Video Games and GRE Prep

by Taylor Dearr Nov 18, 2011

We recently read a great article over at Gradhacker titled: Gaming Grad School. This article analyzes the question that plagues us all: why do we find it so easy to spend 14 straight hours launching plasma grenades at aliens (or birds at pigs, or batarangs at clowns, or Tetris blocks at other Tetris blocks), but so hard to spend the same amount of time on our studies?

Gradhacker offers some pretty solid advice, but unfortunately a lot of it is based on the assumption that people in grad school like what they are studying. For graduate students, that is a pretty safe assumption; grad school is about pursing a very specific line of study (and for non-masochists, a line of study you enjoy).

GRE studies generally aren’t the same. Most people don’t dream about perfecting their technique for calculating the slope of a line or dissecting a reading comprehension passage. Studying for the GRE is much more like grinding in an RPG. If you want to reach grad school area, you’ll have to level up enough to beat the GRE that is guarding it.

Let’s take a look at an Urban Dictionary definition of grinding (not that one get your mind out of the gutter): Grinding is a term used in computer gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive and/or non-entertaining gameplay in order to gain access to other features within the game.  Sounds a bit like the GRE, but studying for the GRE is actually much better, and here is why.

Leveling Up Your Whole Life

Imagine if all of the XP you were earning while playing Diablo (do people still play that? am I showing my age?) were simultaneously applied to your WoW character. Grinding in one game would make every other game easier. That is essentially what GRE studies can do.

The GRE can help you round out some very useful life skills. The verbal section of the new GRE focuses on vocabulary in context. Studying for the GRE won’t just help you pass a single exam but will help your reading comprehension in grad school, and give you an overall better grasp of written English. After studying for the GRE I found myself reading faster; my studies really helped me power through the Song of Ice and Fire novels “ George RR Martin seems to really love GRE words.

The quant section involves learning to solve word problems (which can help your critical thinking and ability) and interpret graphs (which can help with just about any job where you deal with numbers).

Grinding Makes You Money

Imagine that you took 40 hours collecting all of the Gold Skulltulas in a Zelda Game and you ended up with a full giant wallet not just in the game but in your real life pocket as well. The GRE isn’t quite that rewarding, but it can have a big influence on Graduate School financing. Schools and third-party fellowship organizations are allowed to use the GRE as a component of merit-based financial aid applications, and many do. A good GRE score won’t just get you into school, but can help you pay for it.

Grinding Gets You to the Fun Stuff

Let’s be real. Using big words to impress people at a party, and increasing your chances of grad school financing are nice perks, but the real reason to put your nose down and grind for a good GRE score is so that you can get into the grad school of your dreams. You level up a video game character so that you can get into the final dungeon and save the princess/ prevent the destruction of Spira/ raid something/ etc. Beating the GRE will help you to pursue a Masters Degree in something you love, and as Katy from Gradhacker pointed out in her article, being able to do something you love is what both grad school and gaming are all about.

Now get out there and study so that when you finish the GRE, this can be your reaction.