By Nicholas Thiele
Students invest a great deal of money on GRE and GMAT preparation courses, but the BYU math lab has decided to offer an unbeatable deal ? a free course.
The GRE and GMAT are standardized exams required by most graduate schools for general admissions to their programs.
In response to a high demand from students wanting to improve their math scores on these exams, the math lab has decided to give a series of free classes to help students feel more confident with their basic math skills.
Professor Lynn Garner, department chair of mathematics, said the response from students who have previously taken this class has been extremely positive.
?The greatest factor for a successful performance on the math section of the GRE or GMAT isn?t how much math a student has taken previously, but how recently they?ve reviewed it,? Garner said. ?This is an extremely effective way to help students succeed.?
The math lab introduced this program in fall 2003, utilizing old and new GRE and GMAT manuals to ensure that students are being taught what is of most importance for the exams.
The primary focus is for students who need a refresher course in mathematics, but anybody is welcome to join. If students need additional help apart from what the course offers, private tutors will also be available, said Jackie Robertson, math lab supervisor.
Natalie Wilde, assistant TA in the math lab and a major in mathematics and math education, said the goal of the program is to help students benefit from what they have to offer.
?We are simply here as a service to the students,? she said. ?We want students to feel more comfortable with their math skills when they take the test.?
Classes will meet every Tuesday and Thursday in 2015 JKHB, beginning the week of Jan. 24 and will end Feb. 17. Students who want to enroll in the course should contact the math lab prior to the first day of class to receive further instructions.
Camille Anderson, a BYU alumna, took the course last semester and said it definitely improved her score on the GRE.
?Everybody wanting to go on to graduate school needs to know about this course,? Anderson said. ?I loved it, and it was free.?
A graduate student in art history, Shiloh Blair, said she wanted to improve her GRE score to increase her chances of getting into a good doctorate program.
?I haven?t taken a math course since high school, so I definitely needed a good refresher course,? Blair said. ?There?s no way that I could have done it on my own. Not only was it a great course, but it was free.?