and 15 questions of CR in 20min. Will try this approach and see how my body responds.
One more thought - Every one can crack GMAT when in the best of his/her mental state. It is only when you are getting correct answers even when performing at 60% of your efficiency that you can be assured of a good score( I'm talking about lesser mortals like me, of course)
Cheers,
Unplugged
After a hectic day at work, I get to spend only about 1 to 1 and 1/2hrs of quality time with GMAT. I'm pretty clear this time around; I don't want to cover ground, instead, I focus on what will I learn in the study sessions( even if it means doing only 10 questions each of SC/ CR). This approach has got possitives and negatives. The positive is that you tend to be razor sharp, your accuracy goes up and so does your confidence. As a consequence, you get into a sort of flow. This flow is enough to annhilate any question. The negative is that you won't be training yourself for the so called 'GMAT showdown'.
GMAT is all about pressure. It is about not being in the zone or being without the flow and for one to score well, one has to keep solving questions under such conditions. Not only solve, but get them right too! It is only when you are pushed to the limit mentally, only when you are exhausted and only when you are under incredible pressure that you begin to go blank. It is only under such circumstances that you keep staring at screen, that nothing goes in your head, that you tend to miss even the easisest of questions and that you end up SCREWING THE TEST
One way, I'm preparing to avoid buckling under the load is to solve the questions under test conditions/timed. 1 min per question is enough to induce turbulence in your chest/stomach and send your brain in a tizzy. Only when I solve questions on a continual and consistent basis under such conditions will I be able to do well on GMAT. Perhaps, I need to also increase the duration for which my mind is under stress. This means, I need to do 2 sessions at a time. A session is 15 questions of SC in 15 min and 15 questions of CR in 20min. Will try this approach and see how my body responds.
One more thought - Every one can crack GMAT when in the best of his/her mental state. It is only when you are getting correct answers even when performing at 60% of your efficiency that you can be assured of a good score( I'm talking about lesser mortals like me, of course)
Cheers,
Unplugged
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
It fucking hurts
I know what happened from the time I stopped blogging to the present moment
I have taken the GMAT and ended up putting up a miserable show. I seriously didn't know what happened. My mind was going numb when I was seeing the CR questions. Even the most simplest of the SC questions seemed unusually hard. While the math seemed fairly simple and I could easily eliminate 3 wrong answer choices and in many cases as many as 4, the verb was way too tough. Answer to not even a single question in verbal seemed to jump out as correct. I think there were hardly 3 to 4 questions for which I was confident enough
Anyway, life has been a roller coaster ride from the day I gave the test. My thinking changed completely as a result of the failure, took up a different job in a different part of the country, cried so many times, spent innumerable sleepless nights and introspected to maximum possible extent. IT FUCKING HURTS WHEN YOU PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT AND END UP HAVING TO LIVE WITH A MEDIOCRE RESULT. More than any one else, I know what I went through and how much effort I put in. As a matter of fact, even the most superb of efforts will have some short comings. Nothing in this world will withstand the test of scrutiny; cracks will appear in almost any of the perfectly blended metal when looked under a microscope. Especially after the false hope you get after giving the practice tests. My GMAT Prep scores were 700+ for that matter.
No sweat now, I have restarted my preps and will try to death not to let my dream be just that - "a dream".
Trying to be in top physical/mental shape and preparing for a long road ahead. I have no regrets though, I am the one who chose this path and I'm not the one to back off
I have taken the GMAT and ended up putting up a miserable show. I seriously didn't know what happened. My mind was going numb when I was seeing the CR questions. Even the most simplest of the SC questions seemed unusually hard. While the math seemed fairly simple and I could easily eliminate 3 wrong answer choices and in many cases as many as 4, the verb was way too tough. Answer to not even a single question in verbal seemed to jump out as correct. I think there were hardly 3 to 4 questions for which I was confident enough
Anyway, life has been a roller coaster ride from the day I gave the test. My thinking changed completely as a result of the failure, took up a different job in a different part of the country, cried so many times, spent innumerable sleepless nights and introspected to maximum possible extent. IT FUCKING HURTS WHEN YOU PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT AND END UP HAVING TO LIVE WITH A MEDIOCRE RESULT. More than any one else, I know what I went through and how much effort I put in. As a matter of fact, even the most superb of efforts will have some short comings. Nothing in this world will withstand the test of scrutiny; cracks will appear in almost any of the perfectly blended metal when looked under a microscope. Especially after the false hope you get after giving the practice tests. My GMAT Prep scores were 700+ for that matter.
No sweat now, I have restarted my preps and will try to death not to let my dream be just that - "a dream".
Trying to be in top physical/mental shape and preparing for a long road ahead. I have no regrets though, I am the one who chose this path and I'm not the one to back off
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