Have YOU Taken the GRE Yet?

Nicole Brown, Marketing Intern

With the start of every new semester, students move closer to graduation and their future plans. Some have known what they’ve wanted to do since they were five, many have only discovered recently, and still more remain unsure.

Regardless of your plans or lack of plans, consider taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The GRE is a standardized test required for admission into many graduate programs. It is intended to measure general verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing and critical thinking skills and therefore gauge your level of preparedness for graduate level schoolwork.

As The Study’s GRE Prep Course Coordinator Jennifer Cook said, “The GRE is just one of the tools admissions committees use to make decisions about graduate school applicants.  However, having a great GRE score is one way to help you stand out against other students that may have a similar GPA or work experience. “

Reasons to take the GRE:

• The scores are good for 5 years. 
• You may not plan on going to graduate school right now, but you never know what the future holds. Taking the test while you’re still in school and are used to studying and test-taking will likely yield much better results than if you decided to take it 3 years after graduating.
• “Since getting tests scores back can take a while to receive and send to schools, it is great to have that done in case you decide later in a year that you'd like to apply to grad school.  
• So what kind of score should GRE takers aim for? Cook explained that score goals would vary from student to student and section to section. Those wishing to pursue a graduate degree in math, for example, will want a higher math score.
• The key number: 150 is the middle range for each subject score, so a good minimum score goal is usually an average between math and verbal of 300.
• Cook’s recommendations for setting a reasonable score goal: 
• Start by taking a free online practice test and seeing what range you score falls.  
• Then go to the website of schools you want to apply to and find out what their admissions standards are (some will give you no information, some will tell you minimum scores, and some will tell you the average score people who were accepted made; if you can find out the average score of people accepted that is the best).  
• Then, using your knowledge of your practice score and the scores of the schools you are interested in, set something reasonable for both sections.
• More and more schools are accepting it.
• Unlike more specific tests, the GRE is accepted by thousands of graduate and business schools. Whether you’re pursing a Master’s, MBA, or Ph.D., or applying for a fellowship, GRE scores are often part of the process. “Though some schools or departments may also accept other tests, the GRE is very widely accepted and typically the most popular test used for graduate admissions,” Cook said. 
• The things you learn while studying for the GRE can benefit you elsewhere.
• “I [don’t] remember all the words I studied preparing for the verbal part of the GRE, but I definitely improved my vocabulary and it has helped me in work and school,” Cook said.
• It’s not very expensive. 
• Though $160 is not cheap, it is significantly less expensive than many post-graduate admission exams. The MCAT and GMAT, for example, are each more than $200.

Spend a little time to take the GRE now, and save yourself a potential headache in the future. For more information or to register, visit the GRE website.

Other Common Graduate School Admission Tests and Abbreviations:

• GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test
• Students that want to pursue an MBA or other management program may take this exam. However, the GRE is becoming more widely accepted and many of the schools that used to require GMAT scores now accept GRE scores.
• LSAT: Law School Admission Test
• MCAT: Medical College Admission Test
• DAT: Dental Admission Test
• OAT: Optometry Admission Test

Decided to take the GRE and keep your options open for the future? Take a GRE Prep Course at The Study! We offer one course for the math section and one course for the verbal section, for just $100 per class. For more information or to register, visit our GRE Prep Course page or contact Jennifer Cook by phone at 859.257.1356 or email at Jcook514@gmail.com. 

Fighting Boredom on a Budget

Kasey Prater, Marketing Intern

As humans, we are creatures of habit. If you are like me, I find myself shopping at the same grocery store, picking the same treadmill at the gym and doing my laundry on the same day each week. Most days just seems like one big routine. I often dream of having unlimited funds and being able to buy whatever I want. That would make life interesting. Unfortunately, that’ just a dream and my real life revolves around a budget. So what can we do to spice up out daily lives? Below are some tips on how to fight boredom on a budget.

Updating your apartment/home

• The least expensive way to update your home is to rearrange your furniture.  It’s like coming home to a different house.  If your budget permits, buy a new rug or a gallon of paint and add some color to home. If you have roommates, always check with them to see if they are open to your interior design ideas.
• Do some spring cleaning! A little cleaning can make your place look brand new.
• If your home is looking a little dull, try consignment store hopping. Most of the furniture or decorations are cheap and easy to refurbish. Visit your local Goodwill and hunt for gems that would fit perfectly in your home. Check out this Furniture Rehab and Repair website for some ideas and instructions on how to make old things look new again.

Changing your look/style

• Try changing your current hairstyle.  If you have always been a long haired kind of person, how about trying a shoulder length cut.  Or if you have dark hair, how about going blonde?
• Try going through your closet and donating unwanted clothes to charity. An empty closet calls for new clothes.
• Do you want a new wardrobe but can’t afford it? Follow these tips on how to shop for clothing on a budget.
• Pick up a hobby. 
• Do you enjoy reading or have always wanted to write your own short story?  Find a local writers club or sign up for a membership at http://www.writing.com which helps aspiring writers brainstorm and share their work with other writers. 
• Write in a daily journal. Letting out your innermost thoughts can be a great tool for managing stress.
• Love music? Learn how to play an instrument! Find a local music store and sign up for guitar lessons or find a piano teacher and tickle the ivories. 

Working out or Getting Fit

• Working out is a great way to spend your free time. Not only is it physically beneficial, in terms of losing weight or gaining muscle, but also it’s mentally and emotionally rewarding. You’ll feel healthier and more confident.
• Join a gym. By becoming a member of a gym, you also become a member of a community and meet new people.
• If you don’t have money for a gym membership there are many online sites that offer free workout videos that you can do in the comfort of your own home. Check out this article to find a site that suits you.

Shake up your system

• Try something different for breakfast or experiment with different recipes. Having the same things for dinner can get old. Trying new foods can be very exciting and fun to prepare. Read this article for 15 dinners under $1.50: cheap, easy and delicious.
• Take a different, more scenic route to school or work. A new course can be refreshing and rewarding.

Life can get boring, but we are capable of spicing it up in some very inexpensive ways. By not getting bored in our daily lives, we can be more productive and happier people in general. 

New Year's Non-Resolutions

Nicole Brown,  Marketing Intern

From weight loss to stress reduction to better money management, many people start each new year off with the same thing: a resolution. They resolve to improve something about themselves, sometimes in a major way. But rather than look at any change as a major overhaul, try breaking up every goal into manageable pieces and then creating a reasonable plan. Use any of the tips below, individually or in combination, to start your new year and new semester off on the right foot.

Organization:

• Use an agenda.
• Find an agenda you can carry around with you, be it your phone, your iPad, or a good, old-fashioned paper one, and use it. Write down tests, assignment due dates, appointments, social engagements, meetings and anything you need to remember.
• Make To-Do Lists
• A daily or weekly listing of all you need to accomplish not only organizes your thoughts, but also gives you the satisfaction of crossing items off the list as you finish them. Try making separate lists for school, work, and miscellaneous, and always choose a short enough time period to include that you won’t get stressed by the number of items on the list.
• Pick your method and stick to it
• Do you prefer to hand-write notes or type them? If you’re going to be hand-writing all of your class (or work) notes, use a color-coded binder or folder and notebook system to keep things straight.
• If you’re a computer person, make folders, and lots of them! Organize your documents by class, date, or subject, whatever makes sense to you. And keep a notebook and folder around for any loose papers, which you can then scan into your computer and save as a .pdf.
• Try tools like Dropbox or Evernote, whose online natures allow you to synchronize notes and files between any computer, smartphone, or tablet.
• Start with a clean slate
• A cluttered home or office can be distracting and even stressful. Go through your closet and donate the clothes you never wear, sort through any stacks of paperwork, and generally spruce up. 

Relaxation:

• Breathe
• When you feel yourself become stressed, pause, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths to clear your mind. Then, reassess whatever was making you stressed as calmly as possible.
• Yoga
• The combination of stretching and breathing is a good way to relax as well as good for your body! Drop in on a class or try Yogatailor. It’s $8/month for customized yoga workouts whenever you want them.
• Meditation
• The power of our thoughts can be amazing. Take a few minutes every day to reflect, think on your life, and focus on a goal. Envision yourself reaching your goal and it might just become easier to get there.
• For more stress relief tips and ideas, check out our relaxation story. 

Health:

• Physical:
• Make small changes
• Replace one can of soda per day with a glass of water, and you can cut out roughly 50,000 calories per year. That’s a small change with a big impact.
• Set your utensils down between each bite you take at meals. This forces you to eat more slowly, allowing your body to process and realize when it becomes full, helping you avoid overeating.
• Set fitness goals
• Set small goals. For example, start out doing ten push-ups every morning, then build when that becomes easy for you.
• Find an exercise that you enjoy. Working out suddenly becomes a lot easier when it includes friends and dancing! Not sure where to start? Find something here.
• Mental:
• Tune up your brain
• Make a free account with Lumosity. After a quick customization process, they’ll recommend brain training games and a training program, just for you. To unlock full access, you need a paid account, but the free one provides access to a decent number of games.
• Play games with your friends! Popular free games like Words with Friends and Ruzzle make you think. Just download them in your smartphone’s app store and play away.
• Stay positive
• This goes hand in hand with meditation: your thoughts have a big impact on the way each day goes. Thinking positively helps you keep a positive attitude, which keeps you ready to tackle new challenges.
• Surround yourself with positive people. As humans, we mirror those around us. So by surrounding yourself with positive people, you make it easier on yourself to keep a positive attitude.

Connections:

• Network
• Every day is a chance to make new connections. Classmates, teachers, the people working job fair booths: they are all potential members of your network. The more people you connect with, the easier a job search becomes and the larger your support network becomes.
• Join LinkedIn and actively participate. Connect with friends, family, classmates, and colleagues, virtually. You can even recommend people. It’s a simple way to find internships or jobs. Learn the ins and outs of LinkedIn by reading our LinkedIn story.
• Find a mentor
• As you face challenges at any point in your life, it’s important to remember that others have faced similar challenges. Finding a mentor is a great way to find inspiration, a springboard for ideas, and a glimpse into your possible future. Use these tips for finding the mentor or mentors that are right for you.
• Reconnect with old friends
• Going away to college, moving for a job, or any other big changes often result in leaving friends behind. Just because you aren’t physically there with these people, doesn’t mean you can’t reach out. Call or email an old friend and see how they’re doing. Still in the same area? Set up lunch to catch up. Our connections with people are so key to a fulfilled life. Don’t let those you care about slip away. 

Budget:

• Set a budget
• It’s easy to overspend at the mall or while you’re out with your friends, but you’re more likely to stay money savvy if you set a budget in advance. Figure out how much money you have coming in, what your expenses are, and how much money you have left over. Decide how much you’ll save and how much you’ll spend.
• Try bringing the amount you’ve budgeted to spend with you in cash when you go out. Once the cash is gone, you’re done spending.
• Keep a close eye on your account
• Write everything down. Keeping track of your spending serves a dual purpose: it shows you when and where you tend to spend the most and verifies that there are no unauthorized transactions.
• Most banks have an online access portal, including a smart phone app. Use these for easy tracking! They also often come with spend analyzers to tell you where all your money goes. Notice you’re spending way too much money eating out at restaurants? Start choosing more budget friendly options and see how it changes your analysis.
• Open a savings account
• It’s always great to save money, but especially while you’re in college, your saved money might become emergency spending money. Open a high yield online savings account. That way, your money is making a decent interest rate but is still easily accessible. Try one of these accounts.
• For more budget tips, read our budget story.

The important thing to remember is that everybody is different—you have to figure out what will work for you in order to be successful.

The Savvy Student Workshop Series

Alex Newby, Marketing Intern

Academic Enhancement (AE) is now offering the Savvy Student Workshop (SSW) series.  Unlike AE’s Study Smarter Seminars, that cover a variety of issues and topics, the Savvy Student Workshop series devotes two hours to helping students master and hone one specific skill pertinent to college success.

" Through student feedback, AE determined that students wanted a resource that focused more in-depth on one specific skill. I think the sessions will be extraordinarily beneficial for everyone involved," said Kayla Johnson, Savvy Student Workshop coordinator. "Students will be able to engage in new and creative strategies to enhance their abilities to take notes and read critically, two of the most problematic areas for many undergraduates. The small class size will allow students to ask questions and get answers on the spot, a luxury that can't be promised in typical academic settings."

The Savvy Student Workshops will allow UK students from any major or background to learn, participate, and ask questions in a relaxed environment. Each topic-specific workshop will focus on tips and tricks to help students succeed and will provide  students with handouts and graphic organizers to help them learn the material. The cost is $15 per workshop and the upcoming workshop topics are Note Taking and Critical Reading.

The Note Taking workshop is designed for students who want to learn how to take better notes. Through informative instruction and engaging activities, students will learn how to actively listen for the most important points of a lecture. This will help students decide what to write down in classes where there are only a few words on a PowerPoint slide, or worse, in classes where there are 500 words on a slide. Students will also learn different note-taking strategies, how to organize long notes, and how to best use the notes while studying.

The second Savvy Student  Workshop of the semester will be geared towards Critical Reading. Many students state that the ability to read texts critically is their biggest weakness, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Through the Critical Reading workshop, students will learn to interpret and ask critical questions about a text and its subject matter. Students will also learn how to recognize the most important information in a text, and how to best use that information to study. With many professors assigning long reading homework, this workshop is the perfect way to develop reading skills that will help you study smarter, and not harder.

For more information about the Savvy Student Workshop series, or to register for the upcoming workshops, visit our website: www.uky.edu/AE/