How to Win Time by Losing the Calculator on the GRE

How to Win Time by Losing the Calculator on the GRE GRE/MAT Graduate School Blog The GRE may not be a fun test, but it’s also not a cruel test. Unlike other standardized exams you need to take to get into grad school, the GRE lets you use a calculator on the Quantitative section. In fact, the GRE actually providesyou with a calculator. This is great news for every test-taker with a fatal allergy to mental math (I’m looking at you, Humanities people). The people who write the GRE know that there is a large segment of people taking this test who use the calculator app on their phones every time they have to split the pizza bill up five ways. But that calculator is on-screen, which means you have to do a lot of clicking any time you want to make a calculation. It’s actually incredibly annoying to use and, furthermore, can eat up a lot of time. In reality, while the GRE provides you with a calculator, the test is really designed to benefit people who know how to avoidusing one. Why Should I Avoid the Calculator If It's Right There? Like I mentioned earlier, using that calculator takes time. On top of taking the time to punch numbers into a poorly designed calculator interface, you have to jot down results to keep track of relevant values. Going back and forth between these steps as you solve a problem might only add 20 extra seconds to the problem you’re working on. But if you take that extra 20 seconds on 12 problems, then you’ve wasted four minutes of your allotted time on the Quantitative section just crunching numbers. Remember, the game with the GRE is all about getting as many points as possible. Sure, that means you should make sure you’re answering as many questions correctly as you can. But you also need to make sure you have time to see allthe questions on the test and give them a fair shot. Every second of exam time is precious, and any that you can buy yourself will only help you devote more time to picking up every single point you possibly can. So How Do I Cut Back on My Calculator Use? There are a few surefire ways to cut back on your calculator use. Memorize the simple stuff. You should know your multiplication tables up to a factor of 12 as well as the squares of 1 through 20. Know the Pythagorean triples, there aren’t many. Make sure you’re at least somewhat familiar with all the prime numbers under 100. Develop useful devices for quick mental math. Division rules are really useful for figuring out, roughly, what you’ll get when you divide two numbers. Use simple percents to figure out more complex ones. For instance, you can figure out 40% of 70 easily. 10% of 70 is 7, so 40% is 4 * 7, or 28. Estimate, estimate, estimate.Don’t forget that this is a process of elimination test. You can get far on this exam by doing some rough calculations in your head and eliminating any answer choices that you know for a fact won’t work. Let’s look at an example to see some estimation in action: While you could easily set up some algebra and solve for r, you can do some really quick calculations in your head to eliminate answer choices. First off, we know that we’re trying to figure out what percent of $6,000 equals $840, since that’s the difference between the original amount of money and the new amount including interest. Well, 10% of $6,000 is $600, so 10% is too low. That means we can eliminate answer choices A and B since those are smaller. What about 15%? Well, that’s 10% of $6,000 plus 5% of $6,000, which is $600 plus $300, or $900. That’s too big, so we can eliminate answer choice E also, since that’s higher than 15%. Between B and C, which seems better? Well, $840 isn’t muchless than $900, which means we probably want the answer closest to 15%. That’s answer choice D, which is indeed the correct one. A top-notch GRE strategy absolutely includes methods like these for avoiding calculator work. About the Author Mike S. is one of our most experienced test prep tutors. For more information on our GRE prep packages, click here.

Mistakes Make the Student

Mistakes Make the Student Mistakes Make the Student Mistakes Indicate Future Success, Not Failure “Click!” You realize your mistake as soon as you hit send. The funny cat video you meant to forward to your friend was just emailed to the entire company, CEO and all. We’ve all made the “reply all”  mistake.   But chances are, you never did the same thing again. This is because making mistakes is a key part of the learning process. Huge blunders like emailing the entire company will stick in your mind for a long time. But even minor errors can have a big impact on how youâ€"and your childrenâ€"learn. Research Shows Mistakes Help, Don’t Hurt Educators used to believe that making mistakes hurt students’ learning. They thought  if a student learned to do something the wrong way, it would become fixed in their brain and they’d always make the same mistake. The opposite, in fact, was true. Several studies have shown that making errors during the learning process, and correcting those errors, leads to  better understanding and recall. In 1994, researchers conducted a landmark study comparing the US education system to Japan’s. The study found that American teachers praised students for correct answers and ignored incorrect responses. They would not discuss why the correct answer was right or the incorrect answer was wrong. Conversely, Japanese teachers would ask students to find an answer on their own. They would then discuss the different answers. Students would learn why an incorrect answer was wrong and a correct answer was right. This reflection and reinforcement would lead to much better recall. Letting students make mistakes and learn from them was found to be a key reason  Japanese students outperformed Americans on global math tests. The Power of a Growth Mindset The value of making mistakes is also clear when comparing students with growth mindsets to those with fixed mindsets. Stanford Professor Carol Dweck has done substantial research on the impact of growth mindsets. People with a growth mindset understand that intelligence is not set at birth, and they can work to improve. Those with a fixed mindset believe you’re either born smart or you’re not.  The theory is backed  by the science of neuroplasticity  and proven with significant research. Students with a growth mindset perform better throughout the course of their studies, even if they tested lower than their fixed mindset peers when they were younger. Students with growth mindsets view mistakes as learning opportunities.  A study comparing how kids with different mindsets play video games showed the difference. After making mistakes, students with a growth mindset performed better, with higher accuracy rates. Fixed-minded students did not show the same improvements. Classroom studies showed similar results. Instead of viewing mistakes as embarrassing, growth-minded students learn from them. Frame mistakes as  opportunities, and your children will see the benefits! Mistakes in Kumon Mistakes are an important part of the Kumon Program. In Kumon, students aren’t taught. Instead, they learn for themselves through carefully designed worksheets. Students follow directions and study examples to grasp new concepts. Errors come with the territory. Few kids can get long division or algebraic expressions  right on the first try! Instructors pay close attention to how students correct their mistakes. They then use that to lesson plan and assign work. Take Joey, for example. Joey sees subtraction for the first time in class. He gets every answer wrong on the first page. When he gets his worksheets back, he realizes he added instead of subtracted. He figures out his mistake and can correct it right away. It’s clear that Joey understood the concept and may not need much repetition to progress. While Kumon Students ultimately work towards mastery, the goal is not to receive a 100% on the first try. Learning from their mistakes is more important than perfection. In fact, it tells us a lot about the student and their motivation. Not every mistake is as traumatizing as the dreaded “reply all.” But every error is an opportunity to improve and learn. The next time your child makes a mistake, don’t get mad! Praise them for correcting and learning from it. You’ll be amazed at how impactful it can be! You might also be interested in: Motivating Children by Developing a Growth Mindset Neuro-what? Why Neuroplasticity Is the Key to Making Your Smart Kid Even Smarter. The SAT, Redesigned Defying Age Limits: How One Student Conquered the Stage and Academics Mistakes Make the Student Mistakes Make the Student Mistakes Indicate Future Success, Not Failure “Click!” You realize your mistake as soon as you hit send. The funny cat video you meant to forward to your friend was just emailed to the entire company, CEO and all. We’ve all made the “reply all”  mistake.   But chances are, you never did the same thing again. This is because making mistakes is a key part of the learning process. Huge blunders like emailing the entire company will stick in your mind for a long time. But even minor errors can have a big impact on how youâ€"and your childrenâ€"learn. Research Shows Mistakes Help, Don’t Hurt Educators used to believe that making mistakes hurt students’ learning. They thought  if a student learned to do something the wrong way, it would become fixed in their brain and they’d always make the same mistake. The opposite, in fact, was true. Several studies have shown that making errors during the learning process, and correcting those errors, leads to  better understanding and recall. In 1994, researchers conducted a landmark study comparing the US education system to Japan’s. The study found that American teachers praised students for correct answers and ignored incorrect responses. They would not discuss why the correct answer was right or the incorrect answer was wrong. Conversely, Japanese teachers would ask students to find an answer on their own. They would then discuss the different answers. Students would learn why an incorrect answer was wrong and a correct answer was right. This reflection and reinforcement would lead to much better recall. Letting students make mistakes and learn from them was found to be a key reason  Japanese students outperformed Americans on global math tests. The Power of a Growth Mindset The value of making mistakes is also clear when comparing students with growth mindsets to those with fixed mindsets. Stanford Professor Carol Dweck has done substantial research on the impact of growth mindsets. People with a growth mindset understand that intelligence is not set at birth, and they can work to improve. Those with a fixed mindset believe you’re either born smart or you’re not.  The theory is backed  by the science of neuroplasticity  and proven with significant research. Students with a growth mindset perform better throughout the course of their studies, even if they tested lower than their fixed mindset peers when they were younger. Students with growth mindsets view mistakes as learning opportunities.  A study comparing how kids with different mindsets play video games showed the difference. After making mistakes, students with a growth mindset performed better, with higher accuracy rates. Fixed-minded students did not show the same improvements. Classroom studies showed similar results. Instead of viewing mistakes as embarrassing, growth-minded students learn from them. Frame mistakes as  opportunities, and your children will see the benefits! Mistakes in Kumon Mistakes are an important part of the Kumon Program. In Kumon, students aren’t taught. Instead, they learn for themselves through carefully designed worksheets. Students follow directions and study examples to grasp new concepts. Errors come with the territory. Few kids can get long division or algebraic expressions  right on the first try! Instructors pay close attention to how students correct their mistakes. They then use that to lesson plan and assign work. Take Joey, for example. Joey sees subtraction for the first time in class. He gets every answer wrong on the first page. When he gets his worksheets back, he realizes he added instead of subtracted. He figures out his mistake and can correct it right away. It’s clear that Joey understood the concept and may not need much repetition to progress. While Kumon Students ultimately work towards mastery, the goal is not to receive a 100% on the first try. Learning from their mistakes is more important than perfection. In fact, it tells us a lot about the student and their motivation. Not every mistake is as traumatizing as the dreaded “reply all.” But every error is an opportunity to improve and learn. The next time your child makes a mistake, don’t get mad! Praise them for correcting and learning from it. You’ll be amazed at how impactful it can be! You might also be interested in: Motivating Children by Developing a Growth Mindset Neuro-what? Why Neuroplasticity Is the Key to Making Your Smart Kid Even Smarter. The SAT, Redesigned Defying Age Limits: How One Student Conquered the Stage and Academics