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Need real help with relearning math to do the GMAT

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AussieinNY
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Need real help with relearning math to do the GMAT [#permalink] New post   15 May 2013, 08:44
Hi all,

I'm the polar opposite to 99% of you.

At 47 I'm at home with 2 small kids finishing my B.Sc Bus Admin, I've been in IT sales/management for 20+ years but with the recession no degree no job.

I'm looking to do a Distance/PT MBA in NY I'm not looking at 750 as I'm not going at HBS or Duke (Don't have that kind of money and at my age I do not see the value in it) My current GPA is 3.4

Go the OG13 yesterday and thought holy moley I know no math to do this, the rest after glancing through doesnt look "as" hard.

Im planning to get the Manhattan books after I have my Capstone course finished.

I plan to spend 3 months 5 days a week (weekends maybe depends on what my kids decide) preparing for the test

My question is HOW am I going to relearn Algebra, geometry and "basic arithmetic" as they say in the OG.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, I havent done that kind of stuff for close to 30 years, statistics Ive done during my BSc so Im cool with that.

Web sites/books etc any clues to help me would be great.

Great site and love the interaction, Im glad I joined

Regards

Darren
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Re: Need real help with relearning math to do the GMAT [#permalink] New post   16 May 2013, 23:03
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Hello and salute your effort to go back to school at 47! (right, not 37?... well, even 37 is going to be amazing). I am going to assume you are aiming for the EMBA or PTMBA? I can see a lot of schools looking at age in the full time programs... unfortunately.

It is going to be tough to get those brain cells to click at the speeds they used to back at 25.

Anyway, the best approach is probably to get the MGMAT Math Foundations book and start with as basic quant as possible (multiplication, division, etc) and spend as much time in one day as you can on it (up to 3 hours that is). I would also pick some good time when you are not distracted by kids/spouse/TV/etc, preferably early in the morning or whenever you can focus and provide all of your attention (turn off FB)

Also, get the MGMAT roadmap - it is a great book filled with quite a bit of valuable study advice and approaches, strategies that have worked for other test takers... it is not a text book per se.

Good Luck!
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Re: Need real help with relearning math to do the GMAT [#permalink] New post   16 May 2013, 23:21
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Hi AussieinNY, I agree with the strategies outlined by BB, but I wanted to remind you that you can study like anyone else: Using a book and doing practice questions. Knowing algebra and geometry still only helps you insofar as the GMAT tests them, so you don't even have to be as proficient in these subjects as you were when you were in high school. A lot of the math is actually elementary school level (like the multiplication table or inequalities), just dressed up to be confusing and mislead you.

I don't see much of a difference between students who've been out of high school for 5 years or those who have been out 15 years, so I'd surmise that 25 or even 30 years out of high school would be roughly similar. If I don't use my password for 6 months, I forget it. I don't forget it any more or less if 20 years go by instead of 6 months, so I think you're probably in a very similar situation to a lot of people on this forum,

If that's the case, that means you can follow most of the general advice given out here and learn from some of the many success stories that get published. Believe in yourself, 27, 37 and 47 are all pretty much the same when it comes to knowing the material, the difference is what you put into your prep. You seem determined and focused, so I think you'll be just fine.

Please feel free to keep us posted as to how things are going if you can.

Hope this helps!
-Ron
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AussieinNY
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Re: Need real help with relearning math to do the GMAT [#permalink] New post   17 May 2013, 07:10
No 47 haha, dont feel a day over 22.
At this stage in my career it would be pointless to try for a top tier full time school and to spend the money (I cant with 2 small kids at home and the wife brings home the bacon as such)

With the MBA I'm hoping for a a hop or two up the ladder to senior management in IT (Director of Sales, CXO) I have 2 patents as well I was also looking to develop into J/Vs so either or, the MBA will be of value to me

The OG scared me with the "How do I relearn algebra and geometry etc" and BB and Ron's suggestion of getting remedial math books (high school math books?)(I was planning on getting the Manhattan series after reading BB's reviews of them even before I get the OG) was the kind of advice I was looking for.

With my 2 kids they will be in school so I will have 3 days a week where I have 3 hrs a day of uninterrupted study time and the other 2 weekdays I can still get at least 1-2 hrs. Each week I could get at the least 15hrs of serious study time. I dont waste time on FB as I found it is just that a waste of time, like tweeting every 30 seconds about how Im feeling. Both are useful social media tools with specific uses but I dont have time to waste on being on it 24/7.

So my plan was 3 mths of study starting Sept 1 (graduate from my BSc Bus Admin Aug 30) take the GMAT Dec and be ready for Jan semester, as I said Im not going to Columbia or HBS but the better you do on the GMAT will also be something that can be used effectively in your resume, as a standardized test it shows flexible thinking and outside the box problem resolution.

Thanks again
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Re: Need real help with relearning math to do the GMAT [#permalink]
17 May 2013, 07:10

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