Studying isn't that necessary...

[wildmanatee]

About a week before taking the gre, I was browsing this forum for info on the new scale and could not get over how many people spent months studying for this thing. I suppose if you want a perfect score then okay, but really... Anyway I just wanted to let my fellow slackers know that you are not doomed if you aren't practicing an hour a day for 6 months. I studied for ~3 days and came out with V: 650-750 and Q: 670-770. Obviously not the best scores ever, but I'm happy. Now, back to xbox

[dimanche0829]

Congratulations, you're happy. You tested well. Your methods and background worked for you. Consider yourself lucky.

You'll have a long and difficult road ahead if you think you can successfully slack your way through grad school, too- assuming you're even accepted into a program. You're not nearly as clever as you think you are; slacking on any part of the application is just a BAD idea. If you're not even willing to put forth an honest effort to study for an entrance exam, you really just don't belong in the applicant pool.

My 0.02.

Edited November 3, 2011 by dimanche0829

[Eigen]

And yet most faculty I know would say that they really don't understand why people spend so much time studying as well.

I you need the study time to get good scores then by all means take it- but there seem to be a fair number of people who are studying a lot try to get perfect or near perfect scores, something that is absolutely not necessary.

There is a lot of academia that is honestly about learning how to do "enough". Not overdoing it, not underdoing it and not focussing so much on one thing that you lose sight of the big picture.

If you want to say that someone shouldn't be in the applicant pool because they didn't study for the GRE (which is not, by the way, an entrance exam), the majority of my program wouldn't have been considered.

[kphd]

Even though the GRE only tests things that we are required to be familiar with it tests it in a format that we may not be used to. Therefore some practice is required. I would imagine that 2 months of preparation of 1-2 hours a day is sufficient for an average person (to get a good score of above 1450).

I never prepared for more a few hours for any test in life and always did way above average. Everybody always thought that I will do great when I put in that effort. It seemed cool in school and college But at the end of the day I am just above average....not excellent.

[Robosagogo]

Honestly, the only preparation I did was the night before, when I memorized the math rules in the back of a Kaplan study book.

I did so little out of necessity rather than laziness, though. My summer classes were rather intensive, and I had a part-time job on top of that. Frankly, I couldn't commit to preparing for the GREs if that meant neglecting more important obligations.

The OP is being kind of a smug bitch, but he is right about how going through the rigamarole of test prep isn't always a necessity. If you have more important things to do and standardized tests aren't a weak point for you, then it's not worth it to pay for a test prep course or repeatedly drill yourself just because that's the usual approach. Instead, set priorities based on your availability and your particular needs, as you know your needs better than anyone else.

[ktel]

While I have never taken the GRE, I find it strange that people study for months in advance as well. I have never studied that much for any exam in my life, and I don't know why I would do so for this particular exam, no matter how important it is. I would expect some preparation from most students, but months worth may be excessive for most people.

[Rad]

I am one of those that has been studying for months did the Kaplan course, the verbal is pretty good but my math is weak although my intention is to go into political science Phd. Perhaps I am worrying too much as I have it in 2 days/

[modernity]

Studying is often necessary for anyone who didn't take the GRE directly out of school, or had a lack of certain subject matter in college. In my case I had both - I only took one math class in all of college, my freshman year, and then was out for three years before I went back to school where I used zero math as well. I bombed the first GRE because everyone said not to study. Then I got a book, studied intensively for a couple weeks, and then took it again and showed massive improvement. Some of us need a reminder and a brush up - and some of us want to do perfectly. Others of us don't need it. Its all very dependent on your background - I don't think you can make these statements universally.

[whirlpool4]

I was a commended student for the PSAT in high school and made a good enough score on the SAT, but that was years ago, and I studied my butt off for the GRE. As a college student, you study for your major, not for standardized reading and math, so obviously we're going to be out of touch. I consider myself to be a good test-taker, but those things are not in my everyday use. I didn't take a Kaplan course or anything, so I did all my studying out of my own volition, on my own time, during a lazy Florida summer, and I had the worst time trying to focus and push myself to practice everything on my own, using books and online resources. Granted, I made average scores, but there's no way I'm going to take it again.

[cunninlynguist]

Some of it probably dates back to SAT preparation and performance -- which is related to income and, I imagine, your social group emphasizing how important it is. Furthermore, if you aren't versed in the best study methods for standardized tests, you'll encounter more trouble than someone who had that opportunity. I learned, after taking the GRE, that I would've been better served to learn math strategies applicable to only this test rather than attempting to re-familiarize myself with the concepts themselves.

I didn't study at all for the SAT and did fine. My GRE prep entailed reading through the Barron's book during the semester and taking the test itself during finals week. I thought it was sufficient, and my score will absolutely pass any threshold, but there are many posters here who are consumed with getting a high score. The appeal is understandable: funding concerns, unknown and scary "competition," and knowing exactly where that part of your application stands in numerical form (as opposed to the SOP, LORs, etc).

As usual, Eigen is right on the money. There will be a point of diminishing returns. Do well enough and move on. A complete lack of regard for the test and its role in the admissions process is a bit irresponsible, but it is still only one component of your application.

[dimanche0829]

And yet most faculty I know would say that they really don't understand why people spend so much time studying as well.

I certainly don't dispute your statement. In fact, most of the faculty I know think the test is ridiculous and incapable of measuring intelligence. I wholeheartedly agree. Yet the GRE sticks around anyway. Why? Because it narrows down the applicant pool, especially for programs that receive 500-600 applications with only about 5-10 acceptances to award. I'd also like to point out that many financial awards are given based on high GRE scores, so there is some incentive to try for high scores. A low score obviously doesn't guarantee that you won't be accepted, just as a high score guarantee that you will be accepted or receive awards.

There is a lot of academia that is honestly about learning how to do "enough". Not overdoing it, not underdoing it and not focussing so much on one thing that you lose sight of the big picture.

Most people are told to do "just enough" because even "just enough" requires effort and hard work. It RARELY favors a slacker mentality.

If you want to say that someone shouldn't be in the applicant pool because they didn't study for the GRE (which is not, by the way, an entrance exam), the majority of my program wouldn't have been considered.

I obviously used "entrance exam" in the most general sense--kind of like using the phrase "if you want to say" on internet forums to describe something that is written, and not actually spoken. Mere technicalities of the least importance and productivity, my friend. Nevertheless, I shared my opinion and am sticking to it. Can people score well without studying? Yeah, of course. Can people score poorly without studying? You betcha. Are people rejected from grad programs due to poor GRE scores and slacking off on apps? It's been known to happen.

So, yeah, I do take issue with the OP's assertion that studying in advance is unnecessary just because they happened to score well. That's good for them, but many people won't experience similar results, and it's just not smart advice to give to others who have very real concerns about the test.

Edited November 3, 2011 by dimanche0829

[TypeA]

People are going to disagree with blanket statements, whether they're "don't study" or "study 20 hours per week for three months." The people this forum are too intelligent and too motivated to go "Welp, some stranger on the internet said not to study. I think I'll ignore everything I know about how I best prepare for things," so I don't think that this thread is worth the umbrage it seems to be causing (if the down-votes are any indication).

OP's post serves to illustrate that some people don't need to study to do well on standardized tests, and that point has merit. I tend to fall into that category, and the multitude of study-strategy threads on this forum caused some serious GRE neuroticism. I did study, and I'm glad for it--I hadn't had a math course in four years--but seeing a thread like this might have allayed some of my stress when I started studying with less than a month until my exam.

Also, slacking during GRE prep and playfully labeling oneself a slacker doesn't automatically mean that OP slacks in all domains of life.

For those keeping score, I studied 5-8 hours a week for a little less than four weeks. That worked for me (1430/6.0), YMMV.

Edited November 3, 2011 by TypeA

[Rachel B]

I will admit I didn't study much for the GRE the first time I took it. I thought I could slide by and land in a decent percentile. Not the case. I ended up in the 30th percentile for the verbal and the 40th percentile for the math.

The second time around I knew I had to study and I committed a month to review the material and relearn concepts I hadn't seen since sophomore year of high school. Needless to say studying greatly improved my scores. I nearly doubled my percentiles for both sections and now I'm well within the range I need to be.

While not studying may have let you slide by, I think it's ignorant to offer this kind of advice. And if you're a slacker, should you really being going to graduate school anyway?

[Eigen]

So, yeah, I do take issue with the OP's assertion that studying in advance is unnecessary just because they happened to score well. That's good for them, but many people won't experience similar results, and it's just not smart advice to give to others who have very real concerns about the test.

The OP made no blanket assertions. He simply made a post to say that it's not always necessary to study- telling people that if they haven't had the time to study as much as other people here seem to, that they aren't necessarily doomed.

You can't say it's either necessary or unnecessary to study for the exam- it completely depends on your backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses.

My general suggestion to people that are worried is to read a bit about the format of the test, then clear an afternoon and take one of the whole powerprep tests that ETS sends. You'll get rough scores, and from there you can decide how much you need to worry about studying- if you bomb the practice, then figure out what you were weak on and brush up. If you do "good enough", then don't worry about it.

GRE scores are used as a cutoff, sure.... But that's really about it. It's more of an "oh, they made over a 1200... put it in the "keep" pile". After that initial "did they meet the cutoff" look, I don't think GRE scores play a very large part of the equation. I think it's worth getting a score that's comfortably over 1200, but after that, I don't think it's worth the time to study significantly more- take those hours a day that you're studying for the GRE and use it to read articles in your field, do research, etc. I'd even say that you'd be better off putting that extra hour a day for several months into fine-tuning your CV and SoP.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Eigen

[dimanche0829]

I accidentally clicked dislike on your post when I actually meant to click like because you gave a good suggestion about taking the prep test. Do you know if there a way to fix that?

You can't say it's either necessary or unnecessary to study for the exam- it completely depends on your backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses.

Exactly my point!!!

[wildmanatee]

My intention wasn't to advise people to not study, rather it was to alleviate the fear some people may experience upon first reading this forum. The first time I visited here, I was a bit worried because I saw several posts from people who studied several months and felt like that wasn't enough. If you're planning to take the GRE, I'm assuming you're smart enough to realize what does and doesn't work for you, so my post was more aimed at people like me who might become overwhelmed by all the posters here who seem to think you need to take a prep course, 10 practice exams, a personal tutor, and 3 different books to get a good score.

And lol at people taking the slacker comment seriously. Apparently some people need to brush up on their critical reading skills. And sense of humor.

[sabrinamichelle]

I studied about 2 hours a day for 3 months and got only an adequate score. You are lucky! I also took only one math course in undergrad. I forgot everything so therefore had to relearn everything. So if I were to have read your post and said, "oh, great, I will be ok not studying so much in advance," I probably would not have done very well. If you KNOW you aren't getting a lot of the questions right, then why wouldn't you study?

[Fell4Ever]

The OP has a serious point - its not like everyone will fail the test if you do not study for months on end. I myself barely studied because I didn't have the time to do it (with working and the such), but I was okay with this because I do well on Tests. I understand why a lot of people are getting upset - the mere word 'slacker' is an affront to the hard academic life that many people on this forum - double especially so for PhD students - represent. But that does not mean you cannot be a slacker and an academic. If anything, academics can often get lost in their books and works, and forget why the enjoy a topic to begin with. Where as slackers will always enjoy what they're researching (they just fight forget to hand in that paper...)

[habanero]

I got a 690 V and 750 Q on my preliminary exam and I still felt the need to study. Some people are just perfectionists and others need very high scores to get into their dream schools.

Edited November 3, 2011 by habanero

[secondarydefinitions]

Manatee it is pretty easy to see that you posted originally in order to flaunt your superiority. Your tone was immodest and implicitly mocked those who prepare diligently, you made a pathetic and self-aggrandizing attempt at humor, and it is questionable whether or not smart people who do not need to prepare much to do well even need the "advice" you offered. An hour with some prep questions would be all that it takes for someone of that nature to gather such information.

[Xanthan]

One point I would add to this thread is that there is no "pass" or "fail" for the GRE... in fact there's not really even such a thing as good or bad scores. I took the GRE for only one reason: I had to take it to get into grad school. Going in, I knew there were certain grad schools that would give me the education to pursue my dreams, and i wanted to get into one of those schools. And I did! Mission accomplished! The test, as and end to itself, had no meaning for me; I studied some (about 20 hrs total), but why should i want to study beyond the minimum? I suspect a lot of people do it out of fear. "What if I don't get into my dream school just because my GRE wasn't quite high enough?" A big problem with that thinking is that it never stops. What if I lose out on a post-doc? Faculty position? Promotion?

It's funny... I was just reading the threads in the already grads section about grades in PhD courses. I'd bet that the same people who are neurotically over studying for the GRE are the same ones who run themselves ragged trying to make sure they get the highest course grades.

[Lulu47]

All this studying is making people really uptight. Chillllll outtt. Personally, the OP gives me hope. I have cleared 1 month to study FULL TIME for this test, and I can't even enjoy a study break without my heart rate increasing and finding myself in panic mode. I wish I was kidding. My test is on Dec. 15th! Yet, I can't help but feel like I should have started studying earlier, and that I'm a terrible person for not doing so. The OP just gives us all a different perspective. Am I going to continue studying? Yes. Will my mini panic attacks be less frequent after reading this? I hope so.

[DeeLovely79]

Here's the thing, do what you feel comfortable with in regards to studying. Everyone has different backgrounds and circumstances. The main thing is you don't want to be wondering "What if"? If you know from your past experiences that you need to take a longer term approach to studying then take that approach. Don't let anyone discourage you from that as you don't want to get your scores and think "I wonder if I had studied for another ________ would my scores have been higher?" Consequently you don't want to spend so much time studying that you are left trying to hustle to get your apps and SoPs together.

I for one tend to do well on standardize tests but 1) I'm not good at cramming 2) The last time I took this test was in 2001 (that was before the writing section was created) 3) I have demanding job and personal obligations so I didn't have the luxary (or frankly the energy) of taking this test multiple times or putting off my studying. So purchased my books in April and I studied off and on from April to the end of Sept. I did okay for me and I have no regrets about the amount time I put in. I don't believe any additional time would have helped my verbal score (163) or AWA (4) in any meaningful way and with my concentration in soc/behavioral sciences the math is not an issue.

End of the day if you are satisfied with the time you put in and you believe that you did the best you could it doesn't matter what a bunch off overachievers post on an internet forum.

Edited November 20, 2011 by DeeLovely79

[kaykaykay]

I believe that the GRE can be the great equalizer. I am not a native speaker of English so I knew that there is absolutely no way that I could do good on verbal without studying . I sat down and I learned all those words. I got a great score which made me very proud. It would not have been possible if all of the native speakers would have been studying for the test. so thank you!

After a treshold GREs do not matter that much if you can get there without studying it is great , if you cannot get there just study and you will be fine.

[Sigaba]

^ Yeah, keep going with the "It's not me, it's them" storyline.