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Study for the GRE in 30 Days

Being a GRE students myself back in 2006 and having prepared for it, I know firsthand, how preparing for GRE in Pakistan can be stressful and pressurizing – especially if…

Being a GRE students myself back in 2006 and having prepared for it, I know firsthand, how preparing for GRE in Pakistan can be stressful and pressurizing – especially if you are running out of time.

The preparation of GRE for aspirants in Pakistan takes a lot of time and rigorous effort.

I know that GRE preparation for all my friends in Pakistan takes a lot of time and obsessive effort to transit from “From” to “To”.

From: “Oh my God I do not know that I need to learn so much vocabulary!! If only I had known that I would have started preparing sooner.”

To: “Thank goodness I had one month to prepare with dedication. Now I know more than 1500 frequent GRE words!”

And you know what? This is easier to accomplish than you think.

All you need to do is implement the following effective tips. In this blog post I want to share with you several effective steps which will definitely take over your GRE; with a good score that will get you into your dream grad school.

1. Plan your studies

Before you take a dive into the pool of GRE preparation material naked, you should start off with a study plan, so that you can study in an organized way. Grab a pen, a calendar and plan the subjects according to the days left until your test date.

Don’t forget to allot specific time for each day according to the subject you study that day. Don’t ignore the practice tests on your calendar. Fix specific time for the practice tests also to check your improvement.

Studying for 6 days a week for 2-3 hours is very good. Do take the weekend off or you’ll burn out! Give yourself a day each week to relax and watch some movies and hang out with friends.

2. Split your time

To championing your GRE score, study for 2 hours each day, split that time for different subjects, instead of going with the same subject. In this way you won’t get bored of a particular subject.

Also, avoid over studying of a section. Just like over eating makes you feel nauseated, so does over studying.

So far easy right!

Next step will sweeten things up for you.

3. Assess your level

Before starting your studies, I will recommend you to take a free online practice test just to judge your level, and where you stand.

This is a nice way for you to get familiarized by the format of the test, and what it’s like to take the GRE test on computer.

You can visit ETS.org, which provides free practice tests.

Now the Key Part!

4. Focus more on your weak points

There are always some subjects that we hate to study, and therefore we give them the least of our time for preparation. For me it has always been Math – But then I worked super hard to get a top GRE score.

Weak points are what we hate the most. Neglecting those sections or subjects is the biggest mistake when it comes to GRE.

So force yourself to give more of your time on your weak points, for the sake of good score.
Keep moving on and wait for glory!

5. Collaborative studies

Studying everyday just with the same book can be very boring. Plus you will lose motivation if you carry on alone battling with the GRE.

Hence look for study group and practice with your fellows. This will help you gain knowledge and learn new and different ways and strategies.

In this way you study with great fun, stay invigorated and motivated.

6. Arrange a tutor for yourself

A tutor knows the pressure points in the test and he/she can teach you good strategies to do your test logically and efficiently.

A tutor is not an option for everybody. If you can’t afford a tutor, self tutoring is a great option. But doing self study for the GRE alone requires a lot of determination. Therefore find yourself a study mate if you can’t get yourself a tutor.

7. Check your improvement

There is no progress until you are able to measure it properly. Sometimes a lot of us work hard for 4-6 weeks in a stretch just to ace the GRE without measuring our progress in between.

Therefore after about two weeks, take online practice tests. This will let you check your progress.

This improvement is an evidence and proof of your hard work. Even if you don’t see any improvement, don’t freak out.

This means that you haven’t yet conquered that particular point, after which you can say that you are going on the right path. You just need a bit of more practice.

Take note of those questions that you skip a lot and practice on those question types.

Stay calm and sleep tight before the exam day and feel good in the morning before your test, and you will see your hard work leading you towards fruitful results.

I hope the above tips inspire you to go give the GRE a whirl. Good luck!

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