What's Your Fucking Problem? (WYFP!)

** Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?

WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and perhaps share advice. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. :-)

I am broke, so I am trying to figure out what I can sell on eBay. Some of the things are tough choices... do I keep it because of its sentimental value or sell it for the monetary value? And, for what I think it's "really" worth, or what people will actually pay for it (this can be an especially ouchy issue with art items I've put a lot of hours into)? I'm leaning toward the conclusion that stuff is just stuff, especially when it's stuff I don't need, and it is more important to be able to buy food and pay bills. This can be looked at either as depressing or as liberating, I think. If I can detach myself from the stuff, I feel lighter somehow.

Politically, antipoverty issues should be at the top of the agenda. Poverty can be extremely hard on people, and we have to look out for each other. Nobody in this country should be without shelter, food, or health care. But being poor can be freeing. Living simply can be clarifying. Giving up what you don't want to give up can teach generosity. I don't think there is any shame in being poor or not having much stuff or nice stuff. Better to be happily poor than to be full of anxiety about keeping up a certain standard of living, not losing ground, or somehow losing oneself through the loss of possessions or wealth.

Just my random musings... what's on your mind tonight? Have you ever had to sell something you really didn't want to sell? What's your effing problem?

•  Tip jar

  by Elizabeth D on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:20:42 PM PDT

  •  i heard something about a bus

    going to fighting bob fest. i'll keep you posted.

    by OrangeClouds115 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:26:32 PM PDT

    •  I'll be making...

      a serious effort to head down this year!

      by blueyedace2 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:32:28 PM PDT

    •  oh, thanks!

      I am on their mailing list so I will probably get the info through there. I went with Ben last year, and may again if he happens to offer.

      by Elizabeth D on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:37:49 PM PDT

      •  dropping hints here might

        hasten an offer like that :)

        by OrangeClouds115 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:44:02 PM PDT

  •  Hey, at least nobody can sue you.

    Not for monetary damages.

    That's one kind of freedom denied most of the populace.

    by Ice Blue on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:29:25 PM PDT

    •  That's called 'judgment proof'

      The upside, they won't sue cause you've got nothing they want; the downside, you don't have the things you want and need.  Liability insurance is a better way to go.

      by vigilant meerkat on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:35:31 PM PDT

•  My FP

  Not a biggie tonight. My middle son, about to be a senior at Expensive University is terrified about taking the GRE. He has a 3.9+ GPA at a top college, but he is absolutely frightened of the math sections. He wants to be a film writer, so he will not be doing math in his future career. Any suggestions, words of encouragement?

  by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:23:03 PM PDT

  •  How well did your son do

    on the math sections of the SAT? There's no reason he should score lower on the GRE than he did on the SAT.

    What was his terror like prior to the SAT, and did his score justify that level of terror? He's certainly overdoing the fear factor -- sounds like he's been listening to too much Bush administration propaganda.

    by sardonyx on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:27:15 PM PDT

    •  No, he is totally overreacting,

      and that is part of the problem. He actually got a 780 on the SAT math. I know that he can do this. He is just terrified by the format.

      by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:29:43 PM PDT

      •  Tell him to take snacks....

        and don't guess on the first two or three questions.  Better to skip one.  That sets the calibration for the on-line test.

        It really is an SAT in disguise.  No real math beyond geometry.  Go online and download a practice test.  Or when you register you get access to a practice test.

        Grad school cares more about what you have done in school and your references.

        by murrayewv on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:34:09 PM PDT

        •  Thanks for all these suggestions

          Especially the snax. I hadn't thought of that (I took the damned GRE in 1971, so it's been a while). My son is 6 foot one and a quarter and thin, so he has to eat constantly. He eats an extra two or three dinners after we (blue jersey dad and I ) go to bed.

          by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:36:44 PM PDT

          •  Our school runs SAT testing, and no snacks

            are allowed for it, at least at our school. Only bottled
            water. Maybe they're afraid of answers being written
            teensy tinily inside Snickers wrappers.

            by begone on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:42:42 PM PDT

            •  Snickers.

              I haven't had a Snickers in years.  Seriously YEARS.  Now I know WMFP is.

              by deBOraaah on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:01:03 PM PDT

              •  That could be it.

                I hadn't had a snickers in a very long time.

                I have/had lots of problems. Just last week I had a mouse in the house (and I hate those meeces to pieces), my brakes failed because some caliper and tube and something else did something bad and oddly the repair wasn't free, my front steps need replacement (not free either) and I have been hammering the bad cement ones... These and other things were distressing.

                A friend came over tonight and gave me some snicker bars. Free! I just ate one. I think it was a chocolate snickers bar. It was very good and problems be damned, now I am happy.

                And you know why? I see the wrapper says "SNICKERS SATISFIES" That's why.

                by joynow on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 09:02:31 PM PDT

          •  I don't know about the snacks

            when I took it (last year), they wouldn't let me bring anything with me...not even a jacket, even though the room was pretty chilly (so, if your son might get cold, tell him to wear a sweatshirt, not something that zips).  I couldn't bring in my waterbottle, and certainly couldn't bring snacks, which sucked (me being hypoglycemic, and it being a several-hour long test).  I guess I could have put a snack in the locker outside the testing center and gotten it during the little break they give you, but in my recollection it was barely enough time to hit the restroom and get a drink.

            I'm not sure when they got so weird about it, but yeah, they pretty much strip you of everything but your base layer of clothing before you go in (at least at the testing center I went to).

            by zigeunerweisen on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:57:47 PM PDT

            •  Nutrition bars

              If you can leave anything outside, then bars and bottled water can be a lifesaver. A couple hundred calories of nutrition in a nicely dense (and, in some cases, quite tasty) package can be consumed during a very short break.

              by sardonyx on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:04:03 PM PDT

              •  great idea, thanks

                by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:08:27 PM PDT

              •  Clif bars

                Organic.  I love them.

                by smartcookienyc on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:37:29 PM PDT

                •  seconded

                  I love Clif bars too.  I love that they're organic, and also entirely vegetarian-friendly (some nutrition bars have weird things in them, or unnecessary stuff like gelatin, so frustratin!).  Heck, almost all of them are vegan if I remember correctly.  And of course, they actually taste good, unlike some other nutrition bars I can think of.

                  I used to run marathons (and will again if I can stop getting respiratory infections all the damn time), and needed to eat a ton of calories to keep from losing too much weight, and Clif bars were a perfect snack for me.

                  by zigeunerweisen on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:44:11 PM PDT

                •  Also the Larabars and Maya bars

                  Lara are completely organic and raw (except for any cocoa powder); Maya are made by the same folks and are all chocolate flavors; again, the cacao nibs and cocoa powder are not raw, but the rest is...and it tastes too good to be healthy, though I'm pretty sure it is.

                  The Clif Nectar chocolate walnut entry does taste like a brownie, though, so I also buy them. :)

                  by sardonyx on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 09:11:32 PM PDT

        •  Dear murrayewv,

          Geome-wha??

          Sincerely,
          glf - future gre taker

          by god less force on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:21:06 PM PDT

      •  Has he tried

        doing some practice tests? If he's scared of the format, then using that format over and over until he's completely familiar with it might help. It's the unknown that frightens us, not the known, right?

        You can get GRE practice test books at any bookstore, if he doesn't already have one.

        by lulu57 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:35:31 PM PDT

      •  He got a 780 on the SAT math?

        What a fink! I only got a 750; I had to wait until the GRE to pull a 780.

        I concur with the other advice: take a few more sample tests so he gets used to the format, bring along snacks and water if they're allowed -- make sure the snacks aren't the sort to whipsaw blood sugar like soda and sweets, or lessen the impact with peanuts or the like (something with protein).

        Giving himself a week or two between tests is useful because he'll have had a chance to figure out the question format between tries.

        by sardonyx on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:49:16 PM PDT

        •  Yeah, I know.

          He is a fink. I only got a 752--I'm so old that I have a three-digit SAT score. The advice is great. Snacks with peanut butter or cheese sound like the way to go. I really appreciate all your help.

          by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:53:10 PM PDT

          •  Yeah, but the tests

            were harder back then. :)

            by sardonyx on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:33:02 PM PDT

        •  Soda at a test

          I have a friend who was taking the MCATs. During the break half way through he was outside drinking a soda.

          A wasp had flown into the can, he took a big swig, swallowed a pissed off insect and it stung him all the way down his esophagus. Needless to say it doesn't help your score to leave halfway through  a test.

          He had a long wait for the next round.

          by SeattleLiberal on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:56:41 PM PDT

          •  OUCH!!

            by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:57:44 PM PDT

          •  that sounds awful!

            I once had a wasp fly into my mouth while I was running, but luckily I was able to keep it from flying down my throat...instead, I got stung on the inside of my lip, which then swelled up horribly for days and days.  I had a nice tough-grrrl sneer for awhile after that, and kept forgetting that when I smiled at people, it didn't really look like a smile at all!  But to have one sting all down the throat...omg, that just sounds so awful!

            by zigeunerweisen on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:47:16 PM PDT

      •  Perhaps it is more than fear of taking the exam

        This is a highly transitional phase in his life.  Graduate school is a frightening prospect.  He may be confronting general fears about this next phase of his life, and is displacing those fears onto the GRE math section.  Just a thought!

        In any event, hypnosis (I know, I know) is an excellent aid in preparing for these exams.  I saw a hypnotist before the bar exam, had about six sessions, learned self-hypnosis, aced the bar exam because I knew how to calm myself.

        The fact that a fear is irrational or unreasonable is of little assistance -- and reminding someone that it isn't "real" or reality based will not make dimish the fear.

        by vigilant meerkat on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:51:08 PM PDT

        •  Is that also true for phobias?

          by sherlyle on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:59:00 PM PDT

          •  Especially true for phobias

            It is extremely effective.  I use self-hynosis frequently.  Once you have learned how to do it, it is an adaptable tool for life.

            Hypnosis has gotten a bad rap due to its use for entertainment.  It is not weird, nor do you lose consciousness.  You are always aware of what is going on and being said to you.  It merely relaxes the noisy part of your brain so that you can put some positive thoughts and images in there.

            My hypnotist taped our sessions.  I played those tapes during the lunch hours during the three-day bar exam, and at night and in the morning.  It worked for me and still does.

            by vigilant meerkat on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:04:45 PM PDT

            •  Thank you, VM,

              I will look around here and find a good hypnotist.  It's time to get this monkey off my back.

              by sherlyle on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:13:09 PM PDT

            •  that sounds like something

              I could really use, the "relaxing noisy parts of your brain" part.  Sometimes it's just so hard to focus with all the noise in there.

              by zigeunerweisen on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:50:47 PM PDT

              •  Viktor Frankl talked about paradoxical intention

                as a tool. The way it's supposed to cure phobias and anxieties is that you try to obtain the outcome you fear. For instance, if you're a stutterer, you try to show others just how badly you stutter. Humor helps. So the example for this test would be, I guess, to "show off" your ignorance by picking as many wrong answers as you can on a practice test. The idea would be that this would put yourself in a different, and hence calmer, frame of mind.

                I've never tried this myself, but some claim that it works 80% of the time for obsessive, compulsive, and phobic conditions.

                Search for "Frankl paradoxical intention" for more information.

                by AlanF on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 08:04:30 PM PDT

        •  I think that you are right, vigilant meerkat

          Some of this is worry about the next phase of his life--can be get into grad school, is he a good enough writer to make it in the business, what will be do if he doesn't succeed as a writer, will he be living in my gartage when he's 40, etc. Many thanks for the insight.

          by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:59:49 PM PDT

      •  Only 780 on the math? And this is a problem how?

        Sorry, for those of us who have children who are not as gifted/motivated to get a fabulous score like that I just have to shake my head.

        I have a friend whose son was valedictorian at a very competitive high school and he didn't get into his first choice college.  They were devastated.  

        Needless to say, while I was somewhat sympathetic, I was thinking "Oh please, your kid did get into a fabulous university, one that my kid would only dream out and you are devastated"?  

        Please count your blessings and have your child do a few practice tests.  He will do just fine on any test he tries.  

        by Do Tell on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:57:29 PM PDT

        •  Thanks, I know.

          He is just panicked. I keep telling him that he will be fine. Some of this is the problem of being the second son. Both were great students, and both went to Expensive U. But son 1 is just a really good test taker and ended up as the HS valedictorian. Son 2 re-took the SAT just so he could outscore son 1 by 10 points. competition in my household--no way.

          by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:03:05 PM PDT

          •  Rating Game

            Good opportunity to teach healthy responses.  Like upsetting oneself about illogical "rating" against siblings and others.  We've all done some things well.  And, as humans, we all fuck up sometimes.  That's real life.

            Yes, it is wonderful to do well, but is even better to be well (healthy).  Life's such disappointments need not be devastating unless we make them so.

            by smartcookienyc on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:42:15 PM PDT

          •  I understand the panic, but I would think that

            his former success would give self confidence to face his fears.  

            No matter, good luck to him and I am sure that he will do very well.  

            by Do Tell on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:45:12 PM PDT

      •  honestly,

        it freaked me out too. I took the GMAT, not the GRE. I got an 800 on the math SAT but an... Im not sure but it was like in the 70% percentile or so on the GMAT math. I totally aced the GMAT English.

        It wasn't the format that got me, it was that I hadn't done math in 6 years. Literally. So tell him don't panic.

        Oh one more detail - I decided to take the GMAT one week before I took it. No studying, whatsoever. No prep. He'll be fine.

        by OrangeClouds115 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 08:08:35 PM PDT

        •  GMAT math and GRE math are different

          The GRE general math test is easier than the SAT, the reason being that a lot of people who take the GRE took no math in college.  But most people who take the GMAT did take math in college, so the test is harder.

          by plf515 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 09:31:01 PM PDT

      •  It's just a test

        He can always take it again.  It's really not the end of the world.  I've taken it.  I got to the math section & was like, "oh, (*^@, there's math on here!!!??" and hadn't prepared for it whatsoever but I did fine.  Especially since he's not doing anything involving math - whoever gets his scores won't even care.

        Also, if you've gone through life thus far doing exceedingly well academically and having an excellent GPA at Expensive U, sometimes it's good to fail at stuff.  Otherwise, one just builds up a ton of anxiety because failure or doing less-than-excellent is not even considered an option..

        I also notice that despite you mentioning no one is competitive you know all the GPAs and SAT and GRE scores.. I mean focusing a lot on test scores and GPAs is going to cause some anxiety.  

        Grad school is a rough, rough world though!  I thought it was hell on earth personally.  (Humanities program at Expensive New England U).  What about doing something else for a while before jumping right back into school?  Good writers need lots of varied life experience.

        by daria g on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 10:24:38 PM PDT

  •  Well...

    even writers use math.  How are you going to get run times for your scenes?  How are you going to understand your contract?  Do your characters ever have to do any MacGyver/Carter type figuring or babbling?

    And it's not that hard by comparison, there's only one right answer and no audience to not understand or offend.

    by ek hornbeck on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:27:36 PM PDT

    •  I know.

      He took calculus in HS and stats in college, so he is not really math challenged, just really spooked.

      by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:32:33 PM PDT

  •  The GRE math isn't that bad--kind of basic

    I was able to do fine on it by studying SAT-type questions
    for a few nights.

    And his math scores really won't--I think--keep him out of an
    arts/film program.

    by begone on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:28:47 PM PDT

  •  Take the practice test at ets.org

    You can download it, and it'll not only give you a real score so you can predict how you'll do, but you can also figure out what you need to study.

    No reason to be scared anymore, now that we have this series of tubes....

    by SensibleShoes on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:29:35 PM PDT

    •  He, He, LOL

      You must have been talking to Senator Stevens. He did take the ETS version, and he did OK--a score in the 600s. But he took the Barron's test and scores lower--in the 500s.

      by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:31:35 PM PDT

      •  I wouldn't've thought Ted Stevens

        would've scored that high. 600s, eh? As a longtime Alaskan, I got a chance to see his math skills up close and personal, and I'd've put him more at a 390.

        As for your son, well, at least now he knows what he needs to work on.

        by SensibleShoes on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:06:05 PM PDT

        •  And his verbal is clearly far lower than that...

          ...it's positively down the tubes.

          by khereva on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:01:45 PM PDT

  •  It doesn't matter?

    I stunk up the math section of my GRE (well, did just about average) but scored well on the verbal and topped the logic section - I had no problems getting into grad school for Counseling Psychology.  

    I did do some basic math prep, just to get through.

    by Mrs Pastor on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:35:01 PM PDT

    •  That's good to hear.

      I know that he will ace the verbal section and the new writing section.

      by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:38:32 PM PDT

  •  buy a study book

    I, too, was freaked out by the math part of the GRE, having flunked algebra in high school. But I bought a practice book, crammed like crazy, and did well enough to be accepted into a top graduate school. Of course, I've forgotten it all again, but for a brief moment, I realized how beautiful math is....

    by Castine on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:44:10 PM PDT

    •  i had to take the gre

      and i was not familiar with american standard test formats or procedures. i got a book called something like 'how to pass the gre', and it did exactly what it promised. that exam is all about knowing how to pass that particular exam, it's got zip to do with knowledge...

      by eco on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:11:26 PM PDT

  •  Everybody stinks at the analytical section

    of the GREs. If he wants to go into writing, the programs he'll be applying for aren't going to care about that score anyway. They'll be looking more at the verbal. If I remember rightly, my analytical score was about 200 points lower than my verbal score--and I've got three graduate degrees hanging on the wall now, and working on my fourth. Might have been a problem if I'd wanted to work in the hard sciences, but a piece of cake for a writing program.

    by musing85 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:50:26 PM PDT

    •  Thanks, musing85. That's great to hear,

      and congrats on all those degrees. WOW

      by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:54:44 PM PDT

    •  Analytical is very time-dependent.

      The first practice GRE I took, my analytical score sucked, in large part because I ran out of time.  But those problems are strategic and you can really learn how to do them faster if not better.  By the time I actually took the GRE, my analytical was with my other scores above 700.

      by MissLaura on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:57:59 PM PDT

      •  Thanks, everyone

        These are really great suggestions. I appreciate all your help.

        by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:04:17 PM PDT

    •  Not everyone

      The analytical section is just about knowing the trick to the questions. After years of playing logic games with my sisters, we all scored 730 or above on it. My youngest sister -- we just call her "The Genius" -- had an 800.

      by wiscmass on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:11:24 PM PDT

      •  Y'all are just freaks, then :-9

        Nobody I know has gotten higher than about 550-600. I understand the logic games--I just need more time to puzzle them out thoroughly and check my work than the exam allows.

        by musing85 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:14:05 PM PDT

        •  Yes we are...

          ...and we're quite proud of that. "Normal" is just another way of saying "average."  ;)

          I'll tell you who the real freak is, though -- I have a friend at the university who is dyslexic and had mono when he took the GRE. He scored 770 math, 770 verbal, and 760 analytical. And unlike a lot of people, his high score actually reflects his intelligence, not just test-taking ability. I think I'd gladly be dyslexic if I could be that smart!

          by wiscmass on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:18:28 PM PDT

          •  I hit 780 for the verbal

            Math was something like 550-560, and analytical somewhere around 620. But it's been so long ago I'm not really sure of the other numbers anymore.

            by musing85 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:32:13 PM PDT

            •  Mine weren't quite as freaky as my friend's...

              ...but not far off. I was very pleased with them, but my math was 30 points higher than my verbal, and my verbal was 30 points higher than my analytical. And back when I took the SAT, my math score was 30 points higher than my verbal.

              Apparently, 30 points is my standard deviation for standardized tests like these.

              by wiscmass on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:53:48 PM PDT

        •  I scored 770 on the analytical on the GRE

          but that was partly because I got mad at one of the questions
          2/3 of the way through and did a no-no--filled in C's from
          then on out. Must have been a lot of correct C's by luck.

          by begone on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:34:14 PM PDT

          •  The woman who graduated

            summa cum laude in my college class had a bit of a brain fart the first time she went to take the GREs. Instead of filling in her answers down the columns, she went across the rows (or vice versa: I forget exactly how the answer sheets are formatted). So she had to wait a year to start on her graduate work in psychology.

            by musing85 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:45:24 PM PDT

          •  Gives you a bit of insight

            into just how inaccurate a gauge of success in grad school the test is, doesn't it?

            by vigilant meerkat on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:51:59 PM PDT

          •  I remember taking a test ...

            many, many  years ago in high school.. one of those blacken in the boxes on the answer sheet - National Merit perhaps.  Partway through it I leaned back in my chair to stretch a bit and noticed that the answers completed thus far formed patterns.  Something like...

            A
            A
              B
              B
                 C
                 C
                    D
                    D
                       E
                       E

            then

            A
             B
               C
                 D
                   E
                 D
               C
             B
            A

            I thought no way could this be.. then I scanned my answers to that point, looking for any deviations from the pattern apparently in effect in that section, and discovered that I'd answered them incorrectly.  From that point on I answered without paying attention to patterns, but would sit back every so often to check.  I believe I aced that test.. perhaps they figured if you noticed, you deserved to.

            by RainyDay on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:53:58 PM PDT

      •  I got an 800 on the analytic, too

        but none of the schools I applied to counted the analytic.....oh well.

        by plf515 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 09:32:56 PM PDT

  •  Does he have one of those insipid review books?

    If he does, he'll see exactly what the math questions are like -- personally, I thought the GRE math sections were easier than the SAT.

    by wiscmass on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:06:49 PM PDT

    •  Yes he does have a review book,

      and he has been working on it for the past 3 weeks.

      by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:10:31 PM PDT

      •  Then he should be fine

        He'll be ready when he takes the exam. He just needs to make sure he gets a good night's sleep the night before and has a small but healthy breakfast the morning of the exam -- not so much as to aggravate the nerves, but enough so his stomach won't be rumbling during the exam.

        Best of luck to him!

        by wiscmass on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:13:07 PM PDT

        •  Many, many thanks

          by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:19:03 PM PDT

          •  seconding wiscmass's suggestion

            of a healthy breakfast.  Is he taking it in the morning?  I wound up taking it twice, because the first time I took it, I took it later in the day and did poorly due to a combination of bad headache and blood-sugar crash (I had eaten a couple hours earlier, and then didn't get to have my usual snacks) that left me rather unable to focus.  The second time, I took it in the morning, and took some advice from one of my professors, eating a high-protein breakfast (yogurt and a hard-boiled egg, with toast), since she said that protein was "brain-food".  Worked wonders for me!

            by zigeunerweisen on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 08:09:29 PM PDT

  •  a word from the mathematically-challenged

    who couldn't get a 780 on the math section for preschool...

    Don't know if they still do this, but back in the pleistoscene when I took the GMAT, they included sections that they were trying out for future tests. These were waaaaaaaay harder than the sections that actually counted which included 2 math and 2 verbal.

    So out of a total of 7 sections (only 4 of which would count towards your score), I had five math and 2 verbal. Didn't even get halfway through two of the first math sections. Of course, while you're taking it, you don't know which are the "trial" sections and which were real. I was almost at the puke stage by the break.

    How is this reassuring? If this is still being done, it might help for him to know that if he hits a rough patch, it could very well be one of those sadistic "extra" sections.

    For me, it was a sign from the universe that my future did not lie in biz school.

    by hono lulu on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:47:43 PM PDT

    •  Yep, hono lulu, I think it's still happening

      I got the extra math section, too. Boy was that exasperating.
      Taking the GRE for English grad school, bombarded with
      math questions.

      by begone on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:58:32 PM PDT

      •  That's exactly what happened to me

        I was so mad.  I think I just started choosing at random after a while.  Standardized tests are so dumb.  

        by daria g on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 10:31:21 PM PDT

    •  They have to do this

      in order to have good questions for the next year's test.  This lets them see which questions are reliable and valid

      (I got my PhD in psychometrics)

      by plf515 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 09:35:21 PM PDT

      •  I understand that

        also that I'm sure, thanks to me, next year's test was realllly easy!

        by hono lulu on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 10:12:05 PM PDT

  •  honestly

    if he wants to be a writer, tell him to think twice about film. it's not a writer's medium. and unless he writes specifically for a director he already knows, he will have little or no control over what happens to his scripts. as for the gre- i can't offer any advice...

    by Turkana on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:48:08 PM PDT

    •  Great advice about the writing

      He is taking an advanced film writing course this fall, but he has a pretty broad background--English, psychology, philosophy, etc.

      by blue jersey mom on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:56:28 PM PDT

  •  Practice

    practice and practice some more. Buy all the past 10 years tests from ETS and keep practicing. Nothing else to it. Many a full moon ago this is how I tortured my brain but it kindly came through with a 800 for me.

    by freespeech on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 07:10:24 PM PDT

  •  I think the GRE math is easier than the SAT math

    I know I did better on the GRE....680 on SAT, 780 on GRE.  But that was long ago.

    Is the GRE being given as a computerized adaptive test?

    by plf515 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 09:27:14 PM PDT

•  MFP?

  I have to buy a sweet sixteen present for a young lady and (as so frequently happens) I haven't got a clue.  My budget is between $25 and $75.  Any suggestions?

  by ek hornbeck on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:23:08 PM PDT

  •  She have an ipod?

    itunes gift certificates are always a good last resort.

    Without knowing more about her, though, it's hard to say.  She a girly girl or an athlete or a musician or an academic type?  Etc.

    by MissLaura on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:24:55 PM PDT

    •  Tomboy.

      But no sports.  Kind of silly and giggly though.  No boys I know of nor an artsy type.

      And no ipod, did think to ask about that.

      I'm telling you I'm stumped.

      by ek hornbeck on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:30:55 PM PDT

      •  I think the earring suggestion below,

        assuming her ears are pierced, is a good one.  Even tomboys dress up, and having a classy, go-to pair of earrings for those occasions is really nice.  At that age it especially feels nice to have someone think you're grown-up enough for something real in the jewelry department, even if it's small.

        by MissLaura on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:33:45 PM PDT

      •  gift certificate for manicure or pedicure

        Even if she's a bit of a tomboy, something semi-feminine might be nice.  Or if you're comfortable with choosing yourself, some subtle makeup like lip gloss (nothing too dark or daring.)

        by FoundingFatherDAR on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:35:55 PM PDT

  •  I was going to recommend a

    vibrator, but that would be in poor taste.  I mean, it's cheap and heartfelt.

    But seriously, I got no idea.  That age is a complete mystery to me...

    by Marc in KS on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:25:01 PM PDT

    •  Now, Marc

      We all know that's more of a graduation gift, anyway.

      by Mrs Pastor on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:28:00 PM PDT

      •  and besides...

        ek would probably forget to buy the batteries.

        by nonnie9999 on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:47:07 PM PDT

        •  well, there's another gift