The GRE

Now that I've plunged back into academe, I decided I should take the GRE. Actually, quite a few programs require it... Anyway, the thought of it has haunted me for years, so it was a good thing I didn't really have time to think about it before taking it. A week of intensive math review prepared me to answer a few simple questions. (I can recommend some sites for practicing addition, subtraction and multiplication.)

The attitudinous test supervisor almost derailed me before I even began the test. However, conquering those violent and primal instincts, I settled into the really annoying routine. Most frustrating is trying to avoid all the lengthy and unnecessary directions. Yes, I believe I can click on the correct answer to select it, then click 'Next' to continue. I am even capable of figuring out which words fit into a sentence without three paragraphs of instructions. At least the MadLib-like humor of the wrong answers provides some relief.

Then in the quantitative section, the agony of knowing near the end that I won't have enough time to think about the remaining questions. I can't see them all, so I can't pick out the easier ones and finish them off- I simply have to stress over each one. No, I will not practice my math skills by dividing the number of minutes left by the number of questions left- I will focus on the problem at hand! They couldn't give questions with only one skill at a time either, each one had to involve two or three of the techniques I'd been cramming. I felt exactly the way I felt doing math in high school (the last time I tried)- really tense and unable to concentrate. It must be the flight instinct- when you know you're losing the battle, it's better just to run!

Now, I just took a look at a document that helps you analyze your scores. Unsurprisingly, my quantitative score was lower than the mean of almost any group listed. :-( Oh well, it would have been a *lot* worse if I hadn't studied! Actually, though, the most striking fact about the score statistics was that in both quantitative and verbal, those entering education scored significantly lower than anyone else. This scared me. :-0 What does it say about the future of our nation's schools?!? Then I ran into this interesting article: http://www.educationnews.org/gre-scores-of-school-administrators.htm.

You can also calculate your IQ based on your GRE scores. Disappointing to find out that my IQ is lower because I'm not good at math, but they can think whatever they like! I'm not a calculator, after all! :-) As long as I stick to verbal subjects, I come across pretty well... ;-)

Arabic 101

Out of the Woods

After a month of craziness and living on the edge, life has become more normal. The homework load seems strangely light now that I am no longer spending every spare minute trying to sort out my class schedule and finances. Not to say that everything is settled, but two or three problems at a time is okay...

Our French textbook has a multicultural focus, and has been feeding us beaucoup information about Quebec. Did you know that the Quebecois say, "Bonjour, hi!" when meeting someone new? Then the other person can choose which language to continue in!

New lifesaving device: a computer desk. Bought at Walmart for a reasonable price, and assembled with two days of exhausting yet satisfying effort, it is a beauty. I had waited for an hour to bring the box in from the car, knowing it was too heavy and hoping someone could help me. Finally I pushed it out and walked it in, corner by corner (it was flat). It almost pulled me over a couple of times, but eventually I triumphed. The person who had lifted it off the shelf at Walmart told me flatly,"It's not heavy." A little miffed, I responded, "It's all a matter of perspective." He didn't see the humor at all. Never mind that he was about twice my size and burly, and I was somewhat lighter than the desk.

On day two, with the mostly done desk filling all the floor space in my living room, it was time to stand it upright. I almost despaired. I could have gotten it up- but I would have destroyed some other furniture in the process. There was no one nearby who could help me. On top of that, I had a massage appointment in a few hours, and needed to clean everything up. My client could hardly be expected to step over the desk and onto a bag of screws to get through.

At that moment, the phone rang. It was my father. "We're in your neighborhood, and we've packed up that possible computer desk for you," he informed me. I hadn't considered that desk since I'd already bought one. I told him that I already had one, and it was mostly put together, but if he could come and help me get it upright, that would be great. "Sure, your brother-in-law and I will be there in less than 5 minutes!" What a Godsend... St. Thérese, advocate of the little and the weak, must have been praying for me on her feast day.

The desk holds my computer, printer, books, CDs, flashcard boxes... and it even looks nice. I am so thankful. Now my printer doesn't have to be unplugged every time I'm done using it. I can listen to the materials on the computer and write in a workbook at the same time. The phone is even nearby. This will change my life...