Tests, exams, and evaluations are valued very seriously, with a hardwired competitive nature always pushing us to the absolute brink. The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is daunting for some people, but a few people manage to pass the test with a score of one hundred per cent.

Student Ashwini Nene has been spoken of much since she was the first one to receive that top grade after revisions had been made to the test format six years ago in 2011. She speaks of how she got to where she is and offers her experience.

Nene admits to being quite a studious pupil in her youth, both her parents being technical bibliophiles. Imbibing the reading habit as influenced by them, she began to find her passion in calculations and science, so choosing the field of computer science to pursue.

Nene advises to keep calm and study, she having followed a schedule that was not too strict or rigid, but still highly organized. She credits her teachers, who helped her streamline her schedule to have enough study time and free time in accordance. She also notes focusing more on learning what needed to be learned, not the number of hours taken to study.

She advises having a clear aim of achievement, as she had going forward into computer science. Although parts of it might be harder for some and easier for others, she advises looking at the test carefully and calmly to time oneself.

Also, since the test can be quite tedious, she recommends taking practice tests for preparation. Nene recommends, for a more fun option, subscribing to websites that offer daily challenges relating to the GRE and the like.

Selecting the right university or college with research evaluation, going through publications, and knowing about the faculty is important.

She recommends learning about their alumni first and foremost, but also crucially, the costs of living, tuition, and the like.

Although Nene is employed as a software engineer in San Francisco currently, her learning experience hasn’t stopped, now attempting to learn the Mandarin Chinese language.

She also looks back on her earlier days and thanks all who have helped her. She finally emphasized choosing careers based on one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and to always practice to achieve what one has been aiming for.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/629048