Hey, I just started studying for the GMAT. I bought a bunch of books. The officially guides, Manhattan GMAT guides, The Kaplan guides, and Jeff Sackmann's guide. I have been out of school for a while, and it seems to me like the math is overwhelming. There are so many different approaches to doing the same problem. It has become almost frightening for me to think about the short period of time I have to prepare for this thing and the amount of information that I have to memorize. Any advice, anyone ?

Hey Tony,

I have been doing this for a while. The best advice that I can give you is: Don't bite off more than you can choose. Its good to set incremental goals and to move on as you satisfy each. Buying a lot of books will not assure you a stellar GMAT score. Although I am not at liberty to really say what you should or shouldn't be reading, it sounds like you have some pretty good stuff on your hands already. I would set small goals say a week of number properties, or a week of geometry and master each little section before moving on to the next.

A good tip to keep in mind is keep it minimal. In other words, if you are doing just number properties, put all the other stuff away from your sight. Looking at a pile of books can be intimidating, you will focus more on the pile than whats in front of you. Put all material that is not relevant to number properties away and work with the small amount of material that is relevant. Its a much smaller pile. Do not try to do everything all at once. Its impossible, and its not practical. Take your time, have a healthy balance between work, school, recreation, and gmat. Do not become an obsessed GMAT bibliophile. Understand what is in front of you, then move on to the next section. Its that simple !