I *almost* walked out of the bookstore with the 2005 GRE study book. Almost.

I started getting ready for the GRE with the 2003 kaplan GRE guide, which was graciously given to me 1 year ago by my old roommate, Brannon (as a moving gift, i suppose). The very first section I practice-tested on was the analytical portion (which is ironic for a reasons i shall reveal). The next step of my plan was to acquire a 2005 GRE study guide. I also used a site that helps me with advanced English such as literature. It helped me how to recognize synonym and many many more.
I went to the store, talked to a clerk who had taken the GRE, and subsequently picked out the Princeton Review’s guide. Everything was hunky-dory until I indiscriminately flipped through a few pages of it. What little I glanced whilst thumbing through was a run-of-the-mill breakdown and explanation on standardized testing techniques. I immediately started having second thoughts about plunking down almost $40 ($35, to be precise) for a workbook 90% filled with information that I already knew. The GRE is already going to cost $115, so I felt that my $35 might be better spent going towards payment for the actual test…. especially considering the fact that I already have a Kaplan 2003 GRE book. So I have decided to do the bulk of my preparation with the 2003 book that I already have (a standardized test is a standardized test… i’ve been taking them since grade school), and to peruse the 2005 book in the bookstore for any changes in the 2005 version of the GRE that I might need to prepare myself for.

As it turns out, the analytical section, which used to be multiple choice, is now an analytical timed essay. This means that I wasted a few hours on my first night of studying with the 2003 GRE book, but it also means that the analytical section will be a complete cakewalk. They rate the essays from 1-6. 6 being ‘ cogent, well-articulated analysis of the complexities of the issue and conveys meaning skillfully‘, and 5 being ‘generally thoughtful, well-developed analysis of the complexities of the issue and conveys meaning clearly. I expect to get either of those scores, though it does seem a bit arbitrary. My writing style has been lost on some of my former English professors, but usually due to their lack of effectively communicating the type of paper they were looking for. A score of 4 is for ‘competent analysis of the issue and conveys meaning adequately‘. I could probably do that in my sleep.

Just tonight I finished the quantitative (math) practice section of the 2003 book. The math doesn’t seem to get any more difficult than linear algebra. I am fairly certain that the testers will make the time constraint for this section a factor to help tweak (increase) the difficulty of this section. To me, it really seems like SAT/high school level material.

So, things are looking OK so far. I’m going to start hitting the vocab soon. I’ll probably start posting a lot more messages to message boards on the net to make my new-found vocabulary part of my working lexicon… but truth be told, i’m not afraid of word analogies either.

Hmm, maybe i’m being to cavalier about this whole GRE thing… have any of you folks taken it? Speak up! Send me an email or leave me a comment!

-kevin

P.S. Methinks there are peculiar things afoot with Aaron & Katie.