Flashbacks of 7th grade, and why I rock.

I have been studying for the GRE for the past few months. (For those of you lucky enough to not know what that is, it's the Graduate Record Exam, like the ACT/SAT on steroids. It's a computer based test that gives you harder questions as you get them correct, and easier questions as you get them wrong). The GRE is, in my opinion, an excuse to charge an exorbitant amount of money ($160!) to force you to re-live 7th and 8th grade math class, (complete with Ms Hafferty and Mr Thompson with his sweaty hand prints on the white board) which brings back flashbacks of the middle school experience, reducing you to a pile of quivering awkwardness crying in the corner. I mean, seriously! I'm going to be a speech therapist, why does my ability to remember the area formula for a rhombus have anything to do with getting into a master's program to teach kids to say their /r/ and /s/ sounds? What sick, sick person decided that this is a good idea?

That being said, two weeks ago on a Saturday I woke up early-ish and I determined that I would take one of the practice tests that I had been studying for. I had done practice questions, and LOTS of vocabulary (my day isn't complete without a little vocabulary study), but hadn't dared to take one of the practice exams.

I took the exam, felt ok about it, then saw my scores. Now, keep in mind, that in my past I have excelled at multiple choice tests. In elementary/middle/high school I loved standardized testing weeks- I know, it's a sickness-, something about filling in the bubbles I guess... I even took the ACT three times, and probably even enjoyed it a little, and the scores I got reflected that mindset. I had the family high score on the ACT till one of my sisters who will not be named- coughrachelcough- came along and beat me by ONE point. Just one. (Will she let me or anyone else forget it, no. Unless mom had the audacity to move it, her score is still hanging on our kitchen refrigerator. Said sister is a sophomore at BYU this year... just sayin').  Anyway, this is about me.

So last Saturday I took the first practice test and got a 980 combined score, a 460 on the verbal and a 520 on the math. The GRE is based on an 800 point standard for EACH section. getting a 980 was bad. (that being said most grad schools want a minimum of 400 on each test to be considered for admittance), but still. I was seriously depressed. My grades are ok, but I'm going to need a good GRE score in order to have the choices I want for grad schools.

Yesterday, I couldn't make myself face that kind of rejection/disappointment again. But today, after taking a nice nap, I decided to try again, just to see if I'd improved with my studying this past week. I take the GRE on the 18th of November, so there is only a limited amount of time before the day of reckoning comes.

So I took the second practice test! And well... I ROCK.

1320 combined score! 590 on the Verbal and a 730 on the Math! YEAH BUDDY!