Leaving job and preparing for the GRE physics in full time

  • If you want to know something about the GRE subject test in physics then chances are you will find it in here.
  • If something about the physics GRE it isn't already discussed in here then please put it in here.

Post Reply
veil
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu May 27, 2021 5:10 am

Leaving job and preparing for the GRE physics in full time

Post by veil » Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:14 am

Hi I am planning to take PGRE this october or the april 2024. I am from computer science background. I am working as a data scientist. Is it a good idea to leave my job and prepare for the physics gre in full time? I want to get full score to add weightage to my profile... What should be the preparation strategy I should use here? Can someone please guide me?

geekusprimus
Posts: 143
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2019 1:10 pm

Re: Leaving job and preparing for the GRE physics in full time

Post by geekusprimus » Sat Mar 25, 2023 2:09 pm

I say it's a bad idea. You can find plenty of people on this forum who got a 990 on the PGRE and got rejected from everywhere... and that was before COVID. Since COVID, a lot of schools have made the PGRE optional, and some don't even use it at all in their admissions process.

Since you don't have a physics background, it's probably in your best interest to take the exam, but there's absolutely no reason to quit your job. In fact, with the rather uncertain state of the economy, I would absolutely advise against it. Even with a strong PGRE, you'll be going into the application process quite disadvantaged compared to other applicants at a time when many schools are being forced to cut back. You really don't want to be in a position where you've banked everything on getting into grad school but nothing works out.

As for studying, your best bet is to take some time (an hour or two, maybe three if you're really ambitious) every day to study, and spend most of that time working through practice problems. I would start with the homework problems in introductory calculus-based physics textbooks, as those make up the bulk of what will be on the PGRE. Try to do at least a few of them every day with a time limit, and take a little more time on the rest to help you learn the details. Take a little time each week also to study some of the more advanced topics, like analytical mechanics, thermal physics, E&M, and quantum mechanics. About once a month, take a practice exam under test-like conditions, and integrate the problems and topics that you missed into your study.

veil
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu May 27, 2021 5:10 am

Re: Leaving job and preparing for the GRE physics in full time

Post by veil » Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:56 am

geekusprimus wrote:
Sat Mar 25, 2023 2:09 pm
I say it's a bad idea. You can find plenty of people on this forum who got a 990 on the PGRE and got rejected from everywhere... and that was before COVID. Since COVID, a lot of schools have made the PGRE optional, and some don't even use it at all in their admissions process.

Since you don't have a physics background, it's probably in your best interest to take the exam, but there's absolutely no reason to quit your job. In fact, with the rather uncertain state of the economy, I would absolutely advise against it. Even with a strong PGRE, you'll be going into the application process quite disadvantaged compared to other applicants at a time when many schools are being forced to cut back. You really don't want to be in a position where you've banked everything on getting into grad school but nothing works out.

As for studying, your best bet is to take some time (an hour or two, maybe three if you're really ambitious) every day to study, and spend most of that time working through practice problems. I would start with the homework problems in introductory calculus-based physics textbooks, as those make up the bulk of what will be on the PGRE. Try to do at least a few of them every day with a time limit, and take a little more time on the rest to help you learn the details. Take a little time each week also to study some of the more advanced topics, like analytical mechanics, thermal physics, E&M, and quantum mechanics. About once a month, take a practice exam under test-like conditions, and integrate the problems and topics that you missed into your study.

Thanks a lot for the advise primus. The reason I wanted to quit was I work almost 10-11 hours a day and I find no time to study. Even if I find time I am tired and exhausted from the work. Does studying 2-3 hours a day sufficient enough to get good score in the exam? I am aspiring to score 950+ at least. Please provide your valuable advise.



Post Reply