Tackling GRE Psychology

[Sunshine]

I haven't started studying for this yet, but I do plan to sit this exam in April 2009, and I think there are at least 2 exam specific books to order for this one. Here are some websites from people who have taken it:

GRE in Literature Test Preparation
Vade Mecum: Home
litGEEK

Please let me know how you find it, I am more intimidated by this test and the vastness it covers.

Hi! Thanks for these links. Yes, I agree with you about the vastness of the exam. I'm not well read, and just reviewing the reading list involved is enough to make me nervous. That said, I was looking over one of the links you posted- Vade Mecum: Home, and I found some comfort in the advice there.
Under the Study Method section, they tell you not to waste a lot of time by reading prose closely. Instead, learn the background- (plot, date written, etc.). While it's still a lot of information to absorb, it's a tremendous help.

I have the "Cracking the GRE" Guide, and that is also very helpful. Every exam has is own language, so to speak, and the guide really helps to break it down so that you can use it to full advantage (revealing answers through wording of the questions, using previous questions to reveal answers, process of elimination, etc.).

I am thinking of April '09 as well. The more time to study, the better the chance of scoring into the 80% or above.

[alissaroot]

No one could possibly read the entire western canon between now and then. I hate to, but I plan to buy the series of Norton anthologies for this. This will probably be the one and only exam where I spend more on study materials than the actual testing fees! I also have noticed that my library has videos for the entire works of Shakespeare and others, along with audio books. It breaks my heart to watch movies rather than read the actual works, though. English Lit. is the only subject I cared about in school, it feels like cheating not to actually read the works. But most of my reading since high school has involved VAMPIRES, and I doubt I will find any of that helpful for the GRE English Test.

[alissaroot]

Just to try and stay on topic, here's a few websites that may be helpful for anyone studying for the GRE Psychology Test. I unfortunately cannot find many GRE specific sites. Some of these are just interesting, The "Try It Yourself" one is good for Gestalt theory visuals and visual perception illusions.

PhobiaGuide.com - List of Phobias
Top 10 Bizarre Mental Disorders - The List Universe
Psychological ("personality") Types
5 Psychological Experiments Expose Our Dark Side
Freedomain Radio - Introduction to Psychology
Color Psychology
PsyBlog: 10 Weird Psychology Studies: Vote Now For Your Favourite!
Which Way is She turning? - [IQTest] — ReadnRock.com
Try It Yourself
ETS: Educational Testing Service – Home
Psychology Today: Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature
BBC - Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Body - Senses Challenge
Love Styles - Truth About Deception
Ben Franklin Effect
Biological basis for creativity linked to mental illness
Psychology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sigmund Freud Archives
Person: Ainsworth, Mary D. Salter
JOHN BOWLBY: ATTACHMENT THEORY ACROSS GENERATIONS
Maslow, The qualities of the superior true human being
Lucid Dreaming -- Dream Views
http://www.pateo.com/images/maslowmaster4ts.gif

[alissaroot]

Here are some more psychology websites from my growing collection. Also, does anyone have any more feedback on this test?

MIT OpenCourseWare | Brain and Cognitive Sciences | 9.00 Introduction to Psychology, Fall 2004 | Home
MIT audio lectures. The slides are annoyingly edited for copyright reasons
The Milgram Experiment: A Lesson in Depravity
An interesting take on the Milgram experiment.
Face Research » Psychology experiments about preferences for faces and voices
Just interesting.
Introduction to Psychoanalysis
Intro to psychoanalysis, which is a kinda complicated therapy, really.
Introduction to Psychology — Open Yale Courses
I referenced this in an earlier post. Good video lectures, but also annoyingly edited for copyright reasons.
YouTube - Psych 1 - General Psychology - Lecture 1
General psychology course I referenced in an earlier post. Good info here.

[Lioness088]

Alissa
When you say look into an open enrollment grad school what does that mean? I looked on the internet and couldn't find a good example of what that is.
Also when you say testing out, do you just mean the GRE or do you also mean CLEPS and ECE's?

[alissaroot]

By open enrollment I mean graduate schools that do not have a rigorous competition for just a few slots every year. Many programs now have distance learning options for anyone interested in doing the work (and paying the tuition, of course) for the degree. Even very prestigious institutions like Harvard (cookderosa has a nice long thread about Harvard around here somewhere), Columbia, and Vanderbilt offer open enrollment options. I'm very surprised you didn't get a ton of search results. Try ask.com, and search "open enrollment graduate schools" and see what pops up and go browsing! The choices are enormous and I could not begin to list them all here.

By testing out, I mean the GRE, CLEPs, DSSTs, ECEs, TECEPs, Ohio University exams, and Charter Oak exams. There is nothing wrong with testing out of all of your undergraduate degree. Some people would be impressed by that, but others would not. The only reason I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread is because of graduate schools. You should think ahead for grad school a bit, if you can, because you don't want to get your heart set on a school that wouldn't take you because of testing out with the GRE, but I think that with the buyer's market in education right now, I have more of a problem narrowing my choices down rather than the other way around. The point is, it shows up on your transcript as just pass/fail credit, so if you are going to a competitive program rather than an open enrollment one, it could be in your better interest to take all the individual exams for 3 credits each, rather than the GRE for all 30 for your major. It just depends on your own personal situation. I hope that answers your question!

[japhy4529]

By open enrollment I mean graduate schools that do not have a rigorous competition for just a few slots every year. Many programs now have distance learning options for anyone interested in doing the work (and paying the tuition, of course) for the degree. Even very prestigious institutions like Harvard (cookderosa has a nice long thread about Harvard around here somewhere), Columbia, and Vanderbilt offer open enrollment options. I'm very surprised you didn't get a ton of search results. Try ask.com, and search "open enrollment graduate schools" and see what pops up and go browsing! The choices are enormous and I could not begin to list them all here.

By testing out, I mean the GRE, CLEPs, DSSTs, ECEs, TECEPs, Ohio University exams, and Charter Oak exams. There is nothing wrong with testing out of all of your undergraduate degree. Some people would be impressed by that, but others would not. The only reason I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread is because of graduate schools. You should think ahead for grad school a bit, if you can, because you don't want to get your heart set on a school that wouldn't take you because of testing out with the GRE, but I think that with the buyer's market in education right now, I have more of a problem narrowing my choices down rather than the other way around. The point is, it shows up on your transcript as just pass/fail credit, so if you are going to a competitive program rather than an open enrollment one, it could be in your better interest to take all the individual exams for 3 credits each, rather than the GRE for all 30 for your major. It just depends on your own personal situation. I hope that answers your question!

Actually, if you're thinking of applying to a competitive graduate program, then it would benefit you to take all courses for your major, vs. taking all exams (GRE or otherwise).

BTW, I am planning to take the Psych GRE in the Spring, so thanks for providing these resources. I greatly appreciate it. I hope to add some of my own in the coming months. My focus right now is on passing my last two exams to wrap up my A.S. in Liberal Studies w/ Excelsior. I'm taking CLEP Analyzing & Interpreting Literature tomorrow (!) and the TECEP English Comp. II exam next Thursday (at TESC, since it's only about an hour drive from where I live).

Cheers!
Tom

[Lioness088]

I just wanted to say thank you both for responding. I thought I understood that ECE's gave letter grades and that maybe that would be alright for a gpa?

[alissaroot]

Yes, that would get you a GPA. Also, DSSTs that are still under the old scoring system will give you letter grades. I'd go for those first, since they are likely to change all DSSTs to the new scoring system eventually. I haven't taken an ECE yet, but I have read that they are difficult, more so than most DSSTs.

[Lioness088]

omg so many questions....sorry.... I always thought a DSST was for the military but I've seen ppl here speak of it who aren't in the military. On the DSST website it says you take it on a military base, am I off on this being only for military now and taken on a military base?