How To prepare For the Gre With Math Games

As we get toward that time of year when college and graduate school applications are due (November through January - did you forget?), many people's attentiveness grudgingly turns towards the requisite evil of the standardized test. For adults hoping to go to graduate school, it is an especially nerve-wracking time. I have tried to help my students alleviate some of that angst and make the work a slight more fun by suggesting to them the use of vocabulary and math games to build those skills.

There are three customary challenges that must be faced when taking the standardized tests (Sat, Gre and Gmat) that is a step toward garnering entry into college and most graduate and Mba programs-

- problem solving skills: the quality to look take in data and use it in the most effective manner to reply a specific question;
- game play skills: understanding rules and situational structure and using those to your benefit rather than as a limitation; and
- basic math and language skills - calculation, arithmetic, geometry, algebra, vocabulary, grammar, and reading for normal meaning.

Even though most test-takers focus on the math and language skills as the customary challenge that they must face in taking tests, the first two challenges can as a matter of fact be the most difficult to overcome. School systems prior to the 1990s did not teach cross-curricular qoute solving skills and, few population think of the strategy of game play unless they have played timed chess or other strategy games. Interestingly enough, sports games commonly encompass these latter two challenges and sometimes all three when you take into catalogue statistical analysis, but development the conceptual cross-over from football to the Gre is not an easy one for most people.

Most of the math and language skills that are needed to excel on tests were, at some point, learned in the test-takers academic or business career. By the time that an adult has been through four years of college and then spent some unspecified number of time in the workplace, these "basic" skills are rusty. Many students confuse this rustiness with an inability to accomplish or a lack of knowledge. Generally, a bit of refresh and practice is sufficient to grease those joints.

I have found that one great way to simultaneously sharpen all of these skills and to get ready students for these tests are with vocabulary-building and math games.

This includes:

o card games,
o board games,
o computer games,
o mobile applications for the

o iPhone,
o blackberry

Effectively, games can mimic the challenges faced in these testing situations and they are fun, so the student gets to practice without the pressure of performance. This is important to help alleviate "test anxiety" which can also be a huge factor in poor test performance.

So, continue with the preparing books, the classes, and the tutoring. These are all effective means of preparing for tests. But, for a slight fun and studying in the mix, go out and find a concentrate of vocabulary and math games that you enjoy, especially those online and iPhone application games that you can play anywhere. All work and no play does not finally get Jane or John into the graduate school of choice.