Studying for college entrance exams has come a long way in the past several years. Online programs that offer students a way to cover large amounts of material have become increasingly popular, however, there is a flaw in most of these systems. They are great for material a student is already familiar with and comfortable repeating, but most do not address how to teach a student material in a way that is easy to understand, fun, yet comprehensive enough to help a student succeed on these vital tests.
Grockit uses a truly innovative method- it combines social networking with learning to allow students to learn in a manner that is natural and still fun. Students are not motivated to take endless “preparatory exams” or study dry material, and they are unlikely to retain the information because it is not interesting to them and is not presented in a way that facilitates learning. Grockit changes that by using peer-to-peer education to help students learn and retain new information that will help them succeed on their college exams. Grockit offers preparation for the GMAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, and LSAT exams.
Basically, students still use proven methods to learn material, reduce test anxiety, and prepare a student to understand test structure and format. Students take practice exams along with other students working on the same material and are able to interact with those other students to better comprehend the material. In other words, it is a study group that you can attend anytime, anywhere.
The program begins by assessing a student’s current academic level, and then creating tests that target specific areas where a student needs help. For example, a student who is already proficient at the language portion of the exam but who has difficulty with math will receive additional assistance with math portion. This targeted studying helps students to quickly learn the material that they need while keeping current on other skills. Grockit then helps students find online networks of other students who are studying the same material, so if they have questions, there is an immediate network of other learners to help. Grockit also provides a number of instructors who can help with unanswered questions or more difficult material. Learning turns into an engaging game as students complete tests and earn points for accomplishments, which helps keeps students interested in learning. Repetition builds knowledge, and Grockit aims to keep students returning to the site to build on the skills they have achieved through focused repetition.
As a student entering a graduate program, I have used a number of online programs as well as different books and study guides to try and prepare for my GRE exam. Despite my determination to succeed on the test, I found myself quickly becoming discouraged by the monotony of simply taking tests repeatedly, and I wasn’t really improving because the material that I struggled with remained the same. When I ran across Grockit, I wasn’t sure if it would be able to help me. What I found out was that I started to look forward to study sessions because I wasn’t working by myself, and I was able to learn material by asking specific questions to other students who were able to present material in a new way. Overall, I found that Grockit’s innovative approach made it easier for me to learn, and more importantly, it kept me motivated.