Get a Jump Start on the GRE, Grad School Article

Measuring critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) gauges student achievement in eight specific fields of study. As a GRE prep course instructor, I've often wished I could catch students two months before the class starts and give them a list of things to do before they even begin studying. These five steps can make the task of preparing for the GRE more effective. If I could create a list, here is what it would be. 1. Find out the test-score expectations of the colleges you want to apply to. It seems obvious but I'm always surprised at how many students have no idea how well they need to do to get into the schools they're targeting. Find out from the graduate secretary, or preferably from a faculty member, if the admissions committee judges GRE scores based on percentiles of each section, individual scaled scores, combined scaled scores, or some other criteria. Some humanities-related graduate programs don't care about the GRE's Quantitative section; other programs may not even look at the Analytical Writing portion. Know where your focus should be. 2. Take a practice test to find out your current performance. Yes, it's usually disheartening to see just exactly how much you need to study. But how else are you going to know how much work lies ahead of you? The official, gre.org, offers a free download of its PowerPrep software, which comes with two practice tests. The tests will give you a scaled score for the Verbal and Quantitative sections, but it can't rate your Analytical Writing essay. You can, however, have two essays graded online through ScoreItNow, a low-cost service provided by ETS, the makers of the GRE. Both PowerPrep and ScoreItNow are available at gre.org. 3. Register for a test date. It's important to do this a few months before you take the test. The GRE test-taking facility nearest you may be a small learning center, in which case the few spaces will fill up fast as application deadlines approach. Registering early will give you better scheduling options as well as an exact knowledge of how much time you have to prepare. Test registration information can also be found at gre.org. 4. Set specific, realistic study goals, and choose methods according to how you study best. The preceding three steps will inform you of your GRE-readiness: • where you're at • where you need to be • how much time you have to get there The next step is determining how you'll do it. Study goals and methods are successful to the extent that they're personal. Are you driven by achievement? Set score-based goals and use a study manual to take practice tests until you reach those scores. Do you work well on a schedule? Set a time-based goal to study for a half-hour per day or three hours per week. Do you dislike doing things according to the clock? Set a material-based goal to study thirty vocabulary words a day or write two essays a week. Remember to make short-term goals with rewards along the way. For example, if you stick to your study plan for two weeks straight, treat yourself to a small but meaningful reward. As for the best study methods, ask yourself how you learn. It sounds pretty intuitive, but again, fear can keep you from working smart. For example, many people who don't like speaking up in a classroom setting nevertheless sign up for a test-prep course because they know they need structured help. If you don't like large groups, the smarter thing to do would be to consider hiring a tutor. Your per-hour costs are more expensive than a prep course, but you'll successfully retain more out of each hour because your fear will be diminished. There is a range of study manuals for sale, and there is also quality help online, free of charge. Conducting a search on any of the main search engines for "free GRE prep" will present you with many options. One of these is www.grevocabulary.com, a site I designed to give students free and cost-based resources for studying GRE vocabulary effectively. 5. Take a positive-outcome mindset to your study material.