Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mamulka]

Hi, I am about to embark on my quest for a Masters in TESOL/Linguistics and I need to take the GRE. Assuming I've got books and time (which I will) how long should I expect it to take to prepare well without classes? I know this is a loaded question, completely subjective to the pace and retention abilities of the learner, but I am interested in hearing from those who've done the work and seen the results - good or bad. I want to apply for schools later this fall or around New Years.

Thanks,

Matt

[Ryst Helmut]

[simone]

Fight like you train, train like you fight.

Find practice tests online. Do them under the same time constraints you�d have in the real test environment. Wake up at the same time in the morning of the test, eat the same breakfast, take the same number of bathroom/water breaks you�d be allowed to have. Wear those earplugs. Find out where you�ll be taking the test, and go experience your commute there at least once, preferably during the same time of day and day of the week.

Do your best to recreate the stress you�ll feel on test day, and by the time you take the test, you�ll be cool as a cucumber. So many people freak themselves out unnecessarily. If you build some test-taking routines into your preparations, it helps.

Definitely pay for the online practice tests that score your test and give you feedback on the answers. Worth every penny. You might find some surprising information, such as I did when studying for the GMAT: Even though quant and verbal comprise 50% of the test each, if you score tremendously high in one, it�ll bring up your overall score much higher than if you do merely well in both. I had previously thought that I should ONLY study quant in order to �bring up that half�.

With that in mind, I gave up on my weakness, (geometry in particular) and honed my already strong grammar skills. In some ways it doesn�t make much sense, but overall it really helped my total score.

[dogshed]

I used to work at the UMKC testing center. Our policy was to allow
people to inspect the center when it was not in use. Some people
really liked to come and see where everything was. You might
visit your testing center so there are no surprises. Where are
the bathrooms? What kind of pencils do they have? Where are
the cameras? The window? How do you notify the person monitoring
the tests?

A lot of people don't know how to use the soft foam ear plugs.
You roll them between your fingers to make them thin.
If you make them oval then you have to wait for them to
expand and start over.
Pull your ear back to open the ear canal and put them in the ear before
they expand. They should almost fall in. If not then let them expand and
roll them again.
Hold them in the ear canal until they expand.

[Ryst Helmut]

[philogirl81]

As I prepare to study for the bloody GRE's for the third time here in a few months, I have a few hints that will increase your score.
The first time I took the test a few years ago I was preparing to go into a master's program. I did the standard book study a month before the test, practiced taking the test online, yada, yada and did terrible in the math section. I got a 550 (I think) and a 700 on the language section.
The second time I needed a much, much higher score for phd ㅔprograms.
So, I decided to (wisely) room with a girl that taught people how to raise their score for the Princeton Review. I thought to myself that since I have a masters in a writing-intensive program that I would skip over the non-math section and concentrate on the mathmatics. This, combined with bizarre inside-information strategies, would surely raise my score. I recieved a 600 on the language section and a 750 on the math. Which, while good, is not good enough to get into the programs that I want to get into.
So, this is a very bloviated message and my advice is to fu****ck the GRE's. It is all about learning how to take the test. Good luck!
PS you should sign up for the princeton review's GRE word of the day. They send you all of the beloved GRE vocab words right to your e-mail.
And good luck again because you will need it!

[mamulka]

thanks for all the tips. some sound jaded, some sound inspirational. i'll take the positives and try to focus on those tips. anybody know good websites to practice taking the test online for a fee? i've got plenty of time in korea to do that. bless your hearts....m