GMAT Tip of the Week How to Avoid GMAT (and Pokemon Go) Traps

In seemingly the most important development in world history since humans learned to create fire, Pokemon Go has arrived and is taking the world by storm. Rivaling Twitter and Facebook for mobile phone attention and battling the omnipresent selfie as a means of death-by-mobile-phone, Pokemon Go is everywhere you want to be†¦and often in places you don’t. And that is why Pokemon Go is responsible for an ever-important GMAT lesson. Perhaps most newsworthy about Pokemon Go these days is the dangerous and improper places that it has led its avid users. On the improper side,   such solemn and dignified places as the national Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery have had to actively prohibit gamers from descending upon mourners/commemorators while playing the game. And as for danger, there have been several instances of thieves luring gamers into traps and therefore robbing them of valuable (if you’re playing the game, you definitely have a smartphone) items. And the GMAT can and will do the same thing. How? If you’re reading this on our GMAT blog, you’ve undoubtedly already learned that, on Data Sufficiency problems, you cannot assume that a variable is positive, or that it is an integer. But think about what makes Pokemon Go users so vulnerable to being lured into a robbery or to losing track of basic human decency. They’re so invested in the game that they lose track of the situations they’re being lured into. Similarly, the most dangerous GMAT traps are those for which you should absolutely know better, but the testmaker has gotten your mind so invested in another â€Å"game† that you lose track of something basic. Consider the example: If y is an odd integer and the product of x and y equals 222, what is the value of x?   (1) x is a prime number (2) y is a 3 digit number Statement 1 is clearly sufficient. Since y is odd, and an integer, and the product of integers x and y is an even integer, that means that x must be even. And since x also has to be prime (which is how you know it’s an integer, too), the only even prime is 2, making x = 2. From there your mind is fixated on the game. You can quickly see that in that case y = 111 and x = 2. Which you then have to forget about as you attack Statement 2. But here’s the reason that less than 25% of users in the Veritas Prep Question Bank get this right, while nearly half incorrectly choose D. Statement 1 has gotten your mind fixated on the even/odd/prime game, meaning that you may only be thinking about integers (and positive integers at that) at this point. That y is a 3-digit number DOES NOT mean that it has to be 111. It could be -111 (making x = -2) or 333 (making x = 2/3). So only Statement 1 alone is sufficient, but the larger lesson is more important. Just like Pokemon Go has the potential to pollute your mind and have you see the real world through its â€Å"enhanced reality† lens, so does a statement that satisfies your intellect (â€Å"Ah, 2 is the only even prime number!†) give you just enough tunnel vision that you make poor decisions and fall for traps. The secret here is that almost no one scoring above a 500 carries over all of Statement 1 (â€Å"Oh, well I already know that x = 2!†) a total rookie mistake. It’s that Statement 1 got you fixated on definitions of types of integers (prime, even, odd) and therefore got your mind looking through the â€Å"enhanced reality† of integers-only. The lesson? Much like Pokemon Go, the GMAT has tools to get you so invested in a particular facet of a game that you lose your universal awareness of your surroundings. Know that going in that you have to consciously step back from that enhanced reality you’ve gained after Statement 1 and look at the whole picture. So take a lesson from Pokemon Go and know when to stop and step back. Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And as always, be sure to follow us on  Facebook, YouTube,  Google+  and Twitter! By Brian Galvin.

Psychology of Human Behavior - 800 Words

Psychology of Human Behavior ROUGH DRAFT Everybody responds and behaves differently to events based on their own personalities. Some people are morning people, god knows why, but they are. Whereas other people like to stay up later because they get more done at night. That behavior is one that is programed to you from birth. If you don’t like mornings, you cannot make yourself like mornings, it’s not going to happen. But other behaviors are learned, based on our upbringing and environment. Our personalities and attitudes and behaviors are built from everything around us along with the things set in us from the day we’re born. But what is it really that drives us, that motivates us? Since the beginning of time, people have always been†¦show more content†¦As we grow up and develop in whatever world we live in, we soak in the attitudes of our environment and start to reflect them in our own personal attitudes. We may often act like we agree with what we believe to be our social expectations, because we don’t want to disappoint people who expect us to meet particular requirements. This can cause an imbalance which can make our behavior become illogical because a lot of the times we play the role we feel were cast, even if it conflicts with our personal beliefs. Our behaviors of course are controlled greatly by our emotions. Many parts of emotion are unconscious to us. But even simpler emotional feelings seem to be much more complicated than feelings like hunger and thirst. Emotions are feelings that are personal and subjective, no two people will feel exactly the same was about something. Yes, many people can feel sad about a death or excited about a wedding, and yes those feelings they share are similar, but they are not exactly identical. Little bits of the complex emotions are different between people because of experiences, relationships, attitudes, or beliefs. Throughout our daily lives, we react thousands of different ways to thousands of different things; the majority of them are subconscious. Like the accidental gestures we make all the time. Like scratching your head to help an itch. That gesture isn’t trying to convey aShow MoreRelatedThe Psychology Of Human Behavior2898 Words   |  12 Pages Psychology, the study of human behavior, encompasses numerous realms and topics. From human development to drug abuse, psychologists strive to understand behavior and apply their findings. One such area that begets curiosity and research is the cognitive process that is memory. Memory is one of the most precious and crucial components of a person. Experiences shape a personality and create a person. Memories in the form of a witness’s testimony have the power to jail someone for life. 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Contribution Of An Ethnographic Research On Friendship

Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the contribution of an ethnographic approach to research on friendship. I will be looking at, and including evidence to support both sides of the argument as to whether or not this research method is in fact useful when it comes to gaining knowledge about friendship. As well as evaluating this method, I will compare it against others to reflect on the strengths, weaknesses and the typical data collected. I will look at some of the questions about friendship that have been addressed, and then whether this is the best method or if there are others that could have been more suitable. Ethnography is a qualitative method of research in which the researcher takes part in the activities of a group such that they are able to complete their observations over a period of time in a natural, real-life environment. When it comes to investigating friendship, one question that has been raised is ‘what is the role of friendship in the life of a 13 year old?’’. Several sources of data include ethnographic notes taken whilst spending time with a group of friends during school lunch breaks and diary/blog entries etc. Firstly, in this case the researcher would need to carefully consider the strengths and weaknesses of each type of data, for example, when looking at a blog the information/data available is likely to be information that the author wants to share with a wider audience whereas a diary entry is more private. In this case, both documentsShow MoreRelatedFriendships1385 Words   |  6 PagesBigelow and La Gaipa (1975) observed children’s friendships by asking a number of children to write an essay about their best friend using the approach called â€Å"content analysis†. 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The Upsides by The Wonder Years free essay sample

You probably haven’t heard of The Wonder Years, and until a few weeks ago, neither had I. The Wonder Years are a six piece pop punk band out of Philadelphia, and while they’ve yet to actually hit the mainstream, I was blown away by their second record, The Upsides. Frontman Dan â€Å"Soupy† Campbell takes listeners on a fast paced, up beat day in his life, and he holds nothing back. By the time the twelve track, forty minute record is over, you’ll find yourself itching to give it another spin. The album opener, My Last Semester, opens with Soupy reciting the band’s current mantra – â€Å"I’m not sad anymore†. The punk-infused lyrics tell the story of making a largely unpopular change in one’s life – dropping out of school and running away from the juvenile melodrama and mainstream lifestyle. With humorously specific lines addressing everything from â€Å"mall rat goth [kids]† to â€Å"fake tan girls†, Soupy picks apart every school clique before declaring in a high energy chorus that he simply doesn’t fit in with anyone but his closest friends. The second track, Logan Circle, is simply a stand out track and an excellent example of The Wonder Year’s versatility. The next step on Soupy’s search for happiness depicts an epiphany that allowed him to escape the clutches of crippling depression, and looking back on various eccentric interests and anecdotes that kept him going during the hard times. â€Å"We just cant blame the seasons/The Blue Man Group wont cure depression†, the lyrics manage to be personal and endearing and the song’s pop influence is absolutely infectious.The optimistic chorus notably includes a callback to My Last Semester, another declaration that â€Å"I’m not even sad anymore†. The next song, Everything I Own Fits in this Backpack fits perfectly as a follow up to Logan Circle. Now that Soupy has decided that he won’t let depression take him hostage, the next logical step is to start making some life changes. The heavy hitting guitar riffs keep the song chugging along as Soupy compares and contrasts his new home and his previous home, with a catchy chorus that once again calls back My Last Semester, decidedly not fitting in anywhere. Soupy bemuses that touring with The Wonder Years is just another form of running away, but that it’s all he has. Dynamite Shovel is a fast hitting, angry one minute punk song that is reminiscent of the band’s debut record. The signature humor shines through once more, and the lyrics name drop the Westboro Baptist Church and subsequently curses them out. There’s not much to say about the track, but it perfectly expresses the standard teenage mindset- angry at the world, with any acceptable target finding its way to get under the skin. In the fifth song on the record, New Years with Carl Weathers, The Wonder Years take the listener on the road with them, and as it turns out, touring life isn’t nearly as glamorous as you would think. Vans breaking down, sexting, Nyquil and pizza are all in a day’s work for punk rockers, and the down to earth lyrics continue Soupy’s signature style of sharing personal stories and calling out friends by name. The hard hitting drums and catchy guitar riffs once again take center stage, dropping out occasionally at the perfect moments. The optimistic chorus expresses a fervor of excitement shared by the bandmates, contrasting with their desire to return home. It’s Never Sunny in Philadelphia follows and the guitar and drums take a more standard punk rock approach, and Campbell details his struggle with depression in the album’s darkest song. â€Å"Most days are bad days/ We can’t just wait for someone to pull me off of the concrete† croons the morbidly upbeat chorus. The song is one of the record’s strongest, despite depicting the band’s frontman at his personal weakest. â€Å"I can’t be left alone now/ For even a second† Soupy cries, drawing the reader into his personal struggles. The song closes strongly, with the two alternating refrains competing with each other for dominance. The Wonder Years’ tales of tour continue with Hostels Brothels, a globe trotting punk rock song that name checks European locations from Leeds, Glasgow, and â€Å"Grey† Britain. The frontman shares an inspiring conversation with his father, and despite initial misgivings, he eventually concedes â€Å"Things got a bit lighter/I guess my dad was right†. The guitar and drums once again keep the song going, taking advantage of the song’s three minute length to stick to the pop punk playbook. The gang vocals chorus works much to the band’s advantage, with ringing guitars and timely drum fills. Next up is Melrose Diner, the closest thing to a hit single. The catchy anti-love song takes shots at former romantic interests, and the humorous music video fits the band’s image perfectly—Soupy is an underdog, an everyman, a relatable cynic. The memorable lead riff keeps the song on the listener’s mind, and the drums hit harder than most of the album’s tracks. The chorus shines as one of the album’s simplest, yet most radio friendly; â€Å"I guess I’m just down, I guess I’ll be honest/I could use you around, I can’t stand the dork that you’re hanging with now†. Continuing the same train of thought that delivered Melrose Diner, the next track is an anti-party song aptly titled This Party Sucks. Soupy holds nothing back in his lyrical assault on the Jersey Shore environment and the so called â€Å"GTL† lifestyle. The guitars range from heavy verse riffs to melodic solos and the drums hit just as heavy. â€Å"Say, say you’ll stay in with me tonight† asks the chorus, and Soupy makes it clear that a night in with the television is what he considers his scene. The song is more than complaining, with a humorous verse dedicated to Rupert Holmes and the Pina Colada jingle. Hey Thanks is a surprisingly different track. The majority of the track is simply Campbell’s vocals accompanied by a catchy ukulele rhythm, and the heartfelt ballad is not without some of The Wonder Years’ classic self depreciation. Guest vocals from singer Rachel Minton and the trombone styling of Matt Belanger supply additional depth to the song, which closes with steady drums and electric guitar. Washington Square Park, the penultimate track, is another song that was deemed worthy of being a single. â€Å"I’m looking for the upsides to these panic attack nights,† Soupy sings as casually references the record’s title. Matt Brasch and Casey Caveliere’s dual guitars provide the main attraction on this song, while Soupy’s lyrics draw thematically from the other songs on the album, with an angrily optimistic chorus. In the song’s closing minute, the band reinforces their message – sometimes growing up means you have to grin and bear it. The final song, All My Friends are in Bar Bands is a look back on the band’s childhood years, calling to mind The Offspring’s â€Å"The Kids are Alright†. Rhythmic drums courtesy of Michael Kennedy keep the song steady, and the angry vocals from Washington Square Park make a triumphant return. Fans of Fall Out Boy’s â€Å"What a Catch, Donnie† will be pleasantly surprised when a flurry of guest vocalists make appearances in the closing minutes to once again remind the listener of the band’s mantra – â€Å"I’m not sad anymore, I’m just tired of this place/If this year would just end, I think we’d all be okay†. The Upsides wasn’t intended to be a concept album, but it manages to be one all the same. The album is a whirlwind of emotional ups and downs, and the album is simply down to earth and relatable. The guitars are catchy and the drums are rocking, achieving everything one would expect out of a pop punk band. The Wonder Years have found their niche, and it seems things can only go up from here. SCORE: 9/10 BEST TRACKS: Logan Circle, It’s Never Sunny in South Philadelphia, My Last Semester PARTING WORDS: The Wonder Year’s sophomoric humor, while present, takes a backseat to intimately personal accounts of post-depression struggle and relearning how to live. Campbell’s vocals and lyrics truly shine, and the record stands out as 2010’s greatest pop-punk release.