Like many MBA students, I have put in the hours for the GMAT. I have taken practice tests, reviewed all the answers to ensure I am approaching questions that right way, memorized basic concepts that I just need to know for the Verbal and Quant section…. and the list goes on.

But here is the kicker. On June 27, 2015, I took the GMAT and did not score anywhere near what my practice tests had me trending towards.

This GIF captures how I was feeling after that test….

As you can imagine this was disheartening. A 100 hours into my studying and I did better on my diagnostic practice test than I did on test day. It made me reconsider not just taking the test cold.

Now, it is getting close to the finish line for my application and I have to retake the GMAT so it is even remotely competitive. I want to mitigate this weakness by just doing better, doing what I expect myself to do, yet somehow that was not possible earlier this year.

I know I am not the only one in this boat. And, I would do anything not to be here. I actually worked very hard not to be here, but alas, this is my burden. But I am determined to study, retain, and not let the GMAT take advantage of me this time. Never has a test done this to me before and the GMAT won’t keep me down for long.

For all of those people with me….