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Too often, test-takers fail to reach their full potential on the GMAT because they give up too soon in the study process. GMAT preparation is a game of perseverance. When you continue studying hard and smart while your peers begin throwing in the towel, you position yourself to earn a much higher GMAT score than they’ll earn.
In fact, in almost 20 years of teaching the GMAT, I have seen perseverance become the number one predictor of which students succeed at overcoming setbacks and earning top scores on the GMAT and which students settle for scores far lower than what they had the potential to earn.
To help you avoid that mistake, in this article, I’ll discuss the important quality of grit in GMAT preparation. As you read, you’ll learn what grit is, what research into this key quality has shown that will be valuable for your exam preparation, and more.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- What Exactly Is “Grit”?
- What the Research Shows
- How Grit Helps You Achieve Your GMAT Goals
- Key Takeaways
- What’s Next?
Let’s begin by defining “grit.”
What Exactly Is “Grit”?
Simply, grit is the motivation to stick to your long-term goals no matter what. It is viewing success as a marathon, not a sprint. This concept is important to integrate into your GMAT study strategies. As you may know, the road to a high GMAT score can be long and winding. So, you can’t rely solely on study habits, test-taking strategies, or simply “being smart” to carry you to the finish. In fact, even the smartest of us may be unwilling to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and try again when we don’t perform as well as we think we should.
However, grit is more than just a feel-good concept. As it turns out, there is extensive research on the relationship between perseverance and success.
KEY FACT:
There is extensive research on the relationship between perseverance and success.
What the Research Shows
Somewhat famously (her TED Talk has 14 million views on YouTube and nearly 33 million on ted.com), math teacher turned psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth studied public school students, teachers, salespeople, cadets at West Point Military Academy, and National Spelling Bee contestants to find the common predictors of success among them.
Surprisingly, the one characteristic that the most successful people in all of these different groups shared wasn’t IQ. It was grit.
In addition, Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck had a similar observation. She studied thousands of students to determine what tendencies led some to achieve higher grades. In doing so, she discovered that the key to their achievement was what she called a “growth mindset.”
While some students found learning-related setbacks discouraging, and thus avoided further challenges, students with a growth mindset bounced back from setbacks and welcomed challenges as opportunities. The result? Unsurprisingly, the first group plateaued, continuing to perform poorly. Conversely, the second group was able to persevere through rough patches and ultimately improve their performance.
KEY FACT:
Studies show that the ability to persevere through challenges and setbacks is a common predictor of success.
How Grit Helps You Achieve Your GMAT Goals
As you can see, grit is incredibly valuable for anyone preparing for the GMAT but especially for test-takers who worry that their grasp of GMAT concepts isn’t up to par. For example, maybe your Quantitative Reasoning skills have gotten rusty. Or perhaps Verbal Reasoning has always been an area where you’ve felt weak. Whatever the reason for your lack of confidence, the key is to keep going. Instead of viewing your setbacks as walls, view them as stepping stones.
The truth is, anyone can learn GMAT concepts provided they work hard enough and long enough. As a GMAT teacher, I’ve seen it firsthand time and time again.
So, if you’re having issues staying motivated in your GMAT preparation or reaching your long-term goals, consider whether a mindset shift is in order. Check out Angela Duckworth’s TED Talk linked above. Read up on Carol Dweck’s research.
Then, keep going!!
View your setbacks as stepping stones rather than as walls.
Key Takeaways
- Grit is the motivation to stick to your long-term goals no matter what.
- There is extensive research on the relationship between perseverance and success.
- Studies show that grit and a growth mindset are common predictors of success among students and various other groups.
- The key to mastering GMAT concepts is to keep going.
- Anyone can learn GMAT concepts provided they work hard enough and long enough.
- View your setbacks as stepping stones rather than as walls.
What’s Next?
If you’re having trouble overcoming setbacks during the GMAT prep process, you may want to apply these 8 simple techniques to manage stress.
Looking to get more out of your exam preparation? Learn how to apply active learning to achieve academic success.
And, if you need a trusted expert in your corner to help you reach your GMAT goals, consider scheduling a free call with a TTP tutor to see whether private online tutoring might be right for you.
