Year ONE: December.
Jack is a (senior) student in his final years. Like many of his classmates he wants to do an MBA. And as they say, the early you plan the better and easier your path will be.
So he plans:
-Bachelors degree
-3-4 years job.
-Applying for b-schools.
OK. that sounds good.
Jack knows that there’s a beast called GMAT, must be conquered first. His friends advise him to give GMAT a shot, now. He agrees, thinking that, it would be better if he takes the test during his education. He wouldn’t have to brush up the basics( /fundamental skills). He has the habit of studying hard; also he would have access to the college library. He has Christmas holidays to slog for GMAT. That’s perfect.
Jack starts preparing for GMAT. He goes to the Internet to read some reviews about the books related to GMAT exam. He does good research and starts preparing for GMAT. His first diagnostic test scores in five hundred something. 510 to be precise.
He was shocked by such a low score.
He does more research on GMAT; uses online resources; signs up for various online forums.
Later he realized two (?) facts (?):
*GMAT needs average of two months of preparation.
*And 650+ in GMAT is considered to be an average score for good b-schools..
Concluding this, he postpones his GMAT date to summer, thinking that it would be impossible for him to study for two months during his graduation classes.
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Year TWO: August
Jack completes his degree & now he has free time till he gets his first job.
He plots a plan.
Aug+ Sept =two months GMAT study.
He buys half dozen books, based on the online reviews.
He decides to do job search and GMAT preparation simultaneously.
He takes his diagnostic test again and finishes with the exact same figure he had eight months ago.
He already has joined GMAT forums. He also purchases some simulation CAT GMAT CDs. And yes! he signs up for a reputed GMAT coaching class too.
More-determined-Jack this time, thinks that he can improve his score by couple of hundreds many people have done that. He read many peoples’ GMAT war stories.
Loaded with full of material hard and soft he starts his GMAT preparation.
He finds GMAT forum addictive. He goes there often and grabs many interesting facts/myths about GMAT.
Jack couldn’t been able to excel his score though!
He had online forums that provide plenty of different solutions to a problem. He had plenty of books to get different strategies. He had classroom strategy too, to attack different problems. He had habit to study for long hours. Still he failed to excel.
He was thinking positive that his score would rise.
After two months of preparation he manages to get ~570-580 on his practice tests.
That’s an improvement of course! But not as much as he wanted.
Meanwhile he gets a job offer which he couldn’t deny. Disappointed Jack, again postpones his GMAT.
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Year 3 November
Jack is way out of his studies. He’s working for full time for a year or more. GMAT is still in his mind. He has not quit from his favorite GMAT forum. He thinks it would be good to keep in touch.
This time he decides not to spend a single extra money for GMAT; had enough of it.
Jack starts preparing for GMAT with his coaching class material, the books he had purchased and online forums, of course.
He realized the fact that he couldn’t give more time than he used to give earlier due to his job responsibility; …he sacrificed the night outs. Stopped meeting friends. And studied hard again.
He has grown wiser than earlier. He knows how to attack a problem now. Though he got 510 in diagnostic test. After two months of better preparation he managed to lift his score by hundred points to 610!. His real first GMAT score!
He was not at all satisfied with his score. He keeps on telling himself you can raise your score by more 100 points. com’on you can do it!
He’s angry with himself; not sure, what to do?
He’s in a dilemma.
-to retake the test again within a month?
-to again postpone it till more time space available?
-to drop the idea of GMAT./ let 610 be good.
-to abandon the thought of B-schools & MBA altogether.
He knows the options presented are negative in ascending order. At this moment Jack is not confident enough to take most positive option. & he is not so depressed to cut the thought of B-school entirely… after-all he’s spent more than two years for GMAT!
God bless him.
to be cont….. solution to the problem