George2248 Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Ok so, as many of you, I have only 1 week left till I take the new GRE. I have covered all the math material and must of the vocab. Ive done about 5 practices test from different companies and I am getting close to the median score that I am aiming too (verbal 600, math above 750). I still have 2 more Manhattan practice test before Im done. I was wondering if you have any advice for this final week regarding: extra must see material, maximizing my scores, ways to peak on the exam day,extra material, relax techniques, day before the exam routine, useful tips for the exam day... everything is going to be appreciated Well I guess thats all.... Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo mo Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 (edited) I just took the GRE this morning and I did about as well as I thought I would (690-790 Verbal and 700-800 Quant); this is what I did during last week: The one and only for real timed practice test I took was the one from the powerprep software, and I took this on the Saturday before I was to take my actual exam. Otherwise, I didn't do much GRE studying or practice during the week, but read the news often and listened to the Freakonomics book on tape (it's entertaining, and Stephen Dubner uses big words and helps you think outside the box a little bit)- I did this mostly for the benefit of my analytical writing, which I was worried about. Mostly though I let my brain rest. I also used the Barron's 800 essential words for the GRE and did the matching for each section without studying the words (I think this helped? Mostly I did it because I bought the book but didn't get to it in time). Yesterday my boss wasn't around so I did a practice test at work, but did lab stuff in between, so I gave myself breaks in between each section. This was helpful in getting my brain back into gear. I couldn't sleep so well last night because I was nervous, so woke up early, showered, ate breakfast, drank ONE cup of coffee and had one cigarette, did some more vocab, and then went to take the test- I recommend leaving extra early! I was allowed to start the exam about 40 minutes before everyone else did, which was great because I was done typing my analytical writing before everyone and didn't get too distracted by the typing. Also I was the first to leave, so I didn't have that sense of panic that I always did when the smart kids would leave the orgo final a full hour before I was done... If I were to do this again, I would have done a little more quant practice during the week, because I missed some questions that I knew how to answer felt a bit out of practice after just one week of giving it a rest. I did some yoga before I left for the exam also. (Just child's pose, it's basically a meditative stretch) Good luck! Edited September 18, 2011 by mo mo emmm, Timshel and bluejay16 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George2248 Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 Thanks for the tips Ill try some of them... maybe not the yoga... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crater21 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 This is an obvious one, but try to get a good night's sleep before the test. If your test is in the evening, like mine was, try to sleep in and have a relaxing, stress-free day. Take water and a high-energy snack with you. It will help to re-energize during the 10 minute break after section 3. Be sure to take the full 1-minute breaks between sections. You will have the option to skip them. But, I would recommend taking the full minute, just to take a deep breath and get mentally ready for the next section. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George2248 Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 I have this question: can you take a break when you are in the instructions for each section, since the timer hasnt started I guess if you could sit for a 5 min break before you push the button to continue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crater21 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Good question. To be honest, I don't know the answer. Maybe ask at the testing center to confirm. But, on the surface, I don't see a problem with it. I'm sure they have built in the time for people to read the instructions, so I don't see why you could wait a few minutes before pressing continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contretemps Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 The week before the exam, I took at least 1 practice test in analytical writing (2 essays) in the morning so that I will be familiar with the time constraints and to keep the momentum going, so to speak. I'm not really concerned with the writing score but I thought a bad score will look bad. I also took practice tests in reading comp to practice speed reading. The day before the exam, I skimmed through my vocab flashcards (I think around 3 to 4 words appeared, LOL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George2248 Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 What about some practice drills for the comp like kaplans that are 20 questions long and not a full tests? are any of those available from other companies? they seem good to warm up the day before the tes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George2248 Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 I really need one more practice test (preferably from kaplan) but I dont know where to buy them? Any suggestions? I just need the one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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