{"id":28259,"date":"2015-04-23T03:39:49","date_gmt":"2015-04-23T10:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=28259"},"modified":"2015-04-23T03:39:49","modified_gmt":"2015-04-23T10:39:49","slug":"making-friends-with-the-gre-how-to-overcome-test-anxiety-and-perform-at-your-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/making-friends-with-the-gre-how-to-overcome-test-anxiety-and-perform-at-your-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Friends with the GRE: How To Overcome Test Anxiety and Perform at Your Best"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Click<\/a>\u201cI can\u2019t stop trembling\u2026.can\u2019t eat\u2026.cry for little or no reason\u2026.I am so nervous.\u201d\u00a0 All of this from Janelle, a prospective graduate student on her response to scheduling a GRE test<\/a> date. \u00a0I was not surprised that Janelle was nervous as almost all prospective graduate students are a bit anxious about admissions\u2019 tests. \u00a0However, Janelle took \u201canxious\u201d to a whole new level. \u00a0\u00a0It was clear to me that I would need to develop a somewhat different plan of action to successfully help Janelle perform at her very best on this exam.<\/p>\n

My first step was to listen carefully as Janelle shared all her feelings and fears. She said that she actually felt better just by having someone listen without judgement. \u00a0I told her that I would brainstorm some options and we scheduled a follow-up meeting.<\/p>\n

I decided to \u201cborrow\u201d some of the techniques I use to deal with speaker anxiety in the public speaking classes that I teach at the undergraduate level. I was planning to use cognitive restructuring-- changing the way we think about something.<\/p>\n

At our next meeting I told Janelle that I had developed a three stage strategy to position her for success. I asked her to think about the GRE process like the development of a relationship. \u00a0In other words going from the acquaintance level to friend level to intimate level. \u00a0\u00a0We were going to \u201cMake Friends with the GRE.\u201d\u00a0 Here\u2019s how we did it:<\/p>\n

STAGE 1: Aquaintance Level<\/strong>----This is the \u201cgetting to know you\u201d stage of the process.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Understand the GRE Testing program- Research the GRE general test and the discipline-specific subject tests especially in terms of available test administration dates, time limitations on retakes, score delivery options, etc.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Determine which tests are required by the schools\/programs of your interest\u2014Check the admission criteria and the application deadlines to determine which tests are required and the application deadlines so that you can schedule the appropriate exams to meet all of the criteria of the school\/programs of your choice. Keep in mind that while the GRE general test has multiple test administration sites and dates, the GRE subject test administrations are often scheduled only 2 or 3 times per admission cycle. Advance and careful planning is necessary to meet these deadlines so that you do not find yourself in a situation where your application is not complete by the deadline date. \u00a0Many programs will only review complete<\/b> applications.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Learn even more by surveying and requesting feedback from others who have taken the exam. \u00a0They may well have some tidbits of advice for you. \u00a0\u00a0They may alert you to specific pitfalls to avoid. \u00a0Keep a list for future reference.<\/p>\n

STAGE 2: Friendship Level<\/strong>--- This is the \u201clet\u2019s become friends\u201d stage of the process.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Visit the ETS website to learn about the GRE subject tests offered and to access the associated subject test review books which will provide details on the content areas for the test, the weights assigned to each topic, as well as a practice test. This will provide you with a guide on what to study as well as how much time to allocate to specific topics. The subject test practice book can be downloaded from the web free of charge or will be mailed when you register for the exam.<\/p>\n

\u2022 To prepare for the GRE general test, you should invest the time to diagnose the skill areas that need the most attention by identifying areas of weakness that require intensive review. These may include, but are not limited to, reading for meaning, analyzing and general organization of your ideas in short essay format, general mathematics<\/a>, algebra, geometry, charts, etc.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Take advantage of the diagnostic services offered by ETS which includes GRE\u2019s Diagnostic Tests and Score It Now!, the online writing practice. Check out these low cost options on the ETS website.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Make use of the GRE Powerprep software for reviews of the verbal and quantitative measure sections of the GRE exam.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Be prepared to write 2 timed essays. One essay will present your perspective on an issue and the second essay will assess your ability to analyze an argument. \u00a0You can practice typing an essay response under timed conditions using GRE Powerprep software or you can pay for Score- it -Now! for online writing practice. The analytical writing measure serves as an assessment of critical thinking and the following analytical and writing skills: \u00a0articulation of complex ideas, clear and effective examination of claims and evidence, supporting ideas with relevant reasons and explicit examples, preparing a well-focused and coherent discussion, and displaying mastery of standard written English.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Throughout this entire stage use positive self-talk as a confidence booster. \u00a0Place the emphasis on all of the progress you have made and continue to make.<\/p>\n

(On a side note, I made sure that I was always available for confidence boosting and positive feedback)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>STAGE 3<\/strong>--- Intimate Level<\/strong>---- this is the commitment stage of the process.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Become comfortable taking a computer delivered, timed, online exam by practicing in that type of environment. \u00a0If you only practice using a review book, the new delivery format may increase your level of anxiety and, as such, may impact your performance.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Look back at how far you have come and continue to invest in the relationship you have established. \u00a0You may even learn to enjoy the challenge and the rewards that the relationship may bring.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Last but not least, allow yourself enough time for the relationship to strengthen (prepare and study for the exam) and take hold.<\/p>\n

At this point I am sure you are wondering if Janelle was successful. \u00a0Yes she was--she handled the stress very well and was accepted to her top choice schools. I was certainly proud to have helped her achieve her goal.<\/p>\n

\"Learn<\/a>\"Carol<\/a>By\u00a0Carol Drummer<\/a>, <\/em>Former\u00a0<\/em>Hofstra University\u00a0<\/em>Dean of Graduate Admissions, who for 10 years reviewed and signed off on over 4500 admissions decisions per year and has taught communications and rhetoric since 1991.<\/em><\/p>\n

Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 The GMAT, GRE and the Guy Who Knows Them Well<\/a>
\n\u2022 Should You Take the GMAT or the GRE?<\/a>
\n\u2022 Why You Don't Need a Perfect GRE Score<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI can\u2019t stop trembling\u2026.can\u2019t eat\u2026.cry for little or no reason\u2026.I am so nervous.\u201d\u00a0 All of this from Janelle, a prospective graduate student on her response to scheduling a GRE test…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11,939,113,243],"tags":[1064,174,1896,529,12],"class_list":["post-28259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-mba","category-accepted","category-applications","category-blog","tag-gmat-vs-gre","tag-gre","tag-mba","tag-test-anxiety","tag-the-mba-application-process","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28259"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28260,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28259\/revisions\/28260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}