I will be preparing for the GRE, as of right now I have no clue about the test. I will be researching the test, it's topics, methods, sections, etc.
What is the best preparation for the GRE?
I am actually going to purchase a few books and start cracking down on studying for the test and hopefully, I can take it in the summer or so.
Is it really worth it to pay for a course?
OHHHHHH....the GRE. Where to start? First of all, i agree with the previous posters - it really depends on the individual on how you will best be served preparing for the GRE. Deep down you already know - are you a procrastinator? Do you need someone to 'teach' it to you? Can you self-learn/study? Once you are honest with yourself concerning how you should attack the studying, just do it. I can only speak from the experience of taking a prep class, but many have been much more successful than me by self-studying.
I was a really good high school student, semi-studied for the SAT and did mediocre. I was an athlete, so my SAT scores probably were not held against me, as i was recruited for college. I did good enough that they weren't prohibitive. Having said that, i knew i needed to do really well on the GRE.
I just took the GRE at the beginning of December after being out of college for 13 years
😱. I decided that i would definitely utilize the professionals for this endeavor. I signed up for a 9 week Kaplan classroom (with online access) course. Prior to the deciding on the course, i bought a study guide at the bookstore and started with Math review since I knew this was my weaker suit. I also bought the Kaplan flash card (500 words). I studied for about a month before I decided to sign up for the class.
The class met twice a week. We were given the Kaplan book, a syllabus and online access. Unfortunately, there were only two of us in this class. The other student was taking it for the 3rd time and was only going to be in class once a week. I felt very awkward having a private tutor for the other sessions because i really just wanted the classroom setting to get me used to being in the classroom again and also to have others ask questions that would make me think in a different way.
I went to 3 classes and then found every reason not to go to the class. However, i was diligent with the online syllabus, lessons and practice. You can even listen to the lectures online. Their online material is excellent. It is capable of showing you your weaknesses so that you can concentrate more on them. It's pretty high tech stuff.
The course taught me some great strategies regarding the
types of questions asked. These strategies should not be underestimated and can literally help you narrow down answer choices to a 50/50 guess if you have no clue whatsoever as to what the answer is.
Anyways, my advice regardless of whether you choose a formal program or not, is this:
1. Follow a structured study program (Kaplan recommended 2-3 hours a day). Do NOT waiver from your plan.
2. Schedule your test within a week, if possible, of the end of your course. I scheduled mine before the course began - it made it all more 'real' for me. If you are not taking a formal course, still schedule the test based on your personal plan of study. I believe it is recommended to not try and stretch out the studying over too long a period of time. You can study a year in advance, but then i would recommend doing 2-3 months of concentrated study to cover everything prior to the exam.
3. Take as many practice online tests as possible. These are absolutely key. It will teach you how to work problems on scratch paper and most importantly TIME MANAGEMENT. No matter how comfortable you feel answering the questions, it won't matter if you run out of time on the test! Getting used to the pace is about as important as the material......no joke.
4. Yes, memorize vocabulary unless you have a dictionary in your head. The vocab will break you if you don't know your words. It is impossible to figure out a relationship between two words if you don't know what they mean. The test-taking strategies you learn will still help you in this instance, but there is nothing better than actually knowing the answer.
5. Follow the same rules as when you took the SAT - don't study the day before the exam, get plenty of rest, follow your normal habits the day of the test, eat something sensible in the AM, do not freak out during the test and know that you are well prepared.
6. The test is adaptive....really try and do well on the earlier questions of a section for it can help you get a higher score in the end.
7. Practice, practice, practice tests online (did i mention this already?)!
So, how did i do? Well, considering i've been away from this type of information for so, so long (high school) ......not too bad. I did better than the SAT, but not as good as i would have liked. Respectable. I absolutely did freak out during the test for the first time ever. I remember the math questions getting easier and it was hard to concentrate after i convinced myself that i was bombing the GRE and would have to take it over. Do NOT do this to yourself! Take a big ole deep breath and relax. I do not plan on taking it again (unless it is recommended to) even though i feel I would do much better.
So sorry for the novel, but the GRE is important in the grand scheme of things and you should do whatever it takes to make sure you set yourself up for success.
Good Luck to you!!
But I think the vet schools can clearly see that I write and communicate well by my essays, so I don't worry about it too much.
