How My Mom Prepared Me for the GMAT
Confession: I have ADD – ADHD, to be exact. (My friends are laughing because they can’t imagine that anyone on the planet doesn’t know that about me already). Most people with ADD find it hard to sit still and focus at times, and then at other times have a ridiculous “Rain Man”-like focus on a problem, task or project. There are days where I find it hard to focus on writing a one-sentence email response and then poof, the next day I can write two chapters of my book.
I was not diagnosed with ADD as a child, though the symptoms were all there, because my mom was “Supermom”. Can I just tell you how awesome my mom is/ was (my dad’s cool too, but it’s all about mom today)? She was perfect – she was creative (my school projects were always incredible); she could draw straight lines free hand! She earned her college degree in elementary education in her 30s, with three children in tow – I was seven years old at the time! Supermom! Anyway, my mom was very diligent when it came to my education. She knew I was smart and had high expectations for me even when teachers were telling her a different story. In the process of helping with my homework and pulling the best out of me, my mom gave me the most precious gift – she helped me to figure out how I learned information. I’ve always known I was capable of learning (we all know that), but I actually know how I acquire and retain information, which can then leads to knowledge and possibly, expertise. Thank mom!
What is your learning style?
How do you learn? When you sit down with a mountain of books, how do you tackle the subject with confidence that you can master it? Too many people have no idea – wide-eyed with a resigned sigh they open up the book and hope for the best. How daunting that must be! I’ve brought this up in blogs and articles and I cannot emphasize it enough. To be successful on the GMAT and any other exam, you must understand how you learn. The first step is to understand your learning style. Are you auditory, visual or kinesthetic? Check out this link that describe these three learning styles and has a short quiz to determine your style.
Now that you know your particular learning style, I want you to think about your current situation. You are going to study for and ace the GMAT. How can you create the best possible environment for learning? It’s not enough to know that you are a visual learning; you must create a plan, process and settings that enable you to learn. Here are a few questions that you should consider as you begin to prepare for the GMAT:
- Do I have a robust plan? (Don’t just think about what subject you will study, but how you will learn each subject.) Does the plan include study components that have worked for me in the past?
- Do I believe that the plan will work?
- Have I removed the distractions that could derail my plan?
- What will I do when I don’t understand something?
- Will I work with others in a study group?
- What will be my sources/ resources? Will I rely solely on my test prep company and instructure for the answers?
- How often will I review my progress and tweak my study plan?
The GMAT is just a four-hour exam. This is a small hurdle in the entire race of your career. With that said, you have an opportunity here to take control of your learning and build the confidence that you can excel on any test with any subject matter now and in the future.
