Well, hey now!
I'm not sure if you would be able to see this if you don't have a Twitter account, but this is cool:
The Princeton Review (GREDailyTword)
Ho ho hoooo... devilish laugh... (okay, not really)
But, really, Princeton Review just got the ever elusive AWESOME points. So far I believe this blog has determined that the only other person/place/thing/abstraction that has received AWESOME points is Alton Brown's Good Eats: The Early Years (that was one of the December 28 posts).
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Two More Hours Until 12-Hour Car Ride
I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to be sleeping for a while. I feel like being a little lazy, but I also feel like writing in here. So, I am. It's officially not my birthday anymore, but that's okay.
To the tune of "Oh, Christmas Tree"/"O Tenenbaum":
The GRE, The GRE
How annoying can it be
O, GRE, O GRE,
Mid-January I'll be free!
That is until the Psych exam
And then I'll buy some books and cram
Psych GRE, Psych GRE
I'll get to it eventually
To the tune of Auld Lang Syne:
Should all vocab words be forgot
And never brought to mind?
After all this, I should hope not.
If so, my teeth I'll grind.
The answers I must find, oh dear
The answers I must find!
The GRE...it worries me.
I'm gonna lose my mind.
I hope to update through the new year, but if not then there will be incredible updates to come!
Happy New Year!
To the tune of "Oh, Christmas Tree"/"O Tenenbaum":
The GRE, The GRE
How annoying can it be
O, GRE, O GRE,
Mid-January I'll be free!
That is until the Psych exam
And then I'll buy some books and cram
Psych GRE, Psych GRE
I'll get to it eventually
To the tune of Auld Lang Syne:
Should all vocab words be forgot
And never brought to mind?
After all this, I should hope not.
If so, my teeth I'll grind.
The answers I must find, oh dear
The answers I must find!
The GRE...it worries me.
I'm gonna lose my mind.
I hope to update through the new year, but if not then there will be incredible updates to come!
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
It's My Birthday! Part II
Today I went out to lunch with my boyfriend and a two of my best friends to a Japanese restaurant and for dinner my parents made burgers, corn, and mushroom ravioli. That is my birthday.
And, on my birthday, I did a lot of GRE studying. Hooray and ugh at the same time.
I'm essentially done with the verbal section of the Barron's book. Here's how I did on the Reading Comprehension Exercises:
A: 17/20
B: 18/20
C: 15/20
D: 16/20
E: 17/20
Fairly consistent, I'd say. I also finished the Word Lists! Now that's an accomplishment in itself. 9 days and 3,500 words separated into 50 word lists containing 70 words each. Yep. Here's the results of the ones I finished late last night:
#47: 13/15
#48: 14/15
#49: 14/15
#50: 14/15
After doing a but of tallying, I figured that this is how I fared on the tests:
Number of tests where I got a certain score:
10/15: 2
11/15: 2
12/15: 4
13/15: 13
14/15: 21
15/15: 8
After doing a some math, I figured that the average of all of those tests is a 13.46 out of 15, which is equivalent to 89.73%, but it's important to keep in mind that the tests did not test every word that is in the Master Word List. Not bad, though, in consideration. And, though this isn't really reliable, it's just interesting to look at: 3160.55 words. That's the number of words I should know by now that was in the Master Word List, according to the percentage that I got for the tests.
I wonder if the headaches I've been getting recently have to do with any of this.
I skimmed quickly over the section in the Barron's book on "Basic Word Parts", including "Common Prefixes". "Common Roots and Stems", and "Common Suffixes". My thoughts are that it's a little precarious to try to apply this method to words I don't know because there is still a good chance that the word actually doesn't mean anything near what the parts of it says it means. I'll keep them in mind. Loosely.
Thought that I will elaborate on perhaps another day: the analytical writing section is FREAKIN ME OUT. That's all for now on that matter.
For now I can put the Barron's GRE prep book aside until I start up math work. It's resting on top of the ETS book right now. Oh, so many pages...
I started on the Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE right after I put aside the Barron's book. The Princeton book is pretty much what I expect it to be: wordy, a lot of examples almost to the point of being too much, concentrating on approach and "how to crack" questions, and a dash of humor. Why do I expect that from Princeton? Because I was thinking that in their attempt to teach a person of... hmmm... "lesser mind" (dare I say?) who bought the book because he or she must consider him or her self incapable of tackling the GRE straight on with no preparation, Princeton would "dumb it down" and teach slow. Still, it's Princeton and that almost requires over analyzing and wordiness. Whatever. The book is still useful.
I'm on page 134. I skipped a lot of the blahblahblah, even though I do know that I'm going to go back and read it because I'm that pathetic.
Here's how I fared on the "drills" which I finished already:
Analogies Drill, Page 39: 9/9
Analogies Drill, Page 45: 10/10 (one of them I was a little off on, but I knew there was a relationship, which was the point of the exercise)
Analogies Practice Set, Page 51: 9/10
Sentence Completion Drills, Pages 60-61: (Pg 61): 5/7 (I dislike the approach)
Text Completion Question Example, Page 72: 3/3
Sentence Completions Practice Set, Page 77: 9/10 (the one I got wrong is the one I changed last second) on the regular fill-ins, 7/10 on the text completion questions. 16/20 as a whole.
I also started working on "The Hit Parade" groups (ummm...word lists. That is just so much simpler, but okay). The answer keys to the GRE Hit Parade Exercises for Groups 1-4 is located on page 151, for those who are trying to find it. Following the Hit Parade is "Beyond the Hit Parade" which is composed of two groups of words with no practice exercises, but are apparently still important to know. Princeton. Just put them in with the others. Just. Duh.
77 words + 76 words + 78 words + 72 words = The Hit Parade Groups, respectively. Princeton, why are you randomly assigning words to unequal groups? I don't get it. It's not even separated alphabetically! It's just divided up bizarrely.
52 words + 78 words = Beyond the Hit Parade Groups 1 & 2.
All in all, the Princeton books offers 433 words and their definitions.
This is what the Princeton book says on the Hit Parade on Page 119:
"The Hit Parade
You should start your vocabulary work by studying the Hit Parade, which is a list we've compiled by some of the most frequently tested words on the GRE. We put together this list by analyzing released GREs with out computers, as we keep tabs on the test to make sure that these words are still popular with ETS. At the very least, answer choices that contain Hit Parade words make very good guesses on questions for which you don't know the answer.
Learning the Hit Parade will give you a feel for the level of vocabulary that ETS likes to test. Then it will be easier to spot other possible GRE words in your everyday life. Each word on the Hit Parade is followed by a part of speech and a brief definition for the word. Some of the words on this list may have other definitions as well, but the definitions we have given are the ones most likely to appear on the GRE.
We've broken the Hit Parade down into four groups of about 75 words each. Don't try to learn all four groups of words at once - word with one list at a time. Write the words and their definitions down in a notebook or on flashcards. it is very important to write them down yourself since this will help you remember them. Just glancing through the lists printed in this book won't be nearly as effective; you need to make these words your own. After each group of words, there is a set of exercises consisting of a definition quiz, a matching quiz, and some GRE questions utilizing words from that group. Don't do these right away. Spend some time studying and learning the words first, then use the exercises as a way to test yourself. If you still have difficulty with the questions, go back and work on those words some more before moving on to the next group.
Now get to work!"
I'll take Barron's 3,500-Word Master Work List. Thanks.
And, on my birthday, I did a lot of GRE studying. Hooray and ugh at the same time.
I'm essentially done with the verbal section of the Barron's book. Here's how I did on the Reading Comprehension Exercises:
A: 17/20
B: 18/20
C: 15/20
D: 16/20
E: 17/20
Fairly consistent, I'd say. I also finished the Word Lists! Now that's an accomplishment in itself. 9 days and 3,500 words separated into 50 word lists containing 70 words each. Yep. Here's the results of the ones I finished late last night:
#47: 13/15
#48: 14/15
#49: 14/15
#50: 14/15
After doing a but of tallying, I figured that this is how I fared on the tests:
Number of tests where I got a certain score:
10/15: 2
11/15: 2
12/15: 4
13/15: 13
14/15: 21
15/15: 8
After doing a some math, I figured that the average of all of those tests is a 13.46 out of 15, which is equivalent to 89.73%, but it's important to keep in mind that the tests did not test every word that is in the Master Word List. Not bad, though, in consideration. And, though this isn't really reliable, it's just interesting to look at: 3160.55 words. That's the number of words I should know by now that was in the Master Word List, according to the percentage that I got for the tests.
I wonder if the headaches I've been getting recently have to do with any of this.
I skimmed quickly over the section in the Barron's book on "Basic Word Parts", including "Common Prefixes". "Common Roots and Stems", and "Common Suffixes". My thoughts are that it's a little precarious to try to apply this method to words I don't know because there is still a good chance that the word actually doesn't mean anything near what the parts of it says it means. I'll keep them in mind. Loosely.
Thought that I will elaborate on perhaps another day: the analytical writing section is FREAKIN ME OUT. That's all for now on that matter.
For now I can put the Barron's GRE prep book aside until I start up math work. It's resting on top of the ETS book right now. Oh, so many pages...
I started on the Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE right after I put aside the Barron's book. The Princeton book is pretty much what I expect it to be: wordy, a lot of examples almost to the point of being too much, concentrating on approach and "how to crack" questions, and a dash of humor. Why do I expect that from Princeton? Because I was thinking that in their attempt to teach a person of... hmmm... "lesser mind" (dare I say?) who bought the book because he or she must consider him or her self incapable of tackling the GRE straight on with no preparation, Princeton would "dumb it down" and teach slow. Still, it's Princeton and that almost requires over analyzing and wordiness. Whatever. The book is still useful.
I'm on page 134. I skipped a lot of the blahblahblah, even though I do know that I'm going to go back and read it because I'm that pathetic.
Here's how I fared on the "drills" which I finished already:
Analogies Drill, Page 39: 9/9
Analogies Drill, Page 45: 10/10 (one of them I was a little off on, but I knew there was a relationship, which was the point of the exercise)
Analogies Practice Set, Page 51: 9/10
Sentence Completion Drills, Pages 60-61: (Pg 61): 5/7 (I dislike the approach)
Text Completion Question Example, Page 72: 3/3
Sentence Completions Practice Set, Page 77: 9/10 (the one I got wrong is the one I changed last second) on the regular fill-ins, 7/10 on the text completion questions. 16/20 as a whole.
I also started working on "The Hit Parade" groups (ummm...word lists. That is just so much simpler, but okay). The answer keys to the GRE Hit Parade Exercises for Groups 1-4 is located on page 151, for those who are trying to find it. Following the Hit Parade is "Beyond the Hit Parade" which is composed of two groups of words with no practice exercises, but are apparently still important to know. Princeton. Just put them in with the others. Just. Duh.
77 words + 76 words + 78 words + 72 words = The Hit Parade Groups, respectively. Princeton, why are you randomly assigning words to unequal groups? I don't get it. It's not even separated alphabetically! It's just divided up bizarrely.
52 words + 78 words = Beyond the Hit Parade Groups 1 & 2.
All in all, the Princeton books offers 433 words and their definitions.
This is what the Princeton book says on the Hit Parade on Page 119:
"The Hit Parade
You should start your vocabulary work by studying the Hit Parade, which is a list we've compiled by some of the most frequently tested words on the GRE. We put together this list by analyzing released GREs with out computers, as we keep tabs on the test to make sure that these words are still popular with ETS. At the very least, answer choices that contain Hit Parade words make very good guesses on questions for which you don't know the answer.
Learning the Hit Parade will give you a feel for the level of vocabulary that ETS likes to test. Then it will be easier to spot other possible GRE words in your everyday life. Each word on the Hit Parade is followed by a part of speech and a brief definition for the word. Some of the words on this list may have other definitions as well, but the definitions we have given are the ones most likely to appear on the GRE.
We've broken the Hit Parade down into four groups of about 75 words each. Don't try to learn all four groups of words at once - word with one list at a time. Write the words and their definitions down in a notebook or on flashcards. it is very important to write them down yourself since this will help you remember them. Just glancing through the lists printed in this book won't be nearly as effective; you need to make these words your own. After each group of words, there is a set of exercises consisting of a definition quiz, a matching quiz, and some GRE questions utilizing words from that group. Don't do these right away. Spend some time studying and learning the words first, then use the exercises as a way to test yourself. If you still have difficulty with the questions, go back and work on those words some more before moving on to the next group.
Now get to work!"
I'll take Barron's 3,500-Word Master Work List. Thanks.
It's My Birthday!
Today is my 2nd palindrome birthday! Hooray! Yes, I will still be studying for the GRE. The birthday-related activities for today include going out to lunch with my boyfriend and one or two close friends and eating cheeseburgers/quesadillas made by my mom for dinner (I requested this as my birthday dinner, opposed to the usual pasta birthday dinner I like...craving burgers lately!). I already got my big present: this laptop. It's a combination Christmas-birthday-graduation present. And that's just fine with me! It's lovely and I love it.
Other activities planned for today arre studying for the GRE and packing for North Carolina. My family and I are driving down. Driving. It's a 12-hour drive. My dad has decided that we are leaving at 3AM. WHAT?
The reason why I am slightly irritated about leaving at that time shouldn't be because I want to spend the time on the road studying and leaving at 3AM cuts into major study time. It really shouldn't.
Anywho, today my boyfriend I am went to Barnes and Noble and not only did I get a present from him, which was Alton Brown's Good Eats: The Early Years (AMAZING), but I got to peek into Sparknotes' GRE prep book. It's not bad. I like that they inject humor into studying. I'd say that even though the 400-word pullout is helpful, I don't think it's as helpful as the 3,500 Master Word List I have in my lap right now (thanks, Barrons). I'm almost done studying it, too, or at least I'm almost done finishing studying it the first time. I do have to go back over words.
Here's a progress report:
On the Word Lists:
#30: 13/15 (Day 6)
#31: 13/15 (Day 6)
#32: 13/15 (Day 6)
#33: 14/15 (Day 6)
#34: 13/15 (Day 7)
#35: 14/15 (Day 7)
#36: 14/15 (Day 7)
#37: 14/15 (Day 8)
#38: 13/15 (Day 8)
#39: 11/15 (Day 8)
#40: 13/15 (Day 9)
#41: 15/15 (Day 9)
#42: 10/15 (Day 9)
#43: 13/15 (Day 9)
#44: 14/15 (Day 9)
#45: 13/15 (Day 9)
#46: 14/15 (Day 9)
Sentence Completion Exercises:
Exercise B: 14/20
Exercise C: 17/20
Analogy Exercises:
Exercise B: 18/20
Exercise C; 18/20
Exercise D: 17/20
Exercise E: 13/20
Antonym Exercises:
Exercise C: 13/20
Exercise D: 14/20
Exercise E: 13/20
I included all the finished Analogy and Antonym exercises because I can't remember if I mentioned them or not. I get the feeling that I did already, though.
Other activities planned for today arre studying for the GRE and packing for North Carolina. My family and I are driving down. Driving. It's a 12-hour drive. My dad has decided that we are leaving at 3AM. WHAT?
The reason why I am slightly irritated about leaving at that time shouldn't be because I want to spend the time on the road studying and leaving at 3AM cuts into major study time. It really shouldn't.
Anywho, today my boyfriend I am went to Barnes and Noble and not only did I get a present from him, which was Alton Brown's Good Eats: The Early Years (AMAZING), but I got to peek into Sparknotes' GRE prep book. It's not bad. I like that they inject humor into studying. I'd say that even though the 400-word pullout is helpful, I don't think it's as helpful as the 3,500 Master Word List I have in my lap right now (thanks, Barrons). I'm almost done studying it, too, or at least I'm almost done finishing studying it the first time. I do have to go back over words.
Here's a progress report:
On the Word Lists:
#30: 13/15 (Day 6)
#31: 13/15 (Day 6)
#32: 13/15 (Day 6)
#33: 14/15 (Day 6)
#34: 13/15 (Day 7)
#35: 14/15 (Day 7)
#36: 14/15 (Day 7)
#37: 14/15 (Day 8)
#38: 13/15 (Day 8)
#39: 11/15 (Day 8)
#40: 13/15 (Day 9)
#41: 15/15 (Day 9)
#42: 10/15 (Day 9)
#43: 13/15 (Day 9)
#44: 14/15 (Day 9)
#45: 13/15 (Day 9)
#46: 14/15 (Day 9)
Sentence Completion Exercises:
Exercise B: 14/20
Exercise C: 17/20
Analogy Exercises:
Exercise B: 18/20
Exercise C; 18/20
Exercise D: 17/20
Exercise E: 13/20
Antonym Exercises:
Exercise C: 13/20
Exercise D: 14/20
Exercise E: 13/20
I included all the finished Analogy and Antonym exercises because I can't remember if I mentioned them or not. I get the feeling that I did already, though.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sidenotes
There used to be a post that contained some venting here, but I decided that I should just focus on writing about the GRE. So, here goes:
Glad that I studied ahead yesterday because I went to a friend's party last night.
And...that's...basically all that has to do with the GRE right now. Whoopeeee!
Glad that I studied ahead yesterday because I went to a friend's party last night.
And...that's...basically all that has to do with the GRE right now. Whoopeeee!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Fun Days Coming Up...Studying Conflicts
It's the day after Christmas! Which means that tonight is my friend's graduation party, at which there will be much merriment. And then in three more days it's my birthday! Which means that there will be much merriment as well. The following day is when my family and I are heading down to North Carolina to spend time with extended family who live there. Then, the day after that is New Year's Eve, which means that the next day is New Year's. THEN my love is going back home to visit his family two days after that.
This means that I'm screwed for studying time for the next week.
I plan on getting major blocks of GRE cramming in while I'm trying to not go crazy in the car with my family. Maybe that will give me some good conditioning for sitting still in one spot. Practicing working in uncomfortable conditions is bound to be beneficial to me for the testing day.
Here's a little update on the Barron's book progress:
Did some more work on Word Lists, antonyms, analogies, and sentence completions. Improved on the antonyms and analogies. The sentence completions are taking a hit right now. Maybe it's because my brain is getting used to looking at one or two words rather than whole sentences. I'm thinking that a cure for this is real reading. And I think that I could kill two birds with one stone by doing some reading comprehension practice.
I'm going to go take a shower so that I feel like a real person again.
This means that I'm screwed for studying time for the next week.
I plan on getting major blocks of GRE cramming in while I'm trying to not go crazy in the car with my family. Maybe that will give me some good conditioning for sitting still in one spot. Practicing working in uncomfortable conditions is bound to be beneficial to me for the testing day.
Here's a little update on the Barron's book progress:
Did some more work on Word Lists, antonyms, analogies, and sentence completions. Improved on the antonyms and analogies. The sentence completions are taking a hit right now. Maybe it's because my brain is getting used to looking at one or two words rather than whole sentences. I'm thinking that a cure for this is real reading. And I think that I could kill two birds with one stone by doing some reading comprehension practice.
I'm going to go take a shower so that I feel like a real person again.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Updates - Barron's Book Escapades Part 3
In consideration of the fact that it's so loud in my house right now that it's basically pointless to study, I'm going to write in here. Since my last update I completed Word Lists 27 - 29. On the tests I got these scores, respectively: 14/15, 15/15, 10/15. I'm sure that you can discern that I'm getting a bit irritated from the noise. My older brother has the loudest man in the world over to visit. My boyfriend and younger brother are playing Modern Warfare 2. I had to ask for the volume to be turned down twice because they don't need sound to play the game and I need quiet to study. Icing on the cake: my mom asked me to put the Barron's GRE prep book away while we eat dessert (pun intended). Umm, hello? To cheer myself up I'm going to write about the words that I've come across so far that stand out, starting with the words that Barron's book fails to define in its own Master Word List:
"martinet N. No talking at meals! No mingling with the servants! Miss Minchin was a martinet who insisted that the schoolgirls in her charge observe each regulation to the letter." (pg. 218)
"erotic ADJ. Films with significant erotic content are rated R; pornographic films are rated X." (pg. 194) *Don't worry: the link is just the dictionary.com definition.
What Barron's did for the (... 70 x 29... - 2...) 2028 other words was give the emboldened vocabulary word, indicate what part of speech it was in abbreviated form, define the word, and then offer at least one example of a sentence that contains the word. The above two words were missing the key part of a definition: defining the word. Just, duh.
So far I've only come across one word that I was tested on that didn't have anything written about it at all: "candid" in the test for Word List 7 (pg. 175).
Now I'm going to write about the words that made me smile because I was channeling my inner-nerd:
"matrix N. point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die. Some historians claim the Nile Valley was the matrix of Western civilization." (pg. 218) Oh, The Matrix...
"gratuitous ADJ. given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for. Quit making gratuitous comments about my driving; no one asked you for your opinion." (pg. 204) "GRATUITOUS AMOUNTS OF ENERGY!" Thank you, Powerthirst.
"juggernaut N. irresistible crushing force. Nothing could survive in the path of the juggernaut." (pg. 214) "I'M THE JUGGERNAUT...!" (explicit content) Who doesn't love videos of dubbed episodes of X-Men?
"aperture N. opening; hole. She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room." (pg. 166) This was possibly my favorite nerd-word because it has to do with the game Portal. I'm going to try not to go into too much detail here, but in the game the evil company doing experiments is called "Aperture Science" and the game has to do with making portals (holes that lead to other places). Here's the song you hear when you win the game: Still Alive by Jonathan Coultron, sung by Ellen McLaine.
I'm going to write more later on other fun words, but for now I'm going to stop writing and get back to studying because it's significantly quieter here and I'm feeling much better than when I started writing this post.
Hey, I didn't get to tell you yet!:
Merry Christmas!
"martinet N. No talking at meals! No mingling with the servants! Miss Minchin was a martinet who insisted that the schoolgirls in her charge observe each regulation to the letter." (pg. 218)
"erotic ADJ. Films with significant erotic content are rated R; pornographic films are rated X." (pg. 194) *Don't worry: the link is just the dictionary.com definition.
What Barron's did for the (... 70 x 29... - 2...) 2028 other words was give the emboldened vocabulary word, indicate what part of speech it was in abbreviated form, define the word, and then offer at least one example of a sentence that contains the word. The above two words were missing the key part of a definition: defining the word. Just, duh.
So far I've only come across one word that I was tested on that didn't have anything written about it at all: "candid" in the test for Word List 7 (pg. 175).
Now I'm going to write about the words that made me smile because I was channeling my inner-nerd:
"matrix N. point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die. Some historians claim the Nile Valley was the matrix of Western civilization." (pg. 218) Oh, The Matrix...
"gratuitous ADJ. given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for. Quit making gratuitous comments about my driving; no one asked you for your opinion." (pg. 204) "GRATUITOUS AMOUNTS OF ENERGY!" Thank you, Powerthirst.
"juggernaut N. irresistible crushing force. Nothing could survive in the path of the juggernaut." (pg. 214) "I'M THE JUGGERNAUT...!" (explicit content) Who doesn't love videos of dubbed episodes of X-Men?
"aperture N. opening; hole. She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room." (pg. 166) This was possibly my favorite nerd-word because it has to do with the game Portal. I'm going to try not to go into too much detail here, but in the game the evil company doing experiments is called "Aperture Science" and the game has to do with making portals (holes that lead to other places). Here's the song you hear when you win the game: Still Alive by Jonathan Coultron, sung by Ellen McLaine.
I'm going to write more later on other fun words, but for now I'm going to stop writing and get back to studying because it's significantly quieter here and I'm feeling much better than when I started writing this post.
Hey, I didn't get to tell you yet!:
Merry Christmas!
Christmas Updates - Barron's Book Escapades Part 2
Within Barron's GRE prep book is "the 3,500-Word Master Word List". This is an incredible list, despite the fact that the double mentioning of the word "word" in the very name of it irks me. There are 50 word lists in this giant word list, each list containing 70 words. Barron's advises the reader to do one word list a day and dedicate about an hour to each list. It's obvious to me that I need to speed that up a jot in consideration of the fact that I registered for the test much less than 50 days before the test. Within the past six days I have studied Word Lists 1 to 26. Here are my grades that I've received on the Word Lists (Barron's suggests not moving on to study the next list until the student has got at least a 12/15 on the test that comes at the end of the word list.):
(Word List # - Score - Day)
(Word List # - Score - Day)
- 12/15 (Day 1)
- 15/15 (Day 1)
- 13/15 (Day 1)
- 12/15 (Day 1)
- 14/15 (Day 2)
- 15/15 (Day 2)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 15/15 (Day 3)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 14/15 (Day 3)
- 13/15 (Day 4)
- 14/15 (Day 4)
- 14/15 (Day 4)
- 12/15 (Day 4)
- 13/15 (Day 4)
- 15/15 (Day 4)
- 15/15 (Day 5 - Christmas Eve)
- 15/15 (Day 5 - Christmas Eve)
- 11/15 (Day 5 - Christmas Eve)
- 13/15 (Day 6 - Christmas Day, today)
- 12/15 (Day 6 - Christmas Day, today)
Christmas Updates - Barron's Book Escapades Part 1
So I haven't updated in a little while. It's because I'm finally home for winter break, have been trying to get everything in order for Christmas, and actually been applying myself to this Barron's GRE prep book. Aren't you proud?
I've been doing some damage on this one.
I finished the diagnostic test before embarking on studying the information provided in the book and got something like a 450 on verbal and a 500 on math. Whoop-de-doo. Blegh. I've attributed this poor grade to my lack of vocabulary, not going over math enough yet, and the fact that I like to rush. All of these things must be remedied as soon as possible. Notice that I'm not blaming myself for not doing outstanding on the diagnostic test. It's because I know that I can do better.
I completed Chapter 4 on Antonyms. Here is a listing of of testing tactics that the book gives and my thoughts on each tactic:
1. "Think of a context for the capitalized word" - I like this, but it's hard for me to do.
2. "Before you look at the choices, think of antonyms for the capitalized word" - I like this one a lot.
3. "Read all the choices before you decide which is best" - Eeep...I need to work on this one because it's so obviously helpful.
4. "Look at the answer choices to determine the word's part of speech" - I like this one.
5. "Consider secondary meanings of the capitalized word as well as its primary meaning" - Eeep on this one, too. I like it, but it's difficult to do.
6. "Break down unfamiliar words into recognizable parts" - I like this one, but I need to be careful with it.
7. "Change unfamiliar words from one part of speech to another" - I like this one.
8. "In eliminating answer choices, test words for their positive or negative connotations" - Hmmm, I don't know about this one.
9. "Watch out for errors caused by eye-catchers" - Yikes because I've fallen into this trap. Need to work on it.
I bite at antonyms. These scores on the exercises will give you an idea how much so:
12/20, 12/20, 13/20, 14/20, and 13/20. Consistent, yes, but needs improvement!
I went over the tactics in Chapter 5, which is about Analogies, too:
1. "Before you look at the choices, try to state the relationship between the capitalized words in a clear sentence" - I love this tactic.
2. "If more than one answer fits the relationship in your sentence, look for a narrower approach" - Ok, will do, thank you sincerely! Good reminder to be careful.
3. "Consider secondary meanings of words as well as their primary meanings" - Eeep. Reminds me of the one that was in the antonyms section. It would be wonderful if words only had one meaning, but alas, English isn't like that.
4. "Watch out for errors caused by eye-catchers" - Good re-reminder.
5. "Look at the answer choices to determine a word's part of speech" - Good point. Like it.
6. "Familiarize yourself with common analogy types - Like a lot. Need to invest more time in this.
Here are the common analogy types, says the Barron's book:
I've only done one exercise for this section, but things are looking up: I got a 17/20 on the exercise! Also, when I was going over the tactics I was able to apply what they were teaching in the book to most of the practice questions that went with each tactic. Hooray!
Chapter 6 is on Sentence Completion questions. Love this kind of question. Maybe it's because I got all of the practice questions that went with each tactic correct. These are the testing tactics:
1. "Before you look at the choices, read the sentence and think of a word that makes sense" - Love this tactic a lot. It works the best for me.
2. "Look at all the possible answers before you make your final choice" - Like because I am still rushing when answering questions, I think.
3. "In double-blank sentences, go through the answers, testing one blank at a time, not two" - I actually never thought about doing this. I thought that I'd screw it up. But I tried it and I love this tactic.
4. "Watch for signal words that link one part of the sentence to another" - Good to keep in mind. The basic kinds of signals the book elaborates on are: "cause and effect signals", "support signals", "contrast signals (explicit)", and "contrast signals (implicit)".
5. "Use your knowledge of words parts and parts of speech to get at the meanings of unfamiliar words" - Makes sense. Suspiciously easy.
6. "Break down complex sentences into simpler components" - This is hard for me to do. I feel like it would take up too much time. I'll keep it in mind, though.
7. "If a sentence contains a metaphor, check to see whether that metaphot controls the writer's choice of words (and your answer choice)" - this totally makes sense and I'm going to use it when I recognize metaphors. Like it.
As for the one sentence completion exercise that I did, I got a 19/20! Woot for me.
Stay tuned for more Christmas updates!
I've been doing some damage on this one.
I finished the diagnostic test before embarking on studying the information provided in the book and got something like a 450 on verbal and a 500 on math. Whoop-de-doo. Blegh. I've attributed this poor grade to my lack of vocabulary, not going over math enough yet, and the fact that I like to rush. All of these things must be remedied as soon as possible. Notice that I'm not blaming myself for not doing outstanding on the diagnostic test. It's because I know that I can do better.
I completed Chapter 4 on Antonyms. Here is a listing of of testing tactics that the book gives and my thoughts on each tactic:
1. "Think of a context for the capitalized word" - I like this, but it's hard for me to do.
2. "Before you look at the choices, think of antonyms for the capitalized word" - I like this one a lot.
3. "Read all the choices before you decide which is best" - Eeep...I need to work on this one because it's so obviously helpful.
4. "Look at the answer choices to determine the word's part of speech" - I like this one.
5. "Consider secondary meanings of the capitalized word as well as its primary meaning" - Eeep on this one, too. I like it, but it's difficult to do.
6. "Break down unfamiliar words into recognizable parts" - I like this one, but I need to be careful with it.
7. "Change unfamiliar words from one part of speech to another" - I like this one.
8. "In eliminating answer choices, test words for their positive or negative connotations" - Hmmm, I don't know about this one.
9. "Watch out for errors caused by eye-catchers" - Yikes because I've fallen into this trap. Need to work on it.
I bite at antonyms. These scores on the exercises will give you an idea how much so:
12/20, 12/20, 13/20, 14/20, and 13/20. Consistent, yes, but needs improvement!
I went over the tactics in Chapter 5, which is about Analogies, too:
1. "Before you look at the choices, try to state the relationship between the capitalized words in a clear sentence" - I love this tactic.
2. "If more than one answer fits the relationship in your sentence, look for a narrower approach" - Ok, will do, thank you sincerely! Good reminder to be careful.
3. "Consider secondary meanings of words as well as their primary meanings" - Eeep. Reminds me of the one that was in the antonyms section. It would be wonderful if words only had one meaning, but alas, English isn't like that.
4. "Watch out for errors caused by eye-catchers" - Good re-reminder.
5. "Look at the answer choices to determine a word's part of speech" - Good point. Like it.
6. "Familiarize yourself with common analogy types - Like a lot. Need to invest more time in this.
Here are the common analogy types, says the Barron's book:
- Definition
- Defining characteristic
- Class and member
- Antonyms
- Antonym variants
- Synonyms
- Synonym variants
- Degree of intensity
- Part to whole
- Function
- Manner
- Action and its significance
- Words and article created
- Worker and tool
- Worker and action
- Worker and workplace
- Tool and its action
- Cause and effect
- Sex
- Age
- Time sequence
- Spatial sequence
- Symbol and quality it represents
I've only done one exercise for this section, but things are looking up: I got a 17/20 on the exercise! Also, when I was going over the tactics I was able to apply what they were teaching in the book to most of the practice questions that went with each tactic. Hooray!
Chapter 6 is on Sentence Completion questions. Love this kind of question. Maybe it's because I got all of the practice questions that went with each tactic correct. These are the testing tactics:
1. "Before you look at the choices, read the sentence and think of a word that makes sense" - Love this tactic a lot. It works the best for me.
2. "Look at all the possible answers before you make your final choice" - Like because I am still rushing when answering questions, I think.
3. "In double-blank sentences, go through the answers, testing one blank at a time, not two" - I actually never thought about doing this. I thought that I'd screw it up. But I tried it and I love this tactic.
4. "Watch for signal words that link one part of the sentence to another" - Good to keep in mind. The basic kinds of signals the book elaborates on are: "cause and effect signals", "support signals", "contrast signals (explicit)", and "contrast signals (implicit)".
5. "Use your knowledge of words parts and parts of speech to get at the meanings of unfamiliar words" - Makes sense. Suspiciously easy.
6. "Break down complex sentences into simpler components" - This is hard for me to do. I feel like it would take up too much time. I'll keep it in mind, though.
7. "If a sentence contains a metaphor, check to see whether that metaphot controls the writer's choice of words (and your answer choice)" - this totally makes sense and I'm going to use it when I recognize metaphors. Like it.
As for the one sentence completion exercise that I did, I got a 19/20! Woot for me.
Stay tuned for more Christmas updates!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Kaplan Solicitation
Oh, hey! I forgot to tell this fun story.
Two days ago I got a call from a Kaplan representative because I had signed up for more information about prep classes for the GRE a couple of months ago. He asked me if I would be interested in taking their classes to help prepare and then asked when I'm going to be taking the test. I said that I was taking it on January 11 and he said something to the effect of, "Well. That's not a lot of time at all. If you don't get the scores you want..." and then continued to talk about how in the future I should consider paying them mass amounts of money for courses or online classes because I'm a fool for signing up for a test coming up fast. Okay, he didn't say it like that. But he meant it like that! I could hear it in his voice. I was really nice to him, though, and said 'no, thank you' and that I hoped that he had a nice day. I'm kind of glad that I'm working with the books.
Two days ago I got a call from a Kaplan representative because I had signed up for more information about prep classes for the GRE a couple of months ago. He asked me if I would be interested in taking their classes to help prepare and then asked when I'm going to be taking the test. I said that I was taking it on January 11 and he said something to the effect of, "Well. That's not a lot of time at all. If you don't get the scores you want..." and then continued to talk about how in the future I should consider paying them mass amounts of money for courses or online classes because I'm a fool for signing up for a test coming up fast. Okay, he didn't say it like that. But he meant it like that! I could hear it in his voice. I was really nice to him, though, and said 'no, thank you' and that I hoped that he had a nice day. I'm kind of glad that I'm working with the books.
Update on the Barron's CD-ROM
So... really all that is on the CD-ROM is the two tests that it says it has. No other perquisites. Bleh.
In addition to that, someone who wants to assess their strengths and weaknesses has to finish an entire test! Say for example I wanted to just see how I would do on the mathematics section. I wouldn't be able to do that on this CD-ROM! Boo that!
I guess that I'm going to have to hold off on working on the CD-ROM until I want to actually try taking a full test. What a waste of frikkin' time! Valuable study time! Grrrr, Barron's... already getting on my bad side.
In addition to that, someone who wants to assess their strengths and weaknesses has to finish an entire test! Say for example I wanted to just see how I would do on the mathematics section. I wouldn't be able to do that on this CD-ROM! Boo that!
I guess that I'm going to have to hold off on working on the CD-ROM until I want to actually try taking a full test. What a waste of frikkin' time! Valuable study time! Grrrr, Barron's... already getting on my bad side.
Finished the ETS book
Just finished Practicing to Take the GRE by ETS. Or rather, I finished the section that deals with re-teaching information. I haven't taken any of the 7 practice tests, yet. I'm figuring that I should do that when I'm not at school in a lounge with four other people who are watching television or playing Wii.
Towards the end of the mathematics review my brain starting slipping a little. I definitely need to review the information about geometry and data analysis. There were a few things that I don't even remember ever learning in elementary, middle, or high school let alone college. That's okay, though, because I'll get back to it in future studying. Hooray!
As for the section that went over what the two essays in the GRE are all about, I'm really happy that the book went into what the test graders look for in the essays. I think that if I didn't know any better, I would have written the way that they don't want to see.
I've decided that the next book I'm going to get involved with is Barron's GRE 18th Edition. Sure, Barron's is the self-proclaimed "leader in test preparation", but Barron's and I go way back...maybe like to before this past summer when I got the GRE vocabulary prep book that I never finished. Where did I put that thing anyways?
Another awesome thing about this Barron's book is that it comes with a CD-ROM that houses "two additional computer-adaptive model tests on enclosed CD-ROM." I'm going to crack it open and see what happens.
Towards the end of the mathematics review my brain starting slipping a little. I definitely need to review the information about geometry and data analysis. There were a few things that I don't even remember ever learning in elementary, middle, or high school let alone college. That's okay, though, because I'll get back to it in future studying. Hooray!
As for the section that went over what the two essays in the GRE are all about, I'm really happy that the book went into what the test graders look for in the essays. I think that if I didn't know any better, I would have written the way that they don't want to see.
I've decided that the next book I'm going to get involved with is Barron's GRE 18th Edition. Sure, Barron's is the self-proclaimed "leader in test preparation", but Barron's and I go way back...maybe like to before this past summer when I got the GRE vocabulary prep book that I never finished. Where did I put that thing anyways?
Another awesome thing about this Barron's book is that it comes with a CD-ROM that houses "two additional computer-adaptive model tests on enclosed CD-ROM." I'm going to crack it open and see what happens.
Finals Are Over!...So Beings the Next Three Weeks
I just finished my finals this past Thursday and decided to give myself Friday off. Since my last post I bought all four of the books and a friend gave me all of her materials, which is good because my boyfriend registered to take the GRE today. I'm working on the ETS book: Practicing to Take the GRE (10th edition). I think it was a good way to start preparing. It summarizes succinctly math and verbal concepts. The way they present the information makes it easy to absorb the important information. It has 7 sample GREs from past years, too. I haven't gotten to that part yet, but I think that I'll take one every couple of days.
I've also been using freerice.com to enhance my vocabulary. Off to study!
I've also been using freerice.com to enhance my vocabulary. Off to study!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Time to Get Bookish
This is going to be a quick post because I have a meeting in about five minutes. Going to start getting prep books today! I'm so happy that a Barnes and Noble is within walking distance.
These are the two that I'm going to get my hands on right away:
Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE ($22)
Barron's GRE 2009 with CD-ROM ($35)
And I ordered these through B&N. They should be here in about a week:
Kaplan GRE Premier Program ($35)
GRE: Practicing to Take the General Test ($21)
Just have to say, too, that I'm glad that I renewed my B&N membership card. Considering the dent the prep books are about to make in my wallet, I definitely need that thing. Love being able to request books!
These are the two that I'm going to get my hands on right away:
Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE ($22)
Barron's GRE 2009 with CD-ROM ($35)
And I ordered these through B&N. They should be here in about a week:
Kaplan GRE Premier Program ($35)
GRE: Practicing to Take the General Test ($21)
Just have to say, too, that I'm glad that I renewed my B&N membership card. Considering the dent the prep books are about to make in my wallet, I definitely need that thing. Love being able to request books!
Well, Sucks for Me Anyways!
After emailing the dean of my grad school, I found out that they are trying to get rid of the GRE scores as a requirement. That's good, then, as in less stress in applying to become a graduate assistant through the college instead of looking on my own (which I'm still going to do, anyways).
However, I still have already registered to take the test on January 11, 2010. This is what the ETS website says about rescheduling:
"To reschedule or cancel your registration, make your request no later than 3 days before your test date (not including the day of your request or the day of the test). The rescheduling fee is US$60. Your original registration fee must be paid before you can reschedule."
Okay, so if I decide to reschedule that will tack on another $60 to the already paid $150 fee for the test. Awesome. Blah.
This is what they say about canceling:
"If you cancel your registration no later than 3 days before your test date (not including the day of your request or the day of the test), half of the original test fee will be refunded. The other half will be used to cover processing charges."
Processing charges? What processes cost $75 that have to do with canceling taking the GRE?
After some deliberation, I've determined that I'm going to take the test anyways. Then at least I would have the scores. Plus, if I feel terrible about it when it's over, I could cancel the scores. That's good enough for me
However, I still have already registered to take the test on January 11, 2010. This is what the ETS website says about rescheduling:
"To reschedule or cancel your registration, make your request no later than 3 days before your test date (not including the day of your request or the day of the test). The rescheduling fee is US$60. Your original registration fee must be paid before you can reschedule."
Okay, so if I decide to reschedule that will tack on another $60 to the already paid $150 fee for the test. Awesome. Blah.
This is what they say about canceling:
"If you cancel your registration no later than 3 days before your test date (not including the day of your request or the day of the test), half of the original test fee will be refunded. The other half will be used to cover processing charges."
Processing charges? What processes cost $75 that have to do with canceling taking the GRE?
After some deliberation, I've determined that I'm going to take the test anyways. Then at least I would have the scores. Plus, if I feel terrible about it when it's over, I could cancel the scores. That's good enough for me
Sunday, December 6, 2009
SURPRISE! You have to take the GRE!
I thought that I had things pretty set as an undergraduate senior in my fall semester. I already know that I'm returning to my alma mater for my Master's degree in Experimental Psychology next fall. Doing some research, internship going awesomely, staying on top of school work... things are going well. I figured that I would wait until the summer to take the GRE, or at least the middle of spring semester. I wasn't worrying too much about it.
But then, last night in researching applying to be a graduate assistant I found out that *hey! yeah! (WHAT?!)* I SHOULD TAKE THE GRE. (*DUH, KATRINA!*)
Oh. My.
It well may be that the GRE scores might not be really necessary for applying. Considering that I am already taking graduate courses, shouldn't it be better that I have some real life grades which reflect how I am actually doing as a student, in comparison to GRE scores which would indicate the probability of me succeeding as a graduate student? Brain-! Ow-! Gahhh!...The logic! It's- it's just not-! Why necessary?!
But still, why risk the chance if it turns out that having the GRE scores in is mandatory? How badly do I want to be a graduate assistant next year?
Badly enough to decide to register for the GRE today for January 11, 2010. That gives me a little over a month.
I am feeling a strange mix of fear and empowerment going on right now. My mind is really...just...wow. Words. There are none for this.
Within my conscience...
Katrina's superego: "DEAR, GOD!"
Katrina's ego: "I can do this."
Katrina's superego: "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"
Katrina's ego: "A month is enough time."
Katrina's id: "Nooooo!!!! Winter breaaaaaak!!!!!"
*Katrina's superego begins crying like a baby. Like a hungry, angry baby. (Serenity quote...I know.)*
My friends, this is the beginning of a journey. A one-month journey to insanity. This blog is for chronicling the adventure. I do hope that you enjoy it because I might not. We shall see.
To those of you who see in my daily activities, expect me to change significantly. I'm unsure how exactly to define those changes yet, so you know. But, I can tell you that it probably would be in your best interests to always have some sort of chocolate with you in case if I start freaking out. Or horse tranquilizers. Those would be okay, too.
But then, last night in researching applying to be a graduate assistant I found out that *hey! yeah! (WHAT?!)* I SHOULD TAKE THE GRE. (*DUH, KATRINA!*)
Oh. My.
It well may be that the GRE scores might not be really necessary for applying. Considering that I am already taking graduate courses, shouldn't it be better that I have some real life grades which reflect how I am actually doing as a student, in comparison to GRE scores which would indicate the probability of me succeeding as a graduate student? Brain-! Ow-! Gahhh!...The logic! It's- it's just not-! Why necessary?!
But still, why risk the chance if it turns out that having the GRE scores in is mandatory? How badly do I want to be a graduate assistant next year?
Badly enough to decide to register for the GRE today for January 11, 2010. That gives me a little over a month.
I am feeling a strange mix of fear and empowerment going on right now. My mind is really...just...wow. Words. There are none for this.
Within my conscience...
Katrina's superego: "DEAR, GOD!"
Katrina's ego: "I can do this."
Katrina's superego: "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"
Katrina's ego: "A month is enough time."
Katrina's id: "Nooooo!!!! Winter breaaaaaak!!!!!"
*Katrina's superego begins crying like a baby. Like a hungry, angry baby. (Serenity quote...I know.)*
My friends, this is the beginning of a journey. A one-month journey to insanity. This blog is for chronicling the adventure. I do hope that you enjoy it because I might not. We shall see.
To those of you who see in my daily activities, expect me to change significantly. I'm unsure how exactly to define those changes yet, so you know. But, I can tell you that it probably would be in your best interests to always have some sort of chocolate with you in case if I start freaking out. Or horse tranquilizers. Those would be okay, too.
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