Has anyone felt...like this?

[scienceisbeauty]

I took a GRE a prac one, and scored crapaliciously I've been studying forever. Now. It's 2 wks. And I'm so scared.
I feel like giving up. I feel discouraged as anyting. I feel GAHHHHHHHHH

Am I going through something normal? I feel like doing nothing but crying. I feel liked I ripped up money. SIGH.

To the GRE previous writers, have you ever felt like you've been beat? When do I know when it's time to throw in the towel?

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[mshbe]

yes, i have felt like this. when i was studying and taking practice tests, i kept getting lower scores on each consecutive practice! obviously i felt very discouraged.

many times the practice tests are harder than the actual test, because they want you to think you've improved as a result of taking their prep course or their practice tests. don't take that as a hard and fast rule, but for what it's worth, i did that badly on practice tests then ended up doing quite well on the actual test.

just keep on studying, try to relax a little, and do your best. good luck!

 

[deleted176373]

I took a GRE a prac one, and scored crapaliciously I've been studying forever. Now. It's 2 wks. And I'm so scared.
I feel like giving up. I feel discouraged as anyting. I feel GAHHHHHHHHH

Am I going through something normal? I feel like doing nothing but crying. I feel liked I ripped up money. SIGH.

To the GRE previous writers, have you ever felt like you've been beat? When do I know when it's time to throw in the towel?

+1 Keep trying... the only test that counts is the real one... You can do crappy on every practice test, but if you learn something each time it's fine. Remember, learn from your mistakes, and don't stress until after you get your real score... time to learn is now, you'll be able to stress yourself out later!

Mark

 

[BorntoRun]

+2. I did way better on the GRE than I ever did on any practice test I took (and I took quite a few). I do think most standardized test prep companies make the practice tests harder in an effort to improve their image. I wouldn't throw in the towel yet.

 

[cara susanna]

When I reached the point where I was taking a practice test everyday, scoring about the same low scores, and crying about it, I took a break. I think that you need to step back, just relax for a little bit, and forget about the test just for a little while.

And, it's not hopeless. If I can get a 1200, anyone can!

 

[psybee]

two days before my exam i got a 340 on the math on my daily practice exam. i freaked out and like cara i took a break -- saw friends, chilled, only looked at math stuff for an hour, max, and i ended up getting a 640 on the math.

 

[scienceisbeauty]

This all makes me feel so much better
I feel better now, so I'm just going to go for it - I'm taking a deep breath and just reviewing my math

THANKS EVERYONE -- I feel normal now

 

[Cosmo75]

If you could harness the energy of the anxiety that the GRE produces in students, you could power a large city for a day

 

[myelin]

SIB (i feel bad for calling you that) you've got to stop psyching yourself out! You're introducing unwanted variance into your GRE score in the form of anxiety. I did the same thing when I took the GRE the first time. It definately hurt my score.

It helped me to think that everyone before me had to take the GRE and that they survived. I've also heard many stories of people (some of my friends even) that have gotten into graduate school with lower GRE scores. This likely won't be your case because you've been studying soo much. Your score will reflect this!

I'm pulling for you and I know that many others are. If it makes you feel better, I'm taking the GRE AGAIN on October 30.

 

[shefmed]

Absolutely! I remember taking the practice tests over and over again, and totally psyching myself out. I took the actual test 2x - the first time I scored pretty well on the verbal and did mediocre on the quant. Let me tell you, I felt VERY discouraged after that!!! But, I scheduled a second test, took a break, and did MUCH better on quant the second time around (as in 130 points better) and improved my verbal score somewhat, too.

So ... as others have pointed out, not taking this too seriously (i.e., not getting into panic mode) will serve you well - I know, I know, easier said than done But you have to consider that programs look at other things too, when considering your application. Hope this helps!

 

[scienceisbeauty]

SIB (i feel bad for calling you that)

Aww myelin, I call myself that sometimes why do you feel bad?

 

[myelin]

Aww myelin, I call myself that sometimes why do you feel bad?

SIB is frequently used as an abbreviation for self injurious behavior...

 

[mplsgirl]

SIB, I was definitely feeling the same way as you. I was studying every night, taking practice test after practice test, and started psyching myself out. So I took a break from studying and just have kinda took it easy the last week and a half or so. I take the test this Friday at 8:00 am, and figure I'll be fine. I've studied my A** off, and I have time to re-take it if I end up doing horribly. A little anxiety usually has been shown to improve performance, just try not to let it get out of hand. I noticed when I was feeling exceptionally nervous and had the mindset that my future and career was riding on this stupid test, I did worse on practice exams. However, when I didn't study over the long Labor Day weekend, and came back and took a test after much partying and spending time with friends and family, I did the best I've done. Just take a hot bath and know that all will be well!!!

 

[mplsgirl]

posted that twice....

 

[Thrak]

If you're constantly scoring low on one particular thing (like me with geometry... stupid triangles!), drop everything else for a bit and just work on that for a bit.

If you're scoring low across the board, it may be because you're pushing yourself too hard for too long, and it's mental fatigue. Give yourself a break for a day or two before going back to it. Also, sometimes it takes awhile for new info to sink in.

And I do agree with everyone else about the practice tests being harder. I'm pretty sure it's by design.

Good luck!