Taking the GRE's tonight, so I've been on a 48 hour cram session, it's kind of fun. I can tell you everything you want to know about triangles. My favorite words that keep popping up on my practice tests are;
allay,
restiveness,
prosaic,
laconic,
immutable,
reticent,
quixotic,
expurgate,
intransigent.
The only think I know I struggle at is balancing two equations, in the simultaneous equation questions, like when they say:
If p + 2q = 14 and 3p + q = 12, then p=
A. -2
B. -1
C. 1
D. 2
E. 3
You've got multiply the second equation by 2 and solve... I keep thinking what in real life is analogous to simultaneous equations? I think that it might be when you are trying to avoid a parking ticket, while shopping for a scarf in a small town, you put 2 quarters in the meter for 15 minutes each of parking time, you want the scarf which costs x, but is on sale if you buy it with a combo sweater, how much time do you have before you have 5 minutes left and have to get back to your car?
I like the triangles though, the isoceles, the right angles, the equilateral, the 30-60-90 triangle and of course the 3-4-5 right triangle... you can do a lot with those, it's like you can be Vespucci in your living room guessing how far the TV is from you if you know how far it is from the wall and how far the wall is from you...
13 ft!!!.... now onto those angles, or perhaps a circle's radius?? oooh.
Then there is the question of whether or not I am going to not crack, and actually keep to the "GRE Form" on the argument and opinion essays....
I've got to pay attention to modification,
UNCLEAR: Gary and Martha sat talking about the problem in the office
CLEAR: Gary and Martha sat in the office talking about the problem
And I've got to highlight the points I am going to make in my essay, and then make them. I also have to be sure to start my paragraphs with first, furthermore, finally and sandwhich those between my intro, hard-hitting paragraph and my conclusion which should state my first sentence's initial point, show sympathy to the argument in discussion and then bring it home with a final sentence that begins with 'But in order' ... I've got to turn off my brain and just remember the basic principles to GRE writing:
1. Use Language effectively
2. Keep it simple.
3. Don't worry about making minor errors
4. Keep sight of my goal: to demonstrate that I can think logically and communicate clearly.
Oh boy, I should study for the GRE's for the rest of my life, I bet I'd be a better smelling and harder working young
So, gotta back to it, goode out.
