Lets get it done

What is this?
Salutations to all . Let me introduce myself. I'm Vaibhav Gupta, B.Tech Civil Engineering IIT Delhi, planning to join Manhattan Associates, Bangalore. People of my age generally dislike books and would never want to pursue something which doesn't give them pay right away. So for all those braves, iconoclast students, who wish to take a plunge into the research world, here I'm starting a blog which would, if possible, help them in one of the most dreaded sections of GRE, Analytical Writing Analysis (AWA).

Why do they bother?
Good question under the circumstance when we have been tortured and abused by the never ending GRE wordlist. Well, GRE is not an English test, we have TOEFL for that. What it really tries to measure is your analytical skills and logic. Writing helps to assess the candidate's expression. If you are logical enough, you would provide good content and a neat structure to your essay. Well, writing comes naturally to some and to the less fortunate ones it becomes a burden. However, GRE examiners are not looking for the future Shakespear or Wordsworth, good content and simple language would fetch you more marks as compared to banality adorned with gobbledygooks.

SOS!! Save Our Scores
So what can be done to get that right essay which would give us a terrific score, making us eligible for some of the elite universities. Well, if you are good at writing try to develop your content by doing loads of reading. Try to take notice of examples in your day to day lives which you can use in your essays. Parallel to this try writing an issue daily. Initially it would look troublesome and frustrating. But don't loose heart, it won't take time to catch the nerve. And once you crack the code it would give you confidence and who knows you might also develop an interest for writing, just like me. For those who have never written anything ever, go into hibernation and do extensive reading. Try looking at how articles are written in a newspaper or magazine. They generally have a common structure, like introduction, body supported by examples, and final conclusion. Then give writing a shot. Read a novel and try writting its review. A novel sounds cumbersome, read an article and then write its summary. Just going blank faced in the final exam would be suicidal.

When to start the engine?
It depends on the kind of importance you give to AWA and also your level of friendship with English. If you are aiming at elite universities,which you should, well buckle your seat belts and turn on the ignition a good 2-3 months before your GRE, even for those who consider English as their buddies.

Some external forces?
There are several books but the one which I like is ARCO GRE CAT Answers to the Real Essay Questions. It's a must have as it provides the basic structure of any essay and also some cool fallacies pertaining to arguments. The content of the essays is too perfect to simulate in GRE, and a comparison with yours might make you feel dejected.

What thou art for?
Well, as a philanthropist, I would take the onus of publishing one issue and an argument daily and also some links wherein you can find the contents pertaining to that essay.

Is this prejudicial?
Even if you are not a GRE student, enjoy the articles and post your comments. A healthy discussion is always beneficial in venting one's opinion.