My facebook page

Facebook, the most popular social networking website in the world. Deep down every facebook user have a dark past and it is called as ORKUT. Obviously every facebook user is an orkut immigrant, including me. We all love facebook, don't we? In fact we are proud of ourselves, for being a facebook user. Like everyone, i too spent many hours sitting in front of this site, clicking on the home button always. We know it terminates our valuable time, and still can't avoid this stuff. Few people i know must be offered a job by Zuckerberg some day or the other. They spend almost every minute of their active hours on that particular day. I'm pretty sure, they will kill me if i mention their names here. People dive in here and probably they won't find their way back. JAM, why am i saying all these things? I, actually am not criticizing these people rather i am just throwing some light on the facebook virality. Take no offence guys.

Besides its cons, FB also have its pros, provided if we use it in the right manner. As i mentioned in my bio, I am a MS aspirant and hence bound to take GRE. I was under coaching period during march-may 2012. As this is post in not about my preparation, i don't wanna discuss about my prep. My good & close friend Sri Harsha, who started his coaching ahead of me used to give me tips. It was his idea, actually, to start a facebook page regarding the vocabulary section. This is to help ourselves by remembering the words, as the main motto of the page is posting five GRE words everyday. To be guileless, we never set up a target to reach certain number of likes. It was just a selfish hypothesis then. We hardly promoted the page even. Don't know how, slowly the page was caught up with regular users. This made us work towards the development of the page. My friend, the actual founder of the page along with me equally bolstered the page with our ingenious ideas. Apart from five daily ideas, we started sharing some articles, useful information regarding test. In that particular period of time, we were happy that we found some fellow mates to exchange our views, through the page. Few more days like this and our page went viral at light speed, many questions, many compliments and yeah many valuable suggestions, leading to many productive thoughts. People even contributed with their encouragement. We, the admins learned very much from most of them. And then we never looked back, never maintained it lethargically. We thought of more new ideas to help our fans (i meant the people who liked our page). There were chronical posts everyday. Let anything may happen, we have decided not to commercialize the page. It should remain as it was in the first day, just a candid non profit page. Without all the people who liked our page page, today it would not be such a huge hit. I hereby, contribute my gracious regards to all people who stood with us. We promise to keep the standards and never let your expectations down.

This is the outcome- Our facebook page

Bio

On the recall of my past, i was raised by my grand parents as my dad suffered a lot of transfers. Being the first boy child in my grandpa's (mom's dad) family, he gifted me with this big name called 'Satya venkata Mohan' (still baffling to recognize my first and middle names). Apart from the name, they provided everything I wanted and wished. To be frank, I was raised in a lofty environment as if I were their own son. Days passed and soon this'screw-you-kid' age has arrived in my life. I meant the schooling age. I was thrown into the school at the age of four, like all the other kids. I guess, school is the most hated place by any kid in this world and teachers their biggest tormentors. Almost two years passed in school and still I was not used to it, always wanted my grandma to sit beside me in the class room, crying everyday like hell. In fact i was regularly irregular searching for some silly reasons to evade school. I knew this story happens in everyone's life but after all it is my blog, so i couldn't resist myself from sharing the story. Besides this, my grandpa used to be in an illusion, thinking i would become a doctor. Yes, one of the predictor said my grandpa that i will turn into a doctor in my future, so he kept on dreaming and I never really disturbed him. After all in India there are only two options for any child, either to become an engineer or a doctor. And the predictor cashed my grandpa with the latter one. My success story continued for few more years and I was completely a spoilt brat. Like for every summer vacations, that year too had my father's visit to me. Guess what happened, my dad went nuts at my grade sheet(4th standard as per my ken) seeing those measly figures(almost F in every subject). I am too small to catch his feelings then, but pretty sure that grade sheet has taken him to the darker side of the moon. Obviously this made my dad to take me with him.

After the transition, I was raised militarily by my dad. Bound to study for suggested time daily. Done something, which I haven't all these days. Unlike my dad, my mom hardly cared about my studies. She always used to feed me, feed me and feed me more. She is loving, caring, funny and jovial, pacifying dad when i messed up something, offering money for my mango bites. Of course which mother is not? That is why boys are always mom's kids. Something is missing in the whole story, yes my brother, a younger one. The one i used to fight with, for tv remote, for my MRF bat (actually his). Slowly started doing good in studies, obtained respectable grades and that satiated my dad.

Life went good and I was then addicted to SACHIN TENDULKAR and cricket. Spent tonnes of hours in grounds, daily. At one point, i too wanted to become a cricketer then. Of course, the then aim remained for a short time. But, seriously I am mad at cricket. There are some sundays where I was completely in grounds, the entire day. Whatever, my every sunday must end with the telugu comic weekly serial "AMRUTHAM". This is awesome stuff, I tell you. No one I knew till now hated this one.

Nothing much has happened until my 10th standard, where i turned more studious under my dad's training and obtained 86% in it. Even though they are not a kind of marks scored by a studious guy but remember I am talking about myself. My dad was a bit relieved and then I started pretending as if i am really working hard under my dad's ultra vision. Joined for 11th and no change in life, more cricket, loaded with more laziness and yes one day batting before exams. Being a sachin fanatic, I didn't find any difficulties in one day batting. Then the 12th standard, the period of  re-transition. The period in which i was turned to a scumbag again. The teen age, "go have some fun buddhu" I kicked my self. I turned more social and gregarious. The radius of my friends circle enlarged and it was difficult for my studies to find enough space in that vicious circle. Messed up big time with studies but made good friends for life. Got a rank, which almost looked like a telephone number, in the engineering entrance.

After joining engineering, I kind of realized something new about life. I wanted to do some serious studying this time. Always tried to maintain good grades and I kinda managed to do that (credits to one day batting). Had fun all along the semester and the caught up with books just before exams. Till then, I didn't really visited temples, but if I did, I made sure I visited just before my results. I was fantasized by the holly action films. Watched every single flick, released in the period. College taught the importance of friendship. Made many friends in the grad life too. Got to know how people will change time to time, at the same time met people who were helpful always. Gone through many crests and troughs. Made myself mentally strong, just as strong as diamond. Apart from these there was a lot more in engineering., more bunking, more fun, more boozing too. Since I was an abiding back bencher, always found enough time to dream. On the contradictory, I was an introvert with girls. Never found myself comfortable with girls and i never gave a hoot about that, I used to be like that. Above all friends liked my cool attitude, especially towards exams, as I am the one who always says exams don't need preparation. I was kinda, not interested in studying rather I am interested in writing, person. People liked it and some of them showed interest taking tips from me. Made myself a philanthropist and a humour bug, always wanted to make people smile. I think that attitude earned me friends in bulk, Whatever, i am happy with that. Habituated to take what life gives us, no expectations and no regrets. It was in the penultimate of my graduation I started thinking about my future and eventually decided to go abroad for my masters. Probably not immediately after my graduation, but a year later. Working towards it, I am struggling in life to get a life. Having gained some interest in blogging, I wish to become a part time columnist, apart from whatever the profession I do.

GRE downloads

This post is stitched with some study aids for GRE (both Verbal&Quants). So make full use of it. The list goes like this

• ETS official Guide 2nd edition 

          2nd edition OG

• ETS's powerprep II software for a GRE diagnostic test. (Most Important) 

         Powerprep

• Princeton GRE Review Book + 1014 New GRE Questions from Princeton Review 

          1014 Ques, Review book
     

• Barrons Revised GRE 19th edition (Scanned Version) 

          Barron's 19th edition

• Nova GRE Math Bible 

          Math bible

• Vocabulary tests for GMAT, GRE, TOEFL 

          Tests

• Online vocabulary Flash Cards. 

          Flash cards

• Barron's flash card 

          Barron's cards

• Soft copy of BigBook (4 RC & SC)+ Nova (4 Maths) 

          Big book

• Reading Comprehension (RC) Practice. 

          RC

• Barron's flash card practice (4759 words) 

         Quizlet cards

• LEARN VOCABULARY WITH VIDEOS, APP for IPHONE 

         IPhone app

• Kaplan Math Workout 

         Math workbook

Self preparation for GRE

There are some basic principles for people who are trying to prep on their own. Crafting studying technique is something more tactical, and personal, that you'll have to do on your own, based on what you know about how you best learn. Most of these, apart from distinctions as noted, apply to standardized tests in general:

1. Start by creating a realistic schedule of daily work. Because the daily part is important, realistic probably translates to 15-20 minutes a day. "I'm going to spend two hours a night" is a good intention, but unlikely to happen.

2.Use only the official materials. There is only 1 published book for the GRE. You can download it from here http://www.mediafire.com/?639ow5dp3d07ouy

3.Materials include practice problems and practice tests. Do the practice problems first, then do regular practice testing as the actual test date approaches. There are two official GRE practice tests that are free to download. Because the tests are adaptive, they can be taken multiple times. You can get away with around three sittings per test without significant overlap, so that allows you six practice tests. These should be taken once a week for the six weeks leading up to the test, in an environment that simulates the actual testing environment as closely as possible (e.g., wake up and start the test at the times you would need to, isolate yourself in a distraction-free room, don't let yourself listen to music, put your phone somewhere else).

4.Find someone with whom you can review the questions you get wrong. This doesn't have to be a professional if that's not feasible for you, but it should be someone who's good at the relevant content, or has scored well on the test before, or both

5.Though there is no official vocabulary list, GRE prep requires studying vocabulary. Learn as many as words you can, in fact there is no harm in learning more.

6.The one mandatory thing every test taker should go through is the powerprep II software. It is the official software provided by ETS. This provides two full length tests. Trust me they are par with the original GRE. It is also said that the score you get in powerprep will match your original GRE score by a range of +3 or -3

Some of the online practice tests

major tests

4tests

Jumbo tests

gre guide

GRE RC

magoosh (V.imp)

manhattan(sign up for free, you get 1 full length practice test)

Vocabulary build up for GRE

GRE vocabulary building is a continuous process, that can't be done in a day or two. The GRE exam does not require you to just cram the concepts. Besides word meanings, you should also be familiar with its usage.For instance, in the verbal section of the GRE exam, the answer options are closer in meaning, requiring the candidate to understand the context before selecting the correct answer. Merely knowing the meanings of GRE words will not help you in marking the correct answer. The relationship between words and ideas is more important than the dictionary meanings.

so, plan your prep properly. Here are some steps to be followed 

1. Read

When reading, we don’t expect to see a given word. This element of surprise makes reading a more effective vocabulary-learning tool compared to flashcards and memorization. Also, the revised GRE focuses on vocabulary in context - again, making reading more effective.The New Yorker, The Economist are littered with GRE words and are great ways to improve vocabulary and reading comprehension.

2.Use words actively

Once you have exposed yourself to new words through reading, you should use active usage to embed the words into long-term memory. Creativity is the key to active usage. As words pop into your head, think of where you can use them.The best and proven method of remembering new words is to use the new word in context and in examples. Try to use the newly learned words in your daily language. Another strategy is to carry vocabulary flash cards of the words you find difficult to remember. You can look at the words every time you need to, which will help your word recall. As you move along with your GRE verbal study, there should be a visible improvement. 

3.Use mnemonics

As silly as the mnemonics may sound, the main takeaway is that a good mnemonic is the one that works for you, and by good, I mean it is memorable. Do not use the mnemonics you found somewhere, make them on your own and according to your convenience and after all it's you who have to remember the word. If you are struggling with a word, a clever mnemonic will not only make the word easier to learn but will also hopefully make the word more fun to learn.

4.Practice 

Take a couple of GRE practice tests at the start of your GRE study; doing so will help you identify your areas of weakness. When you take practice tests, make sure you know why the answer you selected is wrong. Making a note of wrong answers will help you understand your weak areas. This will go a long way in improving your GRE vocabulary. Also take GRE practice tests at regular intervals to measure your progress. These tests will also build your confidence and also help in identifying areas where you need to spend more time. 

5.RCs 

Reading comprehensions in revised GRE constitute half of the questions. So start practicing various comprehensions from day 1. Practice at least 4-5 comprehensions daily. It is equally important to manage your time. Try to build vocabulary in all the tasks throughout the day like reading newspapers, online chats, English films, English songs etc. spend at least 70% of your total time for verbal reasoning. Remember that your verbal score will determine your final GRE score. 

6.Bottom line 

The GRE verbal section tests your understanding of language and vocabulary. There is no shortcut to obtaining a good GRE verbal score. The only way to succeed is to know as many GRE vocabulary words as possible. Some students start their GRE verbal prep almost a year in advance. Starting GRE study early helps because it is impossible to learn thousands of new words in a short time. However, with a disciplined approach and hard work, even within two months you can master a considerable number of GRE words. 

Score high in AWA (GRE)

TIPS FOR AWA

1.Practice. Do this a little each day, and focus on building your speed as well as your ability to fully analyze the issue. Go through the sample topics; this does not necessarily mean writing a full essay for each topic, but simply writing out bullet points to hone your ability to quickly break down your answer into a coherent essay.

2.Break it down. Think about it like a newspaper story, where you're looking for the who, what, when, where, why. This will help you to address each aspect of the argument analysis and then to subsequently address how the argument could be improved, etc.

3.Use the scoring criteria to your advantage. Look at what makes a 6, 5, 4, etc. essay and make sure that you are addressing each aspect to the best of your ability.

4.Time yourself and work under test conditions. After all, you need to be able to perform under set circumstances, particularly typing on a computer that only has a very basic word processing functions.

5.Focus on your weaknesses. For example: if grammar is your problem, then study up.

6.Read quality writing. Some of the best writers are those who read rigorously . Read a few articles in a quality newspaper such as "The New York Times" or "The economist" and yes "The hindu" without any doubt. This will help enhance your sense of good grammar/argument structure as well as your ability to fashion ideas in a coherent format. This also works for improving vocabulary and grammar.

7.Do not beat around the bush: AWA- Analytical writing assessment, the name itself is evident that a test taker would be examined about his writing abilities. So always stay close to the given topic. Correlate the topic with effective, understandable and simple examples. Remember, never go tangential to the given statement. Stitch the essay with your clear ideas. Convey what exactly is your stand on the given issue/argument.

Appreciable syntax for an issue: 

Introduction 

Support with an example 

Support with an example 

Alternate view on statement 

Conclusion (Rewrite your opinion and give a final call) 

Appreciable syntax for an argument: 

Introduction (Start by restating the conclusion. Then write your thesis) 

Describe & criticize flaw 1 

Describe & criticize flaw 2 

Describe & criticize flaw 3 

Conclusion

The Demi-God

      It is indeed ironic that the nation which boasts the maximum religions in the world still believes in one God. He is 5 feet 6 inches, plays cricket for India and the man who does not require any introduction, yes! you guessed it right he is none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. In a country like India you don't have to make gestures to educate a kid what is a "four" and "six", they enjoy playing cricket in the streets, they spend lot of hours watching cricket and in short they grow watching sachin play. Yes, he is the inspiration for any young lad who wish to make some runs. Not only to the people who play cricket, he is a true inspiration for the people who work hard. Dedication and humbleness should be adopted from him to achieve greater heights in their fields.

After his first century against england

      He walked down into a cricket stadium at the age when he was not even eligible for getting a country's drivers license. Ever since he made his debut in 1989 against pakistan, he played with the same passion and same energy till date. He has carried the burden of cricket for 23 long years and still continues. Having scored over 34,000 runs in both the formats there is no exaggeration in saying that he has bagged all the records and rewards which will be awarded for batsmen. Unlike some other cricketers, who were boorish and proud for the records they've achieved, Sachin is always humble and showed some mean respect for his fellow cricketers. He is such a clean cricketer and has not involved in any of the controversies in such a long journey, above all he is a great human being. Even after so many years he comes across like a boy with a new toy in his hand. He always stayed away from glamour to set his own definition of the term. Neither did he shake his leg, nor did he show off his bare chest, it's his attitude towards game which gained him all the fame and popularity.

     Personally sachin's passion inspires me. How after so many years he still doesn't give up to fight. Even today people go to stadiums just to watch him play and it is every indian's dream to meet him or at least see him, every kid's long lasting hero and role model and that is sachin tendulkar for you. People india worship him and love more than any other sports icon. On the other hand he has his critics too. Tendulkar had many ups and downs in his career, he never cared about the bad times. All he does is loving his sport and sweating out in the nets. Having been undergone many surgeries he shows the same energy whenever he walks out into the ground. He bounced back from his bad and evil times to answer critics with the unique bat of its kind.

Final call to critics:

   

     There were also set of stupid people who say sachin only plays for his personal records. Critics are always ready to spill some poisonous words against him. Yes the boy who survived all the agony is getting old. Well, wasn't he too young when he started creating magic? just imagine hundred centuries, is it a joke,you stupid jerks? Serving a country and marking its presence in the world map, is it a joke, you morons? Have any one of you achieved 0.000001% of what has he achieved? You won't understand what he has achieved until you serve the nation on any purpose. It doesn't make any sense if you ask ambanis to shut down all their companies as they've minted enough money for their future generations, does it? May be i am too harsh. After all we are a nation of naturally gifted critics. Seriously critics, does he need any defence? Does he need need any definition? Oh!! i forgot who is your sporting hero in your childhood? Haven't you enjoyed his game? Yes his pace slowed down a bit, he is struggling to get runs. Age is running against him, after all he is a human being, a 39 year old ordinary man. It is not courtesy you show with some ghostly written articles and always questioning him about his retirement. Anyways the dark day of his retirement will come some day, and i assure i make some time to weep like a 6 year old kid. I am pretty confident that cricket will substantially lose fans when he hangs up his boots. The entire generation will end their relationship with cricket and till then, leave him alone and let him be.

     "We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never  will." -Time Magazine