<p>Besides the four basic vocabulary flashcard sets and the Kaplan and/or Barrons GRE prep books, any suggestions on optimizing prep for the GRE?</p>
<p>D hasn't even taken a multiple choice test in college and is feeling rusty at it.</p>
<p>I worked my way through several different books (Kaplan, Barrons, and Princeton Review, I think), then took a full-length practice test about once a week. I spent about a month and a half studying, and I was very happy with the results.</p>
<p>YMMV, but I think it's good to familiarize oneself with the format and pace of the computer-based test, but to take it a little slowly.</p>
<p>i was going to say the same thing as mollie but got distracted</p>
<p>IMO, the GRE is more of a test of your composure than your actual knowledge. i actually spent a month studying for my verbal (impressive since i would only study the night before for my tests) and everytime i took a practice test my score would get lower and i would just freak out and panic that my test date was getting closer. the week before my test i gave up and just calmed down. then the morning before my test i did some hill sprints and took some neurostim and took my test slowly (like i said in the other thread). getting a feel for the time and just calming down did wonders for me.</p>
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Besides the four basic vocabulary flashcard sets and the Kaplan and/or Barrons GRE prep books, any suggestions on optimizing prep for the GRE?
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<p>TD, one of the most important element is to understand the methodology and design of the test. While this is similar (in theory) to what was needed for the SAT, the use of the CAT technology makes the GRE a different beast to tame. </p>
<p>I doubt that your D will find any difficulties in acing the math section, and the improvement in verbal will be "tough" to come to fruition. Inasmuch as the brute memorizing of word lists pays more dividends for the GRE than for the SAT, it still represents a huge time sink with a ridiculously small reward/effort ratio. In so many words, no amount of rote memorization will ensure that THOSE words will show up on a particular test. </p>
<p>Fwiw, you may have read this before, but please remember that the first questions of each section have a HUGE impact on your final scores. The CAT technology is far from being perfect!</p>
<p>The math is relatively simple - high school difficulty. Plus, the GRE Quant tests you more on knowledge of concepts and number properties than actual computational skills, so if your daughter understands important mathematical rules and properties, and how to approach each question the right way, she should be ok. </p>
<p>Verbal is a different beast, however. It's imperative that she knows vocab or else no strategy is going to help her out. It's much more based on core knowledge of material than the Quant section is.</p>
<p>But all in all, it all comes down to practice. I'm currently enrolled in an online course from Kaplan right now, and after self-tutoring myself with the core lessons, it's all a matter of practice, practice, practice. The flashcards don't hurt, either. I'm using the Kaplan flashcards that allow you to flip the pages back, and it's written in a very simple format that's easy to read and manage.</p>
<p>Anyone have suggestions for preparing for the GRE math subject test? Any prep books? Where to find old exams?</p>
<p>Fwiw, this is an example of the limitations of studying vocabulary: </p>
<p>Let's look at the word NICE</p>
<ol>
<li>pleasing; agreeable; delightful: a nice visit.<br></li>
<li>amiably pleasant; kind: They are always nice to strangers.<br></li>
<li>characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy: nice workmanship; a nice shot; a nice handling of a crisis.<br></li>
<li>showing or indicating very small differences; minutely accurate, as instruments: a job that requires nice measurements.<br></li>
<li>minute, fine, or subtle: a nice distinction.<br></li>
<li>having or showing delicate, accurate perception: a nice sense of color.<br></li>
<li>refined in manners, language, etc.: Nice people wouldn't do such things.<br></li>
<li>virtuous; respectable; decorous: a nice girl.<br></li>
<li>suitable or proper: That was not a nice remark.<br></li>
<li>carefully neat in dress, habits, etc.<br></li>
<li>(esp. of food) dainty or delicate.<br></li>
<li>having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes: They're much too nice in their dining habits to enjoy an outdoor barbecue.<br></li>
<li>Obsolete. coy, shy, or reluctant.<br></li>
<li>Obsolete. unimportant; trivial.<br></li>
<li>Obsolete. wanton.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>Which definition do you think ETS would use? </p>
<p>And then let's look at RENT</p>
<p>As a noun
1. a payment made periodically by a tenant to a landlord in return for the use of land, a building, an apartment, an office, or other property.<br>
2. a payment or series of payments made by a lessee to an owner in return for the use of machinery, equipment, etc.<br>
3. Economics. the excess of the produce or return yielded by a given piece of cultivated land over the cost of production; the yield from a piece of land or real estate.<br>
4. profit or return derived from any differential advantage in production.<br>
5. Obsolete. revenue or income. </p>
<p>As a verb (used with object)
6. to grant the possession and enjoyment of (property, machinery, etc.) in return for the payment of rent from the tenant or lessee. (often fol. by out).<br>
7. to take and hold (property, machinery, etc.) in return for the payment of rent to the landlord or owner.<br>
8. to be leased or let for rent: This apartment rents cheaply.<br>
9. to lease or let property.<br>
10. to take possession of and use property by paying rent: She rents from a friend.<br>
11. for rent, available to be rented, as a home or store: an apartment for rent. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, ETS prefers the use of rent as the past tense of TO REND</p>
<p>"to separate into parts with force or violence: The storm rent the ship to pieces." </p>
<p>Similar examples can be developed for lots of words: air, table, rank, and countless others. </p>
<p>PS I agree that practice, practice, practice is the key.</p>
<p>Start here:</p>
<p>GRE: Practicing to Take the General Test. It's the book of sample exams published by ETS. </p>
<p>Then download PowerPrep </p>
<p>Kaplan, PR, Barrons are a bit better than their atrocious SAT versions, but still a mixed bag. It's worth looking for cheap versions or getting them from the library. A quick glance at them cannot hurt for a refresher.</p>