(no subject)

[geminigirl]

My brother called, "Just to chat" tonight. Unfortunatly, I missed the call, and when I returned it, he was busy with friends who had come over. The last time I remember him doing this was when he came out to me. I wonder what's on his mind this time.

Interesting complement paid today...about how in doing my group I create a very comfortable environment for the kids to ask questions and to participate. It was such a positive thing to hear. Yesterday, I called a new site contact (someone another contact had referred me to) who said "You come so highly recommended, I don't even need to meet with you. I know we want your program...can you call X, who handles all the programming to schedule it?"

The other thing I hear sometimes is, "I hope some of this sticks in their heads." Well, me too.

I should really use the gift certificates I have. (amazon and Barnesandnoble.com) Any suggestions as to how to spend them? Has anyone taken GRE's recently? I was thinking of putting some of one of them towards a GRE study guide...I took them so long ago.

On the same train of thought...this school thing...when I decided to try to go back for 2004 (in November) it seemed like much further away. I have 11 months or so to get everything together and such to really try. This means figuring out where I want to consider going, how to find money, getting my head in order. The usual. I think I'm probably nuts for even trying.

I'm also nuts because I've gone to bed too late for the last several nights. Including tonight.

Comments

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

Ha! I've added you to my Friends list.

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

I took the GRE in September. I used Kaplan's GRE study guide but probably could have done without it. ETS has free downloadable test prep software (for Windows, at least) on the official GRE web site. It's got tons of test questions with an interface that looks just like the computer-based test. I'd try that before buying a book.

[geminigirl]

You're probably far better with math than I am, but that's the part I'm most concerned about. I haven't taken a real math course in nearly 10 years. If you recall, what kinds of things were on it?

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

The math is mostly geometry and algebra. Lots of finding areas and perimeters and measuring an angle based on the angles near it and crap like that. I think there was a little probability and basic mean/median/mode type stuff. I was rusty at all of that, but practicing helped.

[entirelysonja.livejournal.com]

You come so highly recommended, I don't even need to meet with you.

Woohoo! And to think it's only been a little over a year!

Regarding the GRE's, if you think some coaching would be of value, I'd be happy to help out!

*hugs*

[geminigirl]

(It came from a woman that Val had referred me to-it's nice to have things come back that way.)

I'm stressing the math part...if you think you have the patience to work with me on that, I'm all for it. The more I can review the better.

[entirelysonja.livejournal.com]

No problem. I'd be happy to help!

[wait.livejournal.com]

It feels like yesterday, but I just realized I took the GRE's during the summer of '98.

The GRE's are very similar to the SAT's in that they are no harder than SAT's. All of the math is stuff you learned in high school -- its nothing particularly hard, but if you haven't used it in while (and why would you?) its a good idea to review it well.

I took the GRE's on the computer, and I'm not sure if they even offer them on paper any more. The advantage with paper is that you can go back within each section to answer previous questions. On the computer you only have one shot to answer a question -- you can't mark it and return to it later.

I would defintely download the sample tests from on-line. The format is a little funky and the scroll arrows for reading passages aren't exactly intuitive. Knowing the layout of the screen will definitely save you time.

If you already have gift certificates for a bookstore, it can't hurt to buy a test book.

Also, don't worry too much about your score. I suspect you're going to be applying to programs that are more social-service types than physics or aeronautics. You just need to score decently enough to show them you are proficient. :)

[geminigirl]

Last time I took the GREs was back in 1997 I think...it was when they still had the paper test. I'm a bit unsure of taking the computer based test, but I suppose I'll have to. And having not had a math class (other than stats) since my first year of college, I suspect I'm rusty.

[nmc.livejournal.com]

The computer-based test is kind of mixed bag. On the one hand, they've designed it extremely shittily so it's not a particularly good measure of your skills in the matter. I mean, it's OK, but the weighting is a bit off, because the first couple questions are the most important. Remember to take a little extra time with the first three or four, because they'll score more. You also can't go back to a question you've already done, so take the time you need. Again, particularly on the first few. It's an adaptive test, so the first few questions sort you into a ball park figure, and as the questions go they try to make finer and finer determinations. At least, that's how it was working when I took it. I doubt they've changed it (ETS stands for "how far can we shove our collective heads up our collective asses?". See? They can't even spell.), but you might want to check just in case.

On the other hand, the computer tests have a huge upside to them: you get your results back immediately. That's very nice. No worrying that someone's going to misplace your test, or read your address wrong, or anything like that. I mean, ETS is still going to screw you over (that's what they do), but at least you've got that one in the bag. Plus, you have the information immediately should you think about retaking the test.

The math test, as I recall, is mostly algebra with a bit of geometry thrown in. I don't remember any precalculus or calculus on it, or even any trig. On the other hand, I tend to block out all trig experiences as a matter of course. It's been awhile, though, so I might be misremembering things or they may have changed it. But I don't remember them being anything where plugging the potential answers back in and testing them out wouldn't have worked.

If you like logic puzzles (and I do), the analytical section is fun. Scratch paper and strange diagrams vaguely resembling blueprints to satanic rituals are your friend.

The one thing you should note, so you're prepared for it mentally, is that they give you the three tests plus an additional test they're experimenting with. Occasionally it'll be obvious which is the experimental test (a friend of mine got an additional writing test, which isn't part of the GREs, so she knew exactly which it was), but sometimes you don't. The guy I went up to take the GREs with got two quantitative tests and I got two analytical tests. So don't be shocked silly if you get a second verbal test or something.

[geminigirl]

They've unfortunatly replaced the old analytical section-the logic puzzly one, with an analytical writing section, as of 10/2002. (Had I known that was going to happen, I'd have taken the exam last summer, but having not come to any conclusions about school at that point, well, hindsight is 20/20.) It's a shame; I love logic puzzles, my apartment is filled with magazines full of them. I'm going to download the software, and I'll review the verbal sections just to get a grasp on the kind of questions they ask, strengthen my vocabulary a bit and the other things.

I'm rather stressing the math section. I had a difficult time with math when I last studied it...algebra made sense. Geometry never did. I managed to pass, but barely. And trig was almost as hard as geometry. I'm going to start studying soon for the math section-I've recruited both aquariumgirl and moshah as tutors, and I'm open to even more help if I can find it. (Mo has even threatened to make me his "math bitch"!) The idea is to take it once, with enough time to do more studying and take it again if I'm unhappy with my scores. But I'd like to give myself a few months of study time, too.

I'm probably overstressing this, but the last time I took a standardized test that wasn't Meyers-Briggs was the last time I took the GRE...when I was a senior in college and didn't do much studying at all. And for some reason, my approach to them this time is a lot more serious. Along with most everything else.