I'm taking the GRE next week (eeeek!). Can anyone give me some tips on how to do well? I'm really nervous about the math part...it has been decades (okay, one decade) since I did this kind of math. And for the love of cheeseburgers, why can I not use a calculator?

Also, can anyone who has had to write a personal statement give me some advice? I'm working on mine, answered all the questions that they wanted me to answer, and I feel like it lacks some pizazz maybe? Do they even need to have pizazz? I'm just so nervous because my early college years were pretty troublesome and my GPA suffered because of it. My last two years are outstanding, but I'm scared it will not be enough to get me in without a great GRE score and statement. The school I'm applying for isn't competitive, but it's the only one I'm applying to, so I want to get in more than anything. Transition periods always stress me out *sigh*

Eek on the GRE is right. I hate to say it (okay, not really) but I totally winged it when I took it. But I wasn't going into a program that required having a stupidly high score so it mostly just mattered that I took it and managed to do okay. I don't remember a lot of it, except thinking that "holy sh!t these are big words". I actually did better (slightly) on the math portion than on the other part. The writing section seemed easy-peasy to me...as long as you use some sort of logic in your argument you'll probably be fine on that.

Sorry I don't have more specific advice, but good luck!!! I hope it goes well!

Yeah, it's stressful. I took the GRE 10 years ago (eek) and did fine.

There are GRE preparation books available that helped me a lot. Check your local library or bookstore. Many questions from the book were on the test. They will give you scratch paper when you go in (which they will take from you when you leave), so you can work out problems if you need to. I needed to.

One thing I use on all tests - if you aren't sure of the answer, cross off all answers that you KNOW are WRONG and you'll likely be left with the right answer. If you have more than one, keep whittling it down.

I took the GRE in 2002. I did weeks of preparation with different programs. You want to know how much they helped? ZILCH.

Here was the program question: Apple is to red as orange is to _____

Here was the actual question: Quantum theory is to rabbits as pantyhose is to _____

I did horribly, but luckily, I also had a program where they didn't really care how well you did, as long as you took them. Although, I do REALLY badly in standardized tests, but unbelievably well in actual tests for stuff you can study. I even aced my comps at the end of grad school (except for one question, and I thought it was unfair of them to ask me a big question on the only class I ever just sat in on.)

Same here. I got a book, but I might have read like one page. I didn't do any prep at all, just went in and took it. I don't even remember what score I got, but I got in the school I wanted, which was all I cared about. So I guess if I had any advice, it would be just take it and see what happens.

I've been studying for my GRE and the test prep books say that the verbal is much harder than the math, if that helps at all.
Good Luck!!

I did not study for the GRE as it is really not the kind of test you can study for. It might be helpful to get a study book though just so you will be familiar with the parts of the test and the types of questions that will be asked. Be familiar with how the test is scored;that way you can work out the best strategy for taking this test.

I took the GRE back when it was a paper pencil test. Now I think it is administered by computer and I have heard that once you complete something you cannot go back and check your work. I don't know if that is true but you would want to know that before going in.

I wish you well with your test. Even if you do not get the highest of scores you should still submit your application and a well written essay as part of your admissions packet. Many times the program, as others have indicated, do not rely that heavily on GRE scores.

Well, I took it and now it's done and over with! Thanks everyone for your tips, I did better than the average, but not as well as I wanted. Sure not going to take it again though

Congrats! Glad that's now behind you!

...pencil lead. Duh!