Stage 2. Step 1. GRE test

From August 4, 2018 – the day when I took TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) I had two weeks to get my results. Even though I was mentally exhausted at that point, I decided to take this time to start preparing for the next stage of the contest – an interview and the GRE test. Both events were scheduled for the end of September, so I had about two months for preparation.

In this post, I will focus on the GRE part. Like in the previous article about TOEFL, I am going to describe the structure of the exam, list the resources for preparation and mention my experience as well. So, let’s continue 🙂

What is GRE?

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) – is a standardized test that is required for admission in many graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada. Students from more than 160 countries can take this test. Depending on their purpose, applicants can choose either General Test or one of six Subject tests that measure knowledge in specific areas (Biology, Chemistry, Literature in English, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology). For the Fulbright contest, we took the computer-delivered General Test. The Fulbright program paid the fee for GRE (the fees varies from $205 to $255 depending on the country).

What is the structure of GRE General Test?

The test takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes. It includes 6 sections with a 10 minute break after the third section.

Section

Number of Questions

Time

Section’s features

 

#1 Analytical Writing

One “Analyze an Issue” task and one “Analyze an Argument” task

30 min per task

 

Always goes first

 

#2 -3 Verbal / Quantitative Reasoning

 

20 questions per section (40 total)

 

30 min per section

 

 

 

 

These sections may appear in any order

 

# 4-5 Verbal / Quantitative Reasoning

 

20 questions per section (40 total)

 

35 min per section

#6 Underscored

 

Varies

 

Varies (30- 35 min)

Appears as either Verbal or Quantitative Reasoning. A test taker does not get any scores for this section. ETS included this part to test new questions for their future purposes. This section appears randomly and a test taker cannot know identify it among others.

How to prepare for GRE?

ETS (Educational Testing Service) provides students with a number of sources for GRE preparation (books, online courses, etc), both free and available for purchase. GRE Test Preparation Materials in Accessible Formats is the first page I would recommend you to visit. You can see an overview and an introduction to each of the sections + download some of the tests in pdf format.

Cracking GRE by Princeton Review was the book that I borrowed from my professor. Even though the book was published in 2013 (quite outdated), I liked it because it gave me a clear overview of each section and explained in detail how to “crack” them. For me, the content of GRE and the format of the exam seemed to be much more complex in comparison with TOEFL. So, I needed the most detailed description possible which I, surprisingly, found in Cracking GRE 2013. Even though the old edition was helpful to me, I strongly encourage you to use books that were published recently, as they contain the most updated information.

There are many different tutorials on Youtube as well. One of the most popular sources for GRE preparation is MagooshGRE to which I would recommend you to subscribe first.


GRE vs. TOEFL

What was similar?

I started preparing to GRE right after taking TOEFL, and for the next two months, I followed the same strategies that I had before: planning all my lessons ahead, surrounding myself with learning materials, watching tutorials online and having regular drills.

What was different?

#1 Math. Unlike in the TOEFL test, there are no speaking and listening sections in GRE. Great news? Not for me. This time I had to face a different challenge – preparing to Quantitative Reasoning part that includes solving mathematical problems. Considering that I had not practiced math for more than five years, I could not imagine remembering even a small part of this. I thought of giving up but my boyfriend dragged me out of those thoughts. He did a lot of math during his B.A. program in engineering, so he tutored me to make sure that I understood everything. I found my old school books on algebra, geometry, and arithmetic to use them in addition to GRE textbooks. From the day I finished school, I did not think I would ever open them again. That was, indeed, an unforgettable experience. Although the most astonishing part was that eventually, I got a higher score on Quantitative Reasoning in comparison to Verbal Reasoning

#2 Vocabulary. The Verbal Reasoning section in GRE is distinguished by its specific vocabulary. For a short time, I had to memorize a big number of words, which, as I found, are not commonly used in English. The lexis was completely different from what I had in TOEFL. To make the process less tough and more effective, I tried using different methods to memorize new words. Flashcards with definitions were my number one tool. I printed them and stuck the cards all over my workplace at home. As I had them in front of my eyes every day, most of the lexis was eventually kept in my memory.

Quizlet is the best app that I can recommend using for learning vocabulary. In this app, you can both create your own set of flashcards or join the classes of other people where all the words are ready for you to learn. You can test yourself on spelling words, matching them with their definitions or writing definitions by yourself. For me, it was super helpful. Approved and strongly recommended or GRE!


Test day

I was taking GRE in Moscow, at the end of September 2018. Surprisingly, that day I felt less anxious in comparison to how it was on TOEFL. Still, that experience was equally stressful.

Before going to the computer room, each of the test takers was scanned with a metal detector (to confirm that we did not have any electronic devices, which could be used for cheating). The procedure repeated as we came from the ten-minute break. I did not expect it to be so strict, and, needless to say, this “added fuel to the fire,” making me feel even more stressed.

During the GRE exam, I did not notice the time passing like it was before during TOEFL. The average time for each section varied from 20 to 35 minutes, so imagine how quickly you should switch from one type of task to a different one (one more similarity to TOEFL). I felt my brain working on its full capacity. By the end of the test, I had a terrible headache that lasted until the end of that day. A heavy dose of painkillers, chocolate bar and taking the fresh air did not help. 

Nevertheless, I was incredibly happy to realize that I was done with the test. Despite the persistent headache, I enjoyed the rest of the day walking in the center of Moscow and taking pictures.

A bit of reflection

In general, I know that I did everything I could to prepare both for TOEFL and GRE. However, looking back at this now, I realize that the main mistake I did was poor time management. At every stage of the contest, I doubted if I took it successfully and spent much time just waiting for the results, hesitating if I should start preparing for the next step. So, from that experience, my advice would be to plan everything before the very first stage of the contest, i.e. before submitting an application. Even though you can’t predict how successfully you pass each stage, keeping yourself prepared will reduce a lot of stress and make you feel more confident. My English professor once told me “Don’t think about failure at all. Just keep going. You should set yourself on success from the very beginning.” I was struggling to follow this advice, and I hope that for you it will not be a problem at all. Best of luck 😉

Now, let me turn this over to you. Have you ever taken the GRE test? How was it? What would be your pieces of advice to prospective test takers?


Sources used:

ETS GRE: https://www.ets.org/gre

MagooshGRE: https://www.youtube.com/user/MagooshGRE

Stage 1. Step 2. TOEFL

 

In a month after submitting my application to Fulbright, I received an email approving my further participation in the program (yahoo!). The next step for Russian participants would be taking the TOEFL test. That part of the contest was the most stressful for me, as it took a lot of time and mental work. In this post, I am going to give you a brief overview of the TOEFL, to describe how I prepared myself for the test and to list the biggest challenges I had back then. I will also share a few useful tips that I’ve learned from personal experience.

So, let’s start with the first question.

What is TOEFL?

“The TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language) measures the ability of non-native English speakers to use and understand the English language as it is heard, spoken, read and written in the university classroom” (ETS, TOEFL). TOEFL is one of the main requirements for participation in the Fulbright Program as it prepares international students for academic demands at universities in a host country.

What is the price?

The prices for TOEFL varies from country to country. In Russia, taking the test costs $260. As an official participant of the Fulbright contest, I did not have to pay for it.  The program fully covered the cost of the exam (which is a nice part of applying for Fulbright 🙂 ).

What is the structure of TOEFL?

The test includes four sections:

  • Reading – includes 3-4 academic passages with 10 multiple questions to each
  • (54–72 minutes)
  • Listening – includes 5 listening passages: 3 academic passages with 6 multiple questions to each + 2 campus conversations with 5 questions to each.
  • (41–57 minutes)
  • Speaking – includes 4 tasks: expressing an opinion on a certain topic (2) + speak based on reading and listening text (2).
  • (17 minutes)
  • Writing – includes 2 essays: the one which is based on reading and listening task and the one which supports a student’s opinion on a given topic.
  • (50 minutes)

The test takes about three hours, including the ten-minute break after the first two sections.  And here is the first tip – be fast and learn to think quickly for the test. You have a certain amount of time for each section (see above). Once the time is finished, you can not go back to the previous part. Given how many tasks TOEFL includes and how limited the time is, you should rationally use every minute – sometimes even seconds – during the test (which is a big pressure, so be ready).

Preparation. Learning materials.

Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test (4th edition) by Jolene and Robert Gear was the book that I used during the preparation. Quite informative, and helpful.

To get familiar with the structure of the exam, you can start with The Official Guide to the TOEFL with DVD-ROM (5th edition) by ETS (Educational Testing Service). It contains four full-length tests, so you may see what an experience of taking an authentic test feels like. If you don’t want to take the whole test at once (which is totally understandable, and I think rational enough for the beginning), you can make exercises from different sections. For me, it was a good start. As I learn about the structure of TOEFL and test myself on different sections, I did not feel so overwhelming when it came to intensive preparation.

On their website, ETS offer(s) a list of the books that you can buy for TOEFL. You can review all of them and decide which one(s) would be better for you.

Do you need courses on TOEFL?

If there are any learning centers in your city that offer the course on TOEFL preparation, I strongly recommend using it (if you have such an opportunity, of course). I did not take any courses; I chose to prepare for TOEFL by myself, which, honestly saying was extremely hard. So, if you can afford to take courses, just go for it! Otherwise, you can double-check with the program in your country whether there is an opportunity to take this course free (one of my fellow Fulbrighters did have such a chance) which would save you a great sum of money.

What did I do?

I was preparing for TOEFL for about three months, which I felt was not enough for me. I made a schedule for myself and had my own program that was quite intense as I had limited time. Even though I had a high level of English, I had to get used to the structure of TOEFL and, as I mentioned before, to learn thinking quickly.

Apart from the books that I listed above, I used to do various exercises that I found online. There is plenty of studying materials even on Youtube (in particular, listening and speaking section). The good thing about it – it’s free. The bad thing about it – the materials are a little bit (sometimes even not a little bit) outdated.

I also used to watch online tutorials like TST Prep and linguamarina (the Russian blogger and entrepreneur who lives in the U.S.). They helped me a lot with my preparations.

One thing I found the most difficult was training myself on writing and speaking parts. I obviously could not do it by myself. I needed someone who can give me feedback on my work. This is how my boyfriend and my friends became my English tutors. Their level of English is the same as mine, plus, my friends have a B.A. in teaching. So why not? It’s difficult to describe how thankful I have been for their time and patience 🙂 And even though such an idea might seem careless, it worked perfectly for me. But be careful with it. If you know that your level of English is not enough for TOEFL, it is worth taking a professional course.

What was the biggest challenge?

To me, it was the speaking part. Not because I did not know what to say. I always did. The problem was that I felt really stressed speaking to a…computer screen instead of a real person. Unlike the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test, where a student speaks in front of the examiner, TOEFL iBT is completely computer-based. For me, speaking to a machine was not comfortable at all, so I made myself get used to it. 

One more thing you should be ready for is that during the speaking part you may hear voices of the other people, which can be a big distractor. So, don’t count on a headset with good sound isolation (mine was just awful, I heard everyone around). Be prepared and learn how to focus on your ideas despite the noise you hear.

The most general, but still effective, pieces of advice that I might give you are the following:

  1. Identify your weak points and focus on improving them;
  2. Train regularly, and don’t forget to take breaks;
  3. Don’t study at night before the exam. Have a good sleep;
  4. Use all the possible sources for preparation. If you find a person who took TOEFL before, ask if they have any materials. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Sounds simple. Nevertheless, I believe this works best for both school tests and language exams. So, if you choose to take TOEFL, best of luck! I hope that this post was helpful to you. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. And if you took the TOEFL test too, feel free to share your experience here. It would be great to compare different experiences and to learn something new.

See you later!

 

Sources used:

ETS official website https://www.ets.org/toefl

Linguamarina https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAQg09FkoobmLquNNoO4ulg

TST Prep: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL0ZOT3eKp4RvKcQyBZJ4bw 

 

 

Stuck in Chicago

I would like to start the column “Adventures in the U.S.” with the story about my arrival in America. I believe that a diary-style narration would be best to describe what I experienced back then. To keep you on track, here is a small prequel of the story: I came to the U.S. one month before the beginning of the academic year at St. Cloud State University. From July 20 to August 17, 2019, I had a pre-academic training program that took place at Ohio University, Athens, OH. Forty-two students, Fulbright scholars, from all over the world were going to spend a month in Ohio to get prepared for the U.S. graduate school, and I was lucky to be a part of that team. 

July 20 was the day (or it’s better to say the evening) when I arrived at Chicago O’Hare airport. I had about four hours before my next flight to Columbus. Seemed like plenty of time for me. Exhausted after a long time I spent on board I was still excited to meet new people and finally reach my destination point. But destiny had a different plan on me, and here is the story.


I remember waking up at 3 a.m. in the king-size bed. My hair was still a bit wet and smelled of shampoo. The room was silent. The soft light from the table-lamp was filling the space around and made me feel more or less safe for the first time in a while.

The first hours in the U.S.

About seven hours ago, I missed my flight to Ohio. I was supposed to be there in the evening, on July 20, 2019. The day when my pre-academic program started. By that time, I should have been at Columbus airport, meeting the other Fulbrighters, and moving to Ohio University, Athens.

Instead of this, I was wandering in Chicago O’Hare airport, buzzy and full of people. I missed that damned flight standing in the huge lines, which had been moving as slowly as it could be possible. I was not physically able to be on time for a plane.

The next flight to Columbus would be the next morning, the officer told me. I caught my breath. Where should I stay? The woman gave me a small leaflet. It was the voucher, which I could use to have a discount on certain hotels. Which hotels? By that time, my brain was half-shut, and my English got completely broken. As I spoke to the officer, who seemed to be as tired as I was, I realized that from that moment, I was left to myself.

Alone and completely lost.

Wait. So what is my plan now?

My hands were tired of dragging a 21 kg luggage bag. I felt shattered after the ten hours flight and five hours spent in the queues. My hands were shaking. I was about to burst in tears right there like a small baby. No. Not now. I forced myself to stop it. My thoughts kept tangling. I was alone in a foreign country. For the first time in my life. I did not have anyone in Chicago who could help me. I had a Russian SIM card on my phone with no money on it. I could not make a call. All I had was the airport Wi-Fi and my power bank.

I texted my parents in WhatsApp, saying that the flight was delayed. Promised to keep them informed. The other details were omitted. I was sure that even without this they both were worried enough.

The super-expensive hotel that I found right near Terminal 2 was a ray of hope for me. The receptionists let me use their phone to reserve a room in a different place. In half an hour, I was on my way to Extended Stay America. I hardly remember what we were talking about with the taxi driver during the ride. With every mile, I was getting absent-minded. Sooner I would be safe, I thought. I would be able to catch a break and to cry as much as I want. It would be more than enough.

Welcome to Extended Stay America!

I came into the over-sized room and felt goosebumps covering my skin: the air conditioner was working on its full capacity. I turned it off immediately and looked around. The room seemed luxurious. Any room would be luxurious for me at that moment. I passed by the small kitchenette, fell on the king-size bed and had a sigh of relief.

My stomach had been empty for a few hours. I did not feel hungry though. After a long time of “complaining” at me, it finally gave up. But still, I knew I had to fill it with something edible. Not to get dizzy at the end. A cup of hot tea and some pastry would be perfect. I came downstairs and asked the receptionist if they had any coffee shop around. No. Supermarkets? Pharmacy? Nope. Just a vending machine in the laundry on the first floor.

Better than nothing.

Wide awake, tired and safe

It was about midnight. I kept waiting for tears to flow from my eyes. They still did not want to come up. I came into the bathroom and stood under the shower. I set the temperature to make water hot enough. The warmth was spreading inside my body. I closed my eyes. Still no tears. It was quite a strange feeling. Safe and anxious at the same time. My heart was pounding like crazy. I was breathing heavily. Too tired even to cry.

I guess it was that night when I first experienced jet lag. Even though I was tired like hell, my mind refused to switch off, and the number of sleeping hours reduced from six to three. From 3 a.m. until the early morning, I was on the phone speaking to my boyfriend, and then to some of my Russian friends. We spoke as if nothing bad had happened to me. That was exactly what I needed back then.

At 5 a.m., a silver-grey line flashed between the dark curtains. Morning dawned. As I had my tea, which had been warmed up in the microwave oven, I packed my stuff as quickly as I could and asked the receptionist to call the taxi. For the next few minutes, I was busy painting out dark circles beneath my eyes with a light-beige concealer. I glanced at the mirror. Not bad. At least looked like a human being. The taxi arrived. I looked and the watch, preparing myself to continue this trip.  Now I will make it in time.

Ohio, I am coming

It was July 21, 10 a.m.

I was sitting near the window. On the plane. It was drizzling outside. Thick clouds covered the sky. I put my headphones on and felt that I was gradually falling asleep.

The loud voice in the onboard speakers announced that the flight was going to be delayed for a short while because of the weather conditions. I scrolled down the list of songs on my phone. I did not care how much time it would take to make it to Columbus airport. I knew I would be there sooner or later. I knew that there were people waiting for me.

I was on board. That was the main thing I knew.

I turned the music on and closed my eyes.


That’s it. Does it sound familiar to any of you? Do you remember the first time you arrived at a foreign country? Do you have any vivid memories about it? Feel free to share your stories or make some comments about this one. Thank you 🙂