Blogging adds to my list of things done today that did NOT help me prepare for the GRE, which is taking place tomorrow. Other self-occupying activities include: reading a 10-page article on marriage in the NYT, running five miles, reading all of your blogs, catching up on former students’ lives via FB, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning sink, counter, toilet and shower, restringing a broken curtain, making myself a cup of Fortnum and Mason’s peppermint tea, reading an article in Elle about a Korean supermodel who recently committed suicide in Paris, and eating at least 3 clementines. A lot of these things can even be construed as constructive (the cleaning for example, the curtain repairs, the eating fruit), but when I probably should be reviewing vocabulary or characteristics of an isosceles triangle, these things maybe shouldn’t be priority, especially considering I skipped class today to “study”. I should maybe have one these standardized test things every so often just to make sure I get my room super organized and clean. (I do clean regularly, but today was like extra mega cleaning.)
But really, the test is tomorrow, and my life has been this:
I know, I think the big black mass on the right is my strap. I’m sorry about that. This was my table at Starbucks. (Going here instead of a real library is probably a denial thing: as long as I don’t go any quiet and really conducive to studying, I don’t REALLY have to take this test…) Reviewing and Strategizing with notebooks and a Bic. Accompanied with processed food stuffs and fizzy Italian mineral water. And once a cheesecake au speculoos (amazing). The point is, I’m tired of this freaking GRE crap. And I’m excited for this test to be over. And I want to do well, because I don’t want to feel stupid. I know that this isn’t any real measurement of intelligence, but in a way it is, and in a way I really want to do well. It’s a shame I’m horrible at multiple choice tests and when I can get it down to 2 answers I unfailingly convince myself to choose wrong one, but Seriously. I CAN DO THIS.
I mean, I have memorized a box of 500 vocabulary words that Kaplan has deemed important, I’ve resurrected math skills that have been dormant since the earlier part of this decade. I paid for an app to study words on public transportation. I’ve given up downloadable television. I walk around with huge books of practice tests.
Really, who knows how I’ll do. I just needed this half hour to stare at this pile of words.









































