{"id":6113,"date":"2015-06-10T09:18:28","date_gmt":"2015-06-10T16:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/?p=6113"},"modified":"2020-01-15T10:48:08","modified_gmt":"2020-01-15T18:48:08","slug":"student-post-how-i-tackled-the-gmat-with-a-full-time-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/student-post-how-i-tackled-the-gmat-with-a-full-time-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Post: How I Tackled the GMAT with a Full Time Job"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the next few weeks, we\u2019ll be hearing from Akhil, a former Magoosh student who will be pursuing his MBA at Hult in the fall. Akhil will be writing about his experience with the GMAT<\/a> and the MBA admissions process as an international student. You can learn more about him on his blog<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The GMAT takes the limelight when it comes to MBA applications. All prospective applicants shiver\u00a0when they hear those 4 letters and therefore forget to see the overall picture of the MBA\u00a0application.<\/p>\n

Yes, the GMAT is crucial but in my opinion, it isn\u2019t the most important criteria which MBA admission\u00a0teams consider. If you perform your research, you will notice that the majority of schools state that\u00a0your MBA application is assessed in its entirety–which means that your essays, CV, work experience\u00a0and references are equally as important as your GMAT score. Therefore why is there such a\u00a0love\/hate relationship between prospective MBA students and the GMAT? If you believe you have\u00a0the relevant leadership potential, experience and the determination to pursue your goals – which\u00a0should be reflected in your essays and your personal references \u2013 then why lose so much sleep over\u00a0the GMAT?<\/p>\n

You may have also noticed that despite the fact that average GMAT scores in the top business\u00a0schools are greater than 700, the range of GMAT scores that these business schools state in their\u00a0admissions requirements usually starts at 550. If you read official MBA\/GMAT articles or follow\u00a0threads on popular forums, you will hear stories of applicants who were accepted in one of the top 3\u00a0business schools with a GMAT score lower than 600 and the same is true at the other end of the\u00a0spectrum where applicants with 750+ GMAT scores were rejected. The point I\u2019m trying to make is\u00a0that the GMAT is important but it\u2019s not the Holy Grail!<\/p>\n

Find Your Rhythm<\/h2>\n

Tackling the GMAT requires time, focus and consistency. The majority of exam sitters will be juggling\u00a0many commitments such as work and family in addition to studying for the GMAT. It\u2019s very easy to\u00a0find excuses to not study. I remember when I first embarked on my studying routine I spoke to a\u00a0number of people who said that they had acquired all the studying resources but then gave up\u00a0within a few weeks due to having too many other commitments. I too felt that I had too much on my\u00a0plate with my full-time job and triathlon training where I was on course to represent Gibraltar at the\u00a0World Long Distance Triathlon Championships. Could I have delayed my GMAT test and applied for\u00a0an MBA the following year? Yes I could have but it would mean waiting another year to start my\u00a0MBA. So what did I do? I took it on the chin and continued studying for the GMAT. It was a long and\u00a0tough 6 months before I sat my GMAT as I would be up in the very early hours to study for a few\u00a0hours, before heading off to the swimming pool and finally heading off to the office for the day.\u00a0After work, the routine would repeat in reverse where I would either go for a run or cycle, and then\u00a0study to settle into the evening. My life had become a strict routine of eat, sleep, study, train, work,\u00a0repeat – but it was all worth it at the end!<\/p>\n

Apart from my own determination to get the GMAT out of the way, I had a lot of help from Magoosh\u00a0\u2013 by far the best online studying resource available!<\/p>\n

\"Figure1\"<\/p>\n

One Who Is Highly-Learned, Wise And Generous.<\/h2>\n

In Persian, \u201cmagush\u201d means exactly that, and the Magoosh team stick to their word! Magoosh offers\u00a0an amazing package of online video tutorials, a question bank and email support, all at a very\u00a0affordable price. All I needed was an internet connection and a computer, tablet or phone \u2013 so I had\u00a0no excuses to not find time to study!<\/p>\n

How does Magoosh differ from the rest of its competition? The answer lies in their video tutorials.\u00a0As an engineer, my gut instinct whenever I see a maths problem is to perform the calculation the\u00a0\u201clong way\u201d. By that I mean long division, long multiplication, and step by step calculations. I would\u00a0eventually get to the right answer but would spend more than 3 minutes on the question. As we all\u00a0know, the GMAT is a timed exam so you need to get a move on! The video tutorial below is a great\u00a0example of how Magoosh enabled me to learn shortcuts and get through the questions succinctly.<\/p>\n

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