I will be taking the GRE late this summer as part of the process of entering graduate school next year (I will be working on my Master's in Nursing Education).
I took the GMAT about 18 years ago when I thought I wanted to get an MBA, I took one graduate level accounting class and ran for my life! I did get a B in the class, though.
Anyway, it has been 21 years since I graduated from college with my BS in nursing degree.
Anyone who has taken this test, what kind of prep did you do? I ordered a study guide, and am looking at a weekend class called "Powerscore."
Hopefully the fact that I used to homeschool my kids will have kept me fairly refreshed in math and english. I think I only need to score 1400 out of 2400 to meet the minimum requirement for the University to which I am applying. My college GPA was 3.6, I need at least a 3.0...so that should help, too.
Posted by: Elizabeth Date posted: Mon Apr 28 23:54:54 2008
Message: Yes, I took it in 1997. I took it on the computer, which I remember being a fairly new thing at that time. I got my score within seconds of finishing the test, which was awesome! I prepared by reviewing some GRE-prep books. IMO, it really helps to just get familiar with the format of the test. I also brushed up on some rarely-used "math" skills such as geometry triangles....it had been about 5 years since I had been in a geometry class so that was exactly the kind of thing I needed to study. Other than that, I truly do think it is a good test of cumulative knowledge b/c there wasn't a way to study everything! I'm a good test taker, though. Good Luck!!!
Thanks you guys! I am most worried about the math portion. I have a pretty good algebra text book with solutions that I may start reading in addition to the study guide...the prep classes are pretty pricey, but might be a good investment for me!
Unfortunately, I really need to go with a school that requires the GRE. Since I hope to aquire a faculty position at some point in a university nursing program, they can be picky about WHERE a Master's Degree has been earned.
Posted by: Megan Date posted: Mon Apr 28 20:31:45 2008
Message: Yes I've taken the GRE in 1994. I'm not sure it helps to study vocabulary, either you know those words or you don't. Think back to any foreign language you've studied and look for parts of words that have meaning, either in English or this other foreign language.
For the math part, I enrolled in an algebra class but took it pass/fail. I am VERY good in math, but if you don't know some of the basic formulas, you're screwed. So this algebra class helped me brush up on all the silly formulas.
The final thing is to practice, practice, practice. I bought one of those study guides that had 5 complete tests in there, and took each test one at a time, and made sure to look at the ones I got wrong and tried to understand what I did wrong. The last piece of advice is to TIME yourself taking these tests, making sure you get the section done in time. True Story: I was taking the actual GRE, going through the first math section which had 30 questions. Imagine my horror when the bell went off indicating 5 minutes left, and I was only on question 15. I had to guess on the last 10 questions of that section.
Please take the time to study and do as well as you can! In the program I work for, GREs determine not only whether you get in, they determine whether you qualify for scholarships and assistantships. Study and you will be rewarded!
Posted by: shar Date posted: Mon Apr 28 18:33:00 2008
Message: Well, I took it 22 years ago so I"m not much help. I just remembering studying some guide.
Posted by: July Date posted: Mon Apr 28 14:46:36 2008
Message: I took the GRE about 5 years ago before I went back to school and got my master's degree in Education. I bought a study guide (believe it or not, the Dummie's Guide to Taking the GRE) and went through it diligently. I also looked at other study guides and took online GRE sample tests. I forget where I found them, but there were web sites where you could do sample, timed tests. Very helpful.
I ended up doing quite well on the Language portion, not so well on the Math part, just as I had expected. I could have studied more or taken a prep course, but working full time with a very demanding job, I did what I could and I did OK. And I got into the program I wanted to, so that was enough for me!
Posted by: ingyandbert Date posted: Mon Apr 28 13:17:44 2008
Message: I took the GRE 24 years ago. I bought a study guide and went through it but I was still finishing my undergrad and didn't have a great deal of time to devote to it on top of my regular studies. My suggestion is to get a good night's rest and eat a good breakfast that morning because it's a long test. Good luck!
Posted by: Lisa P Date posted: Mon Apr 28 12:16:30 2008
Message: I am not a good test taker so I purposely looked for schools that didn't require it. I found a lot that did not. Lucky me :-) You can get books to help study for it and I would suggest doing so.
Posted by: ML Date posted: Mon Apr 28 11:14:11 2008
Message: 26 years ago...and I did nothing for that or the GMAT. Then again, I was a senior in college, so I obviously was WAY too above-it-all to possibly study for them...
Posted by: AngD Date posted: Mon Apr 28 10:56:52 2008
Message: The GRE is an aptitude test, just like the GMAT. The GMAT, in fact, is more difficult than the GRE (slightly). Basically, they tell me how well a student takes a standardized test. What you are planning to do will more than likely be sufficient for you to do well on the GRE - read, study and learn the basics of how to take the test. Also, do that thing where you get a good night sleep the night before, eat breakfast, and don't worry about the outcome. You will do fine!
