See over on the sidebar...where it says I am consuming...well it's a big fat lie.

I haven't cracked open that GRE study guide since late October. I wanted to take the GRE this month, but that's so not happening.

October just threw off all my freaking plans. Then I entered November with a last-minute submission to an anthology. Thanksgiving came and went and bam! December was here before I knew it.

I am planning on spending part of my vacation time with that guide. But I also have a paper to write for work. Despite not having a PhD or a research position, my boss wants some published papers. And she's right in asking me to produce them.

So wish me luck that I'll get a lot of studying done. I do want to apply for the PhD program this spring. I need to get a rolling if this is gonna happen.

Then again, I have plenty of other wonderful things to do instead of cracking open books. Oh wait...I love that, don't I?

OK...off to bed. I'm delirious.

Labels: phd

Just a quick update on the torture that is studying for the GRE. Keep in mind that while I work in education, I haven't been in school since 2003. Also, while I have a BS in science and was a math nerd my whole life, my math skills have become quite rusty. Ok, rusty is mild. They really suck. The word problems are kicking my ass as I have lost my ability to really break them down and figure out the trick. *sigh* And I've been worried about the vocab! Which is also sucking. I may have to resort to my strategy for spelling tests. Yes, writing the word & definition 20 times on a piece of paper. Oy...and there's a zillion words to study! But I guess I'm ok. At least I know that a positive times a negative equals a negative and don't need to relearn that. Thank you Jaime Escalante! Psst...if you're not busy, I could use your help. Gracias!

Technorati tags: GRE

Labels: phd

You all know that I crush on Dewey, but she's gone mad!

24 Hour Readathon
SATURDAY OCTOBER 20TH, starting at 2pm GMT

People who sign up to be readers are committing to reading books, posting updates in their blogs, and if they need breaks, visiting the blogs of other readers and encouraging them. The most hardcore among us will stay up the entire 24 hours and do nothing but read and update, even going so far as to skip showering and eat meals while reading. However, not all of us are that hardcore, and it’s ok for you to customize this readathon to meet your needs. Personally, I have a chronic illness, and while I’m planning to try to stay up 24 hours, I take medication that makes me drowsy and I’m not sure I’ll make it. Other readers may have small children, or previous commitments, etc. that may take up some of their 24 hours. All I ask is that you be honest in your updates, and that’s about the only rule for readers.I can barely read more than a few hours at a time lately, much less for 24 hours. Dear Goddess the woman has lost it! hehe...but if you're woman enough, go sign up. I might sign up for a cheerleader role. That's what I'm best at!

I just finished book #14 for the 20 Book Summer challenge and looking at the calendar, I doubt I'll get to the finish line. *sigh* Yes, I'm hanging my head down low as I know that I very well could have finished. Instead I watched stupid TV, slept, ate without reading, blogged, watched my Cubbies, and oh yeah, spent time with the family. hehe...Seriously, I'm pretty sad that I didn't make it, but I'm still pretty amazed that I got as far as I did. I mentioned it to a friend last night and she was amazed. "I barely read 2 pages a day!"

With the end of the 20 book challenge, is my new personal challenge. I'm going to register to take the GRE sometime this fall and well, instead of losing myself in a Sandra Cisneros novel, I will punish myself with a GRE review book. Maybe I'll post some of the vocab words up here to reinforce my limited vocab skills. Seriously people...I have a limited vocab. Don't flatter me. I know you're just bullshitting. There will be weekly updates on my studying and if you see me in person without my book or flash cards, smack me upside the head.

BTW - Coming in second isn't as bad as it seems sometimes. More on that later.

Technorati tags: madness, books, reading

Labels: Books, phd

I really hate the Monday back from traveling because I have a ton of email and RSS feeds to read. In lieu of real content, I give you a list of thoughts:

• "The Daring Book for Girls" will come out in time for winter gift giving. Hopefully there are some science experiments and activism pointers in there as well.
  
• The first Carnival for Radical Action at Sylvia’s place
• Help some awesome WOC bloggers get to the Allied Media Conference! Since I can't go, I'm sending money.
• Atlanta appears to be a nice city. I wouldn't know since I stayed in my conference the entire time. Good news: Sweet tea at every meal. Bad news: Not one peach.
  
• I got an invitation to apply to a PhD program with a woman that I worship. In Atlanta. Yeah, not gonna happen.
• The testosterone spewing from Wrigley Field is making me sick. I forgot that part of the rulebook that says to get a team to play like professionals one must treat an official like a scumbag. I'm all for ripping an ump a new one...When they screw up the call!
• Why do I feel that my summer is already over when it hasn't begun?
  
• Had brunch with a friend from DC yesterday. She ditched the morning session at Sister Song. Awesome company. Awesome conversation.
  
• Are you registered for the NOW Conference yet? I am. I also have a room available. Let me know.

OK, that's it. Lunch time over.

Labels: Books, feminism, misc, phd

"Plans for Revamped G.R.E. Are Abandoned"

After spending four years and $12 million on research, the Educational Testing Service has abandoned plans to introduce a revamped Graduate Record Exam this fall.

The new version, planned to be the biggest overhaul in the test’s history, was designed to prevent cheating and to produce a more accurate measure of students’ ability. But it would have been longer, more expensive and more difficult to administer.

It included revised sections on verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing, totaling four hours in length. The current version is two and a half hours.

Dear readers I did finally buy a GRE study guide about 3 weeks ago. I've cracked it open, read the intro sections and planned on starting to really study near the end of April for a summer test date. I felt under the gun...do I take the shorter test? Do I take the test without analogies? Do I take both and hope for the best? I feel a tad sad that I won't have that choice, but also glad that I won't have to make that choice.

I guess now it's just a matter of me actually studying, eh?

Labels: phd