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GMAT Study Tip: Do the “Write” Thing

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GMAT Study Tip: Do the "Write" Thing

I take notes.  I write things down.  Those statements may sound less than novel, but more and more such actions seem to be just that.  In the classes I teach, both for Kaplan and at DePaul, it is the rare student I observe actually taking notes and it is the rare student who clamors for pen and paper to assist in communication during group work or to record the communication that takes place.  Instead, most learners and communicators either do not use a pen and paper at all or they have developed the lesser habit of using a computer to capture important information. However, I've got a GMAT study tip that will change your approach.

In a FastCompany article I came across the other day, it looks like some there's data offering a few more bones on the pile advocating for taking the ol’ reliable route of writing things down.  The article mentions a couple other studies that say about the same thing.  For me, this is all music because I find it so personally useful and anecdotally true.

Whether you study for the GMAT in a formal class setting, with a group of peers you put together, or even individually, don’t just listen, talk, and read! Try these strategies for improved learning:

  • Supplement and augment your learning with thorough note taking. 
  • Write things down you don’t think you need to write down. 
  • Rewrite important concepts that you’ve got to get drilled in. 
  • Write out all your work, step-by-step, just like your middle school math teacher demanded.

Simply going through the motions (literally) of scratching out inked lines on pressed pulp engages your brain in unique ways.  You will learn more, quicker and deeper, than if you just read and/or heard GMAT content and concepts.  Then, after you get back to school, make the most out of your time there by continuing those antiquated habits in your classes.  Plus, who doesn’t have an opinion on their favorite kind of pen?  Don’t you want your old friend back?  Don’t you want the finger calluses you had in high school?  Can you even remember the last time you had a hand cramp?

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