These are the GMAT books I have purchased through the past couple of years and I probably used about 25% of them. (There are about 5 to 10 books and folders missing from this picture.)  Why do I have so many books?  I think it is because I am always trying to find something that speaks my math language or gives me a better shortcut.  Oh yeah, I also have a slight shopping addiction. 

I have curtailed my GMAT shopping addiction and invested in shoes, but Now I am ready to head back to the GMAT.  Those who have been following me know the GMAT has been a struggle beyond my wildest dreams.  I don’t remember stressing over a test so much.  The SAT/ACT test were a breeze (or I just didn’t place the value my whole high school education on a test) but for some reason the GMAT has become the Mt. Kilimanjaro of tests for me.  The last time I took it I got a decent score, but not an NYU score.  I thought I would take it again a month later, but I just couldn’t pick up the book.  When you see a number you weren’t aiming for it just adds to the failure pile.  Believe me my failure pile has toppled over and I just wanted to work on a success pile.  This website, volunteer work, new job (paycheck) are all successes, but the GMAT????????

Honestly, there hasn’t been a day since my last test that I haven’t thought about the GMAT.  At this point I may not get into NYU but I owe it to myself to go for my best score, and that is all.  I am okay if I end up in an evening program or a truly unknown small school.  On my resume it would still read MBA. 

My next step is to come up with a training (study) schedule for the next 3 months.  Why 3 months, because after 3 months my ADD truly kicks in and I need to move onto other battles.  I am looking for suggestions for studying.  I just want a couple of hours a night and to take a practice test every other week.  Also, if you can come up with your top GMAT study book or tricks of the trade I would appreciate it.  I am not looking for a course right now, although a great tutor would be appreciated (not one who texts in the middle of a session making plans for a Friday night and still wants to get paid.)

Tomorrow I will work on my study schedule for the next three months.

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Ciao Tutti,

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and please keep the people of Mumbai in your prayers.  Since being laid off I have been busier than ever.  I have a couple of side projects going on and I am changing the format of GlamourGirlNow and you will see those changes coming in the next couple of weeks. (Hope you will enjoy.)  I have decided to dedicate the month of December solely to GMAT and b-school apps.  I find looking for jobs out of desperation always leads to someplace I don’t want to be doing things I could care less about.  I plan to spend 4 hours on the GMAT and 3 hours on apps a day.  Almost a full time job.  It seems like a lot but as I told MBAMonk  “…it has to be done.”  I took a practice test through Kaplan and scored a 530.  Not great but I haven’t truly studied for a while.  Hopefully I can only go up from there.  I will do daily updates of my study progress on my twitter account glamourgirlnow.

Step One: Sentence Corrections Idioms 2 hours

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So I woke up this morning in a panic.  I feel I need to do more in my GMAT studying.  I have broken up the times to study @ lunch and a couple of hours after work.  Yesterday I thought it was a good day in terms of studying.  I learned a lot.  I am not cramming a lot of information in one day.  Truly taking a day or more on a subject because I want to get it.  I actually declared yesterday a good day, but today I am scared I am not doing well at all.   I keep getting simple mistakes wrong.  I am going to take a practice test I think on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Goodness!  It shouldn’t be this hard should it.

OK I feel better.  I think it was just a panic attack.  It is amazing how much a test just puts the pressure of the world over you.  All I want is for things to be great this time around.   I am tired of the doubts and confidence tweaking.  It is too exhausting, and my energy needs to be put to better use, but how do you change it.

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Studying for the GMAT is a true emotional roller coaster.  Some days I am doing well on equations and 3 days later I can’t remember a single thing about equations.  After some calming down and realizing I know how to do these problems because I studied them 2 days ago, the process and formulas start coming back and I can solve 1/2 the problems correctly.  Some days I am ready to give up and accept the defeat of the GMAT and learning rates/works or idioms, and other days I am not willing to end the day until I have complete knowledge on the subject.  The weird thing is the GMAT quantitative problems are suppose to be at the same level as high school math.  It has been some years since I have been in high school, but I don’t remember math being one of those subjects I had to worry about.  I was in honors algebra and AP statistics.  I did have problems with my pre-cal class but that had to do with a problem teacher. (I took the course during summer school and got an A-). In college, my first trimester and last time I studied anything involving an equation, I took chemistry as my quantitative course and had problems in that subject, but I also think had to do with being away from home for the 1st time, or maybe it truly was the beginning of the end of math for me.

Sometimes I sit in Borders, and think after I get 3 problems wrong in a row that I was probably dropped on my head as a toddler and the effects did not occur until I needed to study for the GMAT.  I also think drinking in college and in my twenties has done twice as much damage than I ever thought it would.  Of course there had been some experimentation with illegal drugs (nothing you can make from under your sink), but I know people who did worse stuff than me and became engineers and physicist.

So in the end I truly don’t know why the GMAT has become such an Achilles Heel for me, especially, since I have been studying on and off for over a year.  I realize the next step for me is to stop analyzing what is wrong with me and continue to analyzing how to get the correct answer to the problem.

P.S.  Has anyone ordered the GMAT Quantitative Focus from mba.com?  If so, did you find it useful?

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Ardentmeerkat wrote a blog about “Safe schools” and  I am having the same experience with my family and friends about being narrowly focused on which schools I will apply to. My response is why should I settle for anything less.  But what if I don’t get into the schools I want.   My smarter than me sister and I discussed this through text messaging during work.  (Thank goodness for text messaging.)

SmarterSister: Sh*t happens.  Do you want to go to school or do you want to go to only THESE SCHOOLS.

GlamourGirl:  I want an MBA from THESE SCHOOLS. 

SmarterSister: Focusing on the schools is getting you know where.  And if you don’t get into any of these schools your world will suck.  Not because you couldn’t get into b-school but  because you limited  yourself to THESE SCHOOLS!  You don’t want the degree, you want the T-shirt.  If you wanted the degree you would make it happen.  Just buy the t-shirt its cheaper.

GlamourGirl: Sometimes you are a b*tch, but you are right.  I have too many t-shirts.  I want something that can’t be thrown away or tossed in the garbage. So, are you watching Project Runway tonight?

 Yep that is from my younger sister and she only speaks the language of truth (sometimes in a strong southern accent but she grew up in California).   In the end I am going to apply to the schools I know will be a good fit for me no matter if it is a M7 school or a school ranked 142.  I am the only one holding the key to these decisions.

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No, not for the GMAT but for my 1st sprint triathlon.  It will take place mid-September.  I am so excited!! Plus it will give me something to focus on besides just the GMAT.  I think it will also help me organize my time better.  On New Years my friend made me write down what I wanted to accomplish in 2008.   I haven’t crossed anything off yet, but I feel the MBA related stuff will definitely happen.  My ambition is rising too.  I think I will schedule the GMAT a week after the triathlon, or maybe a week before the triathlon.  I don’t know yet.

NO MORE EXCUSES
BE MORE AMBITIOUS
PARTICIPATE IN AN ATHLETIC EVENT I.E TRIATHLON AND MARATHON
SCORE HIGH ON THE GMAT
APPLY TO BUSINESS SCHOOL
REDUCE DEBT
BE MORE CONFIDENT AND LESS SELF-Conscious
HELP OTHERS
HANG OUT WITH FAMILY MORE
BE HEALTHY EAT MORE VEGETABLES AND LESS PROCESSED FOODS
WATCH LESS TV READ MORE BOOKS

What have you accomplished this year?

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You would think after all my experience with the GMAT that studying should be second nature to me, but honestly it is still a struggle.  Part of the problem is my attention span, and the other part is I finally realized I need a more structured study plan.  I have to start with my weakest points; sentence correction and  rates/work and statistics.  So tomorrow is my new game plan.  No more wasting study hours.  I also need to schedule the date for my GMAT.  I found when I scheduled it I buckled down and just studied.  I am looking at the beginning of September. 

I want to hear from my fellow GMAT brethren.  What is your study schedule tips that you find extremely helpful in your journey towards the GMAT?  How many times is too many to take the GMAT?

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 The other day my father called me out of the blue to “have a talk”.  Apparently,  I have been very vocal in my doubts about the GMAT.  He let me know “you know what you need to do you have done it before.”  I spoke with my sister earlier and she told me ”nothing you really want has ever come easy. ” The GMAT is the perfect example.  I have worked my but off before to get what  want whether it was losing weight or moving to Italy.  Once I truly made up my mind to do it, it got done.  I made up my mind about and MBA a while ago, and took many steps to get where I want to go, but my path seems constantly blocked by the GMAT.  Today I read GoneGuru’s blog entry “The Wall” and realized the GMAT is my wall.  I can’t take a shortcut to get though the GMAT.  I have to walk around it to get to the same destination.  So, I will continue my walk.  Thanks Guru for a very well written and inspiring piece.

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I have been told it takes 21 days to develop a habit.  So in the spirit of examining my life I realize there are many good habits I need to form.  I have decided to give myself a 30 day challenge.  I know 30 days is a cliché time period, but truly it will continue for a longer time.  What will I be doing for 30 days straight?  Four things actually.

1. Study for the GMAT everyday for 2 hours
2. Go to the gym everyday and workout no less than 30 mins.
3. Write on this blog
4. No alcohol

I have been told this is possible too extreme, and I might be in for a big let down or i am not allowing myself any leeway.  My response is these are habits I use to have in the past that I no longer connect with.  I might go to the gym for 5 straight days but if I take one day off I won’t return to the gym for 2 weeks.  I may study on Tuesday but I won’t open a GMAT book until the following Friday.  I chose alcohol just because I find it slows me down the rest of the night or the next day.  The discipline is gone and I need to get it back.  So for my 1st month I am going a little extreme.  Next month I will develop 1 more habit while hopefully keeping these 4 habits.
When will my thirty days begin?  On July 8, 2008, and it ends on August 7, 2008.

GlamourGirls I want to hear from you.  What habits do you want to develop or change?  Maybe we can form a support group to help each other.  Send me an email or a comment letting me know what you will be doing for the next thirty days.

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