Day 44 - Back to Work - More RC
Wow, what an eventful past week. All I have to say is that if you are thinking about moving, don't. It can turn into a drawn-out logistical nightmare.
It was a relief to be back to the books today. I started out with my usual routine, doing 10 problems from the Delta Course BONUS Questions. Next I tackled two RC passages from the Kaplan 800 book: one social science passage and one technical science passage. They weren't too difficult, to my surprise. Finally, I got to OG, and did 38 questions from the textbook. My hit rate was about 90%, which is slightly lower than what I'd like to see (ideally, I'd like to be hitting 95%+).
I feel like I am really starting to get the hang of reading comprehension questions. I've found that four strategies have really helped me:
(1) Immediately write down the topic and scope after reading the first paragraph of a given passage. Doing so will help you think about questions relating to the main point or main purpose.
(2) Try to go into an RC passage with an attitude that you are excited to learn about the information it contains. It takes some practice, but this strategy helps you maintain your focus while you read.
(3) Read linearly. That is, try not to read sentences or parts of passages over and over again. Doing so wil slow you down dramatically and actually confuse you because the ideas in the passage are not being read in logical order.
(4) Do not skim, but read quickly. This is a personal strategy. I find that I digest information better when I don't gloss over too much detail.
These are strategies that work especially well for me, but I advise all you GMAT test prep folks out there to try it for yourself. Experiment!
So after the OG stuff, I decided to add a new flavor to my routine--I went back and reviewed 10 problems that I got wrong in my past GMAT material. I hope to consistently review my errors every day until test day. And finally, I finished off the day reviewing my flashcards--yes, I have been holding to my promise to keep reviewing these notes every day.
It was a productive day. I hope I can keep this pace up, but my new apartment has a Playstation 2, and I fear my being sucked in by it. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is such a great game.
SUMMARY OF DAY 44 WORK:
1. Delta Course BONUS Questions, #21-30.
2. Kaplan 800 RC Passages, pages 95-110.
3. 5 RC passages (38 questions) from OG, pages 376-385.
4. Reviewed 10 errors from PowerPrep CAT 1 test (from way back in the day).
5. Reviewed Flashcards.
RECAP OF DAY 44 INSIGHTS:
1. Develop a personal style for attacking RCs.
Labels: GMAT Verbal, Reading Comprehension
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 at 10:49 PM.
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Eric, Good to see u back man
Thats some insightful points on how to tackle RC, I have been struggling with it......I ll try to incorporate some of your strategies and see how it works for me......I hope some will do
Always good to read stuff you post....so keep it comming
Goodluck
Paa"ji"
Hello,
I must say this is a great blog. I'm attempting to study for the GMAT as well and it is so hard for me to motivate myself when I come home from a long day at work (usually around 7PMish). I was just curious how many hours of studying do you get in each day? Thanks!!
Welcome, new anonymous reader!
I have more or less settled into the routine of studying 2-4 hours a day during the weekday and 0 hours on the weekend (sometimes I work on Sunday). It's important to stay consistent on the material. For people who work a lot like yourself, I would recommend studying 1-2 hours per day during the weekday and 4-6 hours per day on the weekend. I have seen many people adopt this latter study schedule.
Best of luck!
As another follow up to anonymous' message: motivation is critical for doing well on the GMAT. It's the only way you will be able to study hard and consistently.
Decide what score you want to achieve and tell yourself that you won't let anything get in the way of reaching your goal. Aim high!
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