GRE -- Stella and others

[spotty_dog]

Stella, did you ever schedule to take the GRE? Anybody else out there taken it recently?

I'm thinking about taking it Thursday. I'll be 39 weeks pregnant, making it my last chance to take it before the baby comes (if it even holds out that long -- I'm expecting to go late, but you can never be sure with these things). I'm about to take my first practice test any minute, and I'm nervous...especially since I recently heard of a study showing that you're less capable of retaining information and get worse test scores when pregnant...

[Momo]

Good luck !

I recently heard of a study showing that you're less capable of retaining information and get worse test scores when pregnant...

ummm yes that sounds about right! But the way I look at it your better off now instead of afterwards, that's when you suddenly realize that the baby has been nursing your brain cells right out of you!!

[planet]

Alison,

Are you planning on taking the general, subject or both?

[spotty_dog]

Alison,

Are you planning on taking the general, subject or both?

General first; if all goes well, the Physics subject test in April. Eep!

[Michele]

It's been a few years since I took it, but... I remember that the CD practice tests helped me out a lot in that that helped me understand my time and how the test worked, and the types of questions. I also made flash cards of the common vocab words (I'm definitely all science) and they helped me a lot as well. I was told before taking it that people generally score around the same as on their SATs (adding math and verbal scores...not adding the quantitative...) And I did score within 100 points of my SAT.

The test is probably different now...but I guess bottom line is that I found the CD reveiw/practice tests helpful.

[DCJenn]

I took both the GREs and the MATs- being the verbal one, I scored much better on the MATs (which incidently have demonstrated time and again that they're better indicators than the GREs- guess the GRE people have better lobby.) I used workbooks to prep for both. Of course, this was in the days pre-cd-rom. and before the tests were computerized. (I'm old, remember?)

As for the GREs, I scored as Michele did- almost identically to my SATs: Great verbal, sucky math, sucky analysis. I did well enough to get me to where I needed to be, but I set no scoring record.

Jenn

[Stella]

I haven't scheduled it yet. I'm applying for next fall so I still have some time. GOOD LUCK and let me know how it goes!!! I'll probably schedule for January sometime.

[spotty_dog]

Thanks guys. Hopefully I'll do OK. The computer-adaptive thing still throws me for a loop. Amusingly, number2.com (btw thanks Stellava for that link!) thinks I rock the vocab but am super-lame on math. But my first Princeton Review practice test I aced the math section and did OK on verbal.

Regardless, I scheduled it for Friday. I'm applying for Fall 2007, but I want these results in plenty of time before I apply and any day now my circumstances are going to change to put spending 4 hours in a testing center completely out of my grasp!

[planet]

Sounds like a good move. Good luck!!!

[Stella]

Good luck Alison! I like that website. I bought Kaplan and something else and have been mostly studying those. It's cool to see the little tricks and spins that they use to throw you.

I rock the vocab but am super-lame on math. But my first Princeton Review practice test I aced the math section and did OK on verbal. Rolling Eyes

I was an English major and my vocab STINKS! I rock the sentence completion stuff but I have a really hard time with the rest. I was the same way with the SATs - OK on verbal and really good on math. Go figure!

Let me know how it goes and if you have any special hints with this computer based test system. I am NOT looking forward to that.

[planet]

Alison, Good Luck Tomorrow!!!

You'll do great! :ra:

GO ALISON!!!!

[spotty_dog]

Thanks guys! This is my last check-in, then I'm doing a full practice test, then hitting the sack for an early AM wake up!!

[Stella]

Good luck!!!

[spotty_dog]

Thanks for the good wishes, guys! I did pretty well, it's crazy how they give you your scores right away. The essay scores will be a bit of a wait of course, but they won't play a big role in my admissions anyway. Now I'm getting kind of excited for graduate school, I went by the Physics and Astronomy departments this morning and I'll be sending their program coordinators some emails next week. Unless those coordinators tell me otherwise, the next step is the Subject test!