Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Emily Ma is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Emily Ma and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
One month after taking the GRE in Cameroon, I was able to find out my scores today via the telephone. I really didn’t intend on re-taking this excruciating test, since the scores I had from the first try were respectable; not fantastic, no, but passable. I suppose I thought I would give it another shot to improve my score.
What a bad idea that was.
I was never good with standardize tests. In the process of applying to college, I think I must have taken the ACT/SAT at least 6 times, and my score more or less stayed the same. Why I thought it would be different 5 years later is beyond me.
True to my Asian upbringing, I have a predisposition to brand name schools and the Ivy world. And with those institutions, comes the emphasis on standardize testing. While I more than understand that gaining admission to prestigious programs/institutions requires more than a perfect test score, I still hate the idea of having such blemish on my otherwise fantastic application.
I was brought up in the school of thought where your effort is positively correlated to the outcome that you will achieve. More time and effort in your studies yield good grades, performing well in your current task will be beneficial in your next move, etc. That school of thought has more or less applied to every aspect of my life; all except in the arena of standardize testing.
This evening, I attempted to understand why my emotions went array from the disappointing score. I realized it’s not necessarily the score itself, but rather that it did not reflect the effort that I invested. Also, I am kicking myself for letting ETS take another $180 of my money and wasted several weeks’ time preparing for this exam, when I could have been doing something far more noble – say, helping African people.
The more I thought about this test, the more annoyed I became. What is the point of this test? It is in no way an accurate depiction of my abilities. When will I EVER in my entire life find myself in a situation where I have to write an essay by hand analyzing an argument within 30 minutes? NEVER. How is my ability to recognize mathematics trickeries and calculate the distance between two point an accurate measure of how I will perform in economics or other quantitative-related courses? Furthermore, what is the point of knowing hundreds, if not thousands of esoteric vocabularies? Have we not heard of the dictionary?
I understand that these scores do not define my intelligence, but the mere idea of submitting them with the application means there are someone out there who will take those numbers as a measurement of my intellect. To the admissions committee, I am just another random person. *sigh* On the other hand, if some numbers will trump my two years living without running water, shotty electricity, all the while building 30+ libraries, then well, that’s just too darn bad.
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
Comments
11.25.09
I'm sorry you are disappointed with your results :( I definitely know how you feel - I spent 5 months and thousands of dollars preparing for the LSAT exam only to figure out in the end that law school is completely unaffordable and not for me.
I would just like to say that your blog is great! And the work you've done is really awesome. Don't let any number tell you otherwise. :)
11.25.09
Thanks, Beth! I am having a bit of grudge against American schools for requiring this exam as part of my application. :P
.thumbnail.jpg)
11.28.09
I understand not being the best at standardized testing. Never have been, and just having taken the GRE, never will be.
Grad school will either love or hate me, and if they don't want me, perhaps it wouldn't have been a good fit anyway.
(I hope)
06.09.10
Hi Wendy,
I understand how you feel. I also have taken an examination before and probably I took it 3 times and still didn't make a good score. Well, for me that's terrible it lessen my self-esteem. I can't imagine I spent money and time and end up with nothing still.
But we shouldn't lose hope. Probably, there are things that we just didn't do or probably we may need to change our strategy. What do you think? Maybe it'll help.
-Angella Wilson
My Last Blog Post Revitol Stretch Mark Cream Review
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
