Discipline.

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So I am about a week and a half into GMAT prep and the math is getting just a tad better every day. Baby steps. Ha ha. But more than remembering the cubes and squares and remainder theorems, am facing a major problem- STICKING TO A SCHEDULE. While I manage to get in atleast 3 hours of studying in the day ( 1.5 hours each before and after work), the timing is erratic. The very odd working hours courtesy my job in a news channel - if a story calls for it, I must be there in the office.  Also, training my mind and body to wake up early so as to make maximum and productive use of daylight hours, its proving to be a big..no wait...HUGE barrier for me! Also I am so used to working and writing in the night, which means I go to sleep around 6 am, so getting up before 12:30 pm is a no show for moi. As my GMAT test is at 9 am, this nocturnal behavior WILL HAVE TO CHANGE.

If you are facing the same problem as me, then try my method, it might just work. Am still getting used to it, and it is a major pain in the ass....TRUST ME. But no pain, no gain right?

1) You are not expected to change yourself overnight. So try waking up just half an hour earlier every single day. Small steps.

2) Exercise. Not just the mind, actual PHYSICAL exercise. Hit the gym or go for a walk for atleast an hour during the day. Your body needs the workout so that you can be tired and just plonk to bed by latest 11:30 pm.

3) Don't eat a heavy dinner and preferably don't do extremely complex problems just before you hit the sack. Revise theorems or remember formulae or even read a passage or two, but dont do a problem that will keep you thinking about it. Concentrate on getting rest.

4) If you are the kinds that have the time and the liberty to nap during the day( Haven't done that in the last 8 years now! Hate my job already. Damn it!), try avoiding the nap. Instead read a book. Zone out.

5) Maintain a journal of your sleep, break and study timings. Record everything. This also helps in knowing your maximum productivity hours in the day.

But most important of all, 6-7 hours of sleep are a must. I would definitely like more, but I can get used to 6! He he. Its all just a matter of time management. Am into week 1 of phase shift and I haven't felt this sleepy in years! Unless of course, if you are a vampire, then well......this is all completely useless...but you would be THE coolest management consultant ever! ( Am gonna go die in a hole now for the bad joke.) Will post my journal times soon.

Happy studying! Kick some royal GMAT ass.

The Math monster strikes!

Since the day I made the decision of taking the GMAT, I had been dreading this task. But I had to do it, I had to look the Math monster in the eye and take charge! So I went all Leonidus in my first Math class ( in my head...totally in my head. The professor was not spat in the face with Sparrrtttaaaa or kicked in slow motion in reality. But it kinda looked awesome in my head. Kicking numbers and signs straight in the so-called-face. Totally bad ass.) And then it hit me. I have never felt more like a total retard, or wanted to know the reason of my sole existence. While I am trying to figure how long ago I actually used a quadratic equation to do anything, the 19 year old sitting next to me promptly solves it in like 10 seconds flat. SHOW OFF. 

So after much squinting and looking all blank at the blackboard for about an hour and thinking" I work in television! I DONT NEED TO KNOW THIS SHIT!", it actually started to make sense. Memories of sitting cramming for exams came crashing back into tiny tiny brain, I started to breathe easier and concentrate. Its not rocket science, its simple formulae and application. You'll get it, don't worry Radhika, I said to myself.

After 3 mad days, this is my plan for now. Subject to changes of course.

Step 1: Spend the first month learning the math concepts while doing about 10 problems in a day.

Step 2: Make Flashcards with the formulae and the tips associated with it.

Step 3: Atleast once a day, apply the formula at work for some problem. MAKE UP A MATH LIFE PROBLEM IF YOU HAVE TO.

Step 4: Spend at least 1.5 hours everyday on just learning and solving simple math problems from math league.com

Step 5: Apply concepts in class.

LEARN FIRST. APPLY NEXT. ACE LAST.

And if you out there are like me, and feel math is your worst enemy, just breathe. Work through it and make it your best friend. Maybe not best, lets start with a friend request. Ha ha!

Stock check and forums

After getting the Official GMAT 2012 Math & Verbal guide, I spent the last 2 days researching all the other prep material needed. Bro ( Awesome Rohit Sharma) and bhabhi ( awesomer Avital Arora ) suggest Manhattan GMAT prep as THE best prep material out there. So after 2 days of internet and justdial stalking, here's my first list.

Books:
Manhattan GMAT prep: Set of 8
- Number Properties
- Fraction, Decimals & Percents
- Word Translations
- Equations, Inequalities, VICs
- Geometry
- Critical Reasoning
- Reading Comprehension

Mumbai Bookseller:
Bookzone
172, D.N Road,
Fort Mumbai- 400001
India
02222054616
Full set cost : Rs 8,500 ( with discount)
I couldn't find a separate book for AWA, but there are enough forums and newsletters that you can get for practice. Its not graded yes, but now with Integrated Reasoning included in the Next Generation GMAT( starting June 2012), forum trolling is officially my favorite sport now.

Online prep material:
- Prep software form www.mba.com
- Study plan guides www.beatthegmat.com
- Math basics: www.mathleague.com
- Please do read the Next Generation GMAT page on mba.com. Super SUPER important.

Forum trolling:
www.mba.com
www.beatthegmat.com
www.gmatclub.com

Online scholarships:
Beatthegmat is offering an online scholarship of $12,000 worth of study material. Am applying now! Last date for application, 27th April 2012.

Am not gonna overload myself with too much prep material and stick with the Manhattan GMAT set. Only question is, wait for the beatthegmat scholarship results or buy Manhattan GMAT prep now? Pondering. Getting back to math now. Its time to solve quadratic equations. Math is fun! No seriously, it took me a while to get over my fear, but once you put your mind to it, its all about practice. LOTS AND LOTS of practice. Where's my Red Bull?

DAY 1: And so it begins!

Let me first start by saying, whoever discovered or came up with the concept of a "mid life crisis" should be given a nobel prize and be pissed upon at the same time. Yes, cause the feeling of not knowing "what the hell should i do now? Where is my life going? Where am I going? WHAAAA? " is something that should be celebrated shouldn't it? Na, am just kidding. The mid life crisis teaches you many great things. Which brings me to mine which I had last year, but since it went away...I thought...meh..whatever, am good. And then bam! This year, it all came crashing down. So after many, many, MANY hours of countless late night self help searching, its come to down this one test that might decide the rest of my life. THE ALMIGHTY GMAT. Being the internetie troll that I am, the first thing I looked up was a study plan. Other than the normal studying (insert stupid smart ass comment here) , all of the great gurus say only one thing: RECORD THE ENTIRE PROCESS. Instead of doing a series of webcam videos( which might go viral courtesy my hate for math!) am starting a blog to record my GMAT struggle, my attempt at taking a test, hell, I haven't studied in the last 8 years of my life! So if you are like me out there, maybe my trials and tribulations can help you out too. And please your suggestions are more than welcome!

So without further delay, lets meet the GMAT fellas! Got them on Monday. And since I am pretty much a self confessed RETARD at math, joined math classes too. Meet the fat ladies first!

GMAT D-Day: August 23

Target Score: 740

Target B Schools: Stanford, Wharton, MIT Sloan

B School or BUST!