How much time did you put into Grad School Apps/GRE studying?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the time commitment and considerations involved in preparing for graduate school applications and the GRE, particularly from the perspective of a senior physics major. It touches on course load decisions, program selection, and the application timeline.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about how many courses to take in their final semester while preparing for the GRE and graduate school applications.
  • Another participant suggests that the first step should be deciding on the type of graduate program to pursue.
  • The original poster acknowledges the need to explore various graduate program options but believes the application process will require a similar time investment regardless of the field.
  • A participant shares their experience of dedicating 30-40 days to GRE studying, averaging about 2 hours per day, and emphasizes the significant time spent researching graduate schools and faculty.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of deciding on a graduate program type, but there is no consensus on how to balance course loads with application preparations or the specific impact of GRE scores on different fields.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of uncertainty regarding the application process and the relevance of GRE scores to different graduate programs.

Who May Find This Useful

Undergraduate students considering graduate school, particularly in physics or related fields, may find this discussion relevant.

hylander4
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I'm heading into my first semester as a senior physics major, and I'm still deciding how many courses I should take.

I started studying for the physics GRE today and I plan on taking it, along with the General GRE, in October. Most of my graduate school applications appear to be due on January first, so I'd probably want to essentially finish them before my finals period. I haven't even decided what type of graduate program I want to apply to yet.

I hate the idea of taking an easy courseload this semester because, as a senior, I can get into so many courses that sound amazingly awesome.

Thoughts?
 
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I haven't even decided what type of graduate program I want to apply to yet.
Sounds like you should start there.
 
fss said:
Sounds like you should start there.

I realize this. I'm looking into several possibilities. Still, I'm assuming that the application process will take the same amount of time no matter which field I choose to go into, so I would think that my above questions are still valid.

Maybe not. Are engineering graduate schools impressed by physics GRE scores?
 
30-40 days of studying for GRE, studying after work for about 2 hours. The longest part was researching grad schools, their programs, professors, and then researching and reading a little bit about each professor's research.
 

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