Saturday, July 08, 2006
Something I'm good at
In life, I've discovered that there are a few things that I really have a knack for. For better and for worse, I've been reconfirming lately that standardized tests are one of those things.
Practicing for the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs), I've been taking some random practice tests and quizzes online. Turns out they're not that dissimilar from the SATs, thus my initial practice scores have been pretty high. Now that GREs are on computer-based testing, I may just take the tests sooner rather than later, just to get it over with. With the GMATs (business school grad tests) I'm in the same boat, with the exception of one particular type of question that I haven't seemed to be able to master.
Now, this may sound nice, but it's not. International standardized tests like the GRE are reviewed rigourously and repeatedly by expert test-makers. This makes them very nice for us test-taking geeks, especially if we've worked to understand how they're written. But when it comes to actually taking tests in a university setting, those tests are often not so scrupulously reviewed by their makers - sometimes a mix of grad students and professors. There is a huge difference between taking a test made by experts and one made by novices - especially when you're conditioned to the former. Let's just say I learned THAT one the hard way. Know what I mean, Vern?
Speaking of grad school, though, I am on the edge of my time limit to announce whether or not I'd like to accept my offer of admission to UW's Masters of Management Sciences program. After a discussion with the professor who will likely be my thesis co-advisor, I'm leaning much more closely to "yes." No small part of this is due to the fact that I've learned that the MBET program (indeed, the whole CBET) was moved to the Faculty of Engineering at UW as of May 1, 2006. Since both my areas of interest will both be in the same department, it will be that much easier for me to do cross-over work (and get funding for TAships and research projects). All the fun of the MBET at the price of regular grad school, w00t. Which, I might add, will end up being cheaper than my arts undergrad.
(Why worry about the GREs/GMATs then? Well, there is life after grad school, after all. And it just may be ... more grad school! Currently eyeing MPP / MPA programs both at home and abroad. If I can finish the MMSc/MASc degree in a year (completely possible) then I may move directly on to more school from there.)
Practicing for the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs), I've been taking some random practice tests and quizzes online. Turns out they're not that dissimilar from the SATs, thus my initial practice scores have been pretty high. Now that GREs are on computer-based testing, I may just take the tests sooner rather than later, just to get it over with. With the GMATs (business school grad tests) I'm in the same boat, with the exception of one particular type of question that I haven't seemed to be able to master.
Now, this may sound nice, but it's not. International standardized tests like the GRE are reviewed rigourously and repeatedly by expert test-makers. This makes them very nice for us test-taking geeks, especially if we've worked to understand how they're written. But when it comes to actually taking tests in a university setting, those tests are often not so scrupulously reviewed by their makers - sometimes a mix of grad students and professors. There is a huge difference between taking a test made by experts and one made by novices - especially when you're conditioned to the former. Let's just say I learned THAT one the hard way. Know what I mean, Vern?
Speaking of grad school, though, I am on the edge of my time limit to announce whether or not I'd like to accept my offer of admission to UW's Masters of Management Sciences program. After a discussion with the professor who will likely be my thesis co-advisor, I'm leaning much more closely to "yes." No small part of this is due to the fact that I've learned that the MBET program (indeed, the whole CBET) was moved to the Faculty of Engineering at UW as of May 1, 2006. Since both my areas of interest will both be in the same department, it will be that much easier for me to do cross-over work (and get funding for TAships and research projects). All the fun of the MBET at the price of regular grad school, w00t. Which, I might add, will end up being cheaper than my arts undergrad.
(Why worry about the GREs/GMATs then? Well, there is life after grad school, after all. And it just may be ... more grad school! Currently eyeing MPP / MPA programs both at home and abroad. If I can finish the MMSc/MASc degree in a year (completely possible) then I may move directly on to more school from there.)
