Check out Julio – nothing is getting this dude down! He is so stoic and placid that one might even describe him as phlegmatic.

What jokes, tricks, and images do you use to remember your GRE vocab? Put them in the comments share the fun! You can check out these GRE Vocab Flash Cards to find a word worth knowing for the GRE. And, as always, you’re welcome to join one of our free practice tests to help you get the best GRE score possible.

This summer, Kaplan would like to share with all of you the opportunity to get funding for your favorite local charities through the first-ever free online course on philanthropy, offered by our friends at The Learning By Giving Foundation. The Foundation, started and funded by Warren Buffett’s sister Doris, has offered this course at universities for several years. Now it’s available to the public for free – and at the end of the course, you’ll get to decide how to best give away the foundation’s money!

You can pre-register for the course at http://www.learningbygivingfoundation.org/.

Fast Facts

• There are currently 24 students across all three years of the creative writing program.
• The school has strong poetry and fiction programs.
• During the 2012 school year, all students were fully funded and did not have to pay tuition. Accepted students get positions as teaching assistants, have their tuition and fees waived, and receive a stipend.
• In 2009, the median annual wage for salaried writers and authors in America was $53,900, while the top ten percent earned more than $105,710.
• Upon graduation, most students enter PhD programs, pursue other degrees, or go back to their old employment.
• Once employed, most graduates of the MFA program enter literary professions, academic or otherwise.
• The average GPA and GRE scores for applicants are 3.4 and between 300 and 320, respectively; however, applicants are judged almost solely on their submitted writing sample and statement of purpose.

A Writing Community

There are so few writing students in the program that you almost have no choice but to band together. There are regular workshops where all students read and critique the works of their fellow classmates, and then the majority go out afterwards to relax. There is only competition when it comes to earning fellowships, such as the Ross Fellowship or the Andrews Fellowship.

Putting the Pen Down

Purdue University is one of the largest schools in the country and one of the fabled Big Ten schools. This means that you’ll have access to all student organizations and events, such as The Exponent, an award-winning, student-run newspaper, or the biannual Human Vs. Zombies hunt, which takes place across the entire campus over several days. Purdue University is also host to the annual Grand-Prix race, held during the final months of the school year.

You’ll also have access to several bars that are lined along State Street. Harry’s Chocolate Shop is one of the oldest establishments on campus and was a speakeasy during the prohibition. Across the street you’ll find Brothers, complete with pool tables, huge flat screen TVs, and three separate floors. If you’re a little low on cash on the weekend and are feeling some hunger pangs, head over to Jake’s Roadhouse and grab as many free hot dogs as you want—and a pitcher to wash it all down.

The Climate of the Times

Purdue University is an hour north of Indianapolis in West Lafayette, and that means hot summers and cold winters. The school is prone to sporadic heat waves, which are perfect for runs through the Liberal Arts and Engineering fountains, and inconsistent winters, with the school seeing two snow days three years ago and then having minimal snowfall the next. Of course, the cold doesn’t keep students from Boilering Up and attending games at the famous Ross Ade Stadium on campus or catching a play at the Stewart Center, and there are several bars, like The Black Sparrow or Nine Irish Brothers, that can warm you up in the surrounding towns. Still, you should plan for weather that can be as unpredictable as the plot twists in your future novel.

Services for Writers

While the program doesn’t offer much in the way of career services, it will act as a placement service if you plan on graduating from the program. You can create a dossier at the office that will hold your confidential letters of recommendation and mail them to whatever addresses you need them sent to. You are eligible for this service for three years, at which point you’ll have to transfer to a different service. Many former students recommend using Interfolio once these three years are up.

If you’re looking for a tight-knit creative writing MFA program run by several published faculty members, then the one over at Purdue University might be right for you. Then again, if you’re looking for a large school that always has something going on then this could be the right place for you, too.

By the Numbers

• There are 632 full-time graduate students across six graduate schools.
• The school specializes in humanities, social sciences and education.
• Graduate students pay $922 per credit; total required credits range from 30 to 48 by program.
• Salary and employment vary by industry.
• There is no specific GRE target score, although some Monmouth schools favor a combined score above 300 with a 4 or above in analytical writing.

A Helpful Approach

Graduate study at Monmouth University features a balanced approach that combines classroom learning with research participation and professional meetings. The graduate courses are predominantly held in the evening, so most graduate students are balancing work and school. Both the program requirements and the culture of the school reflect this reality.

Life by the Shore

While the graduate courses may be designed around a working life, don’t think that this will translate into an easy degree. The faculty are all active teacher-scholars, respected in their fields, and there to ensure that students have a mastery of their chosen field upon graduation. The collaboration with professors is often cited as a benefit by graduates, but it also requires that the students continue to strive throughout their time at the school. The small class sizes and focus on achievement through research fosters a collaborative environment, so students generally get along well with each other.

As expected with a school on the Jersey Shore, it’s just a quick hop down Cedar Ave. to get to the beach and the boutique shops that line the ocean roads. Alternatively, it’s an equally quick trip west to get to Rte. 35 and all the comforts of suburban civilization, such as a host of restaurants, big box stores, and the Monmouth Mall.

There’s also fun to be had on campus, as the Office of Student Activities offers year-round events to keep you involved, including Homecoming, The Big Event, the International Festival, and the Family Weekend Casino Night. If you’re looking for something a little more hands-on, the school offers a number of intramural sporting opportunities, run out of the Boylan Gymnasium.

Historic, Beautiful, and Awesome

The Monmouth campus is located in northeastern New Jersey, so the climate is fairly typical for the northeast with warm, wet summers and cold winters. All-season apparel is required, and be prepared for some wet days, as even the “dry” months still average over three inches of rain. Although the campus itself is in a suburban environment, it’s just a short car ride to New York, Philadelphia, or Atlantic City, so urban entertainment and culture is always a quick trip away.

There’s even some history to be had on the grounds, as Woodrow Wilson Hall, also called the Shadow Lawn Mansion, served as the summer White House during the 1916 presidential campaign. For those not interested in the comings and goings of early twentieth century presidents, the building also served as Daddy Warbucks’s mansion in the 1982 film, Annie. Yeah, it’s that sweet.

The Rest of Your Life

Monmouth University offers students access to its Center for Student Services, which offers counseling, workshops, outreach, and publications to help students land their dream job. This isn’t just your average career center, either, as it was awarded one of seven nationwide Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Awards in a competition sponsored by the National Academic Advising Association. It’s consistently praised by graduates in helping them get what they want out of their advanced education.

If you’re just looking for an excuse to relax on the Jersey Shore, there are better ways to spend your time and money; but if you’re looking to get an advanced, rigorous education while still enjoying all the attractions that the Shore can offer in your downtime, a graduate program at Monmouth University may be the perfect fit.

This Vine video helps you remember how to deal with something you probably haven’t done in a while – division of fractions. The easy rhyme will stick with you: “When dividing fractions, and I don’t know why, just invert and multiply!”

Get it going on a repeating Vine loop, and you’ll remember this GRE math rule forever.

Send us your own #GREMath Vine that you use to help with your studying. Check out one of our free practice tests to help you get the best GRE score possible.

Of course, the writers don’t actually give us the probability of either event G or H happening – we’ll need to figure each one out.

Quantity A is the simpler of the two quantities to calculate, so let’s start there. The centered information tells us that the chance of event G not occurring is 0.05. Therefore, the probability that G will occur is 1 – 0.05, which equals 0.95.

To compare this to the value in Quantity B, we’ll need to use the information in the first sentence of the centered information. Remember that to find the probability that two independent events occur, you just need to multiply them together. So in this case, G*H = 0.71. We’ve already figured out that G = 0.95, so we know that 0.95*H = 0.71. Dividing by 0.95 gives us 0.747: This is the probability that event H happens.

Now that we have values for each quantity, we can see that Quantity A is larger – our answer is A. To recap the rules that we needed to apply:

- The chance that an event happens and the chance that it doesn’t happen must add up to 1.

- The probability of two independent events happening is equal to the product of the probability of each event occurring on its own (put more simply, the probability that both G and H occur equals G*H).

If you keep these two principles in mind, you’ll be able to tackle virtually any probability problem that you’ll see on Test Day! For even more help with your studying, sign up for Kaplan’s GRE courses to guarantee higher scores on your GRE exam!

Learning GRE Vocab can be funnier than a circus clown with a Narwhal balloon. We bet you’ll never forget the meaning of the GRE vocab word DISPARATE when you conjure the image of Bozo and John and the different career paths they have chosen!

What jokes, tricks, and images do you use to remember your GRE vocab? Instagram, Vine, or tweet them with the tag #GREVocab and share the fun! You can check out these GRE Vocab Flash Cards to find a word worth knowing for the GRE. And, as always, you’re welcome to join one of our free practice tests to help you get the best GRE score possible.

Our bestselling study system for the GRE consists of the following resources:

• Our study book, consisting of tips and study strategies and hundreds of practice questions
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• All-new 500 question QuizBank®, for customized quiz creation and review of GRE practice questions
• All-new study plans – learn how to make the most of your time – no matter how much or little time you have until Test Day
• 1,800+ practice questions with detailed explanations
• Access to a web reader copy of this book to read online on your computer, tablet or smartphone
• A DVD on stress management, study planning, and the graduate school application process
• Academic support for these resources via our Facebook page, where our expert faculty members will answer your questions
• GRE Strategies and practice tests for all question types
• Diagnostic tool with end-of-chapter practice sets for even more targeted practice

We believe that you’ll learn a lot from using this study system and will be well prepared for the GRE if you keep motivated, and use these resources consistently for 2-3 months before your exam date.

If you have questions, ask us on Facebook.  We’re happy to help you in pursuit of your graduate school goals.

Learning your GRE vocabulary shouldn’t feel like drudgery. There are ways to make it feel like fun and games, and to trick yourself into remembering more GRE vocabulary than you ever thought you could. Create sentences and stories that incorporate your vocabulary words. Use them with friends. Make them fun, memorable, and relevant to your life.

Today’s GRE vocab: Bilk. It means to defraud, cheat, or swindle. Think about in reference to cheating at a game, like cards! The crafty gentleman in our video is perpetrating a fraud and attempting to bilk his fellow card players. He says, “I’m all in,” but his cards really say, “I’m a cheat.”

Send us your own #GREVocab Vine post that you use to help with your studying. Check out these Vocab Flash Cards to find a word worth knowing for the GRE. Or, better yet, check out one of our free practice tests to get the best GRE score possible.

-Seek help: While there is certainly a lot of pride that comes with completing a task on your own, it is rarely the most efficient path, particularly in a new job or class. Save time, decrease frustration, and increase the quality of your work by asking for help when necessary – the connections that you build in doing so will also serve you very well as you progress in your academic and professional careers.

-Weed out distractions: Easier said than done, I know. But ensuring that a certain amount of time each day is free of Facebook, news sites, and anything else that takes your energy away from the job at hand (even if it’s only a ten second distraction each time you cruise news headlines, that time adds up quickly!) Applications such as LetMeWork can help, by temporarily blocking designated websites.

-Set goals: Having concrete goals to work towards allows you to ensure that anything else you do is focused, and will increase productivity. Goals should be achievable – otherwise there’d be no point – but certainly be ambitious, to keep you engaged.

-Reward yourself for motivation: If you’ve implemented all of the above strategies and reaped the rewards of a more productive lifestyle, be sure to reward yourself! Take breaks, splurge, or do whatever recharges you after you accomplish something on your task list. It’s often a combination of many little things that allow you to keep pressing on day after day, so don’t neglect them.

The full Forbes article can be found here – which productivity tips are you most able to adopt as you continue with work or school? Let us know in the comments!