Friday Links: Innovative Masters Programs, Going to Grad School, and Summer Reading for the GRE
Need some good Friday reads? Take a moment to catch up on some of this week’s top graduate school and GRE-related stories.
Schools Pitch New Degrees at Job-focused Students (MSN Money)
This fall, name-brand schools are launching cross-disciplinary masters programs meant to make students more competitive in a changing economy.
What to Consider When Considering Graduate School (About.com Graduate School)
Thinking about heading to graduate school in the future? Here are some things to consider before you solidify your decision.
Four Ways to Make Good Money While Earning Your Degree (USA TODAY College)
Read more
Read Your Way to a Higher Score: Summer Reading Recommendations from our GRE Instructors (2nd Edition)
Did you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE courses absolutely free? We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.
Just over a month ago we had our GRE instructors weigh in on the best books to read this summer if you’re prepping for the GRE (or if you just love a great novel!). We hope that you had the chance to pick up one, two, or all of the books from our first round of recommendations and are hungry for more! With only a few weeks left of summer, we would like to satisfy that hunger with a fresh batch of reading suggestions from our tried and trusted GRE instructors. Bon appétit!
Recommendations from Stacey Koprince:
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell: This novel is technically in the science fiction category, mostly because it’s set in the future with some space travel and alien encounters – but it’s much more of a philosophical book dealing with social issues, what happens when two dissimilar communities collide, etc. Lots of great GRE vocab!
Children of God by Mary Doria Russel: This is the sequel to The Sparrow. It is also classified as a science fiction novel and deals with the same issues of faith, morality, etc.
In the News: Grad School Links Roundup
Catch up on your graduate school tips and news with some of this week’s top articles:
How to Strengthen Your Graduate School Application (Happy Schools Blog)
Read about the various elements of the graduate school application and learn how to construct your best application package.
15 Essential Things To Do Before Starting Grad School (USA Today College)
Your summer before grad school should not be an intense one. USA Today College has 15 things you should do to fill the time.
What’s the Role of GPA in Graduate School Admissions? (About.com Graduate School)
Grad School and GRE Friday Links
Take a break from studying and catch up on some of this week’s top articles!
The GRE Tests Give Students More Options than Ever (NewsUSA)
The GRE revised General Test now provides more options and opportunities for test takers. Check out the five reasons why there’s never been a better time to take the GRE revised General Test.
Tips for College: Finding the Right Grad School for YOU (Jobs & Hire)
Jobs & Hire has some great tips to keep in mind if you’re trying to find the right grad school for you.
6 Tips for International Graduate Students Enrolling This Fall (U.S. News Education)
Learn how to adjust to studying in the United States as soon as you get to campus.
Where Will the Money Come From? (Inside Higher Ed)
At a roundtable discussion, research officers discuss the future of federally funded research — and the growth of technology transfer and an emphasis on entrepreneurship at their institutions.
Read Your Way to a Higher Score: Summer Reading Recommendations from our GRE Instructors
Did you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE courses absolutely free? We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.
If you have been prepping for the GRE, flash cards, prep books, and practice problems have probably become your closest companions. Being the ambitious studier that you are, you may find yourself feeling a strong sense of guilt if you stray from your prep plan to take a leisurely break. Fortunately, we have a simple, guilt-free activity that is both enjoyable and helpful in prepping for the GRE: Reading! Because you (hopefully) keep up with the standard stock list (The New York Times, The Economist, National Geographic, etc.), we have compiled a list of fresh reading material, compliments of our very own GRE instructors, that combines a plethora of GRE words with beguiling storylines. Plus, now that it’s finally summertime, what better way to fill your study breaks than to lay out in the warm sun with a great novel in hand?
Recommendations from Stacey Koprince:
The Source by James Michener: The book chronicles an archaeological dig in Israel, hopping back and forth in time, sometimes telling the story of a certain artifact, and sometimes returning to the present to talk about modern day political and social issues (set in 1960s).
The Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder: A renowned 1967 National Book Award-winning novel that is a murder mystery and philosophical novel all in one.
Links Roundup: Applications, Negotiating Grad School Pitfalls, Blogging, and More
Check out some of these great articles that we have gathered from the month of June!
I Have a Low GPA: Should I Apply to Grad School? (About’s Grad School Guide)
About’s Grad School Guide considers all of elements of the graduate school application and answers the tough question of whether to apply to competitive schools with a low GPA.
Negotiate 7 Graduate School Pitfalls (U.S. News Education)
Read up on how to respond to unwelcomed grad school situations such as having a difficult professor, less-than-ideal student service, cheating classmates, and unfair grades.
How Writing A Science Blog Saved my PhD (Next Scientist)
A young scientist shares his grad school experiences and explains how blogging helped him to not give up on his PhD.
To Stay on Schedule, Take a Break (The New York Times)
Are you spending hours and hours at a time prepping for the GRE? The New York Times shares why breaks are necessary to recharge your internal resources.
Why the Admission Essay Shouldn’t Drive You Insane (Grad Share)
This post from Grad Share offers some great information about graduate school admission essays as well as tips for how to make your essay standout.
Links Roundup: Applications, Negotiating Grad School Pitfalls, Blogging, and More
Check out some of these great articles that we have gathered from the month of June!
I Have a Low GPA: Should I Apply to Grad School? (About’s Grad School Guide)
About’s Grad School Guide considers all of elements of the graduate school application and answers the tough question of whether to apply to competitive schools with a low GPA.
Negotiate 7 Graduate School Pitfalls (U.S. News Education)
Read up on how to respond to unwelcomed grad school situations such as having a difficult professor, less-than-ideal student service, cheating classmates, and unfair grades.
How Writing A Science Blog Saved my PhD (Next Scientist)
A young scientist shares his grad school experiences and explains how blogging helped him to not give up on his PhD.
To Stay on Schedule, Take a Break (The New York Times)
Are you spending hours and hours at a time prepping for the GRE? The New York Times shares why breaks are necessary to recharge your internal resources.
Why the Admission Essay Shouldn’t Drive You Insane (Grad Share)
This post from Grad Share offers some great information about graduate school admission essays as well as tips for how to make your essay standout.
GRE Vocab in “The Shakespearean Hokey Pokey”: A Wilde Release From Heaven’s Yoke
The following, by Jeff Brechlin, is the winning entry from a Washington Post Style Invitational contest that asked readers to submit “instructions” for something in the style of a famous person.
Here is Shakespeare’s Hokey Pokey.
For the benefit of our international students, the “Hokey Pokey” is a silly dance for children that goes something like this:
You put your [right leg] in,
You put your [right leg] out;
You put your [right leg] in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
A different part of the body is referenced in each verse (so, the song can go on for kind of a long time).
The Shakespearean version contains some antiquated words that wouldn’t appear on the GRE (“anon” means soon, quickly), but also some very excellent GRE words:
Lithe – bending readily; pliant; limber; supple; flexible: the lithe body of a ballerina.
Wanton – Done, shown, used, etc., maliciously or unjustifiably (a wanton attack; wanton cruelty); without regard for what is right, just, humane, etc.; careless; reckless; sexually lawless or unrestrained (wanton lust); extravagantly or excessively luxurious (Kanye West’s Tweets about how fur pillows are actually hard to sleep on might indicate a wanton lifestyle). Basically, wanton can mean lacking restraint in a number of ways.
Yoke – a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal; a frame fitting the neck and shoulders of a person, for carrying a pair of buckets or the like, one at each end; an agency of oppression, subjection, servitude, etc.
Here’s a yoke pictured on Wikipedia:
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