Martial Arts

A major concept of Martial Arts is that as you increase your level, you increase the self-awareness that goes with knowing strengths and weaknesses.  Interesting concept.

www.greworkshop.com is live!

Hello everyone,

My new webpage www.greworkshop.com is up and running.  I will still post valuable information here on this blog, as well as valuable information on the workshop webpage for information regarding group classes, lessons, and of course one on one tutoring.

Additionally, I took the GRE again on Tuesday Sep. 26th, and scored in the highest possible range on the Quant and Verbal.  I'm eagerly awaiting those results and the results of the essays.

Make it a great day!
-Daniel

iPhone applications for the GRE

This post is part of the Sunday Series for Compelling GRE Workshops.

I recently worked with the GRE word program from Brainscape, and was very impressed by it.

It costs $10 as an app through the Apple App store.  It has a rating system for each word and it contains 2000 of the most essential words for the GRE. 

More importantly, I saw how much the student improved over a three week period from using it.  After all, GRE test takers are results oriented people!  And daily use really improved the student's score and they are well on their way to meeting their goals on the test and moving on with their life. 

If you have used an iPhone application, let me know!

Make it a great day!
-Daniel

Knowing the emotional connotation of a word

This post is part of the Sunday Series for Compelling GRE Workshops.

On the verbal section, quantity trumps quality.  It is more important to be familiar with a large mass of words on a limited basis than to know a smaller number of words verbatim. 

There are a couple of reasons for this conclusion.  The first is that ETS, the company which makes the GRE, does not publish formal definitions for every word in the English language.  They readily admit that there exists some leeway and personal interpretation in language as language is something that evolves over time. 

If you look at two different dictionaries, they will have very similar definitions for a word but they rarely match exactly.  The same word in two different dictionaries will have definitions that only match about 90-95% of the details and words.  Of course, the words used to define a word have their own meanings, which also match only 90-95% of the words used to define them.

Knowing verbatim definitions is simply a waste of time.

The GRE also doesn't test for exact definitions anyways.  It asks for the word that is the "best fit" for the sentence or it tests for an antonym, asking for which word is the opposite. 

There is more interpretation for which word is the "opposite" of another word because that then depends on two definitions. 

The first word can only be defined and interpreted widely with say 90% certainty.  When we look for its antonym, each of the possible words can only be defined with a certain amount precision, as different dictionaries will have slightly different definitions.  The second word has a definition that is 90% .  The more words involved, the more the error is compounded and passed forward. 

Do not memorize verbatim definitions because the definition you memorize will be different than the one the GRE is using. 

My advice is to learn a great number of words to a lesser degree than to memorize of a lot of words very precisely.

Make it a great day!
-Daniel

Time Limits and Due Dates

This post is part of the Sunday Series for Compelling GRE Workshops.


It is important to trust yourself to focus during the time you have allocated to studying.  The single best way to focus when you are studying is to set a "finish" time as well as a start time.  


At the beginning of a vocabulary session, I would suggest setting a 20 to 30 minute time limit with a "hard" finish time, for example starting at 11:05 a.m. and finishing at 11:30 a.m.  This way you can trust yourself to call it quits after a certain amount of time, and thus be free to focus during the time knowing that you will be done with it soon.  


Then don't study the rest of the day, even if you have a bad study session.  Let that concern carry over to the next study session so you are more focused next time.  Don't dilute your focus or worry, make them your strengths instead!


Make it a great day!
-Daniel

ETS has a new scoring format

This post is part of the Sunday Series for Compelling GRE Workshops.


ETS is changing its scoring methods from a range of 200-800 to a range of 130-170, which more closely resembles the scoring other Graduate Program tests such as the LSAT (120-180).  The GMAT is on a 200-800 range, and the MCAT is totally different.  So this explains to some degree why they made the change in scoring.  


Here is what the ETS says about the new GRE format:

What Is Changing About Scoring

A New Score Scale that Makes It Easier for Schools to Compare Your Scores with the Scores of Other Candidates

If you've seen an official score report for the current test, or have friends who have taken the current test, then you know that the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections have a score scale of 200 – 800, reported in 10-point increments.

However, scores will look much different on the new score scale for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE® revised General Test. The Analytical Writing section score scale will remain the same.

What you need to know about the new score scale

• Verbal Reasoning scores will be reported on a new 130 – 170 score scale, in 1-point increments (versus 200 – 800 in 10-point increments).
• Quantitative Reasoning scores will be reported on a new 130 – 170 score scale, in 1-point increments (versus 200 – 800 in 10-point increments).
• Analytical Writing scores will continue to be reported on the same 0 – 6 score level, in half-point increments.

What does the new score scale mean to you? It means that institutions will find it easier to compare your scores with the scores of other candidates. Here's why:

• If you and another candidate have GRE revised General Test scores that differ by one or two score points, for example, then you and the other candidate performed similarly on the revised test.
• With the current test's broader score scale, that same difference looks like a 10- or 20-point difference in score — which could look like a big difference.

Now small differences in scoring will look like small differences, while bigger differences will continue to stand out. That's good news for you, and for the schools considering you.

Important Information If You Need Your Scores Before November

Considering whether or not to take the current test or the GRE revised General Test? Before you decide, first select which schools you're most interested in attending, then find out when they need your scores for admissions.

• If you take the GRE revised General Test during our special discount period of August – September 2011, your scores will be sent by mid-November.
• If you take the test in October – November, check the detailed score reporting schedule to know what day your scores will be sent.
• Score reporting returns to the regular reporting period of 10 – 15 days after test date, starting in December.
• This means if a school needs your scores before November, you must take the current test before August to make sure you have your scores in time.

Keep in mind that scores will continue to be valid for five years. If you need your scores by November, early planning will be important.

A common trick on the Quantitative section

This post is part of the Sunday Series for Compelling GRE Workshops.

Many people fall in to the trap in doing math operations in one direction, but never practice doing them in the reverse direction. 

Imagine a 45-45-90 triangle.
Its two short legs are of length "x".
The SAT and GRE both require you to know that the hypotenuse is sqrt(2)*x. 

This is basically a short-hand method of the Pythagorean Theorem, allowing you to do the math faster and save time.

Many students know this, so the GRE test creators will instead give you a 45-45-90 triangle and give you a nice whole number for the hypotenuse (for example: 3) and then require you to calculate the length of each leg. 

Now this would take a student longer to figure out, wasting precious time. 

The answer of course is that each leg is 3/(sqrt(2)). 

It is the reversal of the operation that the GRE test makers like to throw at students as one component of a single problem.  And since you only have 40 minutes for thirty problems, you have to hurry!

Make it a great day!
-Daniel