GRE English Lit (Sept/Oct 2014)

[unræd]

 I found the dearth of any written experiences except awful ones pretty worrying when I was preparing, so thought it might be helpful to share an experience that, while certainly not fist-pumpingly awesome, was kind of okay in the end.

 

Very helpful indeed--thanks!

[Dr. Old Bill]

I just wanted to say -- good luck to all of you who are taking the exam on Saturday! I feel bizarrely unstressed about it, even though I haven't had much time to study over the past five weeks...so I'm hoping it doesn't hit me all at once at 8:31 AM on the 27th...

 

Regardless, best of fortunes to all of you. I'm looking forward to commiserating afterward...

[unræd]

Thanks for the well wishes, and the same to you and to everyone else who's also sitting it then. I have to say, I'm so looking forward to being done with the testing portion of this process!

[wetheplants]

Hey guys! So I'm taking the test tomorrow UGH and I don't have time to watch any movies (great idea, btw!) but I just wanted to throw "Thug Notes" out there in case you guys haven't heard of it... 

https://www.youtube.com/user/thugnotes/videos

This guy summarizes plots of classic works in "thug" slang, complete with pictures and stuff, and then analyzes some of the major themes. Also, he puts up major quotes too.
Check it out, they're fun! And he's got LOADS of them.


Definitely good to check out over your lunch break from studying!

Edited September 26, 2014 by wetheplants

[jhefflol]

I also just wanted to say good luck to those of us who are taking the test tomorrow! I've hit a plateau with my score so I'm just going to accept that I'm not doing absolutely terrible and not stress about it. Now I'm stressed about my testing center! There isn't a room number on my ticket, so I'm just going to have to wander around the building until I find it, I guess. This does nothing for my anxiety. Ugh. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

By the way, for anyone considering applying to / attending Cornell... I did a drive by of the campus to suss out where the GRE is being held tomorrow. The campus is indeed beautiful, but holy moly is it ever hilly and downright perilous to get around. "Circuitous" would be an understatement, and I can only imagine what it'll be like in the harsh Upstate New York winters...

 

This isn't really a criticism, mind you, nor is it something that would prevent me from attending. Just forewarning you!

 

Glad to report that the room where the exam is being held has free-standing tables and chairs. I was worried they might cram us into those uncomfortable desk-chair combos. Still hopeful that there are headphones available but we'll see...

 

12.75 hours. Eep.

[Dr. Old Bill]

I have to say, I'm so looking forward to being done with the testing portion of this process!

 

Quoted for truth (as they used-to-and-probably-no-longer-say-on-the-Internet).

[unræd]

Well, that's over with! How's everyone feeling about it?

[Dr. Old Bill]

Heh...just got home, and the first thing I wanted to do was check in to see how everyone felt about it too! We obviously can't get into detail because of the confidentiality agreement, but I'll just say that it seemed to play more to my strengths than the various practice exams did. It's impossible to say how well one did, but I feel fairly good about it. I know I didn't bomb it, at least. And about a dozen questions or so dealt with material I've been reading this semester specifically, which made me happy. All of this is necessarily very vague, but I can say that I managed to answer every question, and timing wasn't an issue at all (thanks, practice tests!). In fact, I spent the last ten minutes making sure every single box was filled in as much as it could be.

 

There were only around 30 test takers in a room that seated 90, so that was a HUGE boon. The proctors were stern, but not overbearingly so. They made me pocket my analog watch (that I bought specifically for the test), but there was a clock in the room anyhow, so that wasn't a big deal. I'd venture to guess that virtually ALL of the test-takers in the room were Cornell undergrads. Only three literature test-takers overall.

 

I may chime in later with more thoughts on it, but for now, I have a wedding to prepare for!

Edited September 27, 2014 by Wyatt's Torch

[unræd]

I feel pretty good about it, too. It's funny… Last night it's about nine thirty or so, about my bedtime, and I think "Gee, let's crack open the ol' Norton and read just a few more things"--two of which ended up on the exam!

[Dr. Old Bill]

Yep! I did the same thing while waiting in the car this morning. Cracked open the Cracking the GRE book and re-read the A- and B-list materials...and a couple of things helped me get what I'm assuming were correct answers.

 

It just goes to show that all the studying in the world can help you a bit, but usually it's just lucking out by having certain things fresh in your mind that happen to be pertinent for the exam. It really seems like cramming is a reasonable strategy for the GRE subject test in literature...which sounds crazy, but there it is.

[Dr. Old Bill]

Incidentally, one thing you should NOT do is look up answers you thought you got right just to be sure. Ouch.

[mikers86]

Incidentally, one thing you should NOT do is look up answers you thought you got right just to be sure. Ouch.

 

Never ever ever. Just pretend the exam never happened and move forward with your applications.

[jhefflol]

We obviously can't get into detail because of the confidentiality agreement, but I'll just say that it seemed to play more to my strengths than the various practice exams did. It's impossible to say how well one did, but I feel fairly good about it. I know I didn't bomb it, at least. And about a dozen questions or so dealt with material I've been reading this semester specifically, which made me happy. 

 

 

Same! I was very pleased with the content. I was speaking with a few other girls in line while we were waiting to get checked in, and I feel bad for a few of them, given their specialization and the content of the exam. I feel like the amount of studying I did was just fine, and I refrained from answering a few just in case I was wrong when a definitive answer didn't pop out at me. I, too, finished with a good chunk of time to spare, and was able to go back and reread a few passages that were giving me trouble, so seriously take those practice tests to get acquainted with the timing!

 

My testing center was super chill. We were allowed to have our stuff at our desks but put away. I didn't feel intimidated or anxious at all thanks to the atmosphere of the testing center.

 

Thank god its over! How is everyone decompressing? I took a 3 hour nap 

[jhefflol]

Oh and also, for future test takers, get the Princeton GRE book and take the freaking practice test they give you. 

Edited September 28, 2014 by jhefflol

[Dr. Old Bill]

Same! I was very pleased with the content. I was speaking with a few other girls in line while we were waiting to get checked in, and I feel bad for a few of them, given their specialization and the content of the exam. I feel like the amount of studying I did was just fine, and I refrained from answering a few just in case I was wrong when a definitive answer didn't pop out at me. I, too, finished with a good chunk of time to spare, and was able to go back and reread a few passages that were giving me trouble, so seriously take those practice tests to get acquainted with the timing!

 

My testing center was super chill. We were allowed to have our stuff at our desks but put away. I didn't feel intimidated or anxious at all thanks to the atmosphere of the testing center.

 

Thank god its over! How is everyone decompressing? I took a 3 hour nap 

 

I tried chatting with the two other lit test takers, but they didn't seem to want to engage much.

 

I decompressed by...spending six hours at a wedding. It was enjoyable, but boy am I ever beat...

[hypervodka]

Does anyone have anything to add to what omensetter said about time?

 

For my part, when I took the practice tests, I typically finished about 35 minutes before time; during the actual test, I finished maybe closer to thirty, so not a large difference at all. There was nothing surprising about the formatting for me, and the reading was actually a little easier for me than taking the practice tests (probably because I practiced on the computer--on paper, it's a lot easier to stay focused and to viciously cross out wrong answers). For anyone taking the October date, I recommend taking at least one test a week until then... a lot of things will really stop surprising you.

[Dr. Old Bill]

Does anyone have anything to add to what omensetter said about time?

 

For my part, when I took the practice tests, I typically finished about 35 minutes before time; during the actual test, I finished maybe closer to thirty, so not a large difference at all. There was nothing surprising about the formatting for me, and the reading was actually a little easier for me than taking the practice tests (probably because I practiced on the computer--on paper, it's a lot easier to stay focused and to viciously cross out wrong answers). For anyone taking the October date, I recommend taking at least one test a week until then... a lot of things will really stop surprising you.

 

Yeah, I had no problem with the time. I made my "first pass" in about an hour, and my second pass was done in another hour. The next half an hour was dedicated to cleaning up one-offs and questions I had a hard time with...or ones that required a lot of reading for a single question (the Eliot one, for instance, which required reading a paragraph to answer a single question). The final twenty minutes was spent on double-checking a few things and then making sure all the bubbles were completely filled in etc.

 

I could get a 500. I could get a 700. No clue. But it didn't feel too hard to me...perhaps a bit easier than the practice exams. The October test will be completely different, of course, so all of this has to be taken with a sizable grain of salt.

[1Q84]

I just want to throw in my thanks to those who are sharing their experiences and general tips. I'm an Oct test taker and really appreciate everyone's kindness and generosity

[unræd]

Does anyone have anything to add to what omensetter said about time?

 

For my part, when I took the practice tests, I typically finished about 35 minutes before time; during the actual test, I finished maybe closer to thirty, so not a large difference at all. There was nothing surprising about the formatting for me, and the reading was actually a little easier for me than taking the practice tests (probably because I practiced on the computer--on paper, it's a lot easier to stay focused and to viciously cross out wrong answers). For anyone taking the October date, I recommend taking at least one test a week until then... a lot of things will really stop surprising you.

 

My experience of timing was a bit different than everybody else's, but because I hadn't really taken the practice tests in a full "practice" mode--I just circled the answers on the practice test, rather than bubbling them in separately. In retrospect not the wisest of plans--bubbling took much more time than I anticipated! I had finished the two practice tests with a full hour left on my time, but in the actual test (the difficulty level of which I found roughly comparable to the practice tests) I finished only with closer to twenty minutes left. Not a big deal--I still had time, of course--but like you say: a surprise, and one I could have avoided by making my practice test regimen more reflective of the actual test.

[Dr. Old Bill]

Yeah, it's really amazing how much time it actually takes to fill in 230 bubbles. It's one of those factors that is rarely mentioned, yet significant nonetheless. And in the last ten minutes, I noticed that several of my bubbles looked suspiciously like some of the ones in the "incorrect" example provided by the question book...which is why I made a point of re-bubbling everything, which did indeed take nearly ten minutes...

[queennight]

Yeah, it's really amazing how much time it actually takes to fill in 230 bubbles. It's one of those factors that is rarely mentioned, yet significant nonetheless. And in the last ten minutes, I noticed that several of my bubbles looked suspiciously like some of the ones in the "incorrect" example provided by the question book...which is why I made a point of re-bubbling everything, which did indeed take nearly ten minutes...

This is actually the story of my life. You know you are stressed when you make a point of making sure the bubbles are dark enough.

[hreaðemus]

Oh, you guys, I am SO NERVOUS about this test - I know you've already taken it, and that it went well, but is there anything you wished you had brushed up on while taking it (without giving the confidentiality stuff away, of course)? Have you gotten your scores back yet? *fidgets anxiously*

[Dr. Old Bill]

A little more study of theory might not have been a bad idea on my part, even though I'm currently enrolled in a theory course. Just a bit more association of theorists with their more famous papers and/or fields. There wasn't too much, but more than was on the practice exam, as I recall. No scores back yet, unfortunately, so it's anyone's guess as to how well any of us did. I know I didn't do horribly, but beyond that...no clue. My only real advice is kind of dumb...but sincere: don't be nervous about it!!! Seriously, it's not worth getting nervous about. It's natural to get stressed about a big test in English, but since it's really NOT a measure of your ability to conduct research in English, and is likely more of a "checklist" item, just do as well as you can and don't let it loom larger than it truly ought. I constantly point to the results search tab -- countless folks have been accepted to GREAT schools/programs with so-so (or worse) GRE scores. So don't sweat it too much!

[unræd]

My only real advice is kind of dumb...but sincere: don't be nervous about it!!! Seriously, it's not worth getting nervous about. It's natural to get stressed about a big test in English, but since it's really NOT a measure of your ability to conduct research in English, and is likely more of a "checklist" item, just do as well as you can and don't let it loom larger than it truly ought. I constantly point to the results search tab -- countless folks have been accepted to GREAT schools/programs with so-so (or worse) GRE scores. So don't sweat it too much!

 

It's not dumb: aside from, I think, being generally just the best advice that can be given about any exam, I think it's especially true about this one. It could be the case that I totally bombed it--we'll know on the 27th!--but I walked out of there actually feeling fairly confident, and think I could have spared myself a ton of worry in the lead up to the test.

 

A shocking amount of material was stuff that I'd read, and stuff that I'd think most English majors will have at least a passing familiarity with. Moreover, there were so many questions that were so easily handled by the process of elimination that even though I didn't "know" the material, I was able to get the question right. And paradoxically, while those two made me feel better because I know I got some right, knowing there were some I simply couldn't answer was also strangely reassuring; there were a few questions (of the ID type as opposed to reading comprehension) that I couldn't even attempt, at all, because I had zero knowledge of any of the options given, or the question asked for very specific, fact-type information. There will be stuff on there you've read, and stuff on there you haven't: the former will be laughably easy to answer, the latter might well be impossible to.

 

But that's the case for everyone, and strangely, I took a fair bit of comfort in that. Sure, I could have maybe studied more, but there's no way to read everything in the canon of Anglophone literature and international literary theory from the past 1400 years, which means that there will always be some questions you will not be able to confidently answer with either your own knowledge or through the process of elimination. Accepting that, that your performance on the exam won't be perfect and very much can't be, is delightfully freeing.