Aug 23, 2020
i’m conflicted about the subject GREs being cancelled this fall because on one hand, that means i don’t have to take it anymore but on the other hand, i feel like i wasted a lot of time memorizing/studying this summer...
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i’m conflicted about the subject GREs being cancelled this fall because on one hand, that means i don’t have to take it anymore but on the other hand, i feel like i wasted a lot of time memorizing/studying this summer...
Hey, just for anyone out there who’s studying for the Physics GRE (or plans to take it in the future), I’m using this awesome study guide made by Jeff Dror
There’s just pages and pages of formulas, definitions, diagrams, & notes on every topic the GRE covers, and common GRE problems that use those concepts with helpful advice on how to approach them efficiently and not get tripped up (like using conservation of momentum instead of conservation of energy)
It’s a fantastic study resource and I wanted to share it with everyone! It’s also good to have on-hand just in case you need to reference something specific or want a rundown of the key concepts of a topic.
and so it begins
I took my first practice exam for the physics greg over the weekend, and I got a 700. I think thats pretty okay for coming in cold, but I definitely need to improve if I want to do theory in grad school... Good thing I have all summer (and a decent study plan) to prepare!
An Astro2020 white paper presents evidence that GRE is biased and a poor predictor of PhD success, and offers guidelines for eliminating the requirement from graduate school admissions.
This study aims to understand the effectiveness of typical admissions criteria in identifying students who will complete the Physics Ph.D. Multivariate statistical analysis of roughly one in eight physics Ph.D. students from 2000 to 2010 indicates that the traditional admissions metrics of undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Quantitative, Verbal, and Physics Subject Tests do not predict completion as effectively admissions committees presume. Significant associations with completion were found for undergraduate GPA in all models and for GRE Quantitative in two of four studied models; GRE Physics and GRE Verbal were not significant in any model. It is notable that completion changed by less than 10% for U.S. physics major test takers scoring in the 10th versus 90th percentile on the Quantitative test. Aside from these limitations in predicting Ph.D. completion overall, overreliance on GRE scores in admissions processes also selects against underrepresented groups.
I love physics, but the Physic GRE is making me go insane and it feels like all of my goals and dreams are out of reach. And I don't even have test anxiety or anything. It's just so objectivity hard and covers so many topics, getting a good score seems impossible. And I'm expected to put in something like 200+ hours of studying to get an okay score when I would rather be spending time with friends. In order to go to a good grad school, I need a good score... and to get a good score, I need to study constantly... and I'm just stressed.
So in case you’re curious, this contains exams GR8677, GR9277, GR9677, and almost nothing else. The current ETS free download has far more info on the actual test.
Interlibrary loan comes through again :)
On a side note, printed off copies of the practice exams (it’s the end of the academic year, and I had print-allotment to burn), and then wanted to staple them together.
I temporarily busted the math dept’s stapler :D