Recently I graduated from a competitive college with a GPA over 3.5. I have already started an internship and began the process of preparing for the GMAT exam. I am told that my future looks bright and that if I continue my hard work financial success will be an achievable goal. I am shocked at all of this and the reason why is because in high school I was a less than average student, and that's saying the least. I preferred watching a game of hockey or basketball over studying and crammed for every exam I could resulting in an overall average of 81.

Although my grades weren't terrible, they were not anything to be bragged about on a college application. I knew that my chances for turning the ship around were fading and so I decided to tackle the SAT exam with all the enthusiasm and dedication that I failed to implement during my previous four years of high school. The result? I scored a whopping 2300. My SAT score alone of course didn't erase the years of neglect I imposed on my studies, however, I made sure to make note on all of my applications of how well I can do when I apply myself and that reaching my potential is now my main priority. When I entered college with this new found attitude my grades improved tenfold. If it wasn't for the SAT exam and my hard work to master the test questions there is no doubt I wouldn't be where I am today. Here are some of the tricks that helped change both my attitude towards studying as well as how productive my studying could be.

1. Take Test-Preparation Courses

   One of the best ways to prepare for the GRE is to prepare for an exam you've already taken, the SATs. The quantitative and verbal sections provide excellent examples of what you might see on the GRE exam. Hopefully you still have your test prep books from several years prior available. Study the problems as well as your notes.

2. Read Novels Consecutively

   High school math and English textbooks can be very helpful in preparing for the GRE. Just like studying for the SATs can help in preparing for the GRE, studying High school level math and English can help prepare you for the SATs. If you have any of your old high school notebooks feel free to give them a look over. The information you will be required to know will not be complicated, just probably forgotten. Refresh your memory of what you already spent so many countless nights cramming.

3. Read College Brochures

   Atlas Shrugged is long and filled with vocabulary that will probably require the use of a dictionary. As you navigate through an interesting story you will also be adding vital information to your memory bank. The GRE uses language that one does not come across on an average day; this is why it is important to read text that will challenge us.

4. Be Competitive About Your Intelligence

   Attempt to become competitively good at math. Work at not only solving geometry, algebra, and trigonometry problems, but also solving them at a competitive rate. The GRE is a competitive exam, everyone else taking the exam is competing with you for placement at a top Masters program.

It may seem simple and that's because it really is. Grad schools aren't interested in what you don't know because that's what they're there for, to teach you the advanced information. The admissions counselors just want to be able to gauge how well you've retained the information during your academic career. If you never spent too much time studying and the quantitative and verbal problems you're coming across seem like a foreign language then the test preparation journey will be more difficult. Whenever preparing for an exam it is important to remember that the fault, as well as the responsibility, lies solely on your shoulders. The more effort you put in the better the results will be. When it comes to the GRE consider it a second chance to take an exam you feel you could have done better on in high school. The GRE is a second chance everyone should take advantage of.