Joe Christmas Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 Starting Grad school this spring. Any tips/hints/horror stories on taking this test? Quote
J Larsen Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 Unless you're uncomfortable with basic math, don't sweat the general test. If you're taking a subject test, study as much as you can. Those are no joke. Here's my horror story: I took the general exam in the first year that it was offered electronically. The computer I was provided with at the testing center had a faulty monitor that started flashing on and off about halfway through the logic section. Imagine answering long questions like "if your mother's cousin's nephew is your nephew's cousin's sister...." while only being able to read them for about five seconds at a time! I probably could have retaken the test, but they score the electronic ones instantly and I got a high score anyway, so I didn't bother. Quote
Big Wheel Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 The GRE is basically the SAT, on steroids, and with a writing section, right? On the reading comprehension parts it may help to skim the passages first to get a general feel for what they are about. Then read the questions, then go back and read the whole thing more closely. On the math, force yourself to work just a little bit faster than feels comfortable. That way you'll have a little time left over to check your work. Based on what I've seen of Bagatellen I doubt you'll have too many problems with the verbal and writing. Also, eat eggs the morning of and stay hydrated. Protein really does help. Quote
Joe Christmas Posted July 21, 2003 Author Report Posted July 21, 2003 Based on what I've seen of Bagatellen I doubt you'll have too many problems with the verbal and writing. >blush< Man, if they ask me questions like what instrument Louis Sclavis plays I'll ROCK! I'm fairly certain it's the general test that I'll be taking. The program is for an MA in History w/ emphasis in Military History. They don't have a "history" subject GRE, do they? Oh, I'm so fucked if that's what it is. About the math. What legs of math are we speaking? I completed a multivariable calculus course last year but I already feel out of practice. If it's only through algebra then I might feel cocky. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 multivariable calculus Evil, pure evil!!!! Quote
J Larsen Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 multivariable calculus Joy! Pure joy! Quote
shrugs Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 Al, Megan practiced with a computer program. I forget how long she worked at it but she did really well. She's not paying a dime for anything. Quote
J Larsen Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 Joe, don't sweat the GRE at all. You'll be fine with the math. There is a little complex (as in "i") algebra, but nothing more sophisticated than that. I think there is a history subject test, but I don't think that very many humanities programs require subject tests. Nearly all programs in technical fields, OTOH, do require them (e.g. math, physics, chemistry, biochem, engineering, etc.) Check with all of the schools to which you plan to apply first, but I seriously doubt that you need to take a subject test. Quote
Joe Christmas Posted July 21, 2003 Author Report Posted July 21, 2003 Joy! Pure joy! You too? Oh man, I almost left my wife for my calculator. Dave, NOthing? Does she still have the program? Didn't she take the LSAT too? Fuck it, I'll call you guys tonight. Quote
shrugs Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 (edited) Nothing and an assitantship that pays so I guess you could say books are paid for as well. Where are you going? Have you looked at avg. GRE scores and all that? Megan was thinking of Tulane at first and really worked hard at practicing. However, they slashed a lot of programs and she is going to UNO. I may be going there as well so it's all for the best. Edited July 21, 2003 by shrugs Quote
J Larsen Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 (edited) Joe, if you do have to take the GRE History subject test, definately buy this: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...513667?v=glance This is the only authentic testing material you'll have access to prior to taking the test, so don't waste it. Study like hell first, then use the test in the book to assess your weaknesses and work like hell on your weaknesses up to the day of the test. I had some very smart college classmates who scored in the 400 to 600 range on their subject tests because they didn't take them seriously. It's not enough to be smart and competent - you really have to be on top of your stuff the morning of the subject test. I had a couple of peturbation theory problems on my subject GRE that required multiple pages of computation! You also want to start looking into funding sources. Like shrugs said, you can do pretty well for yourself if you have decent test scores, although that largely depends on what your field is. Most people I know in math or science programs have free rides and are paid at least $15,000 a year in stipends. A few people I know (myself included) make closer to double that. In the humanities, you might have to go looking for the money, but it's likely there to be found. One other note on funding: there tends to be a lot more available in terms of stipends, fellowships, assistantships and tuition waivers for PhD and JD candidates than for those in Master's programs (MBA programs exlcuded - at my school MBA candidates get about $30,000 in stipends thanks to private funding). I don't think I know a single person in any serious PhD program that has to pay tuition. On the other hand, most people I've known in Master's programs had to pay the bill or take out student loans. Edited July 21, 2003 by J Larsen Quote
shrugs Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 I forgot her good scores meant she got a dean's scholarship so that increased her assistantship $$. I forget how much it is but it's over $12K. Not bad for New Orleans. Barely covering the rent in the NE. Quote
J Larsen Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 And she's working on a JD? Not a bad deal. Quote
shrugs Posted July 21, 2003 Report Posted July 21, 2003 No, she didn't do the law thang. She looked into it a lot and felt it wasn't for her. So Politcal Science it is. That was her major and it helped her along with the good GRE scores. Plus she published some things in undergrad and apparently that isn't the case with a lot of candidates these days so that was a boost s well. Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted July 22, 2003 Report Posted July 22, 2003 I'm fairly certain it's the general test that I'll be taking. The program is for an MA in History w/ emphasis in Military History. They don't have a "history" subject GRE, do they? Oh, I'm so fucked if that's what it is. Cool program! Be sure to start posts on historical issues over here while you are studying. That would be great fun! Sorry, I cannot help you as I took my GRE back in 1982. Don't remember a thing about it. Quote
Joe Christmas Posted July 22, 2003 Author Report Posted July 22, 2003 Larsen (John?), aren't you the one who works at Tulane? I think we exchanged a couple of nice e-mails a couple of years ago. Thanks for the advice, but I'm afraid I'm locked in to one of two practical choices for grad school. I'll do my damnedest on the test though, and see what can come out of it. Luckily though the Navy is footing most of the bill. I'll be sure to find a similar book, as I found out it is only the general test I need to take. Speaking of math, I just started reading this: It's a history of Mathematics from the early use of digits to Pythagoras to Calculus-based Physics and damn, if this book isn't a blast. The opening pages advise the reader to have a pencil, paper and calculator handy whenever reading. The author takes you step by step through some very important and popular equations and theorems (the origin of Pi, for example). It's incredibly readable and full of beautiful diagrams, tables and illustrations. HIGHLY recommended. Quote
J Larsen Posted July 22, 2003 Report Posted July 22, 2003 (edited) Hey Joe - That IS a good book! I've recommended it to some of my more entusiastic students in the past. (Up until this calendar year I taught undergraduate courses in theoretical physics. Now my research is fully funded, so I don't have to worry about that anymore.) I've even used my girlfriend's copy of that book on a couple of occassions as an "emergency reference" for times when I've been working at home and needed to, say, have an analytic expression for the roots of a cubic equation. Fermat's Enigma is another pretty good book (though not nearly as useful as Gullberg's book, it does provide an entertaining background for the importance of Fermat's Last Theorem and its recent proof). E: The Story of a Number is also very good and definately recommended. I recommend avoiding The Life of Pi and A Tour of the Calculus. While they are popular, I found them to be dull, uninformative and not very well written. Edited July 22, 2003 by J Larsen Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted July 22, 2003 Report Posted July 22, 2003 (edited) I was originally going to be a Math major in college, because I got a 780 on the Math section of the SAT (and at the time, there wasn't any way to get a 790 - so that means I only missed one question on the whole math section). So I took "Calc I" my first term in college (term = 1 quarter, sorta - weird system at the college I went to, don't ask for any more details, too weird to explain). I think I got an "A", and then I took "Calc II" my second term in college, and probably got another "A" or maybe an "A-". The I got to "Calc III", which was subtitled "Multi-variable Calculus". All this was pre-Mathematica, around 1987, although I think we had an early beta-copy of Mathematic at the college at was at, so we could all see what was right on the horizon. So then, every term, week after week, we kept learning new (and "exciting" ) ways to integrate different kinds of equations. Yeah... We got some theory, and we had to do proofs (which I didn't care for much), but 75% of what we were doing was learning dozens and dozens of methods of integration. Lord if I remember now, but I think we had learned something like 70 or 80 methods of integration by the end of the 2nd term (each term was 10 weeks long, about the same as a quarter - although as much was packed into our "terms" as other college's "semesters"). Then I get to "Calc III - Multivariable", and it's like the 3rd week of the term, on a Friday morning, 3rd hour (meaning the class that runs from 11:10am to 12:20pm), and I'm half-asleep, and the lecture topic of the day was "third order partial derivatives in multidimensional space", and in a dream-like state (I said I was half-asleep) the heavens opened up, and it said in bright purple neon lights... THIS ISN'T ENOUGH FUN!!!! And I called my advisor that afternoon, and changed my major to Computer Science that very same day. True story, honest to god. Now I'm not sure I even remember the Quadradic formula (although I think I could pick it out of a line-up.) I mean, come on!!! With Mathematica, can't you just integrate like ANY equation, no matter what kind it is, though "sampling" techniques - and to hell with all the methods of integration. Right???? It all seemed like a huge waste of time to me, and nobody I actually knew (other than other Math majors, and some Physics majors) even had any idea what the hell any of it was all about. I mean, it's not like you can explain even the simplest of concepts of higher-math to even the most intelligent non-Math majors (other than Physics geeks). If you've got a burning passion for it, I say more power to you... I didn't, so I bailed out. Turns out I'm not so happy with Computer Science as a career either, so what the hell do I know?? ( FYI, I'm currently trying to figure out how to change careers, after having been laid-off as a business analyst in Information Systems about six months ago. I sucked at programming, always have, and in IT these days, it's pretty much only the techies that are getting hired - if even that. Reminds me that I need to start a thread here (on this board), about how other people have gone about radical career changes. I'm currently looking at areas related to Urban Planning, Historic Preservation, Transportation Planning, Architecture/Engineering/Design, Museum Curatorships, some sort of Archivist role (in music), Institutional Planning and Research (at the University level), and Not-For-Profit Work doing something like grant-writing. I have two B.A.’s from a strong Liberal Arts college, in Computer Science, and also in Music. ) Edited July 22, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
J Larsen Posted July 22, 2003 Report Posted July 22, 2003 (edited) I mean, come on!!! With Mathematica, can't you just integrate like ANY equation, no matter what kind it is, though "sampling" techniques - and to hell with all the methods of integration. Right???? Nope. I've encountered VERY few real-world problems that Mathematica can handle analytically. You put anything more than a little complex in to that program, and it chokes. It doesn't actually calculate. Mathematica is only an "integration table database" that "knows" how to use the change-of-variables theorem. If you enter something more exotic than what it has in its tables (which I assure you is over 95% of real-world problems), it chokes. Of course, in these cases you're unlikely to be able to come up with an analytic solution on your own, so you need to be comfortable with asymptotic expansions, perturbation theory, etc. in order to get an approximate solution from a program like Mathematica or by hand. But to do that you need to be an expert in calculus. Mathematica will solve most well-posed numerical (as opposed to analytic) problems, but it is also impractical in this regard in that it is a ridiculously slow program. Sure, it will intregrate something like xcos^(1/4)(x) fairly quickly, but put in a realistic numerical problem and you'll grow old waiting for the solution to pop out. Everyone working in problems involving serious numerical mathematics writes their own code tailor-made to the problem at hand. They'll run the problem on Mathematica once to check that their program is working properly, but that's it. Unless you have HUGE computing resources, Mathematica just isn't in the budget. Edited July 22, 2003 by J Larsen Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted July 22, 2003 Report Posted July 22, 2003 Obviously I'm no expert in Calculus, or Mathematica - so my appologies if I was speaking out of turn (which I probably was). In any case, the moral of the story is that I discovered that 'pure math' wasn't the life for me. I can appreciate some aspects of higher math (or at least I remember a time when I was able to), but I'm afraid I just couldn't "get into it" with anywhere near enough of the enthusiasm necessary, in order to really pursue "pure math" as my life's calling. Quote
J Larsen Posted July 22, 2003 Report Posted July 22, 2003 Obviously I'm no expert in Calculus, or Mathematica - so my appologies if I was speaking out of turn (which I probably was). No apology necessary, that was just an FYI. I always feel compelled to set the record straight when I'm able to do so. I've always had a hard time letting things slip by. I didn't mean to make it sound as though Mathematica and other prepackaged software was useless. It is quite useful for certain things, and every now and then you can do a complete research project with it - it's just that that is definately the exception and not the rule. Generally, the further you get along in your research, the less useful it is. But all the same, no one would want to be without it. Quote
Joe Christmas Posted November 26, 2003 Author Report Posted November 26, 2003 I took this bitch last Monday. Didn't do quite as well as I wanted to, but my score is plenty sufficient for the programs that interest me. Glad it's out of the way. Thanks for the support given here. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted November 26, 2003 Report Posted November 26, 2003 Good news! So, if it's not being to nosy, what programs are you looking at? (And if it is too nosy, well, same to you, buddy!) Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted November 26, 2003 Report Posted November 26, 2003 My only advice is don't second guess yourself: read carefully and go with your first answer. Worked for me - 90+ percentile SAT & LSAT, now if only that meant something in the real world! And remember, no matter what it can't be as bad as the multi-state bar exam, truly the test from hell. And no test will ever be as bad as what they make those poor medical interns/residents go through: 100+ hour weeks, and then you end up with your hand in some poor kids chest and his blood in your shoes as he bleeds out on the table (happened to my ex, an ex in no small part due to the intern/resident experience). My, hasn't this post taken a turn for the worse? Oh well, good luck! Quote
Joe Christmas Posted November 26, 2003 Author Report Posted November 26, 2003 Mark, at the time I started this thread I had near equal interest in three separate programs, knowing I would start one in January: Environmental Management (Oklahoma State), Military History (Sam Houston State) and Musicology (U. of Washington). I've since committed to the History program and am looking very forward to it. It is the most logical route for me right now, considering time and the effort it will require working somewhat full time. Going after Musicology at a later time is a real probability though. I'm excited and eager to get started anyway. Quote
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