How to Succeed on the GRE

Dr. Stewart and Students

On Thursday, January 29, 2009, PSI CHI hosted its informational workshop on How to Succeed on the GRE. Oakland University Psychology majors gathered to listen as Dr. Robert Stewart highlighted the skills assessed on the Graduate Record Exam. Students were able to learn the three major areas measured, including Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Dr. Stewart gave tips of how to prepare for this often mandatory exam for entrance to graduate school.

There was great response and interest shown by the attendees. Students may think that a good strategy for prepping for the GRE is traditional study methods, but this method has proven not to be very successful. More important, students are better off knowing what to expect from the structure and timing of the test. If you happened to miss this opportunity for information, you can pick up a copy of the handout in at Pryale Hall. Free practice tests and review guides are provided at www.ets.org.

Students taking notes

Points of advice offered by Dr. Stewart in preparing for the GRE:

· Think of it as a major assessment of every skill you have ever been taught in all your years of school.

· Prepare for the test by studying the structure and scoring process of the test.

· Take every free practice test you can.

· Purchase an inexpensive review book from Barnes & Noble if you feel you need it. (Kaplan prep courses cost more than the exam and applications!)

· Recognize that this is not a test of knowledge so much as a test of your ability to solve problems. You cannot study lists of vocabulary words over the summer.

· The subject test matters if the school requires it, but it tends to be less important than the general test. The Analytic Writing portion is important...be sharp.

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