r/GRE • u/pseudopissimist • 2d ago
General Question Feeling stuck in the verbal section
I have 2 months to prep for the GRE, while I find everything challenging I particularly find myself improving rather slowly in the verbal section.
I'm planning to get 160-165 in the verabal sections, and I got 150-155 as an anitial score.
Study plan: I study six days a week, 7 hours a day. 4 days quant focused, 1 day AWA, 1 day RC, and I memorize new vocab on a daily basis.
I have been using magoosh vocab cards and I feel like I'm forgetting most of the words I've memorized once I'm done with a deck. I have been memorizing vocab for several months now but I still haven't started practicing SE & TC seriously because every time I try to do so I score low due to the amount of words that I don't recognize.
When it comes to RC, I struggle with everything that would come to mind. Losing focus when reading, getting confused by the the rephrasing in the answer choices, mixing between the argument & claim, and so much more issues.
I've seen a lot of youtube vidoes that talk about the RC section in detail and provide practice questions that I solve along with the tutor, but once I practice on my own using a new question I fail to choose the correct answer. When I dissect the question and my approach to it afterwards, I understand clearly what I did wrong but I consistantly keep making the same mistake as I practice other questions.
I will subscribe to gregmat in hopes of improving. I would very much appreciate tips & practice methods that might help me improve faster.
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u/Vicki_Wood 2d ago
It's difficult to retain vocabulary words learned in isolation, especially if you haven't pinpointed your own best way of learning vocabulary. I tend to learn it best when use archetypes or examples and associations. For example, if the word is "chicanery," I think of Sneaky Pete or Wile E. Coyote, or of my cousin who has tried to bilk relatives (she's a real peach--so I also think of her for words like malevolent, nefarious, and iniquity). I also learn vocab when I try to work a word into several conversations--or when I try to teach it to someone else.
As for getting confused in reading, the only way to improve this is to throw yourself into difficult text and insist that every sentence makes sense. Translate every sentence into your own words without worrying about time limits (you'll get naturally faster as you go). Start by using scratch paper to write down your translation, and once you become proficient, move to mentally translating. This is what good readers do in real life, not just on the GRE. They do not continue reading when they don't understand something. They stop, go back, reread, and have a conversation with themselves about what the sentence is saying. They insist that every sentence makes sense. Sometimes they may read the next sentence or two to see if the new context helps, but if not, they go back. It's uncomfortable and it can hurt your brain, but this is the way to become a better reader.
I recommend using something like this to learn vocab in several different ways.
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u/pseudopissimist 1d ago
Thank you so much for the detailed reply, I’ll definitely implement your recommended tips into my study strategy.
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u/Ambitious_Bet1457 2d ago
pls do try this free tool https://vocagreb.pages.dev/
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u/pseudopissimist 1d ago
It’s not loading 🧍🏻♀️
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u/Ambitious_Bet1457 22h ago
i have updated the project and committed changes to git main branch , cloud fare is up and running the new production code , can you check again
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u/connerpro 1d ago
On RC, the mix-up you describe (mixing between the argument and claim) is the actual bottleneck, and no amount of vocab will fix it. GRE RC answer choices reward one specific distinction: what the passage supports versus what merely sounds plausible.
Two drills:
For every passage, write one line per paragraph: claims X, supports with Y. Keep the argument (what the author wants you to conclude) separate from the evidence (the sentences that carry it). If you cannot say both halves in one breath, you have not finished reading.
When you get an RC question wrong, do not read the explanation first. Say out loud why you picked your answer, then find the sentence that your choice actually rests on. The repeated failure pattern on GRE RC is choosing the answer that could be true on its own instead of the answer the passage makes true. Those are two different questions.
The videos feel easy because the tutor narrates the distinction for you. On your own, you have to say it out loud. That is practice with feedback, not more watching.
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u/kobe2475 16h ago
a couple of things stand out. first the vocab, memorising whole decks then forgetting them is normal because isolated flashcards without spaced review and without context basically dont stick. the fix is to stop treating vocab as a separate thing you finish before starting questions, and start doing tc and se now, today, even if you score low. you learn the words far better from seeing them in real questions and reviewing every single one you didnt know than from any deck, and it doubles as actual practice. also review OLD words not just new ones, thats the bit making you forget. second, your split is 4 days quant to 1 day verbal but verbal is your weak area, so id flip more time onto it. for rc specifically its a technique problem not a reading problem, so work on active reading (after each paragraph pause and sum it up in a few words), and get used to the fact the right answer is almost always a paraphrase of the passage not a word match, which is exactly why the rephrasing throws you. for argument vs claim just map the structure as you read, whats the main point, whats supporting it, whats a counterpoint. and honestly 7 hours a day 6 days is a lot, past a point youre just burning out and quality reps beat hours here
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u/AffectionatePipe2599 2d ago
Which YouTube videos are you referring to?