I’ve been studying for the GRE for about an hour and a half by this point this morning and I find that I have more difficulty with the math than with the verbal. If you know me at all, you’ll probably be wondering why that is. As y’all know, I am, in fact, a mathematician aspirant (so saith my profile), so I should be really good at it, right?

I am. I really, really am. Too good. I blow through the questions and get frustrated when I get the wrong answer because I didn’t read the question carefully enough. I go for area when they ask for perimeter, and after I get used to perimeter, they switch back to area. The drawings are supposed to be to scale and the study guide says to trust them when they are – except sometimes they’re not. The GRE (like pretty much any other standardized test) is a flaming hoop to jump through – requiring only the skill to jump through flaming hoops and so not representative of the actual abilities you possess and are presumably going to grad school to train. But if you’re going to grad school, you have to jump through that flaming hoop. And while hopefully the credentialist pricks at ETS, the company that administers it, will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes, we’re stuck with it for the moment.

So in order to prevent myself from throwing the book across the room, I’ve taken this opportunity to finish up the coffee left in the pot and update this poor neglected blog. Here’s the deal: if you, or anyone whose life you’re not actively trying to sabotage, are getting ready to take the GRE, heed these words. SLOW DOWN. I understand it’s like 4½ hours to do the test. That’s a lot of time. It’s not forever, but it’s plenty. Obviously, you can’t screw around, so you need to keep a steady pace. A slow and steady pace. I’m in panic mode because I’ve been doing 18 credits this summer instead of studying for the GRE, so I’m at this haphazard, frenetic pace so I can get a chance to practice everything. If, by whatever miracle of the Googles (praise be unto it) you have stumbled across this blog entry because you’re considering taking the GRE, heed my advice. You can’t rely on your sheer brilliance to jump through a flaming hoop. So train to jump, and then you can get back to what you do best: being an outstanding student.