Classes are forming now for the February Dubai Tutor GMAT course! Dubai Tutor courses offer:

* Evening classes perfect for working professionals.
* Custom developed materials based on the best GMAT information and techniques available.
* An American instructor with years of experience helping students beat the GMAT.
* Small group classes of fewer than 5 students.
* Affordable private tutoring, if necessary.Here's what previous students have said:

What did you like about the course? "The course had provided a lot of good insights and tips on how to tackle GMAT questions. I liked the summary notes / slides provided that could be used later on for revision and studying." - Ehab F.

Based on your experience, would you recommend the course to a friend? "Already done because I was highly satisfied. Thanks a lot!" - Khalid D.

There are only 5 spots available for the February course! Email the Dubai Tutor to reserve your space.

What's a bigger waste of time than procrastinating? Cramming. It seems counterintuitive: how can studying be a waste of time? It's not THAT you study, it's HOW you study.

Why doesn't cramming work?
Teachers have long hated cramming because students who cram do not retain the material long-term. However, long-term retention is not important for college prep exams. For example, if you get a good score on the SAT, you're only going to take it once and probably won't need the information again.

You should hate cramming for another reason: you can't really apply what you reviewed to the test. Why not? Cramming is essentially memorizing a large amount of information shortly before an exam. That's a good idea if the information is asked exactly as it was presented or in a similar form. On the SAT, GMAT, and the other tests, you won't be asked the same questions, see the same math problems, or read the same passages. These tests rely on your ability to analyze questions and think critically for which, unfortunately, there is no easily memorizable concept.

How you should study

1. Set a manageable study schedule and stick to it. Even one hour a day helps.
2. Focus on understanding HOW to do the problem, not just finishing the problem. Quality rather than quantity is important when sharpening your analytical and critical thinking skills.
3. Correct problems you got wrong by reworking them or going back to reading passages to understand why your answer is wrong and why the correct answer is right.
4. Take a look at one of my previous posts to learn How to Use Practice Tests (the Correct Way).
5. Form a study group with friends. A study group will not only be a good place to exchange ideas, it will help you keep your studying on track.
6. Work with the Dubai Tutor so you will be held accountable. We will set a schedule for our sessions that we will stick to. We'll go over homework and make sure you maximize you're studying.

Don't let this happen to you...say no to Red Bull and No Doze!

With the last SAT before May coming up and GMAT pressure building, it's important that you maximize your time and energy. Do things that will yield big results. To help you focus, the next 5 blog posts will focus on the top 5 time wasters when preparing for the SAT, GMAT, or just about any admissions test.

Top Test Prep Time Waster #5: Procrastination.

Okay this one is obvious but the longer you wait to start studying, the less time you have to adequately prepare. I recommend that students prepare at least 6 weeks for the GMAT and SAT, and as long as 8 weeks for tests like the TOEFL or IELTS.

Symptoms
Procrastination can take many forms, even if it seems like you are working, perhaps you aren't working on the tasks you should be working on. Here are some signs you are procrastinating:

* You check email a lot.
* You buy a lot of test prep books but don't use any of them.
* You're obsessed with surfing the web to find out as much about the test you're taking as possible.
* You're obsessed with surfing the web to find as many "helpful" resources as possible but you don't really use them.
* You schedule your exam for more than 3 months from now (the exception is SAT).
* You suddenly have absolutely no time in your schedule to study even though there are no big deadlines at work or school.
* You contact or visit more than 3 test prep centers around Dubai but still can't make up your mind (the Dubai Tutor is all you need!).
* You decide that it's more important to work on your applications than study for the admissions test (umm...your score is one of the things they ask for on the application!).

Treatment
Fortunately, there are cures for procrastination. Depending on the strength of your procrastination, I recommend using one or all of these ideas to get your test prep moving.
1. Create a study plan. Decide how much time you can commit to studying (even 1 hour a day helps) and stick to it. One hour a day done consistently is much better then an 8 hour binge on Saturday.

2. Start small. Pick one section of the test to begin with, buy a book, and try to cover one or two topics each time. Don't forget to end each study session with drilling (doing a set number of problems in a certain amount of time).

3. Email the Dubai Tutor. Nothing saves time and motivates like signing up for a small group class or getting private instruction with a tutor. Email me and we will work together to create a reasonable study plan to get your preparation going!

Happy studying!