What book/guide did you use to study for (GRE)

amandasw · August 2009

I used Barron's, but I'm pretty sure they are all similar. If I may, my advice:- study the techniques the most and memorize the kind of questions you'll be asked. For example, there are two different kinds of essay questions, don't switch them up because they are very similar but you answer them very differently.- practice the antonym questions so you can get faster at it- unless you are a math genius, spend more time on that than the English because IMO you can improve faster with math than memorizing every word in the dictionary (believe me, they pull out some crazy words). Again, the English is more about the method than actually knowing all the vocab. *I suppose this would not apply if you have a super fantastic amazing vocabulary*good luck

ricksang · August 2009

I suck at math so I will study that more! TY for the advice. I will def. take it.

J&K10910 · August 2009

I used the Princeton Review's book. I've heard some people don't like it, but it worked well for me. I used theirs for the Psych test too. I really liked their vocab lists and I saw many, many words from their main list on the test.

Mrs.B6302007 · August 2009

I've not taken the GRE but I do have GRE for Dummies.

ricksang · August 2009

I am nervous about the math part.

ricksang · August 2009

GRE for Dummies. Good idea!

J&K10910 · August 2009

See, I think the math was pretty easy. I'm a crappy math person, and a good English person, but I scored higher on the Quant than the Verbal. But my percentile rank on the V was higher than the Q. Which doesn't make sense because I thought they were supposed to be normed so that doesn't happen. Oh well.

ricksang · August 2009

Is it multiply choice?

ricksang · August 2009

Multiple wth is wrong with me today?

aggiebug · August 2009

I used Barron's I think. The biggest thing about math is you can't use a calculator. The books are super helpful at teaching you the techniques to answer the questions quickly. I am good at math so I spent all my time looking over the vocab and only a minimal time on the math section of the book. I regretted that because the simply tricks they teach you work great no matter how good you are at math.

J&K10910 · August 2009

Yup the whole test is multiple choice. Whatever you choose, find something with practice questions. That's the best way to study, IMO.Also, I liked the Princeton Review's general tips, for eliminating answers and such. I think on the GRE site there are practice tests you can d/l. I couldn't, because I have a Mac, but someone told me they were helpful to him.

ricksang · August 2009

Gah, no calculators?! Well, at least I have like up to five times a year to try and pass this thing, right?

amandasw · August 2009

ok, true story:I was taking the math section and taking my time. **unless they have changed it, the test grades you as you take it. So if you answer correctly, you get a question in a higher bracket and if it's wrong you go in a lower bracket. which = the first question is the most important. As you go on, it gets less and less important because it can affect your score less. Read whatever guide you get since it should talk about all of this.**So, back to the story. I spent a lot of time on the first few questions trying to make sure I got it right (had a mini heart attack when I entered my first answer). Suddenly, I look up and I'm only HALFWAY through with like 5 min. Total freak out start trying to rush through and don't even actually calculate the last few, just put in random answers. Stupid test gives you like 10min to re-group before going on and I thought I was going to die thinking I had failed. Then I was super stressed during the English portion.Ironically, I got a really good score on the math and then just an ok score on English. So, yeah, I guess it worked to spend more time at the beginning, but maybe try to pace yourself a little better than I did

ricksang · August 2009

TY all for your tips/info. I was going to wait until spring to take it but I think I may fail it, so I want plenty of time to retake/pass this thing.

tlv204 · August 2009

I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure I used Barrons. Also, I was an English major with a raging hatred of mathematics, and I still did better on math than verbal. I just reviewed basic math stuff like circumference and diameter and stuff like that. Also, I studied hours and hours on the vocabulary in that stupid study book. Only one word that I studied was anywhere on the test, and it was just one of the wrong answer questions. I want to tell you to not bother with vocabulary, but it might help.And ditto on studying the types of essay questions, they were almost exactly the same as the ones in the study books, just different subject matters.

J&K10910 · August 2009

Seriously, you don't need a calculator. Don't let that scare you. Get a book, take some practice questions, it'll be ok.And, not to freak you out, but I'd go into the GRE thinking you only get to take it once. It's not like the ACT or SAT where schools automatically take your higher score. They can take whatever they want with no rhyme or reason. Some schools only look at your lowest score, or your first score. At least, this is what my advisor told me.

ricksang · August 2009

LOL Amanda talk about luck!

J&K10910 · August 2009

Really tlv? I guess that's one place where PR trumps Barrons, as I typically hear Barrons is the better book, but I saw tons of PR vocab words on the test.

tlv204 · August 2009

According to what I've read, pretty much every person on the planet scores higher on math than verbal, I think that's just how the test is set up. Hands down the thing that helped me most was taking practice tests. Take as many of those as you can.

tlv204 · August 2009

I mean honestly it may have been a complete coincidence, but I was pissed. I spent so much time studying those stupid vocab words, and I never study for anything.

J&K10910 · August 2009

I'd be pissed too! I spent a ton of time with the vocab and I was glad I did, even though English is my strong area.

amandasw · August 2009

I agree with tlv, I don't remember seeing very many of the vocab words on the test (I also used Barron's). I think the vocab section would only be easy for people who know all their latin & germanic roots etc. Basically, they're going to give you words you probably don't know and if you understand how the English language works, you can deduce the meaning rather than actually just know all the words. Which is why I say don't focus too much on the English section besides learning how to answer the questions. The main thing in the English section I worked on was antonymns because that's not a natural thing to do (at least for me).

[Deleted User] · August 2009

So, I don't have any GRE advice, but I was just looking through samissah's bio. Her MOH's name is Aviola. That is so dangerously close to ariola.

ricksang · August 2009

I am already in the grad program (taking undergrad classes this year to catch up since I have a history degree) and luckily, some of the grad students told me that they failed the test a couple of times, so I know they accept third attempt students already. Plus, I am going to dazzle them with my good grades in my nutrition classes this and I am going to excel as a member of the student nutrition council. The reason I am not hopeful about the GRE (math) is because I dropped out of school in 10th grade and I do not remember geometry or other math classes. I barely passed algebra in undergrad and NOW I am having to take pre-chem before I can take my chem classes. I excel in everything but math, grrrrr.

amandasw · August 2009

yeah ricks, I totally lucked out. You have no idea what was going through my mind when I finished the math section. It was like "oh man I failed, I want to cry. can I cry here? crap it's telling me I only have 7min. What if I just ran out? Ooh what if the building were to burn down right now?*"*in case you missed that whole I-think-of-really-horrible-things-all-the-time during the confessions thread

ricksang · August 2009

So you think I should get both books?

ricksang · August 2009

agree with tlv, I don't remember seeing very many of the vocab words on the test (I also used Barron's). I think the vocab section would only be easy for people who know all their latin & germanic roots etc. Basically, they're going to give you words you probably don't know and if you understand how the English language works, you can deduce the meaning rather than actually just know all the words. I am taking medical terminolgy right now. Maybe this will help??!!!Well, the latin part at least.

amandasw · August 2009

I think you might poke your eyes out if you get both books. Don't stress out too much about it

I think most people here seem to agree the math is the part you can easily improve and do well on and both books have comparable math sections.

AmoroAgain · August 2009

I've used Barron's and Princeton, and just used whichever techniques worked best for me from each.I failed the math part horribly. Horribly. I don't even want to remember that. I did amazingly on everything else, but math. Dear. God. Worse than the LSAT that f*cker was.

tlv204 · August 2009

I mean it couldn't hurt to get both books, if for no other reason than twice as many practice tests. I actually managed to sell mine to a "friend"-who-i-actually-didn't-like-that-much for about 3/4 the amount that I spent on it, and that's with all of the paper practice tests already being taken. He got screwed.

What book/guide did you use to study for (GRE)

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