I am TERRIFIED

[Safferz]

I'm scheduled to write the GRE on July 18th. I've been so busy with school last term and summer courses (bad idea!) that I only started studying about six weeks out, and even then it's only been working through the 800 word Barron's list and making flashcards for review. I'm planning to start the Kaplan GRE math workbook on Monday (after I finish summer courses I'll have a solid three weeks to focus on the GRE), continuing to memorize words, and studying with my Barron's GRE book. I'll take my first PowerPrep test sometime during the first week of July.

I'm concerned that I haven't given myself enough time to prepare, seeing that so many posters on the forum have spent months studying before the test. I seem to know most of the words I've encountered in the Barron's book which has helped my confidence a little, knowing that the verbal score will be most important as a history student. I haven't had math in about six years, so we'll see how that goes. I just get so nervous knowing that this is the first real task I need to get done as application season approaches. I know the GRE is not the most important part of the application, but I'd really like to pull off a score that I'm happy with and won't leave me second guessing myself until I start hearing back from schools in the new year.

[dlb89]

Hi Safferz,

I'm in the same boat as you. I wrote the GRE last summer and didn't get a very competitive score, so I'm rewriting it mid-July (2 days after you!).

That being said, I was taking an intensive Italian course that JUST ended, so I haven't had much time to study. I just started getting back into the prep a few days ago, and I have moments where I'll start freaking out because it's SO soon. I mean, less than a month!!

BUT, this is what my mantra of sorts has become:

1. If you don't do well, you can always retake it in the fall (even if it is the modified version. Apparently not that different to study for...just getting used to the format).

2. 4 weeks of study time is fine. It's not necessary to study for months and months. (Most of the prep books recommend not devoting more than 8 weeks to prep, because you can burn out)

What I've found useful this time around is to really concentrate on suffixes, prefixes, and roots and memorizing the high frequency words. It's not feasible to memorize 3500 words, especially not in 4 weeks. I'm also working on my math (I'm an anthro student, so it's not super pertinent to my program), because schools look at combined scores, and usually 1200 is the magic number. My last quant score was RIDICULOUSLY low and brought down my overall score.

Good luck! Let me know if you think of any useful tips for studying :-)

[newms]

If I were you I'd start practicing for the Math section, since I'm guessing that with 6 weeks of vocab study, you'd be ok for the verbal. I don't think that you need months to prepare for the GRE, a few weeks is ok (but I guess it depends on the person and your familiarity with the test). In your case, since you haven't done maths in 6 years, you'd probably want to start practicing now. Keep in mind that the Math they test on the GRE is high school level Maths, so it's material that you would have probably learned already. Good luck.

Edited June 23, 2011 by newms

[Jcantrone]

My advice? Spend most (maybe even all!) of your time preparing for the quant section. Why? Because, even with practice, verbal scores don't budge very much. And you seem pretty confident on the verbal section anyway. Quant scores, however, can be hugely increased. I took the test twice, two years apart, once to get into my masters program, and again to get into PhD since I wasn't very confident in my first score set. The first time around, I studied maybe 2 or 3 weeks out, without much of a study plan. Verbal score was good, quant was pitiful. Second time around, I started studying 8 weeks out (with a solid study plan) and only improved 20 points on the verbal, but over 200 on the quant! Improving your quant score is the best way to increase your overall combined score.

[FingersCrossedX]

My advice? Spend most (maybe even all!) of your time preparing for the quant section. Why? Because, even with practice, verbal scores don't budge very much. And you seem pretty confident on the verbal section anyway. Quant scores, however, can be hugely increased. I took the test twice, two years apart, once to get into my masters program, and again to get into PhD since I wasn't very confident in my first score set. The first time around, I studied maybe 2 or 3 weeks out, without much of a study plan. Verbal score was good, quant was pitiful. Second time around, I started studying 8 weeks out (with a solid study plan) and only improved 20 points on the verbal, but over 200 on the quant! Improving your quant score is the best way to increase your overall combined score.

I don't disagree with your advice, but take into consideration your strengths. For me, the quant was much easier because math has always come easier. I didn't really study at all for that section and got a great score. I spent all my time on the verbal because memorizing words and understanding strategies helped me raise my score by about 200 points. For me, all the math came back and I just looked back on the geometry a little. I think that the OP should look at their skills and decide which section is easier and which section is more important for their program. I mean a history program is going to care more about the verbal section. Bit if you're trying for a physics program for example, work on that quant score.

Edited June 23, 2011 by FingersCrossedX

[starmaker]

You don't have to spent months and months studying. I spent three weeks studying and did well (I had set a "retake" threshold, a "minor victory" threshold, and a "major victory" threshold, and I exceeded the "major victory" threshold).

The verbal section is mostly about 1) vocabulary, and 2) not overthinking the reading comprehension questions. I had a terrible problem with #2 in my practice tests, so other than vocab drilling that was the primary thing I was working on.

The math probably doesn't matter as much for you, a history student, as it did for me, a CS student. I suggest taking a computer-adaptive practice test to find out where you are now - not only how you're doing overall, but also where you are weak. Is it geometry? Algebra? Word problems? Once you know that, you know where to focus your studying.