| My GRE Experience | ||||||||||
Getting ready to take the Graduate Record Exam to apply to graduate school? Don't let it get you down. Instead, read up on this graduate school applicant's experience and start preparing now to excel on the GRE. ~~ I've grown tired of three-letter exams. While growing up in Maine, I took the MEA (Maine Education Assessment) exam twice, once in elementary school and again in junior high. In high school, I was repeatedly reminded that the SAT would be one of the most important exams I would ever take. I did well, but I didn't like the pressure of having to do well, and was more than happy to have it behind me. So you can imagine just how thrilled I was as I spent this past summer preparing for yet another important three-letter exam. Now, I've been told that the GRE isn't the be-and-end-all of graduate admissions. I was told the same thing about the SAT. But let's face it: a good score certainly doesn't hurt. Preparation So I studied for a while this summer, and then downloaded a practice test from the official GRE website. Four hours later, with an encouraging performance on the test behind me, I felt confident in taking the real thing. But the practice test was on paper; I could skip questions I was unsure of and come back to them later. That wouldn't be the case with the relatively new, adaptive of the GRE where each question must be answered in turn, so that the answer can be used to generate the next question. I'll admit it worried me, to the point where I questioned how prepared I really was. I bought a test-prep book and proceeded to cram my brain with supposedly useful information and test strategies. It was a disaster; I made a poor choice in test-prep sources and honestly felt dumber the more I studied from it. As the test date approached, I found myself discouraged and unsure of myself. Test Day I woke up early the morning of the exam, took a long shower and went out for a sit-down breakfast in an effort to calm my nerves before going to the testing site. It worked somewhat, and I walked through the double doors with only a few butterflies in my stomach. The pre-test procedures didn't help my nerves any. The whole process had a certain CIA-slash-Secret Service feel to it. After signing in, filling out a lengthy non-disclosure agreement regarding test questions, and stowing all non-essential items (a list that seemed to include everything but my t-shirt and boxers) in a locker, I was finally able to enter the testing room. I was provided with a pencil and scratch paper, and it was showtime. The next three hours were a blur. My head swam with geometric principles, vocabulary, and logical reasoning. When it was finally over, I had to choose whether or not I wanted the exam to count, before getting to see my score. I took a deep breath, gathered myself, and clicked "Yes". Final result: the exact same combined score I received on the paper exam two months prior, and a total change of only ten points between two sections. It was a relief to have the whole thing over with, to be able to focus on my normal studies once again. The experience was intimidating, but definitely survivable. Although, if I ever see another three-letter exam, I just might scream. ~ Tory Priputin
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