I Was Terrible At Math...
In this personal monologue, the speaker recounts a lifelong belief that they were "bad at math," which began after a negative experience in precalculus. In their early twenties they deliberately stopped relying on calculators, practicing mental calculations and checking results afterward. They escalated this practice by solving problems publicly, receiving surprise compliments that challenged their self‑image. Motivated to prove themselves, they embarked on an intensive GMAT preparation regimen, tackling the equivalent of 16 phone‑book‑length problem sets for four hours a day over four to five months. The effort culminated in a GMAT score exceeding Harvard Business School’s median, reinforcing the speaker’s conviction that mathematical ability is a skill that can be learned through deliberate practice and a growth mindset.
