Source- this is the cover of my favorite book at the moment.This week, I have begun my study prep to take the GRE on April 28th. I have purchased all of the necessary study guides and downloaded the practice test programs from ETS. I've even set up study schedule for myself gauging approximately how many hours per day I will need to study to get the score that I want.
Standardized, scantrony tests have never been my strongest area. I am one of those weirdos who would rather write a short essay than try to ace the fill in the blank questions. Luckily, the GRE does include essay-style questions. However, it also includes some "sentence completion" questions as well. But,I'm not scared of the verbal section, the math is really what makes me worried.
I graduated college in 2005. I completed my math requirements my freshman year, with the exception of a finance and accounting classes for my business minor. This means I have had NO algebra or arithmetic instruction since 2002. Yikes! I now am trying to dig all of that high school algebra (and back even further, we're talking division of fractions) out of my brain and pretend like I remember this stuff. In actuality, the concepts are simple, it's just remembering all of the little rules that helped me through the first time that's the challenge.
Sadly, I am not mathematically inclined. I spent long hours in the Math tutoring center in college getting help from a gifted Indian girl named Krishna. She was able to teach me a lot, but I would liken it to beating a sharp, square peg into a tiny, round hole. Painful!
My lack of math skills is not due to genetics. My father is an engineer and possesses a brilliant, scientific and logical mind. Mathematics makes sense to him and I remember him telling me as a very little girl that understanding Calculus can help you understand the world more clearly. For him, the concepts of Math are the building blocks on which the world is understood. We spent many nights at the kitchen table with me crying out of frustration and him unable to simplify a concept further to teach it to me.
Thus, to say that learning math has always been difficult to me is sort of an understatement. I am attempting, once again to fill my mind with these concepts, rules, shortcuts, rhymes, limericks - anything to help me through. And speaking of studying, it is now time (according to my schedule) to work on my antonyms and (gag) a little algebra.
Wish me luck, please! And for anyone out there who has been through this whole Grad School admissions process and wants to shed a little light on the experience, please leave a comment!
Thanks and I'm off....
Good luck! It seems like you have a good plan set up, that should help a lot! I'm still working on my Bachelors, and I dread the day I have to go through this!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am trying to be prepared for all of this. It's exciting because I am kind of at a dead end in my current career, but a little overwhelming too. Much the same as I felt when I graduated from undergrad - ready to leave school, but a little terrified of what comes next. But it all works out!
ReplyDeleteWhat is Krishna up to these days? Perhaps she's available to help?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Krisha is long gone from my life and several states away, if not farther. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteGood Luck Em! When I was studying for the GRE, I was surprised to find the math part WAY more fun. The words are all memorization, and the math was something that you could figure out. Even as a lit major (with my last math class tought by Mrs. Brewer in 1999) I enjoyed it. Also, since it's multiple choice, you don't have to work out the whole problem, just get an idea of the answer.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that helped a lot was learning latin roots and prefixes for the word part.
I too enjoyed the GRE, but I am one of those math people. The verbal scared me more, but even so, not that much. You'll do fine! All of these standardized tests are about preparation and practice and it sounds like you have that down!
ReplyDeleteBesides, if you don't get admitted, I think you should become a writer; I enjoy your blogging style.