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

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

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

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

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

(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

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'