I finally made the reservation for my GRE.

So next Wednesday at approximately 11:45am Central Time I will begin to bang my head against a desk somewhere in Little Rock.

I feel ambivalent about this test. One the one hand, I feel good about my prospects because I've actually been studying for it. I did not study for the SAT or ACT (well, not really anyway) but I managed to do okay on those tests.

I also feel not-so-good about my prospects because I have not been in school for FIVE years! No tests, no studying, no evaluations for FIVE years.

And I haven't been in a math class in about eight years.

That does not bode well.

I think the math section of any test should consist of the following question:

1. You are here to spend 4 hours taking a test in order to go to grad school so that you can get a job in your chosen career. Assuming you have carefully researched said chosen career (and why would you be taking a 4-hour test if you hadn't?), how often do you think your job (or your life) will require you to do math in your head when you could, instead, use a calculator?

A. All the time - I'm a masochist!
B. Sometimes - Just to feel the burn.
C. Almost Never - except for when I'm counting cards in Vegas
D. Why would I do math in my head when I could use a calculator?

If you answer A to that question, you have to take the math test. If you answer B, C or D....you don't.

Because honestly (honestly) when am I ever going to use algebra?

Or geometry?

Or even long division?

Never.

Not so for the verbal section. Everyone uses words. And people will fault you for your lack of vocabulary.

But who will fault you for not knowing the answer to this?

If x/3 - x/6 + x/9 - x/12 =1 - 1/2 + 1/3 - 1/4 then x=

No one worth knowing, that's for sure.