How best to tackle Probablity and Combinatorics?

[ogbeni]

Ok folks, I'm prepping to take this exam but the Math topics that continually give me uppercuts are Probability and Combinatorics. I've reached the point now where my strategy is just to guess as soon as I see probability/combinatorics problem and move on.


These topics have dazed me since high school. How do you folks who just 'get it', get it. How do you know how to break a problem down and apply the formulas? It seems that most other math topics can be followed from concept to actual problem but with probability and combinatorics the story is different. I follow the foundations but when it comes time to tackle a problem I'm like a deer facing headlights. Do probability and combinatorics require some kind of Jedi Knight Mindset to comprehend? How can I get the "Force" to be with me so that I too, may become a Probability/Combinatorics Jedi Knight

Please let me know of any texts that may be of good help. I need to slay this Probability and Combinatorics Dragon once and for all!!!

I need the FORCE! HA HA HA

[saunders1]

i found the mgmat book on word translations to be quite helpful for probability combination problems. this may not be of much help but in the mgmat class those are the problems where you are best served using your "best guess"