Welcome! This blog is Retired. However, you may still enjoy some of the finer pages of vintage online ramblings out there! Inspired by the certainty of my headaches, "The Headache Diaries" may include my headache log, people, places, and things that I don't like, as well as people, places, and things that I do like. Blog officially retired 02.14.2021
:: Welcome to The Headache Diaries (Retired)
:: bloghome
| email
|
::
This past week I have been preparing to visit the school on St. Vincent. It's quite expensive, somewhere around $800 to go there. I am hoping I can stay with someone in the :dorm" but I guess I can't expect that. I will contact the school and see what they can do in terms of where I can stay. I am going to visit the school sometime after my GMAT.
Still no word from GEBE. What else is new? Oh right, the status of that Netter's book. I really REALLY hope it gets there. I really don't want to have to take a loss on such a stupid book. I haven't got a call back from the post office about the whereabouts of the book. I kind of don't expect to though. I can see something not going my way about this.
Anyway, the day is young and it is time to study some GMAT. I have to go through that Princeton book, then try some quizzes online at Kaplan. I am not sure if I will get around to the anything else today as I would like to finish the Princeton book. Oh yeah, I plan on going over all of my notes and making flash cards of the stuff I need to know cold. Like the combination/permutation formulas, areas, square roots of certain numbers, et cetera. I know I want to get a certain amount of things done in a day, but it doesn't happen. I just want to get through the book and maybe do a quiz and if I have time, go over the notes and do some flash cards. So we shall see what I actually get through.
Other than that, I have a month before my GMAT. Whoo hoo?
Just when I thought I had seen the last of that awful Netter's book... I find out that it wasn't delivered! What?! I would hate to have to refund a book that the post office lost! Well, I called the USPS and opened an investigation about the piece. I am hoping that it's just taking a long time and that it will arrive in a few days.
In other bad news, I am STILL fighting with GEBE about my deposit! I called every bank involved and I hopefully got the ball rolling. GEBE FINALLY contacted Windward bank as to the status of the transfer which every bank involved said it was returned to Windward and hopefully GEBE. UGHHH!!!! More rotten memories from St. Maarten! How I wish I never went!
Now that I have given myself a headache, I can't study much for GMAT. Maybe I will do sentence correction. Less stress.
So I completed some verbal and quantitative exercise on my Barron's GMAT CD. I think their questions are pretty similar to the GMAT stuff. Maybe I am saying that only because I did better on the Barron's stuff than I do the Kaplan stuff!
I haven't practiced the essay parts thoroughly. I kinda just write an outline and figure I will write a decent essay. When I start practicing that, I will post what write.
Well, it's time to start dinner. GMAT studies continue tomorrow!
Notice that I didn't put an exclamation point after month. Well, it's hard to get excited about another long test! I am kind of excited to take it because I have been wanting to take it for years, and now my time has come on the eve of the new GMAT. I scheduled my test at the end of May, right before the new GMAT debuts. I figure that I will have all the time in the world to study the new GMAT if I don't go to med school and I don't get into ASU. Of course, UA is pushing hard for students by offering all kinds of scholarships and money. So maybe I will send my scores there after all?
In any case, I am still trying to figure out how to raise my scores. I think I am scoring high enough to get into ASU, but I would prefer to be above that. Hopefully, having the test scheduled (and paid for, $250!!!) will help me study harder. Not too sure what studying harder will do, but at least I will be motivated.
Currently, I am reading the Princeton Review for GMAT. I am not sure I am understanding the point of the book. It seems more like tricks and tips. I think I will have to read it very carefully if I want to apply any of these methods. I am also practicing with Kaplan's book. I am working on the CATs they offer and I am not sure if the CATs really are computer adaptive. I mean, wouldn't each test just have a preset bank of questions? Hm. Well, I've got two more essays, four more quizzes, two CATs on the CD and one CAT online. I am saving the online test last. Then I will see about scheduling one of those free online tests they give. It may be the same, but at least it will be some practice. On the Princeton CD, I have two two CATs, two practice tests, and verbal and quantitative practice. I also have the two Quantitative review books from GMAT and some extra problems from the new review guide. I am hoping I will have enough practice! I only have a month, so I have to use these things wisely.
Now my head hurts from all the excitement. I think I will get something to eat then use some practice stuff I just mentioned. It's going to be a long day!
Today is the first 100 degree day in Phoenix. Yippee? Meh. Today I am going to do some quizzes for the GMAT on my Kaplan syllabus and see how I do. No one got back to me about the teaching job so I guess I will schedule my GMAT today or tomorrow.
You know what else sucks? I STILL haven't resolved my account with GEBE! These jerks claim that they never were told that the transfer wasn't any good. So they want ME to show THEM that I didn't get the money. Well basically, if you didn't initiate the transfer, you have no access to the notes that the banks write each other that it was rejected. I was on the phone for hours with each bank involved in the transfer (except Windward Bank) and they all told me that it was rejected and that I can't have access to the transcript and that the INITIATOR (GEBE and Windwards) has to do the trace. I tell them that that is my problem, they are lazy and don't care and don't want to do the trace. I told them to ask Windward for a trace TWICE. SO finally I wrote to them and said that I can't get the "proof" they are looking for and it's a matter of them simply calling Windward and doing a trace. DUH. Supposedly, they emailed someone at the bank so we will see. I was thinking that I would make a layover in SXM just to go to GEBE and chew them out. But meh. I think I will just do a layover in Barbados instead.
Yes, so I decided to take a look at Trinity SOM and see what it is all about. I am going to go after I take my GMAT. I guess that will be sometime in June. If that place doesn't look right, I won't go. I guess I will just continue with the DO thing, even though I don't have any DO letters. I am still deciding if I should start my applications in May. I think I will apply to Texas, but I am not sure about any other school. Maybe the one in Ohio? Maybe. I just don't want to spend tons of money on places I don't have a chance at. Or that are undesirable. I think I would just rather go forth with the MBA and think of something to do later.
Okay, well I guess it's time to get some quizzes going. Maybe an essay. Seems I am slipping with that.
Today I am going to do all the sentence correction questions. Well, most of them anyway. I went over the grammar rules and stuff yesterday. If found this website to help you practice some English. I would have never have known that this is an acceptable sentence: "The mural will have been being painted by the artist for over six months by the time it is finished." Ha What?
I haven't scheduled my GMAT yet because I am waiting for an answer back about a teaching job I applied to. Not sure if I will get it, but I guess I can give them to the end of the week. Then I guess I will schedule it. I want a job really bad, but I have to finish all my tests first unless I can squeeze in something like a substitute teacher. I am going to schedule the test for May 30, 31, or June 1. I will see what appointments are left in a week. It seems like they added some though. I could have sworn there were less appointments a week ago. Hmm.
I am also pondering what to do about medical school. No DOs got back to me! What BS. Still not sure if want to put all that effort into DO applications though. I think that having a Carib school transcript hurts my chances. They say it doesn't but I have a feeling it does because to them it looks like you put Carib school over DO school. I mean, I guess that is kind of true. So I am not sure if I want to spend another $1000 on applications to nowhere. Then go on interviews that go nowhere and spend another $1000 at least. And that is only if I am conservative in my applications. If I do the shotgun approach, I can easily spend $3000 on applications. I was thinking of applying to a few schools only. But we'll see. The applications open in May.
I was looking at another Caribbean school, Trinity on St. Vincent. Not sure if I would apply there yet, but it's an option. I am definitely going to visit first. No more surprise med school crap.
Well, the sun is up, so that means it's time to study!
I am looking for schools that I can send my scores to. This is what I've found so far:
W.P. Carey Online. ASU offers supply chain management online! How nice! A few years ago, it was only offered in the full-time MBA program. That was one reason I never did the MBA when I moved to Arizona. I wanted to do this program, but I couldn't leave my job. So NOW they have it online, geez. Anyway, ASU offers a few more things online now. Here is the list of core courses. What's great about an online program is that I can do the classes from home AND still work! Huzzah! The part-time evening and full time program offers Supply Chain Management, Health Sector Management, and Entrepreneurship, while the weekend program offers SCM. I guess depending how I score and what I do next will determine what program I will apply to.
NYU Stern Part-Time. This is obviously a reach school at this point. However, I think if I finished medical school, I'd be a better candidate. Not sure how I would tie in medicine and SCM, but I will send my scores here anyway, just in case. NYU Stern part-time also offers entrepreneurship, another field I am considering depending on how things go.
Zicklin, Baruch. I had wanted to swear off CUNY forever, but Baruch does offer very flexible classes. They offer Entrepreneurship, Idustrial/Organizational Psychology, and Operations Management, but no SCM. There is also a very interesting part-time Healthcare Administration MBA that is probably more what I am looking for if I go to medical school. I am not sure how I would work that in though. The scores expire in five years and so I would have to start this program during residency if I went to medical school. Of course, if I go to another Caribbean school, I may start in September so that I can do an MBA before my scores expire.
Quinnipiac University. Although it's a third tier school, it does offer SCM and Healthcare Management. It also offers an online Healthcare MBA. The benefits of this program is that there is no time limit for completion (for now) and no campus requirement.
Pepperdine (Graziadio). I can't say I am a fan of living in California, but I did pass the Malibu campus many years ago and it looked great. This school offers a full-time MBA and a part-time MBA. The full-time MBA offers a study abroad program and Entrepreneurship. The part-time MBA also offers Entrepreneurship and a study abroad program. The part-time study abroad program can be a week, a few weeks, or a whole trimester. That sounds neat!
Smeal at Penn State. Apparently, they have one of the best SCM MBA programs. They also offer Entrepreneurship. However, this is a full-time MBA. They do offer an online MBA, called the iMBA, but that looks like it is only a general MBA. Not sure I want to spend money on that.
Fordham University. This school offers a full-time MBA with Entrepreneurship. I don't think this will be a school I send my scores to, but I will still keep it in mind.
I think a problem can arise from there being more than one program at each school. You only get to report your GMAT to five schools, and I think that in the case of ASU for example, that would count as three if I sent my score to the full-time, evening, and professional programs. I guess I will have to ask, but I will assume this is the case. I will order it like this: ASU Evening, ASU Online, ASU Full Time, NYU Part-Time, Baruch Part-time. If I can't raise my GMAT scores much more, I will consider switching ASU Full Time or NYU Part Time with Quinnipiac Online.
So that was about five hours of work. Now I have to eat some food and study some GMAT stuff. Maybe I will figure out how to raise my score!
I took my first official GMAT test. Verdict: Average. Again.
Ugh! Average score = below average school! Okay, so now I know, I MUST go to medical school. These scores will not get me top honors anywhere. Well, I am still going to study for the GMAT, but I am definitely going to focus on applying to medical schools. I will try to find some schools that are within my range (pffffftttt!!!) and try not to freak out!
The Admissions Committee has reviewed your application for admission to Morehouse School of Medicine. We regret to inform you that we are unable to consider you further for admission to the 2012 Entering Class at the School of Medicine. In our screening process, each application is carefully reviewed and a decision is made as to whether the applicant should be invited for a personal interview. The School of Medicine receives nearly 4,500 applications annually and is limited to 64 students for the entering class. Morehouse School of Medicine is limited in its ability to interview the large number of qualified applicants who have applied. We appreciate your interest in our school, and wish you success in your professional goals. If you are in search of further advisement, you are encouraged to call the Office of Admission to schedule an appointment.
Well, just two more rejections to go!
Anyway, I have been studying for the GMAT. I think I will schedule my test soon. I have to take it! It's $250 though. I think that is more than the MCAT! I can't remember. Prices change so much from year to year, maybe the MCAT is $250 now? In any case, I think it's funny that I was planning on taking the GMAT about six years ago (my study books are from 2006 that I bought from Barnes and Noble) and going to a business school around NY. Once I got my CDL, my manager said that he wasn't going to reimburse me for it (over $2,000) unless I actually scored a position (he was lying, he had to reimburse me). So, well, Phoenix came up and I applied and I got it and the rest is history. I DID want to go to ASU for the MBA, but I didn't make that much money and I was too scared to quit my job. I guess it's good that I didn't because I like being married. My life is much better this way. I know I'm six years late, but when I die, no one will notice, ha ha! But it's not like I did nothing! I took the MCAT, applied to medical schools, took ochem, and actually went to medical school for a bit. Neat!
I am nervous about my GMAT. I don't think I will get above a 640. I should at least a 540, but I want higher. Well, if I wind up going to a different Caribbean school, then I guess it won't matter as much. However, if I only go to b-school, then it will matter! I will have to go to a no-name school.
So now that my study session is FINALLY over, I will look up some schools that I am interested in because when you take the exam, you get to send your scores to some schools. I will find schools and just send it and see what happens.
I've only raised my score about 30 points. NOT ENOUGH!!!! ARGH!!! Well, I didn't do the practice exam, just practice questions. I am still working on the last few data sufficiency questions. I don't think finishing is going to help! Well, before I start freaking out, I should probably take the full practice test first. That would probably give me a better idea.
So because I have been lazy, here is what I have to do: Finish the larger GMAT book. I have about one practice quiz left in it for the data sufficiency. When I complete that (hopefully in a couple of days), I want to quickly go over the verbal part and the essay part. From what I have done, I should do well on those sections. So my goal is to definitely take the real GMAT test #1 this weekend. Then I will worry from there. I have four CAT tests from Kaplan and two from Barron's. I also have the two quantitative books from GMAT and some other stuff I can work on. I am going to wait to schedule my test. Just in case I don't think my score will be worth anything (but I am certain I can get an average score), I won't take it. The problem is that I want to, just because I don't want to restudy the new test coming out in June. I WILL TAKE IT ARGHH!!
Anyway, I am going to have to step up my studying. I don't know how though because I always fall asleep during my study session! I even fell asleep during my practice CAT! What? I think I have a lot of work cut out for me and I only have a couple of months. Less actually! Oh boy.
Right now, I am going to make a plan. I just hope that I can not fall asleep during my schedule!!
Ugh! I get worse and worse as the questions get harder! I do worse on the hard data sufficiency questions than on the hard word problems. That isn't good!!!
I did take a peek at the new test. I definitely won't be taking that. The new section needs some time to get used to. If you check out the sample questions, you will see what I mean. The questions can be two part questions, and no, not the normal two part where it's one passage and two questions, I mean the answer is two parts. I liken it to the "match one side to the other" type "fun" games.
So I have to take the old GMAT. If I bomb, I will consider taking it again, but I will have to buy new books. Of course I can always go to a TTT school, ha ha! Not.
Today I don't feel so good. I feel like I am stuck or lost or both. I can't focus today either. I haven't studied yet for GMAT today. I should have done at least 40 questions by now. I did zero. I guess I will start in a bit. I am almost done with the data sufficiency section review. I may finish it today. If I do, I will attempt to take the real practice GMAT tomorrow or Sunday. Probably Sunday because I want to buy beads tomorrow. I guess I can do it after I buy the beads. Too much to think about!!
I STILL haven't got back my deposit from GEBE! I am so annoyed with them, what is their problem? How hard is it to punch in some numbers into a computer to do a transfer? ANYWAY, if anyone out there is going to live on St. Maarten for school, my landlord told me not to pay your bills for the last three months since they shut you off at three months. That way, you will pretty much use up your deposit instead of having to do what I am trying to do and be at their mercy and their mistakes (or is this on purpose?) Or you can move into the dorms your last semester and have them send you a check. GEBE claims they can't give you a check if you are going out of the country (kinda like they can't fund checks that will be cashed outside the country) so beware! And they won't give you cash or a check right there when you end your service. I don't get it, but that is what they told me.
I guess I will eat something and then go study. I have all day pretty much. All day to work out DS kinks. Wow, I can't wait.
I totally do not like that book. I don't think I like the drawing. I think I prefer real pictures. Well, good riddance!!
I finished up the word problems in GMAT book #1. I have about 200 questions to do in the... hmm I keep forgetting what it's called.... data sufficiency! Duh. Anyway, I have that section to do. Then maybe brush up on the vocab section and then take the real practice test #1. Then probably get upset because I didn't go over 650. Well, I don't think I will.
In any case, I found this website that shows you salary information on a lot of MBA schools. You can scroll to the bottom to find out about other states and the schools there. I was not surprised to see ASU do better than UA's MBA. The one at ASU seems like a much better program. Not sure I would go to either, but it's something to consider. Of course, if I try the med school thing again, my option will either be limited to online school or I'd have to wait until I graduate from somewhere.
Well, not much else to say! Got to get my study on.
Had a long-ish weekend and lots to think about! The first thing on my mind, as is everyday, is what to do next. Do I go DO? Do I try another Caribbean school? Too many things to decide.
Since last week, I have been calling DOs left and right trying to find one to shadow. No surprise here. They don't even answer the phone. All I get is an answering service or their nurse or medical assistant's voicemail. Huh? Then I actually got a call back from one (the assistant) who said that it's "not busy enough" for shadowing, and that it's just "a one doctor office." OOOOOKAY. Isn't that just right for shadowing? How ridiculous. I guess they forgot that they needed a letter to get into school when they were applying.
So for part of the day yesterday, I looked up and called more DOs unsuccessfully. So I opened up the new DO CIB and wrote down all the schools that don't require a DO letter: UMDNJ, OU-HCOM, NYCOM, UNECOM, UNTHSC, and Michigan. For me, Michigan is out because it is too expensive. UNECOM and NYCOM don't require DO letters, but they "strongly recommend" them. So I am not sure to apply to those. They may not even look at the application. I do like Maine though. I would like to apply to Texas, but they only take about 20 out of state people, so that doesn't look promising. Well, getting an MD didn't look promising either, and I applied anyway.
Then of course I get solicited by a new Caribbean school "just in the nickle time." I got an email from Trinity School Of Medicine. Now I know some of you out there are like, "WTF, didn't you just say you didn't want to go to Carib school?" Yes, I did say that. I also said that you should go and visit the school. So after looking at the curriculum, I think I would like to visit it and see what it is all about. It caught my attention because 1)Small classes 2)Has a hospital affiliation that you start working out of from the first semester 3)Cheaper than other Carib schools 4)Does anatomy over two semesters instead of cramming it all into one semester 5)Has a MUCH better list of anatomy books that I can actually work from (I checked them on Amazon). I think the way they lay it out is MUCH MUCH better than the "other" Carib schools. Take a look.
So now I am in a really interesting dilemma. Do I apply to these few DO schools? Do I just get the MBA and try for med school later? Do I do Carib school again? Do I just stop this nonsense and just go back to driving? Of course, TJ is not as thrilled for me to go back to Carib school. I told him "If you don't want me to go to Carib school, then say so." But he didn't say no. He just wants to go with me. Well, I guess he can, but then I will be about 40 years old when we would be ready to go.
Waiting for him to retire is not such a bad idea though. I thought about that when I was at AUC. I thought that I could get the MBA and/or work and pay off the house, etc., while he finishes at Fedex. It's only 7 or 8 more years. By that time, we would not have a mortgage and such, and he would be done, and we could go together. The problem is that is 7-8 years from now. I don't think I will be able to get a LOR, hahahaha! I mean come on. It was hard enough to get these LORs. I'm grateful that my math prof agreed. Without his letter, I wouldn't have been able to apply anywhere except like, one school I think. Wel, I don't know yet. Like I said, there is a lot to think about. The only thing I am sure of is sending in my official withdrawal for AUC. I have to remember to do that today.
Other than all of this "thinking" I am doing about what to do next, I am still chugging along on my GMAT stuff. As the math questions get harder, I get more wrong. I get about 62% right on the hard questions. If I only get 62% of the math questions right and get in the 80's on verbal (as Kaplan says), I'd only wind up with around a 560 or so. That's not very good! The problem is (according to Kaplan) that you want to get as many hard questions right because it's an adaptive test. If you get a lot of easy questions, then you are doing bad supposedly. Well, I have one more practice set to take in the straight up math stuff, then I start on the data sufficiency. I was going to do one of the real GMAT practice tests after data sufficiency but it's already April. I don't know how much longer I want to wait to see what I really don't do well in. But then again, I don't want to waste a test because there are only two free ones. I guess I could buy more like I did for the MCAT. I don't know. I think I am more comfortable working through the data sufficiency first, then taking the practice test.
Maybe today I will buy some eyeliner. I hate it when I have too many things to decide on. Bleh.
