Problematic Thinking: My plan didn’t work. I guess the GRE is not for me.

Constructive Thinking: I can devise another plan, and then another, if necessary.

Life is a series of trials that result in varying degrees of success. Not every hit will be a home run. But if you don’t succeed, you have an opportunity to improve by learning from what didn’t work, and in the case of the GRE, you can have a “do-over.”

If your plan of attack hasn’t worked, your first duty is to identify what needs to change in order for you to get different results. There are a few common reasons why people’s GRE preparation plans don’t work. Some people underestimate the scope of preparation necessary and don’t spend enough time studying or cover enough of what appears on the test. Some don’t fully realize that the GRE is a reasoning test, and so they focus on learning rules and concepts without building skills in finding correct answers. Some don’t take a sufficient number of practice tests or don’t effectively use practice test results to direct their training.

Of course, your plan could account for all of the above and more and still not get you to your goal. In that case, you can be sure that there are other methods out there to help you achieve your GRE score goal. I have seen people use everything from daily reading of dense writing to hypnotherapy to succeed in their quests for GRE mastery. To the question “What can I do now?” there will always be a fresh answer, and every positive preparation move you make will bring you closer to your goal.

Mindset is key for succeeding at anything challenging, and the GRE is no exception. The most important thing to remember is that the GRE is not insurmountable. You can figure out how to get your mind into preparation mode, come up with effective approaches, find time to do the work, and hit your score goal. If your first try doesn’t work, try, try again. You can study, improve, and conquer. You are the captain of this ship. It’s your future, and you have the tools to make it a success.