GRE classes, tips, tricks, advice from those who have written

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scienceisbeauty

scienceisbeauty

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There's a thread like this somewhere, so MODS feel free to redirect, move, whatever. BUT I think combined with the registration for GREs ...we need serious hard advice.
The more people who respond, the more representative our sample will be.

Best GRE class?
Is it better just to register for the online course?
You know how they give you online quizzes and things in Kaplan/Princeton/whatever course packs - are those worth buying for $599, say instead of taking the course?

Any advice, shall be utmost appreciated 🙂
 
my General GRE advice is get the Vocabulary flip book from Kaplan and spend lots of quality time with it 🙂
 
Do a lot of vocab and start NOW. Try to learn n words a day and keep up with it. Granted I learned 1,000 words and didn't do well on verbal because I ran out of time....but still! Also, take a ton of practice tests. My biggest problem was that my idiot Princeton Review teacher told me that a) verbal is always first and b) you don't have to do the experimental section. SO I had been practicing essay --> verbal --> math every time and doing extremely well on practice tests (I think my last practice score was about a 1500). But then on the real test it went essay --> math --> math experimental --> verbal, so I was so exhausted by the time I did my worst subject that I ran out of time. Also, I took the test the day before fall quarter began and just didn't have time to retake it, which I would have liked to. Good luck!
 
Vocab is essential. Make sure you pick up at least one book with difficult vocab words. The "easy" and "medium" words will only get you so far, score-wise.

I bought a cheap microphone, read the words and definitions into my computer, and made mp3's out of them. I listened to them on my commutes, and when I was falling asleep. It helped a lot.

The jury's really out on latin/greek roots and etimology. Some of it can be good, but a lot of words violate the expectations. You're sometimes better off not knowing that thinking that you know.

I tried learning by myself the first two times I took the test (granted, it was still paper-and-pencil at the time), and I averaged around 600 per section. I took it last July after taking a Princeton Review course, and averaged more than 700 per section (and got into a great PhD program). I needed the class.
 
I REALLY need some motivation to start studying for the GRE AGAIN! I took it twice already and was accepted to a MA program but now I need a higher score to get into a PhD program. It seems that I'm doing everything BUT studying. 🙁
 
how did people study for the GREs, what were your scores : do you rec the prep classes? what about instead of the full prep course, just buy the online 799 dollar package with workshops and quizzes?
Is it worth that?
 
myelin said:
I REALLY need some motivation to start studying for the GRE AGAIN! I took it twice already and was accepted to a MA program but now I need a higher score to get into a PhD program. It seems that I'm doing everything BUT studying. 🙁
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GO GO GO - you and I and many people, are in this together. We have to learn to boost each other and really stay focused.
My downfall is taking on too many responsibilities . I need to learn to say no.

To keep motivated --> I am going to limit my TV watching, my aimless internet surfing. I made posters that say: GREs. and put them all over my wall. It's a bit much, but I need to think about them always.
 
scienceisbeauty said:
how did people study for the GREs, what were your scores : do you rec the prep classes? what about instead of the full prep course, just buy the online 799 dollar package with workshops and quizzes?
Is it worth that?
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I took the Princeton Review class and it helped me but I'm not sure it was all worth the money. What I needed from the class was instruction on how to take the test, not necessarily the actual material but just how the test works and the strategies to do well. This was accomplished within the first 2-3 classes and the rest was kind of repetitive and didn't help me that much. I am pretty self-motivated though and studied every single day for like 3 months straight (outside of the class). My practice test scores consistently went up, with the last one being above a 1400, but my real score was a 1280 so the practice tests are not representative IMO. The only way to really know if the class helps would be to take the real test, take the class, and then take the real test again, but I didn't do that so I'm not sure 😛
 
I just took a Practice GRE, I'm scheduled to write on Aug 15. FUDGE. I got on my Practice GRE, 470 on the math, and 650 on the verbal. HELP!
 
See above for me.

I will say that Princeton Review seems to do pretty well into the low-to-mid 600s. After that, they can't gauge difficulty well enough to peg it to the actual GREs. I saw vocab words on the actual GRE that I didn't come close to in the prep books. And the math was ramped up so early in the test that I was completely out of my league. I think if you're scoring very high in the Princeton Review materials it doesn't necessarily reflect your likely score in the actual test.

That said, the Princeton Review pointed out a lot of my weaknesses. I think I overachieved with my math score (though I think I underachieved with my verbal). Without TPR, I would have been grossly unprepared and overconfident.
 
lavalubby111 said:
I just took a Practice GRE, I'm scheduled to write on Aug 15. FUDGE. I got on my Practice GRE, 470 on the math, and 650 on the verbal. HELP!
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Princeton Review book, work all the math problems until you understand how to approach them. It helped take my practice score from the ~470 to 740 on the actual test in about 3 days of really hard work. Math is the easy one to fix, you're in luck. Learn as many tricks and shortcuts to estimating answers as you can.

Mark
 
Markp said:
Princeton Review book, work all the math problems until you understand how to approach them. It helped take my practice score from the ~470 to 740 on the actual test in about 3 days of really hard work. Math is the easy one to fix, you're in luck. Learn as many tricks and shortcuts to estimating answers as you can.

Mark
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I also have the Kaplan review book. The 470 that I got - that was without even touching any practice problems ... but still 🙁 🙁 *depressed me*. Ok, so I have the Princeton Review Book, and the Kaplan GRE Exam Math Workbook. I also have the ETS GRE 10th edition book. But when I was looking all of them over, the order of difficulty of the math problems (at a glance) was most - least diff, ETS GRE book, Princeton Review Book, Kaplan book.

So if I devote 3 hrs every weekday (21 hrs for the weekdays), and 7 hrs every weekend day (14 hrs total wknd) , and practice math 2/3 and vocab 1/3 do ya think I'll be ok?
I really suck at math. Way back in HS, I failed grade 12 math 1nce, but got 90+s in the rest of all my classes including bio and chem.
 
The best thing I did was to have a study buddy. We studying once or twice a week together quizzing each other vocab and going over math questions.

I used the Barons (which I loved). I wrote out all the high frequency words and studying off of that. It helps me a lot to actually write things out. I also focused a lot on the strategy of the math questions rather than trying to solve them with my math knowledge. I used the Kaplan cd (http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-Gmat-lsat-Platinum-2006/dp/1591507081/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211755024&sr=8-6) for practice tests.

I think I studied for about 3 months and did pretty well (1330)
 
lavalubby111 said:
I also have the Kaplan review book. The 470 that I got - that was without even touching any practice problems ... but still 🙁 🙁 *depressed me*. Ok, so I have the Princeton Review Book, and the Kaplan GRE Exam Math Workbook. I also have the ETS GRE 10th edition book. But when I was looking all of them over, the order of difficulty of the math problems (at a glance) was most - least diff, ETS GRE book, Princeton Review Book, Kaplan book.

So if I devote 3 hrs every weekday (21 hrs for the weekdays), and 7 hrs every weekend day (14 hrs total wknd) , and practice math 2/3 and vocab 1/3 do ya think I'll be ok?
I really suck at math. Way back in HS, I failed grade 12 math 1nce, but got 90+s in the rest of all my classes including bio and chem.
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I failed trig, nearly failed geometry, and Algebra. I can't integrate a function to save my life and I don't know squat about math... Statistics and I are good friends though.

Don't let your limitations get in your way of succeeding here. If you can add, subtract, multiply and divide you can beat the GRE Math section!

Mark
 
shock-me-sane said:
The best thing I did was to have a study buddy. We studying once or twice a week together quizzing each other vocab and going over math questions.

I used the Barons (which I loved). I wrote out all the high frequency words and studying off of that. It helps me a lot to actually write things out. I also focused a lot on the strategy of the math questions rather than trying to solve them with my math knowledge. I used the Kaplan cd (http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-Gmat-l...=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211755024&sr=8-6) for practice tests.

I think I studied for about 3 months and did pretty well (1330)
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I am studying words right now with baron's essential words for the gre. is this the one you got?
 
I'm going to order the Barron's GRE prep. Already have the Princeton, the Kaplan GRE Math Work Book, the GRE 10th Ed., Insiders Guide (guess that one doesn't count). But when I look on Chapters.ca, there's two things I see: Barron's GRE 2008 w/ CD and Barron's GRE Vocab Words.
The VOCAB special one does it only just have the vocab from the book with the full stuff, or does it have extra vocab?
I'm ordering it online, so can't tell....

Right now I am ordering the Barron's GRE 2008 w/ CD because I want that extra computer practice, but not sure if I should *also* order the Barron's Vocab one as well. I have the KAPLAN Vocab flashcards ...from a friend (Scienceisbeauty)

Kinda confused. Anyone know? (Oh and I'm getting the Barron's one b/c shock-me-sane said it was good ~ study of conformity on SDN)

Ilovecows
 
I have played around with the practice GRE program that you can get from ETS and it looks like if you really focus and get the first 10 math problems right and then randomly guess on the rest you end up with a 700 on Math. I don't advise you to randomly guess, but really spend a lot of time on the first 10 of both sections as they affect your score much more than the last 10!
 
irish80122 said:
I have played around with the practice GRE program that you can get from ETS and it looks like if you really focus and get the first 10 math problems right and then randomly guess on the rest you end up with a 700 on Math. I don't advise you to randomly guess, but really spend a lot of time on the first 10 of both sections as they affect your score much more than the last 10!
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When I took the math section I thought I totally bombed it, it was SO HARD, harder than any practice tests I had ever taken. I was shocked that my score was over a 700, and even more shocked when I got my score report and saw that I missed more than just a couple problems (I can't remember exactly how many, maybe 7ish and at least 1 in the first 10). I guess I got the hardest ones right and that brought my score way up or something, it's so weird how the whole thing works (and I use the term "works" loosely).
 
I didnt take a course....I didnt need much help reviewing verbal and figured it would be a waste of money (710v/700q)......i really needed to bring up my math so I bought a few workbooks and spent a few weeks going over them with a friend (I really liked the kaplan math workbook)
I studied a bit of vocab using flashcards....but I think I learned the most listening to audiobooks- I think it really depends on how you learn best..its easy for me to remember what I hear (i also really love listening to harry potter read by an englishman)
 
irish80122 said:
I have played around with the practice GRE program that you can get from ETS and it looks like if you really focus and get the first 10 math problems right and then randomly guess on the rest you end up with a 700 on Math. I don't advise you to randomly guess, but really spend a lot of time on the first 10 of both sections as they affect your score much more than the last 10!
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EquestriAnn said:
When I took the math section I thought I totally bombed it, it was SO HARD, harder than any practice tests I had ever taken. I was shocked that my score was over a 700, and even more shocked when I got my score report and saw that I missed more than just a couple problems (I can't remember exactly how many, maybe 7ish and at least 1 in the first 10). I guess I got the hardest ones right and that brought my score way up or something, it's so weird how the whole thing works (and I use the term "works" loosely).
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This kind of suggests that the 'pacing charts' in the Princeton Review book are incorrect. If you say that after the first 10 problems your score is pretty much determined...(what it seems like), then - for a score of 700+ I should focus and spend the utmost time on the first 10, not what the princeton review says. It says if you want a 700 + then your time it spent almost an equal amount across 30 questions. It does of course says the first 10 Qs are the most imp. Still. I'm revising my study plans and the way I'm going to tackle the math section...
 
Ilovecows said:
This kind of suggests that the 'pacing charts' in the Princeton Review book are incorrect. If you say that after the first 10 problems your score is pretty much determined...(what it seems like), then - for a score of 700+ I should focus and spend the utmost time on the first 10, not what the princeton review says. It says if you want a 700 + then your time it spent almost an equal amount across 30 questions. It does of course says the first 10 Qs are the most imp. Still. I'm revising my study plans and the way I'm going to tackle the math section...
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Yep, first 10 questions are super important!
 
Definitely don't pace yourself equally per question. Problem is that I can't get the first ten quant right... sigh.
 
for those of you who work out a few times a week in a gym - instead of listening to your ipod, try memorizing vocab words. i learned hundreds of words just by studying during my 45 minutes on the elliptical.

and re: math, i highly recommend barrons.

but for everyone who still has to take the test, i really recommend that you download the gre prep from the ets website. it's free and i think your scores on their practice tests will be most indicative of your real scores on test day.

good luck!
 
Markp said:
Yep, first 10 questions are super important!
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This is not actually completely true. I work for Kaplan and during my teacher training I was told that Kaplan used to always say you should spend the most time on the first third of the test. ETS literally called up Kaplan and said please stop saying this as it is not true. The CAT is much more advanced than this. My teacher instructor (who is a testing genius!) said he would take the GREs so often to try and figure out the score defining algorithm that ETS told him they would prosecute him if he took the test one more time. Despite all those attempts he could not figure out the algorithm. My best advice is to do the best that you can on every problem. But do not spend too much time on every problem. I ended up doing this and it hurt my math score a lot.

I really feel that paying the money for a prep class is for those people who need to be forced into studying. The classes, the instructor, the money you forked out for it -- these are all important motivating factors that will get you studying. If you know you can motivate yourself then just buy some books. It will save you a lot of money.

I don't know if other prep companies do this, but I know that Kaplan offers free diagnostic tests every so often. Typically if you attend one of these classes you can get an okay discount if you decide to take the class. I think I have mentioned this on the forum before. Another thing I mentioned on the forum before is a website called www.freerice.com which is a vocab game that donates rice to third world countries. Something nice that helps you and helps others.

Also, when I was studying I did a google search for free practice quizes and games and things and there are many on the internet (especially for vocab).

I really did not do enough practice essays and my writing score was much worse than the rest of my score. A book that I read (I think it was Barrons) suggested making certain essay templates that you could wrap any idea or topic around. I didn't do this, but it seemed to me like a very good idea.

Also, for those of you who took your GREs and are posting on here with your advice, if you scored in the 90th percentile you could teach for Kaplan (and probably any other test prep company). If you have specific questions about Kaplan, please feel free to pm me.
 
Markp said:
I failed trig, nearly failed geometry, and Algebra. I can't integrate a function to save my life and I don't know squat about math... Statistics and I are good friends though.

Don't let your limitations get in your way of succeeding here. If you can add, subtract, multiply and divide you can beat the GRE Math section!

Mark
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I'm terrible at "regular" math too. Why can't they test stats on the GRE? I would kick a$$.

IMHO the classes are really for people who need the motivation and structure. I was able to bring my score up between test 1 and test 2 just by studying some vocab and taking practice tests. So I second the recommendation of Kaplan's vocab flip book. I learned 25 words a week until I learned all 500 and that helped me tremendously!
 
Hey guys. Writing the GRE really sucks. Wrote it last October and ended up doing well. It was hell though. This is what I would recommend to someone who has to write it:

-DO AS MANY PRACTICE QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE! Best to do them on the computer in the same format as the test. You can buy kaplan and princeton review CDs, you get some online stuff with the kaplan and princeton books, and there is a free online test on the ETS website. This is probably the most important tip.

-KNOW HOW THE TEST WORKS! Read over how your score is calculated, how the beginning questions are most important and you HAVE TO get them right, how to use your time best, etc. Watch out for new changes in the test (it's changing this year) and make sure your books are up to date.

-Princeton review strategies are better than kaplan ones

-Try to get your hands on the princeton review study guide that you get if you take a course with them. This is the best study guide out there (in my opinion, of course). Whether you actually take the course or not, the book they give you has way more (and more effective) strategies, way more vocab words, and way more practice questions than the regular princeton book you buy in the store.

-Study vocab as early and as much as possible. This is the best way to raise your verbal score. Make sure to do it in a way that is EFFECTIVE. If you're just reading them over and over and find it's not sticking, you need to change your strategy. What worked for me best was using flashcards (you can buy them in bookstores) and taking a pile of 20 or so at a time, reading and memorizing them, testing myself on them until I knew every one. Keep doing 20 or so per day and then keep reviewing ALL of them periodically. Knowing 500 words isn't enough if you want a high score. Do as many as possible.

-Do not get discouraged by fluctuating scores on practice tests. The test is SO MUCH about how you approach it and how you deal with your time. In the week before my test, I had some math scores below 50th percentile, some in the 80th percentile. Ended up doing well on the actual GRE. If your scores are fluctuating a lot, think like a scientist and maybe try to figure out why. Maybe your poor scores are times when you're not spending enough time on the first few questions or maybe they are times when you haven't had enough sleep, etc. Use that information to improve your performance.

Good luck everyone! Hope this helps.
 
dlpfc said:
...Writing the GRE really sucks. Wrote it last October and ended up doing well. It was hell though....
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Such catastrophizing!

**
They're really not as bad as some people make them out to be. Learn the little ETS tricks for the math section; it's not a math test so much as a little problem-solving test. You should be able to complete any math section question in under a minute, probably under 30 seconds. If it takes you longer, look to see what trick you missed. For verbal, hope you read a lot of books for the last two decades. To study verbal, use contextual learning; I studied by using every word in a question, an answer to that question, and a statement. I found trying to memorize word lists to be tedious and ineffective.
 
Honestly, the best advice I can give is to take as many practice GRES as you can. You can find some online or in the back of those GRE books. Simulate the environment (quiet cubicle) and practice until it feels second nature. Also make sure to practice during the same time your exam is at. Dont forget to watch something funny b4 u head off to the exam to reduce anxiety. Drink some coffee too. Walnuts and blueberries help during the studying process as well. Don't eat too much breakfast. Don't wear red.
 
OK, I have to say this.

GRE is NOT plural. It's not "GREs" unless you are referring to more than one of the GRE exams (e.g. a general and subject GRE such as the psychology subject test). Even then it's bad bad bad to make GRE plural. 😎
 
myelin said:
OK, I have to say this.

GRE is NOT plural. It's not "GREs" unless you are referring to more than one of the GRE exams (e.g. a general and subject GRE such as the psychology subject test). Even then it's bad bad bad to make GRE plural. 😎
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This is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves! I corrected someone once and they were so defensive, but it drives me bananas. "I took the GRE's last week" means that you took away the last week of life of the GRE, which is virtually impossible. Same with the "LSAT's" and the "MCAT's" :beat:
 
Yes, the GRE is a big deal and your score can really hurt or help you in admissions, but it is all doable! Work hard, but relax! You'll just psych yourself out... haha.

As someone who used to teach for Kaplan (there seem to be a couple of us on here), I would also recommend rote memorization of as many vocabulary words as possible. I've never had much luck with learning the latin roots... but if it helps you, go for it.

ALSO, get yourself a math review book and go over all those things from HS algebra and geometry that you haven't used since. Like the 3-4-5 triangle and how to deal with exponents and factorials. Feeling confident with the basics will allow you to reason through some of the more difficult quant problems.

If you don't have the willpower to study on your own, take a class, but if you are motivated, then get yourself a couple of study guides and learn HOW to take the test... how to rule out answer choices, read the passages for the info you need, and increase your odds! This can help you work more efficiently, leaving you more time for the harder problems!

YOU CAN DO IT!
(get the movie reference, anyone?) 🙂
 
PsyTiger said:
YOU CAN DO IT!
(get the movie reference, anyone?) 🙂
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Waterboy_2.jpg
 
For those taking the test while still in school I would suggest scheduling the exam a few days before fall semester starts. This way you will have all summer to study for it and you won't have to worry about studying when you have course work to do. I took the test the day before school started. I was able to sit back and watch the poor souls who waited until the last minute run around like crazy trying to cram months of studying into a few weeks while also going to class, working, etc.

Don't take studying for this test lightly. I kinda feel stupid saying that, but it is important. A lot of people talk about studying so much that they never actually get any of it done. STUDY! Never tell yourself that you will study tomorrow. This works really well; set off X amount of time to study every week. Make a schedule and stick to it. (Mon thru Thurs 6:00-7:30, etc). Tell yourself and others that this scheduled time is your "GRE time" and that you cannot break the schedule. I know it sounds nerdy, but whatever. I promise that seeing a great score at the end of a test is worth all the "GRE time".
 
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If you are smart enough to start studying months in advance, I highly recommend learning a few words a days for verbal. I studied hundreds of words a few weeks before my test and I did not recognize one new word I had learned on the GRE. That being said, the tips and tricks can be studied and should definitely be reviewed right before taking the test.

Coming from someone who has never been a "math person," I found the math sections much easier than expected. I agree with whoever said that it's more of a little problem-solving puzzle section that requires only simple math skills so please don't freak out if you failed advanced algrebra or calc.

On a side note, schedule your first GRE soon enough that you can retake it if needed. It's not uncommon to take it more than once and at least your retaking it won't mean skipping this year's application season.

Unfortunately, my scores (esp on verbal) were extremely variable. Nail 1000+ GRE words and I think you'll be better off. Also, increasing your vocabulary can't hurt for grad school 😉
 
Um, it isn't just about motivation. Some people just can't teach themselves. I've gone through countless GRE prep books and nothing has helped, so I am resigning myself to forking over money for tutoring. But it's not because I couldn't bring myself to work on my own.
 
psychdude5469 said:
For those taking the test while still in school I would suggest scheduling the exam a few days before fall semester starts. This way you will have all summer to study for it and you won't have to worry about studying when you have course work to do. I took the test the day before school started. I was able to sit back and watch the poor souls who waited until the last minute run around like crazy trying to cram months of studying into a few weeks while also going to class, working, etc.
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Take it 2 weeks before school starts so you can retake it if necessary. I wish I had given myself time to do so.
 
cara susanna said:
Um, it isn't just about motivation. Some people just can't teach themselves. I've gone through countless GRE prep books and nothing has helped, so I am resigning myself to forking over money for tutoring. But it's not because I couldn't bring myself to work on my own.
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That's true. I guess it really boils down to learning style.
 
psychdude5469 said:
For those taking the test while still in school I would suggest scheduling the exam a few days before fall semester starts. This way you will have all summer to study for it and you won't have to worry about studying when you have course work to do. I took the test the day before school started. I was able to sit back and watch the poor souls who waited until the last minute run around like crazy trying to cram months of studying into a few weeks while also going to class, working, etc.
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Agreed. A few years ago I was sort of one of the "poor souls" - I intentionally planned to take it (psych GRE) in October, which I did, it just wound up being a huge mess because of so many things going on at once. There was just too much going on at once for me to be able to devote enough time and attention to studying for the test (priorities conflict? probably. bad scheduling on my part? definitely). I was in a rather lengthy play that premiered that weekend, my whole family came in to see it and wanted to spend time with me throughout the weekend as school wasn't close to home, one of the biggest football games of the year was taking place on campus that weekend (with the stadium being less than one city block away from the testing room - we got out before the game but could hear the heards of fans passing by quite regularly along with the band and other typical game-day noises) and a few emergencies came up earlier in the week that I had to tend to as part of my job duties as an RA (resident assistant, not research assistant).

This is all specifically for the psych GRE as there are only certain dates it can be taken but had I planned even more in advance or if (God forbid) I had to do it all again, I would definitely have taken at an earlier date. I took the regular GRE during the school year and that turned out fine, but I think taking either/both tests outside of the school year wouldn't hurt at all and could be very beneficial (from my perspective at least). Anyway, there's my overly lengthy $.02 :laugh:
 
I didn't read through all the posts, but I will add my $.02:

-Start early
-Study hard

Words not of wisdom but just plain cold common sense. I studied hard but did not start early enough, and my score showed it.
 
everyone keeps saying to start studying early. but, can anyone be more specific? If i want to apply for fall 09 grad school and I am barely starting to study for the gre, am I doing it too late or am I studying right on time?

Right now I am reviewing and learning new words from a book that teaches you 800 words. I am trying to learn 20 words a day, it's so much harder than it looks due to lack of time..

as for the math part, I haven't started just yet. I am thinking of going over my basic algebra books from class..is this good? I don't understand why some people go through the trouble and pay for gre prep courses..to me they sound like a waste of $$ and time...
 
Because we can't raise our score up enough on our own and we're desperate.
 
Barrons, Kaplan, Princeton Review? For prep books.
Barrons, Kaplan, Princeton Review? For GRE courses.

I'm really loving Barron's for the vocab. Princeton Review is I guess for me good for the math.
Don't know about prep courses. ... from those who have done one, any preference?

I REALLY SUCK AT MATH. REALLY. SOOOOOOoo - I have the Kaplan Math GRE workbook but was thinking of also purchasing the McGrawHill Conquring GRE math. Except. Since I already have the Barrons, Kaplan, and Princeton Review books...it might be a waste? *dunno*
 
I'm going to order the Barron's GRE prep. Already have the Princeton, the Kaplan GRE Math Work Book, the GRE 10th Ed., Insiders Guide (guess that one doesn't count). But when I look on Chapters.ca, there's two things I see: Barron's GRE 2008 w/ CD and Barron's GRE Vocab Words.
The VOCAB special one does it only just have the vocab from the book with the full stuff, or does it have extra vocab?
I'm ordering it online, so can't tell....

Right now I am ordering the Barron's GRE 2008 w/ CD because I want that extra computer practice, but not sure if I should *also* order the Barron's Vocab one as well. I have the KAPLAN Vocab flashcards ...from a friend (Scienceisbeauty)

Kinda confused. Anyone know? (Oh and I'm getting the Barron's one b/c shock-me-sane said it was good ~ study of conformity on SDN)

Ilovecows
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You should check them out at a bookstore, I ordered two editions of Barrons (2008 and 2003?), only to find out that they have basically the same material.
 
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solar3000 said:
everyone keeps saying to start studying early. but, can anyone be more specific? If i want to apply for fall 09 grad school and I am barely starting to study for the gre, am I doing it too late or am I studying right on time?

Right now I am reviewing and learning new words from a book that teaches you 800 words. I am trying to learn 20 words a day, it's so much harder than it looks due to lack of time..

as for the math part, I haven't started just yet. I am thinking of going over my basic algebra books from class..is this good? I don't understand why some people go through the trouble and pay for gre prep courses..to me they sound like a waste of $$ and time...
Click to expand...

I think that seems like a good timeline, assuming you'll take it in the early fall. I took it in Oct. and didn't start studying until like August or so. I was great on verbal and didn't have any issues but I did not have the math skills that I needed for the Quant and I needed way more time than I gave myself. The algebra is good and geometry is on there too. Look at the sample GRE on the website, it's a good indicator of what the test will be like.
 
To those who have written...

when taking the GRE did you find that the vocab you studied was on there?

did you find that at least if the words were not the ones you studied they were decipherable?

how many obscure words did you find ?

Thankkkkkkkkks guys
 
Honestly, I'm convinced that they just start to make up words just to trip you up when you get to the higher levels.
 
cara susanna said:
Honestly, I'm convinced that they just start to make up words just to trip you up when you get to the higher levels.
Click to expand...


Hahaha ok, but really . Say there's X many verbal questions, of those X how many did people find they had studied, and just knew.
How many did people feel as if they didn't study but could decipher?
How many did people feel as if were completely incomprensible?

And in so answering, were there a lot of questions that people felt stupified by? Not in terms of not knowing the VOCAB but say, in correctly assessing the relationship between the two stem words or say even if correctly assessed - not being able to choose the correct answer because all of the answer choices seemed good?

I really want to prepare in terms of ...getting ahold of the best variety of words possible....
 
What are the best math question TYPES to study? What types of math questions did people find appeared most often on their GRE test?

Yes it's computer adaptive...soooooooo , maybe a certain type appears more often for a certain individual than another depending on one's score?


Yay for representative samples...
 
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