[align=center]Actively Work to Eliminate Negative Self-Talk
In over a decade of coaching GMAT students, I’ve found that students who score well on the GMAT tend not to engage in negative self-talk such as:
“I’m bad at math and I can’t improve.”
“I’ll never be able to answer GMAT math problems quickly.”
“My GMAT Quant skills are atrocious.”
Instead, high-scoring students are rational, realistic, and optimistic about their current skills and the effort required to improve a Quant score. Their self-talk is positive, including:
“With hard work and time, I can improve my math skills to a high level.”
“I may not be fast at solving GMAT math problems right now, but I can get faster each day.“
“GMAT math is hard, but I’ve learned difficult subjects before.”
No one denies that GMAT math is hard. In fact, many top-scoring GMAT test-takers initially struggled with the Quant section. However, as the research discussed earlier indicates, when you are optimistic about learning, you are more likely to absorb information. In fact, studies show that positive self-talk improves performance on timed math problems and standardized tests.
Attitude also plays a large role in how effective your studying is. If you’re grumbling every time you study, you’re going to be unhappy and stressed. That stress harms your focus, and your study time becomes less productive.
Instead, before you study, engage in some positive, confidence-building self-talk. If you catch yourself engaging in negative self-talk, stop and put a more positive spin on your thoughts. Tell yourself that what you’re doing is actively improving your skills. Try, even, to view learning math as a fun challenge. You may be surprised at how much more readily concepts stick.
Warmest regards,
Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep
