Entrepreneurs and GMAT test takers: You Can’t Cram For Success
I launched DiversityMBAPrep.com in September and it’s been a pretty “good” ride so far. Talk to any entrepreneur and they will use non-descript words to share how business is going. “Good”, “it’s going”, “things are really starting to move”. The true translation goes something like this: (a) this building-a-business thing is harder than I thought it would be, (b) I second guess why I did this and if I should keep going daily, but (c) strangely I have this very little, miniscule feeling in my gut that I can actually make it happen. Entrepreneurship is so damn bizarre.
In fact, the process of starting a business is not unlike studying for the GMAT. Think about it. When you thought about taking the GMAT, you’re first instinct was “it won’t be that bad” – maybe you did pretty well on tests before or you figure that now you’ve been so successful at work, that strong work ethic should translate to your GMAT preparation. But once you took that first practice test, you realized that preparing for the test just might be harder than you initially thought it would be. Plus now you are working full-time and have other obligations, so you are wondering if now really is the right time to study for the GMAT. Will you really be able to get your best score? But then there is this small sliver of hope that you can be successful…maybe it is your inner belief in yourself or it could be your critical eye of others. You know the inner critic that keeps telling you that if she can do it, then you can definitely do it (hey – whatever works!)
Studying for the GMAT is like building a business in one other way. It requires an extremely high level of consistency. This is a trait that most of us want to believe that we possess, but that can often come up missing on the down days. With my business, if I don’t make things happen, then nothing is happening with my business. If I don’t blog, update the site or contact potential partners, I just have a pretty webpage and no business. If you don’t read, study, or do practice questions, you just have a bunch of really big GMAT books collecting dust on your coffee table and no chance of getting the GMAT score that you want. Success takes time and consistent effort.
The GMAT is not a memorization test, i.e., an exam in which you can commit concepts and formulas to memory and score well. The GMAT is a standardized test that measures your ability to apply a relatively small number of concepts and formulas, so cramming for the GMAT won’t help you. Ultimately, the way to achieve your best GMAT score is to first understand the material and concepts and second learn how to apply that information to the various problems and questions that you will be presented with on the test. Your first assignment in achieving your best GMAT score is to determine how you will consistently study for the exam. Look at your calendar – what needs to get moved, postponed or flat out cancelled? Consider your study motivators – where will you study to get the best results? Maybe you have to make appointments to study at the library daily because studying in your apartment is hit-or-miss. Or maybe you need to enlist your mom to ask you about how GMAT prep is going (that would be motivation enough for me just to tell her I got it done). Don’t just hope for a smooth GMAT preparation journey, plan for it by identifying the ways in which you can consistently prepare for the GMAT.
