study plan/syllabus for GRE study?

[PizzaButt]

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Did anyone who did not take a formal prep class find a syllabus or study plan for the GRE? I'm using some prep books to study, but feel like it's very unstructured, and I'm not sure how much studying I need to do each week. Are there any sites online that have, for example, a 2-month sample study plan? Or do any of the books have a sample study plan in them?

Thanks.

 

[socialcog]

I dont know of any online resources that might provide that for you. However, my advice to you if you are studying via book and not prep course is to take a paper diagnostic test. One of the few advantages of the Kaplan $1149 classroom study are the many online resources--one of which teases out your strengths and weaknesses based on your performance on the GRE diagnostic. You can replicate this by taking the paper diagnostic, score it, and look at the areas you need to focus on.

From there, you can structure your study schedule with some strategy. Focus on the areas that need the most attention.

Personally, I spent the most time on quantitative as these programs are research and science heavy. It was my assumption that committees place more weight on the math than the verbal. One could argue that the analytical writing should be weighted more than the verbal due to the critical thinking/logic involved--but I doubt that occurs.

 

[ClinPsy]

Is the Kaplan prep-course ($1149) worth taking?

I am a bit cluless with finding the right strategies for myself, as English
isn't my first language. I think it maybe worth taking it since I only have two
months to study. Plus, im still unsure if I should take the subject test
too, since 8/10 of the school im applying 'strongly recommend" it.
I have received different responses on this, but with time limitation,
will it hurt my application without the subject scores?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I've heard mixed reviews.....it really depends on what kind of student you are...learning-wise, not intelligence-wise. The one review course I took for a standardized test (SAT!), it was incredibly boring and useless to me.

So $1,000+ later.....I learned I do much better with books/computer stuff if I have some structure, and being surrounded by people who ask 1,001 questions was really irritating and unproductive for me. I'm not saying that happens in the GRE classes, but it is important to figure out how you best learn. If they have a prep class that fits your learning style, go for it. If not...I'd look elsewhere, since there is no sense trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.

-t