The Value of X - Doctor Who?

GRE....Graduate Record Examination.  Just another standardized test that is suppose to determine if you'll be successful in graduate school.  I've been looking at the GRE test examples and questioning whether that is truly the case.  Have you seen what is on that test?  Lugubrious - Huh?  I believe myself to have a fairly broad vocabulary, but really?  Who talks like that?  And then there is the math.

Supposedly basic math skills from high school.  Do you know how long it has been since I've been to high school?  I don't remember that stuff.  Hmmmm, what does that say about our education system?  Well, that is another subject.  Back to math.  It really has me questioning my decision to pursue a Ph.D.

I've decided though that I'm going to prove to myself I can do this.  So I purchased a study guide written by Princeton students and have downloaded prep software from the makers of the GRE.  So far the review has been good.  I've learned some tips and a few tricks.

I also discovered that they have redesigned the GRE. there are no more Analogies.  I didn't mind those.  they have added more sentence completion and reading which I'm thankful for because those are my strong points.  I'm still going to have to increase my vocabulary and they still have the math section.  YUK! That is where I'll be spending most of my review since I have to relearn my high school math.

I won't be able to take the test until August so I'll have plenty of time to learn words like panegyric and misanthrope.  Not to mention finding the value of x.  WHY?  I don't know it is just the way the system rolls.