The Myth of “Not Smart Enough”
Yesterday, Study Hacks pointed us to a Reddit thread titled I’m not as smart as I thought I was. In the initial post, a Redditor was concerned that poor standardized test scores had revealed he was really not that intelligent, and would keep him out of MIT. The responses came in vast numbers, and many of them crystallized around a unifying theme: academic success doesn’t depend solely on smarts but rather requires hard work and dedication.
We sometimes encounter student with similar concerns. Some students become dejected after struggling with an initial practice GRE, and start to feel that they just aren’t smart enough to succeed on the exam. And we’re here to say STOP! Don’t get discouraged. The GRE is not The Sorting Hat; it does not magically divine your intelligence and then dictate your academic future.
“130 Quant and 130 Verbal? Hufflepuff.”
The GRE is a test, and those who study for it are rewarded with high scores. You should approach the GRE with the same dedication you brought to your college coursework, and application essays. Re-learn the math concepts that you haven’t looked at since the eleventh grade. Start studying vocabulary in small bursts every day. Practice doing simple calculations in your head. Read the newspaper each morning. GRE success is attainable “ it just might take some hard work.
Now, I know it isn’t always easy to dedicate yourself to studying for a standardized test, but the crux to dedication (as mentioned often in the Reddit thread above) is motivation. If you find it difficult to get motivated about your GRE studies, look for small ways to push yourself along the way. Try to think of your prep as a game to make it more enjoyable as we discussed in this earlier post. If that doesn’t work, you can form a study group to provide an external source of motivation (a.k.a. peer pressure).
So, don’t let the GRE get you down. If you are ever feeling that you aren’t smart enough, just give that Reddit thread a look; you’ll see that you are in good company, and that ultimately you can succeed. (Just don’t get stuck on Reddit all afternoon at the expense of your study time.)