Update on doctoral pursuit: GRE helps

All my materials are in for the doctoral program.  I tried to do this five years ago, had medical problems and panic attacks, and chickened out, and have beat myself up over it for years.  A colleague has been very encouraging about trying this executive style program at UGA. 
I'm going to go for it, if I am accepted.  All my materials are in and I took the GRE again.  I am very proud of the fact that I scored in the 99 percentile in writing, 97 in verbal reasoning, and 53 in math.  Now the first two make sense since I have two M.A. degrees in verbal-oriented subjects, but the 53 in math is pretty cool since I haven't had a math class since 1971.  Yes, that's right, 40 years ago.  And the first time I took the GRE in 2004 I was in the 22 percentile!

The secret:  Khan Academy videos.  Really.  They are awesome.  Second, a booklet on the web for studying the math needed for the GRE.  Here:  http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/GREmathPractice.pdf

Third, a colleague gave me an introductory algebra book, which I used for backup.  If someone my age can learn math on her own (and I really was learning new concepts, not just remembering the old stuff), there is hope.  At least I know I'm not about to get dementia, although I may be demented to start doctoral work at this age. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Reflecting on Reflection in Learning

The LAST Word on Learning Styles

Lessons in Leadership Failure