Illusionz

As Erin said, I was just suprised to see it is still open and (reasonably) active :D Gosh, this thread brings back so many memories of late night prepping for the test and applications! Good times...How are you doing Michael?

Wow, the WLT is still going strong! I just popped in to say hi to all the regulars (if any are still around) :) The new look is really neat Erin!

Hiya to thee, math major! Waiting to hear when ya win the Math version of the Nobel or something. Gosh, it feels good to be back on TM!

Muahahaha...I hate typing laughter, but seriously...mwahahaha.

Hello everyone! Looks like we have almost the entire gang back on board, with the exception of Steve. How's everyone doing?

Well, here’s the detailed post I had promised. In fact, so much has been said already by so many that there are precious few original insights (if any) in this post. I apologize for the delay but I was too busy working on my application packets. I now realize that taking the GRE is a cakewalk compared to preparing and dispatching the application packets. Preparation: I took around 8 diagnostics (Kaplan, Princeton, POWERPREP, Oak’s CBTs). I think PowerPrep is the best when it comes to predicting your actual GRE score. Just be sure to take it after you attain a certain level of comfort with vocabulary. Quantitative Aptitude Being an engineer, I was supposed to ‘ace’ Quant. However I found it far from easy when I took some diagnostics so I practised pretty hard and started from the basics. Here are some useful sites for basic practice if you’ve been out of touch for a long time: General links for basic formulae and practice questions http://www.swt.edu/slac/gre/GREQUANT.html (basic formulae) http://www.www.urch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14622 (basic formulae and flash cards) http://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/m.../math_help.htm (basic formulae and practice) http://www.syvum.com/gre/ (lots of practice questions) http://www.number2.com/exams/gre/com.../index.cfm?s=0 (some more practice) Links on Probability/ Permutations and Combinations http://regentsprep.org/regents/math/...picCode=permut (Permutations - formulae and practice) http://regentsprep.org/regents/math/...picCode=combin (Combinations - formulae and practice) http://www.themathpage.com/aPreCalc/...mbinations.htm (practice questions) The credit for these primarily to goes to Dingus, Scheng75 and hinanshaikh. I referred mostly to the Big Book and the PowerPrep software for practice. The latter can be downloaded from gre.org, and I think these two should suffice for most test-takers if they are already comfortable with Quant. Although I expected permutations and probability to be my nemeses (note the Barron’s hangover ;) );), I found that the real killer was DI, not in terms of difficulty but in terms of time consumption which is a major factor in the score. The comparisons were the easiest and the arithmetic was also fairly easy. Also the fact that I took many diagnostics (Kaplan, Princeton, PowerPrep and Oak’s CBTs) helped me quite a bit when it came to time management. Analytical Writing This was initially challenging since it had been quite a while since I last wrote an essay. Also typing the essay is very different from writing it. The best solution, IMO, is practice. The arguments were pretty straightforward both in terms of analysis required and time consumed but the issues were challenging. I referred to various sites like www.aldaily.com (suggested by Ish – thanks a lot Ishy, I owe you one) and http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/barnetbedau/default.asp?s=&n=&i=&v=&o=&ns=0&uid=0&rau=0 Also, I noticed that typing an introduction AND an ending right at the outset ensures that you have an essay that looks like a finished product even if you run into time management problems and have to hastily wrap it up. Here’s how I used the 45 minutes allotted for the Issue: 5 min – Basic analysis and getting a skeleton or a scratch essay on paper which is just a list of points that can be developed later (I found that this saves time and effort in the long run; if you get a stroke of inspiration halfway through the essay, you can modify the point to suit the essay rather than vice versa). I’ve sent that considering both (or many) sides of the issue topic and having a balanced viewpoint helps a lot because firstly it indicates that you have considered various perspectives and secondly you can generate more ideas and examples for the topic ) 30 minutes - Typing and developing the ideas in the skeleton essay. I followed this simple model for developing ideas - Point- Explanation - Example- Restatement (PEER) 10 minutes – editing and restructuring. This makes a HUGE difference! After completing the essay you might initially think that you’ve written a masterpiece but if you read it again you’ll notice it’s incoherent, has ideas which have nothing to do with anything, and has numerous spellos and typos. Here’s how I used the 30 minutes allotted for the Argument: 5 min – Basic analysis and identification of common errors like false analogies, post hoc reasoning, circular argumentation, either-or reasoning etc; getting the skeleton essay. 20 minutes - Typing and developing the ideas in the skeleton essay, supplying points/evidence that should have been considered to make the argument persuasive. 5 minutes – editing and restructuring. Verbal: The fundamental problem of course was vocabulary or rather, the lack of it. I thought I had a pretty decent vocabulary but after encountering words like ‘pelf (wealth or riches, especially when dishonestly acquired), linchpin (a locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off), mote (a very small particle) and encomium (glowing formal praise)’, I was forced to acknowledge my linguistic impoverishment and resort to one of the least aesthetically appealing books I’ve ever seen - the Barron’s Guide. Apart from this I used the Oxford Talking Dictionary (CD version) and the American Heritage Dictionary (www.thefreedictionary.com) and Roget’s thesaurus (www.bartleby.com/62/ - this site has lots of pop- ups. IE 6 may not block them). Since around half the words were already familiar, I started off by identifying and isolating the words that I found difficult. For this, I used ‘Guru’s GRE Wordlist’ and ‘Wordflashonline’. This helped me in reduce the target number by around 50% (the logic being that one doesn’t need to revise familiar words over and over again). After identifying difficult words, I studied them using techniques like grouping words into synonyms and antonyms, using etymological associations and cognates and focusing on connotations. I found the ‘synonyms- antonyms’ technique particularly effective. I practiced questions from the Big Book and PowerPrep and noted words which can have many meanings and can really baffle you. The Barron’s word ‘mince’, for example can mean ‘to cut or chop into very small pieces’ or ‘to walk with very short steps or with exaggerated primness’. Studying Barron’s words can get really monotonous so I didn’t focus on words alone but rather, relied more on practice which helped me learn the words implicitly in context. Some general tips which worked for me: FOCUS REALLY HARD ON THE QUESTIONS AT THE BEGINNING SINCE THEY ARE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN QUESTIONS AT THE END. I just analyzed my performance using the basic diagnostic service that ETS offers and I noticed that I got one question wrong in verbal and four in Quant. In the verbal section, I answered Q. no 28 incorrectly and in Quant I ran into serious time-management problems and marked the answers randomly at the end (Q. nos 25 to 28). I’ve never really believed in Lady Luck and I guess the lady reciprocated the sentiment…I got all of them wrong Get a good night’s sleep on the day before the test If possible, take the test in the morning rather than in the afternoon (in India there are two time slots offered– 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.). The test can be really saturating and sleep-inducing. Afternoons are a bad time for taking any test, let alone the GRE, especially if you, like me, are in the habit of taking a heavy lunch Use the breaks in between the sections – go out and have a drink of water or look at the traffic or something. The test is pretty grueling with the breaks; without them it’s likely to be nightmarish Don’t get stuck on individual questions – especially if you get them midway through the test or at the end of the test. Use the process of elimination If you don’t remember the word immediately, relax and try alternative strategies. Don’t panic- if you do you might get the subsequent questions wrong even if they’re really easy (this happened a lot in my diagnostics) Forget the pretest or research sections – they are a waste of time and energy unless you have really high boredom thresholds You don't need to spend too much money on material if you have a good and reliable internet connection- just invest in the Big Book and some practice diagnostics Finally, remember that the GRE is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Two years from now, nobody’s going to care what your GRE score is. Study hard for your GRE but remember that the GRE score is not the only factor that universities consider while choosing candidates for admission. I’ve seen people go overboard with vocabulary preparation - they study 8000+ words and make up all sorts of word lists and ‘comprehensive GRE guides’. It’s all been done guys, just use Google and TestMagic and you’ll get everything you needAll the best for your test!

I like it even if it is a bit subdued and I love the new buttons for 'Quote', 'Add Reply' and 'Quick Reply'! Just one suggestion though - can we have a darker font for the 'Page X of Y' tabs at the top and bottom?

Whew, am finally through with the d@mn thing...I'll post a detailed account shortly. Firstly, a BIG thank you to Erin for creating this amazing forum! Thanks also to the many people who kept me motivated, directly or indirectly- Steve, Ish, Cri, Snow, Kron, Suja, Parag and many other whose names I might have missed out. I honestly think that being a (fairly) regular member at TM helped me significantly. :tup:

Nice to see the old gang. A Happy New year to everyone at TM! @Erin: The new look for TM rocks! :tup:

Language, Language! My dear chap, you are refreshingly outspoken but there are ladies present here (or so the assumption goes). Try meditation or some such thing.

Hey WLT!!! Back after a long time... Just popped in to say 'Congrats!' yet again to Steve, Karthik, Ish and Cri! I see that Steve, Ish and Karthik are already in the US and I think Cri must be there by now! I'm prepping for my GRE- if I postpone it yet again, my parents will most probably kick me out.... Hope to meet all of you next year! Cheers.

What a fantastic reply! Deadlier than the male, pags... beware! You're no match for the glib website admin :D Congrats on the promotion Aaru! I marvel that you can even contemplate studying for the test while you're still working. :notworthy I've a taken a long break from work to focus on GRE prep but I've been goofing off so far.

Good morning WLT. @Cri: Good to hear that you're all set for a provident life ;) @Ish: Welcome back worthy guru! @Coolpaggy: Hi man! Long time. How's life in the U.S.? @ Aarushi: How goes life? @Simba: Ahhhh GOA!!!!!!! I envy you. Enjoy your trip, mate!

Ahh..some activity at last in the WLT. I've lost all track of who's doing what so 'Congrats!', 'All the best!' or 'Nice to see you after a long time' or 'Have a nice day'. Select whichever is applicable. :D Here's my usual inane contribution: I'm against hunting, in fact I'm a hunt saboteur. I go out the night before and shoot the fox I said to the Gym instructor "Can you teach me to do the splits?". He said "How flexible are you?". I said "I can't make Tuesdays" My next door neighbour worships exhaust pipes, he's a catholic converter Four fonts walk into a bar. The barman says "Oi - get out! We don't want your type in here" ----- Feminism rears its lovely head Q. How does a man show that he is planning for the future? A. He buys two cases of beer. :D

Hey Kron! Congrats on a terrific Quant score! You deserved a much better score in Verbal, of course but what's done is done. IMO your score is still good enough to get admission to most middle-ranked universities. I suggest you wait for the final score before you decide to retake the test - for all you know, you might have a respectable percentile in Verbal. Remember that the GRE score and the TOEFL score are only two factors in your overall profile. Most universities will be generous if you have an excellent academic record (which, I believe you do :) ), or if you have relevant work experience or an excellent SoP and good recos. Consolidate your strengths and I'm sure you'll get a top class admit. Cheers and all the best.