The actor and comedian Jim Carrey is reported to have written himself a check for a million dollars when he was still struggling and broke. He carried that check in his wallet for years. Whenever he felt discouraged, he would take out the check and look at it. He visualized receiving a million-dollar check for his work one day. Car- rey made that million-dollar paycheck part of his reality, and reality added a few extra zeros for him. A Reality Check 23 I Need a Plan You already know a great deal about studying. You could not have gotten this far, to the doorstep of business school, without effective study skills. The following pages will help you fine-tune your study methods so that you can make the most efficient use of your time. The key to success in this endeavor, as in so many, is to take things one step at a time. Break this giant task down into manageable pieces. Your first step in successful studying is to create a study plan. What Should I Study? First, you must decide what you need to study. You may want to start with the pretests at the beginning of Parts II, III, and IV to help you assess your strengths and weaknesses. Make a list of each type of question and how well you scored on it, and analyze your list. What kinds of questions did you miss? What patterns do you see? Do you need to work on sentence correction questions? Word problems or data sufficiency? Do critical reasoning questions throw you for a loop? In your practice analytical essays, did you organize your thoughts well and convey them clearly? Did you take a clear position on the issue and effectively analyze the argument? It can be difficult to judge your own writing accurately so get feedback from someone whose opinions you trust and respect so you can better identify your writing strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, do not forget to give yourself credit for the questions you answered correctly. Once you are aware of what you know and what you still need to work on, you can effectively priori- tize whatever study time you have available. Remember, no matter how you scored on the pretests and no mat- ter what your weaknesses are, you will get better with practice. The more you study and the more effectively you work, the higher you will score on the actual exam. How Do I Find the Time to Study? Now is the time to create a realistic study schedule. You might be thinking that your life is too full without cramming in study time, too. But maybe you have more time available than you think. Think about your typ- ical daily and weekly activities and determine when you have free time to devote to studying. Do not forget the short stretches — the 10 minutes here, the 15 minutes there. Sometimes you can do your best studying in short bursts. If you cannot seem to find the time, ask yourself what is more important to you in the long run than achieving your goals. Your life may seem quite full, but you are bound to spend some time at less pro- ductive activities, such as watching television. You could use this time to help make your dreams a reality. Four Sources of Practice Tests 1. The next three sections of this book begin with a short diagnostic pretest and end with multiple-choice practice questions. Answers and explanations for each question are provided within each section. 2. When you register for the GMAT exam, you will receive PowerPrep® software on a CD-ROM. PowerPrep includes hundreds of practice questions and answers in the same format as the actual GMAT exam as well as a CAT tutorial and math review. You can also download PowerPrep by becoming a registered user of www.mba.com. (No registration fee is required.) 3. The GMAC’s Official Guide for GMAT Review, 10th Edition contains over 1,400 actual GMAT exam ques- tions with explanations by the test developers. You can purchase this book from the GMAT exam website at www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/ToolsToHelpYouPrepare/GMATPrepProducts/OfficialGuide.htm. 24 I Deserve a Reward One excellent way to keep yourself motivated is to set up a system of rewards. Write down a list of things you enjoy; they will be the rewards to give yourself when you reach certain study goals. For example, if you keep your commitment to study for an hour in the evening, you can reward yourself by watching your favorite tel- evision show. If you stay on track all week, you can indulge in a Sunday afternoon banana split. Think care- fully about what truly motivates you — only you know what will keep you on task — and use this strategy throughout your preparation time. What’s My Style? Another way to make your study time more effective is to think about how you learn the best. We all have certain modes that we employ to make it easier to learn and remember information. Are you a visual learner, an auditory learner, a kinesthetic learner, or a combination of two or all three? Here are some questions to help you determine your dominant learning style(s): 1. If you have to remember an unusual word, you most likely a. picture the word in your mind. b. repeat the word aloud several times. c. trace out the letters with your finger. 2. When you meet new people, you remember them mostly by a. their actions and mannerisms. b. their names (faces are hard to remember). c. their faces (names are hard to remember). Visual learner • Form images in your mind. • Use color codes. • Use flashcards. Auditory learner • Say things out loud. • Record tapes for yourself. • Explain things to others. Kinesthetic learner • Write it down. • Walk or move around as you study. • Act it out. Go with Your Learning Style 25 3. In class you like to a. take notes, even if you do not reread them. b. listen intently to every word. c. sit up close and watch the instructor. A visual learner would answer a, c, and c. An auditory learner would answer b, b, and b. A kinesthetic learner would answer c, a, and a. Visual learners like to read and are often good spellers. They may find it hard to follow oral instructions, or even to listen, unless there is something interesting to watch. When visual learners study, they often ben- efit from graphic organizers such as charts and graphs. Flashcards often appeal to them and help them learn, especially if they use colored markers, which will help them form images in their mind as they learn words or concepts. Auditory learners, by contrast, like oral directions and may find written materials confusing or boring. They often talk to themselves and may even whisper aloud when they read. They like being read aloud to. Auditory learners will benefit by saying things aloud as they study and by making tapes for themselves and listening to them later. Oral repetition is also an important study tool. Making up rhymes or other oral mnemonic devices will also help them study, and they may like to listen to music as they work. Kinesthetic learners like to stay on the move. They often find it difficult to sit still for a long time and will often tap their feet and gesticulate a lot while speaking. They tend to learn best by doing rather than observing. Kinesthetic learners may want to walk around as they practice what they are learning, because using their body helps them remember things. Taking notes and making flashcards are important ways of reinforcing knowledge for the kinesthetic learner. It is important to note that most people learn using a mixture of styles, although they may have a distinct preference for one style over the others. Determine which is your dominant style, but be open to strategies for all types of learners. I Need a Place So far, you have gathered information about the GMAT exam and about graduate programs, taken pretests to determine what you need to learn, and thought about techniques that will help you better absorb what you are learning. Now it is time to think about where you are going to work and what kinds of things will enhance your learning experience. You know that in order to do your best work, especially when you are studying, you need to be focused, alert, and calm. Your undivided attention must be on the task at hand. That means you have to use a lot of forethought when setting up your study time and environment. Five Questions about Setting Ask yourself the following questions to determine the study environment that will be most effective for you: 1. Where do I like to work? Where do I feel comfortable and free from distractions? If you have a desk in your living space, you may be used to studying there, or maybe you usually work at the dining room table or the kitchen counter. If your usual spot is well lit and set up for your comfort and convenience, with all your study materials at hand, then it is an obvious choice for you. However, sometimes it can be hard to avoid distractions in shared living areas. If you share a living space, you may find it best to study away from home, perhaps at the local library or coffee shop, or to schedule your study time when you know your study area will be quiet. If you are currently in school, remember that you are adding your GMAT exam preparation time to your usual study schedule. Will this create any scheduling conflicts with your normal study space? 2. What time of day is best for me to study? When am I most alert and focused? Are there potential conflicts with other duties or family members that need to be addressed? If you are a morning person, it might make sense for you to get up an hour or so earlier than nor- mal while you are preparing for the GMAT exam. Early mornings are often a time of relative quiet, when you can work without interruptions. If you do not think so well in the early morning, you can schedule another time of the day as your GMAT exam study time. Just be sure you do not push yourself to stay up extra late in order to study. Studying is only productive if you are focused, and it is difficult to focus when you are tired. (Do not count on caffeine to keep you alert. Caffeine is only a temporary solution that can exacerbate the problem.) It is wise to establish a consistent time for study if possible (e.g., Monday through Friday morning from 7:00 A.M. to 7:30 A.M. and Saturday mornings 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.). Make sure the people around you are aware that this is your study time. You can expect more support for your efforts if you – STUDY SKILLS– 26 Use this table to determine the times during the week that are available to you for studying. Be sure to respect your sleep time—the more rest you have, the better you will learn and retain information. MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 6:00 A. M. 6:30 A. M. 7:00 A. M. 7:30 A. M. 8:00 A.M. 8:30 A.M. 9:00 A.M. 9:30 A.M. 10:00 A.M. 10:30 A.M. 11:00 A.M. 11:30 A.M. 12:00 P.M. 12:30 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 1:30 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 3:30 P.M. 4:00 P.M. 4:30 P.M. 5:00 P.M. (continued) When Can I Study? 27 When Can I Study? MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 5:30 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:30 P .M. 7:00 P .M. 7:30 P .M. 8:00 P .M. 8:30 P.M. 9:00 P.M. 9:30 P.M. 10:00 P.M. 10:30 P.M. 11:00 P.M. 11:30 P.M. 28 let family members and friends know you are working to achieve a goal and that you need to stay focused. Be sure to let them know you appreciate their support when you receive it. Set aside a time to study on the same day of the week and time of the day you have scheduled to take the exam. This is the very best time to prepare for the GMAT exam, especially in the weeks lead- ing up to the test. If you practice taking the test and work on improving your skills on that day and at that time, your mind and your body will be ready to operate at peak efficiency when you really need them. For example, if you are scheduled to take the GMAT exam on Saturday morning, get into the habit of studying for the test during the actual testing hours. 3. How do sounds affect my ability to concentrate? Do I prefer silence? Does music enhance my concentration? Some people need relative quiet in order to study because most noises distract them. If you are one of these people, you know it by now, and you have a repertoire of strategies that help you achieve the level of silence you need. Earplugs can be a real blessing. Make sure your study place and time can accommodate your need for quiet. . Official Guide for GMAT Review, 10th Edition contains over 1,400 actual GMAT exam ques- tions with explanations by the test developers. You can purchase this book from the GMAT exam website at www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/ToolsToHelpYouPrepare/GMATPrepProducts/OfficialGuide.htm. 24 I. register for the GMAT exam, you will receive PowerPrep® software on a CD-ROM. PowerPrep includes hundreds of practice questions and answers in the same format as the actual GMAT exam as well as. SATURDAY 5:30 P.M. 6:00 P.M. 6:30 P .M. 7:00 P .M. 7:30 P .M. 8: 00 P .M. 8: 30 P.M. 9:00 P.M. 9:30 P.M. 10:00 P.M. 10:30 P.M. 11:00 P.M. 11:30 P.M. 28 let family members and friends know you are working