Still Hope for Math Review

For years I have planned to go to graduate school...and I have always been quite familiar with the necessary steps toward that goal. The first, and perhaps most daunting of those steps is preparing for the entrance exam: I will eventually have to take the GMAT and/or the GRE (some programs accept one, some accept the other...and many MBAs are now accepting both). Right now, I am planning to take both exams. That may change as I decide which programs to apply to. Each school has different requirements...so choosing a few potential programs and taking the entrance exam are just the first of many challenging steps.

For now - I'm taking baby steps. The GMAT and the GRE are my only focus.

For months I have mastered the art of procrastination. I eventually bought a GMAT prep book but it sat on my desk (next to my French review book...) for months. Math has never been my friend - I honestly get anxiety just thinking about math. I had terrible teachers growing up and no one ever took the time to help me fully understand why math works the way it works. They would simply give me the rules and tell me to figure it out (there is a small chance that I was a poor student...but I digress...)

A few months ago, I stumbled upon Khan Academy. It's completely free and the founder and main teacher, Salman Khan,  does an extraordinary job of explaining the intuition behind mathematics. After watching a few videos I wanted to cry...yes, actually cry. I had all but given up hope on ever understanding math...but he explained it in a way that finally worked for me. I definitely had the "ah ha!" moment that everyone talks about.

During the past few weeks, I have spent countless hours watching his videos...and I will spend several more weeks reviewing the math section before I move on to the GMAT prep review section of the website.

It doesn't work instantly...it still takes dedication..and I sometimes get a bit frustrated, but Khan Academy has been really helpful. If for no other reason, I know that I can spend just 10 minutes watching one of his videos before I have to decide whether or not to spend another 10 minutes watching the next.

So go to his site. Play around. If you don't need to learn about math, you can learn about art history. Get to it!

I guess I should get back to studying....