LIFESTYLE: Graduate exam test stress

For hundreds of juniors and seniors, the letters MCAT, GMAT, LSAT or GRE spell stress. The tests, which are a prerequisite for entrance into all graduate and professional schools, are the collegiate equivalent to the SAT. In recent weeks, many students have pulled all-nighters to cram for the tests or shelled out hundreds of dollars for books and review courses, hoping to get a score that will assure them a spot in the graduate school of their choice. According to Loretta DeLoggio, who teaches a review class for the Law School Admissions Test, this test-taking anxiety is not peculiar to the University. And the stress can cause some students to get cold feet around exam time. "About 40 to 50 percent of students who register to take the LSAT either never show up or cancel their scores within five days after having taken the exam," DeLoggio said. "This reflects the stress level that accompanies these exams." Most University students believe that once they've taken the SAT, they will never have to see another standardized test. But those looking ahead to graduate school may have to deal with LSAT, the Medical College Admissions Test, Graduate Management Admissions Test (for prospective MBA students), or the Graduate Record Exam, depending on which path they hope to follow. But despite the differences in subject matter among the tests, student reactions to the exams were basically the same. Stress. University students tended to agree that the pressure placed on them to get into graduate schools made them nervous about taking standardized tests. "I'm concerned because, since I'm going into a Ph.D. program, I need higher math scores than most people taking the exam," said Wharton junior Matt Thatcher, who will take the GRE tomorrow and the GMAT next week. "That puts a lot of pressure on you." Other students said that they were worried for other reasons. "Most of my stress has been coming from not doing my work," said College senior Addison Snell, who is also taking the GRE this weekend. "I've been spending all of my time studying for the GRE and not concentrating on my classwork." Many students spent weeks or even months studying in anticipation of the exams. "I've been looking stuff over since the beginning of September," said Thatcher. "I want to make sure that I do well." University students use a variety of techniques to quell their fears. Many opt to take review courses, such as those offered by the Stanley Kaplan, Ronkin Educational Group, University Test Preparation Services or The Princeton Review. Programs such as these meet for about 30 or 40 hours over several weeks, giving students a chance for individual attention. They focus on helping students to understand the format of the exams and to review the concepts which will be presented on them. "It's very helpful in mathematics to refresh your memory on the basic concepts," said College senior Lori Blackman, who took a University Test Preparation Services class to study for tomorrow's GRE. "I'd recommend people to take a course because a lot of the stuff on the exam you haven't seen since high school." The courses also give students test-taking strategies and stress-reduction tips to help them remain calm. "I was a little nervous at first," said College senior Tracie Hoffman. "But, the last class, Loretta [DeLoggio] gave us a lecture on exactly what was going to happen and how not to be so nervous. Also, knowing that I did well in the course made me more confident." Ranging in price from $400 to $700, these courses can be a bit too expensive for some students. As a result, another popular option for many is to buy prep books, such as those published by The Princeton Review, Arco and Barron's. "I bought the Princeton Review book and the prep book put out by the GRE to help me study," said Joanne Yarin, a first-year student in the Graduate School of Education. "Besides, I was too poor to take a course anyway." Review books are easy to find and are familiar to many students. "I've found that the Barron's book is excellent," Snell said. "I used it for the SAT and it raised my scores significantly. So, I figure it'll work for the GRE as well." Frank Allegra, founder of University Test Preparation Services, also gave some advice to those planning on taking the GRE. "I encourage students to take practice exams," Allegra said. "That way they can see where they're starting from and what things they have to concentrate on." In addition to these preparatory measures, every student has his or her own tricks for tackling the exams. "I just made sure that I got to become accustomed to taking that kind of exam," said College senior Yunsook Chang, who took the LSAT last week. "You feel more confident if you know what kinds of questions to expect." "I'm going to get to bed at 10:30 or 11 the night before," Thatcher said. "And, right before that, I'm hoping to go over vocabulary. That's my weak point and they say that you retain more if you study just before you fall asleep." Many students said they believe that these kinds of standardized tests don't really measure anything of value. "The exams test you on how well you can take a test," Hoffman said. "They really don't reflect your knowledge." And, some students have said that they think the exams are a waste of time. "I think it causes too much stress for the students," Thatcher said, "especially when you're not learning anything useful by studying for them except for a few vocabulary words. The time spent on preparing for them could used for much more productive things." Hoffman tried to put things into perspective in order to relax before the LSAT last weekend. "In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter how well you do on the exam," she said. "You really don't have to go to a top school. You'll do well in your field as long as you put the energy in." Other students were reassured by the fact that taking an exam does not have to be a one-shot deal. "Generally, I was pretty nervous about the test," Chang said. "But, you can always retake it. So, if you mess up the first time, it's not the end of the world." Yarin had one final word of advice for those taking the GRE this weekend. "Relax," said Yarin. "They're not as stressful as you think." One last word of wisdom. Don't forget your #2 pencil.

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