The 30 Day Challenge – Round One: GRE Study

I’m attempting to break up the next 8 months left of my service into 30 day challenges to help me mark the time.  We’ll see how long it lasts.  This month is 30 days of studying for the GRE.  I've made it to day 3!  I’ve signed up to take the test on October 20^th, so really I have 50 days, which is good in case I’m not good at this 30 day challenge thing and need some buffer time to study.

I’m psyched about this GRE, actually.  I’ve been teaching math for about a year, so I know my brain hasn’t atrophied, and I really don’t have that many words I need to learn.  There’s that point of diminishing returns after you’ve learned the GRE testers’ favorite words, so I’m just not gotta waste my time much after I’ve got those down.  ALSO, they’ve thrown out those BS word comparison questions that I’m so terrible at.  Ya know those ones that are like CAT:MOUSE.  I was so bad at those!  AND! And on the paper-based GRE test they allow you a simple hand held calculator. WHAT?! I might very well rock this thing.  But cross your fingers and knock on wood and all that.  Just in case.

Anyway, today’s GRE word of the day is “obsequious,” meaning to be overly eager to please.  The word brings to mind Doug’s puppy, who so desperately wants Doug’s approval that he licks Doug in the mouth as a hello, brings him smelly rags to roll in, and copies his every destructive move, such as digging up my newly planted tomato garden.  It also brings to mind other behaviors I’ve experienced in Malawi when the punch line of a conversation is “give me money.”