- #1
Dishsoap
- 1,017
- 310
Before I begin, let me just say that I've been studying for the past 5 months for the pGRE. I'm taking it in either September or October. I started so early because my school doesn't offer a few courses which are covered on the GRE (QM II, Mechanics II), so teaching myself those things took some time. I've been studying by going over previous tests (about an hour each night), taking them again and again, and figuring why I got wrong the things I did. I've also been going over "Conquering the Physics GRE" book which I've heard is helpful.
Honestly, though, I'm so close to just giving up. I took a practice test a few days ago, and got a 520. This is higher than anyone at my university has gotten in the past 3 years, but it's not nearly high enough to get me into graduate school. I have the research, the good grades, and the letters, but this GRE is really the thing holding me back.
I spend a lot of time on physicsgre.com and Ohio State's pGRE site looking at solutions for answers I can't quite get, and it's so distressing. So much "I studied for a whole 2 months and I only got a 950!" and "I got a 920, so depressed about this".
I really just don't know what else to do. I'm not looking for an "atta girl" here, I'm looking for an idea of whether or not I should reconsider my choice for grad school. If I am having this much trouble with the pGRE, will I also have issues on the prelims/quals? Will I be behind in graduate school because I'm not familiar with the topics covered on the GRE?
Also, another question - why on Earth if the pGRE has been a thing for decades are there only 5 previous exams available?
Honestly, though, I'm so close to just giving up. I took a practice test a few days ago, and got a 520. This is higher than anyone at my university has gotten in the past 3 years, but it's not nearly high enough to get me into graduate school. I have the research, the good grades, and the letters, but this GRE is really the thing holding me back.
I spend a lot of time on physicsgre.com and Ohio State's pGRE site looking at solutions for answers I can't quite get, and it's so distressing. So much "I studied for a whole 2 months and I only got a 950!" and "I got a 920, so depressed about this".
I really just don't know what else to do. I'm not looking for an "atta girl" here, I'm looking for an idea of whether or not I should reconsider my choice for grad school. If I am having this much trouble with the pGRE, will I also have issues on the prelims/quals? Will I be behind in graduate school because I'm not familiar with the topics covered on the GRE?
Also, another question - why on Earth if the pGRE has been a thing for decades are there only 5 previous exams available?