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View Full Version : GRE - never say those letters again!


Melman
09-15-2006, 12:52 PM
Good grief! Quite a few months ago, I posted a thread looking for suggestions on review books for taking the GRE. I had some great recommendations. In the past few months, I have gone through Barron's, Princeton Review, and one other review book. I've taken pre-tests online. I've taken tests via CD. I've taken tests via the review books. I have pieces of paper, notecards, full sheets of paper, and who knows what else from preparing for this thing.

I would like to say...I do not ever want to hear another word about that exam as long as I live! What a crock!!! There were times I looked at the screen and secretly wondered if they had actually made up the words that were showing. You know those passages where you read several paragraphs and then answer questions? There were at least two different paragraphs where I couldn't any more tell you what they said than if I'd been reading a manual written in Japanese. There were quite a few questions where I honestly just looked at a letter and clicked it. Absolutely no clues!!!!!!

I am thrilled to say I had a score high enough to be officially admitted to grad school. I actually already have two classes completed in the Non-degree program but needed to go through this rite of passage to be admitted into the MPA program. When the score popped up, I almost fainted. I was shocked... (in a very good way!)

If you had to ask my honest opinion, I'd say the whole thing was bogus. I'm not a violent person, but when I left, I felt anger at the whole thing. I had such a disgusting, helpless feeling most of the way through the test. I would say there were no more than 10 questions that I honestly thought that I answered accurately as I went through the test.

To top it off, I've just spend the last hour going through the on-line application process for the grad school to go from non-degree to the real program. I had quite a few images of throwing something across the room. It was equally as frustrating.

I think I need to do something simple the rest of the day. :D Maybe I should take a nap. :D

Escher
09-15-2006, 12:57 PM
Whew! At least it's over. Good show sticking through it.

LakeMartinGal
09-15-2006, 12:58 PM
Make a pan of brownies... then eat them!!! Simple enough! :D

I hear you about the tests... kinda like fraternity hazing! This test, like the LSAT, is just to weed out the folks who aren't serious.. Congrats on your high score! :D

sharris315
09-15-2006, 01:42 PM
Congratulations, Melanie, on your great score AND on just being finished with the whole ordeal.

You need to celebrate!! :) :)

Shar

Melman
09-15-2006, 02:01 PM
I hear you about the tests... kinda like fraternity hazing! This test, like the LSAT, is just to weed out the folks who aren't serious.. Congrats on your high score! :D

Hazing! :eek: That's the word I've been trying to come up with all day. That's exactly the feeling I had. Arrgh!

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

The score wasn't "HIGH"...but it was better than I thought. After all the guesses I made, I started wondering if anyone ever made an 80 on it!!!! :o

And I like that brownie idea! I still haven't made the chocolate pudding cake discussed on the cookbook for kids thread a couple of months ago.

Mow the grass first...must mow the grass. :D

Kathy B
09-15-2006, 08:29 PM
Really, Melanie, you were on the right track with the nap idea. I can't believe you mowed your grass after that ordeal!!! :D

On the other hand, cutting things may have been a good way to blow off a little steam...... :eek:

Anyway, a big Congratulations! from me, too. I know you've been working on this for a long time. Glad to know it's behind you now! Best of luck to you as you continue through your masters program! :)

Jazzmatazz49
09-16-2006, 05:55 AM
Melanie, I agree with everything you said! I took it in the spring, and the thing was insane. Why do universities require it, when the score does not have to be that high to qualify for grad school? Maybe some universities require a high score, but I think you get 400 points just for paying the fee. The part I felt confident about (the writing) did not even count toward the score that was reported.

At least it's over!

Natasha
09-16-2006, 06:40 AM
CONGRATULATIONS, Melanie!

Well done, and enjoy being done with the whole ordeal.

Natasha :)

Beth
09-16-2006, 07:18 AM
I flet the same way about the LSAT, but I was laughing about it. I was in the middle of two big projects at work and had to take a half day off. I was so tired and so far from caring about some of the ridiculous questions that I shook my head, did a few random answers on one section when I really didn't have the patience to continue and went back to work ready to take it or leave it. I figured I would wind up retaking it. I didn't and it's been my chuckle ever since.

I think we get used to taking classroom tests where you thing you should know all the answers. These big standardized tests aren't really expecting perfect scores, so our perspective is skewed. But the best thing is

YOU DON"T EVER HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN!!!! YEAH!!!

Congrats!

Chefzhat
09-16-2006, 06:50 PM
Congrats Melanie! The GRE is on the horizon for me as well. Hopefully I'll be as prepared as you were, and have the same success!

Good job!

Debie