GRE

I have been applying to grad schools. I am hoping to finish my Educational Administration degree in the next two years so I can further pursue School Administration. I really love my job.

My current hurdles are finding financial aid to go to TCU... it is dreadfully expensive and applying for school at UTA which is not my first choice. The program is a bit different and I have to take the GRE. Boo.

Have any of you studied for the GRE? It seems like a convoluted mess that has little to do with my future career but I am willing to do a lot to stay on track. I didn't realize my vocabulary was so abismal. I have a pack of 350 flash cards I am carrying around trying to absorb their meanings.

Aver...Hackneyed...Salubrious...Obviate...Alacrity....Shootme

I am also facing math again after a six year absence. That is, six years since I took the last standardized-so-I-can-be-a-teacher test. I had to get a GED math book to refresh my memory for that test because I hadn't had any since sophomore year of college...in 2001. Yes, children. I know that you were in diapers that year. If you ask me who Pearl Jam is again I may have to harm you.

I got through Math the hard way in school. I just didn't get it nor did I have any motivation. I am kicking myself now. How many times do I wish I had paid more attention in Punkin Moss's 9th grade Algebra class?? Oh yeah, you caught that did you? Her name was Punkin Moss...You can probably guess what a high quality teacher she was. It is hard to motivate your students to Mathematical excellence when they have no respect for you for showing up 10 minutes late to class because you were having a smoke break in your old suburban parked right outside the classroom door. She had a mullet too. Just saying.

It's not Punkin's fault though. I was never an ambitious student until I went to college. I was a late academic bloomer...but now that I want school to be my life I wish I didn't have that sinking feeling in my stomach when I open the GRE section on factoring.

Factoring? Sounds vaguely familiar.


(x+y)² is the same thing as x² + 2xy + y²?

It is?
Something about aluminum foil? But don’t forget to pay special attention to the signs!


Pos x Pos= Pos
Neg x Neg= Pos
Pos x Neg= Neg
Neg x Pos =Neg

This is not salubrious! It is tortuous. It is totally not germane. Am I using these correctly?

I'll be at Panera under a pile of old math books and vocabulary index cards.

Peace!