… and back to square one!
But first a recap of my optimistic planning (as discussed in my last post) !
Day 1: Saturday
Planned Done
AWA Issue 10 -
AWA Argument 5 -
Day 2: Sunday
Planned Done
AWA Issue 10 2
AWA Argument 5 3
The only silver lining was MissionMBA’s comments on my plans: “…I feel that’s an overkill…”
Apart from that, this just showed my utter lack of planning and fore sight! I’m so disgusted, I’d DING myself from all B-schools in the top 25000 in the world…
So let me try n analyze what went wrong:
1. First & foremost, the 760 on Friday made me smug: if i can get that score on a prev. GMAT test – while watching a movie, having dinner, and sitting / lying down (I cant explain further how a 45deg. with a laptop tucked up on one’s knees can be described), then I desrve an 810 on the GMAT
2. Secondly, the 760 made me really smug!
3. Thirdly, the 760 made me so smug that I started believing that that was my G-score. (Ok – so I’ve practiced Verbal idioms enough that I know about the use of “so… that…” usage, guess which ‘that’ I’m referring to 
?) But the fact remains – 760 was not my GMAT score, it was a score that I got on one of the tests that the ’sadists’ on GMAC decided to release to general public (ie. aspirants) so that they (ie. aspirants again) start getting the feeling of over-confidence & delusion.
4. However, my understanding of the whole ’system’ being that AWA scores are only ‘tick marks’ in the adcom make me confident that I can still make it – still, I would not want to leave anything to chance and hope to score a 5.5+ on the AWA.
5. To summarize, the weekend was wasted, partly because of my over-confidence and even more so because of the
After all my raving and ranting (and cribbing and whining and … ) about not practicing for the AWA enough this weekend, I’m sure you would have realized that, if nothing else, I’ve spent some time ‘operating’ upon the required structure. After all, each of my 5 points above was exactly in the so-called ideal structure –> summarize the issue & your own POV, 2 paras on your POV, 1 on the supposed challenge / counter-argument, and then summarize / recap again!
Okay, so lets see what were the high-points :
1. I did one more GMAT paper test (#38 I think) and scored a 750
2. I ‘rested’ from the over-thinking I was doing for the last 6 weeks
3. Partying like mad on sunday topped up the weekend… C came with J and T, and boy, was I glad to see T? she brings out the best in me! in all of her 7 months on this planet, the amount she’s picked up makes me even more motivated than I ever have been!
Oh, btw, did I forget? I went back to Lilavati (the hospital…) on Friday evening, back to where my initiation into whats ‘euphemistically’ called community service began more than 14 yrs ago. One of my uncles (my dad’s elder cousin) was undergoing a big operation – he expired on Sat night/Sunday morning – and the whole atmosphere made me realize even more so where I belong, and what I need to do. So, Saturday morning, I was finally back among the patients, doing what I know best – forgetting all about the GMAT anything MBA-linked; but Sunday night, and I’m back again, trying my best to decide between the short-term and the long term, the trees and forest, and most importantly – the quick-wins v/s the big bangs!
Oops for the abrupt ending (but gotta get back to work)
8 days to go!
Thanks for the visit and the advice. Its scary sometimes, when you start to think how your application would shape out.. and will it be worth the effort. hehe.
And I revisited Me, Myself & MBA
) Good Stuff. 
hehe. Read The Secret if you get a chance 
( i think I should give advice only after i finish it.. but sometimes i know if a book is good. ;0))
hmm.. now I am not good at GMAT advice, I am still confused at whether I shud give it another shot.
But all I can say is.. Smugness does help.. (a lil) 
It will make you more confident when you approach the actual test and you wont be a nervous nut like me! 
Wow.. this is turning into a post..
but I think helping out at Lilavati is good.. if nothing else, it makes the day/ week/ month worth while. I remember as I got busy at work, I started valuing Sundays more and Inertia at home seemed better than teaching kids at NASEOH.. but I wish I had spent more time there.. now. 
) Now when I am far away and all the community service I am doing is participating in marathons n dragon boat races! Its different when you can see the difference you are making.. right then and there. 
Sorry to hear about your Uncle.