₦airaland Forum

Miracleadeyeye:
All of this argument because of me, please oo @ monsieurcoder, I made my findings before considering a Msc program in computational linguistics..

Thank you@ kolping I will check right away. God bless you sir

Sighs. Don't mind me. I should not have been arguing with someone whose greatest acheivement is getting an American Visa.

Here is what I am trying to say in essence.

Computational Linguistic is Computer Science discipline not a Linguistic discipline. That does not mean you cannot do it with your linguistic degree. No! I am trying to say moving from Linguistic to Computational science you will be switching fields. Emphasis on switching. At the end of the program you would be a Computer scientist (with specialisation in computational linguistic) This would require to take a lot of solid computer science background courses before you can proceed to computational linguistic as a specialisation. Not a big deal, people switch fields everyday. I am stressing on it because for most people, moving from Linguistic to Computer Science is a huge paradigm shift and they are unable to cope--I know someone who took a similar path but dropped out of the program. This does not mean you can't. Hell No! People do it everyday.

In the formal languages of computer science and linguistics, the Chomsky hierarchy is a containment hierarchy of classes of formal grammars. This hierarchy of grammars was described by Noam Chomsky. Guess what? Noam Chomsky is a linguist and he laid the bedrock for Formal Language which is the foundation of computational linguistic. So yes! You can.

If you want to have an idea of Formal language as it used in Computational linguistic, there is a course online offered by Jeff Ullman, a professor at Stanford, you can find it here https://online.stanford.edu/courses/soe-ycsautomata-automata-theory I seriously suggest you take a look at the course. It would give you a glimpse of what you would be doing and it is free. I think it is also on coursera. Took the class sometime ago, it is really good.

I really hope I am clearer now.

You already got nice tips from @quora and kolping don't let one olodo sombori mislead you...

Olodo that doesn't know that

Computational linguistics (CL) is a discipline between linguistics and computer science

SMH he even keeps contradicting himself before Chomsky laid the bedrock of formal language did he have any CS background?

Olodo rabata

In the formal languages of computer science and linguistics, the Chomsky hierarchy is a containment hierarchy of classes of formal grammars. This hierarchy of grammars was described by Noam Chomsky. Guess what? Noam Chomsky is a linguist and he laid the bedrock for Formal Language which is the foundation of computational linguistic. So yes! You can.

Miracleadeyeye:
All of this argument because of me, please oo @ monsieurcoder, I made my findings before considering a Msc program in computational linguistics..

Thank you@ kolping I will check right away. God bless you sir

We can always agree to disagree. You really don't need insults to buttress your point, folks.

Education is acquired to help you assess contrary arguments and get to a common ground. You do not need to stoop to insults to make your points. Both of you made valid points and there is an intersection to your not so contrary views.

Thank you, I have learned about computational linguistics and I know whom to blame for introducing formal language theory. That course was hard oh. We pass am sha

@Miracleadeyeye - You're welcome. If you play your cards right, you might end up working for Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, etc after your MSc/PhD.
Let us know how it goes. All the best!

Miracleadeyeye:
All of this argument because of me, please oo @ monsieurcoder, I made my findings before considering a Msc program in computational linguistics..

Thank you@ kolping I will check right away. God bless you sir

learner007:
You may find this link helpful

http://stemdegreelist.com/

Hi 007, How were you able to secure admission at Cleveland without a GRE last year? Cos they cherish that stuff like kilode.

Demonicide:
Hi 007, How were you able to secure admission at Cleveland without a GRE last year? Cos they cherish that stuff like kilode.

As at last year, MS Mathematics program at Cleveland State University did not require GRE, no TOEFL and no SOP, just your official transcripts. I don't know about now sha o. I saw it as an easy option then so I quickly jumped at it after my Canadian rejections. Check their website for current requirements.

learner007:
As at last year, MS Mathematics program at Cleveland State University did not require GRE, no TOEFL and no SOP, just your official transcripts. I don't know about now sha o. I saw it as an easy option then so I quickly jumped at it after my Canadian rejections. Check their website for current requirements.

GRE is now imperative now.. But was the admission and i20 very Swift then?

Demonicide:
GRE is now imperative now.. But was the admission and i20 very Swift then?

It took 4 days to prepare it and get it ready and dey sent via regular mail (4wks) for free

learner007:
It took 4 days to prepare it and get it ready and dey sent via regular mail (4wks) for free

I learnt one will need to upload copy of statement account before the preparation of the i20. How true is this? But yours took a longer time before it got to Nigeria, kilode?

Demonicide:
I learnt one will need to upload copy of statement account before the preparation of the i20. How true is this? But yours took a longer time before it got to Nigeria, kilode?

I think I want to stop talking about it at this point...but finally, every I-20 requires proof of funds before they can be issued, except in full scholarship cases. Even UIUC requested a balance of $1,700 medical insurance part fees before my I-20 was issued.

learner007:
I think I want to stop talking about it at this point...but finally, every I-20 requires proof of funds before they can be issued, except in full scholarship cases. Even UIUC requested a balance of $1,700 medical insurance part fees before my I-20 was issued.

Alright, thanks for your time. ��

Hello NL,

I'm new here, I intend writing GRE, then apply to Canada or USA graduate school and get FUNDING too. In all sincerity, I no wan come back after studies

My question is, which of the two countries will be easier in terms of allow someone staying back to work after studies. Thanks

Please, are this information on the beginning of this thread still valid as it's dated 2014.

Just want to be sure if I cam count of it for self studying.

PLS help a brother

DanjaNinja:
My GRE Experience: Lessons Learnt - J.

General Tips
#Tip 1: Don’t rely on any one single book.

Each book has its strength and weakness. Combine them all for maximum impact.

#Tip 2: What books do I need?

1. Grubber 2015
2. Barron’s GRE
3. Nova GRE Math Bible
4. Kaplan
5. Princeton Review

#Tip 3: How can I get these books?

[b][color=#990000]UPDATE : January 2017:
As of this moment, the GRE materials have been deleted from both accounts by google due to Copyright violations. Nonetheless, these materials are widely available through a simple google search.

[/color][/b]
If you can afford physical copies of these books – Sweet, go head and buy them all. But If you can’t afford any or you’re a ijebu madam like the lovely,intelligent MsNas or like myself, simply send a blank mail to selfstudy360@gmail.com or selfstudy.version2@gmail.com for soft copies (Pdf’s). #MoneyMustNotWaste

(a) selfstudy360@gmail.com contains:

• Barron's New GRE 19th Edition
• Cracking the GRE 2013
• Gruber's Complete GRE Guide 2012

While

(b) Selfstudy.version2@gmail.com (New*) contains:

• Gruber's Complete GRE Guide (2015)
• Mahanttan Prep - 5* lb. Book of GRE® Practice Problems (2013)
• Nova’s GRE Math Bible (2008)

#Tip 4: When should I take the GRE?

Take the exam at least 4 months before you plan to send your admission applications. That way, if you don’t meet your targeted score (not your portion…Oya say Amen!), you would still have enough time to retake the exam without duress. For example, if the deadline for admission application is September 15th, the ideal time for taking the GRE should be by May. The reason for this is simple: If you don’t meet ur target score, you can retake the GRE by June thereby providing ample time for sending your application. This is not a rule but a suggestion.


#Tip 5: How much time would it take to prepare for the GRE?

Minimum: 2months @ 4-5hours per day.
Note: The number of hours do not really matter, it’s the amount of problem solving skills learnt per unit time that counts. Some people learn quickly while for others, it might take longer to read and understand new concepts. So remember, 4-5hours are just recommendations, whether u spend more or less time – ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how much u learn and how fast you can correctly answer questions. If it takes u 4-5hours per day to achieve this goal, so be it. If it takes u less time, so be it. If it takes you more time, so be it. No one cares. Ultimately it’s your scores that matters.

#Tip 6: Can I prepare within a month?

Yes u can, but it’s not advisable. You need time to internalize and completely memorizes the GRE strategies.

And lastly,

#Tip 7: Don’t be deceived by your score on POWERPREP II.

You took the sample test on PowerPrep II, you had an average of 160-165, you feel good and cant wait to take the actual test. Truth is Powerprep II does not compare to the actual test. On a scale of one to ten, one being very easy and ten being very difficult, Powerprep is a 4.5 and the actual test is an 8.5. #OkBye

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for: My GRE Experience.

This is a summary of lesson learnt from my personal experience, please feel free to add your insights and contributions. Sharing is caring.

You probably know this already but just to refresh your memory - The GRE is made up of three parts: Analytical writing, Verbal and Quantitative.
1. Analytical Writing
2. Verbal
3. Quantitative

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCORES.

FOR ANALYTICAL WRITING:

Books and Resources needed for Analytical Writing:
Official GRE Topic List (30%) + Kaplan (60%) + Barron (10%).

(a) Official GRE Topic List: GRE maintains a list of every possible topic that you will find on the actual test date!!!!!! It’s totally legal and you can find the list here:
Pool of Argument Topics: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool

Pool of Issue Topics: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool

The list is quite exhaustive: 200 issue task topics and 200 argument task topics. Once you have the list, group the topics into categories and proceed to (b). I believe if u know the possible questions, your chances of success should be up 30%.

(b) Get a copy of Kaplan’s New GRE Premiere and head to the Analytical Writing Section. Read, digest and understand the essay development template for both the issue task and the argument task as discussed on chapter 15 – Chapter 21 (New GRE Premiere - Kaplan 2011-2012 edition. Newer editions should be better). Don’t bother reading anything else on Kaplan, the rest of the book is useless. With the Kaplan template, you can begin to draw up possible responses to each topic category from the GRE topic list that you obtained from the GRE website. That way, on the test day, coming up with responses won’t be all that difficult because you’ve seen it all – abi how una see am?

(c) Get a copy of Barron: While this may not be compulsory, it will help you in paragraph development. Read and understand the “Claim, Grounds and Warrants” development on chapter 6 (Barron’s New GRE 19th Edition).

The last and most important step is to PRACTISE, PRACTISE AND PRACTISE. Practice using the available topics from the GRE list in a timed mode – your practice should mimic the real test. For the GRE, its 30minutes per writing task but for you, its 22 minutes. Why? It’s always better to practice with less time – It makes you stronger.

Practice with POWERPREP writing platform or Notepad to get a feel of the nature of the typing platform. Don’t practice with Microsoft Word.

One Again, PRACTISE AND PRACTISE. It’s ultra-important you do so. You can only write well by constant practice.

My Experience: I didn’t practice enough. Truth be told I practiced only once and the end result was abysmal. I could only manage one sensible paragraph for the issue task – Big Poo. The way time flies when ur messing up is simply amazing. The argument task was much better, I wrote 4 sensible paragraphs –all within 23 minutes.
Score: Surprisingly,I scored a 3 on the writing section. since the total score is the average of both scores, I assume I made a 5 on argument and a 1 on issue…lol..just my opinion.

Generally, Argument tasks are easier than issue tasks – for Argument tasks, an essay or issue with faulty premises is given; your job is to identify and logically explain them while for the Issue writing Task, you have to develop your own argument from scratch. Finding faults is easy (argument task), writing from scratch is less easy (issue essay). But for you reading this right now, a minimum of 4.5/6 should be perfectly achievable. Why? Cos you know every possible topic, you have pre-planned responses and your “hand dey hot” due to constant writing practice.

One last tip: As soon as you are done with a particular section, whether you performed well or not, it’s best to completely ignore that section, it belongs to the past - it doesn’t matter anymore. Whether you did well or not, does not matter and if you believe you didn’t perform well, it still doesn’t matter. Focus completely on the next section – You have seven (7) more sections to deal with and you need a focused, optimistic mindset to proceed successfully. There’s no use crying over spilt milk. [/b]

FOR QUANTITATIVE

Books You Need for Quantitative:

Grubber (25%) + Barron’s (25%) + Nova GRE Math Bible (25%) + Mahanttan (25%).

Do you have to read them all from cover to cover? Not really. Each book has its strength and weakness’s. You want to be prepared for every possibility. Better you write the GRE once than write it twice. Think of the cash - $200. Think of the time spent on preparation – weeks, even months and finally, think of your Goals. So grab does books and study like mad. The end justify the means.

Lesson 1: Study each question category and solve the most difficult questions you can find on that category to re-enforce your understanding of that category.

For example, if you had prepared with Grubber like I did, you will find the data interpretation, graphical and statistical questions difficult. Why? Grubber does not really delve into these sections. Barron in addition with Manhattan and Nova does a better job. So read and understand the underlying principles and skim all books for difficult questions on all topics.
Likewise, if u ignore Grubber’s Data Comparison and algebra strategies, you might not do so well. But then, there are notable exceptions. Individuals with an engineering, mathematical and statistical background would generally do better in the Quantitative section – they’ve been doing these problems for years. Also those with an aptitude for numbers would better. Does that mean those with little mathematically backgrounds would end up with low scores? – Nope. Just read up and practice, you might end up doing better than the so called Math wizards.

The GRE Quantitative consists of two sections made up of 25 questions each. Each section runs for 40minutes – that’s an average of 96 seconds per question – which leads to lesson 2.

Lesson 2: When studying and solving quantitative questions, set a time limit of 50 seconds per question and stick to it. Like previously stated, practicing with less time makes you stronger and faster.

Lesson 3: Solve lots of Quanttitative questions.

Manhanttan and Nova Math Bible offer a huge collection of quality quantitative questions. Solve as much questions as you can on both books. Luckily, if you don’t know the answers, solutions and explanations are provided in both books.

My Experience: I studied solely with grubber. Algebra and data comparison were a walk in the park but “I hear “ween” for Data interpretation/Statistics, Combinations and Graphs. On the actual test, I saw 6 hefty graphical and data interpretation problems and some others I can’t recall @ the moment. Were they super hard? – Not really but “them hard small o”. To answer them, you need to understand the question (30secs), solve for solutions (30-40secs) and compare possible answers (10secs). If u get it wrong, u start all over again. But as you start over, remember Time dey go ooooo!
That’s why you need Lesson 4.


Lesson 4:Someone on this thread advised - if you find any question difficult, simply mark that question and move on to others.. You may return to that question later. Don’t waste time trying to solve one question for over 1 minute, skip and return later. This is so true!.

FOR VERBAL

Books you need: Grubber (90%) + Barron (10%).

Honestly, You can actually survive by using only grubber. The verbal section seems like the easiest section on the GRE but don’t be complacent o! This section is pretty tricky. I remember one particular essay with about seven (7) paragraphs. It was so dense that you could barely understand the content of a single paragraph; It also felt like it was written in another language. It was that difficult.

Also,the verbal section is made up of several subsections all mixed into one. You will find sentence completion (synonyms and antonyms) and essay comprehension all packed into one.
My Experience: I scored a 157/170 – Not bad @ all given that Grubber was the sole book I used. I won’t lie, am an avid reader – I guess that helped. However, if you study the Grubber Verbal Strategies: Latin and Greek Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes; the Most Important/Frequently Used GRE Words and Reading Comprehension Strategies – You should have no problem with the Verbal section. Grubber does an excellent job by building ur vocabulary, teaching new words and providing some interesting strategies for essay comprehension.
There are other books like Princeton Review but since I didn’t use it, I can’t say much about it. This is where external input is advisable. Those who used Princeton, oya speak up.

Final Advice:
Unlike Jamb (wicked people) that provides a single opportunity to write the exam per year, the GRE gives you 5 chances per year to write the exam (better people). But because you can doesn’t mean you should. Prepare well and write it once. A score of 160 per section is totally achievable. Just read and solve a huge collection of difficult questions in a timed mode.

Oya it haff do, una bye bye, I don try.


UPDATE 1: If you had to choose one Book for Quantitative Analysis, Barron's should be it. That Book is the truth. The best GRE Quantitative prep book ever.

UPDATE 2: Added Kaplan New GRE to "selfstudy.version2@gmail.com". If you want a copy of the Kaplan GRE book, send a blank mail to selfstudy.version2@gmail.com" .

DOWNLOAD GRE BOOKS AND STUDY GUIDE HERE

learner007:
As at last year, MS Mathematics program at Cleveland State University did not require GRE, no TOEFL and no SOP, just your official transcripts. I don't know about now sha o. I saw it as an easy option then so I quickly jumped at it after my Canadian rejections. Check their website for current requirements.

please does msc in history at cleveland state uni require gre for funding? also, will it be more beneficial to evaluate my transcript by WES and what will 4.49 be according to WES ?

chaiks:
please does msc in history at cleveland state uni require gre for funding? also, will it be more beneficial to evaluate my transcript by WES and what will 4.49 be according to WES ?

This will help you : http://catalog.csuohio.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=24&poid=5368&returnto=1853

I have never done WES evaluation, I no like am from time and I deliberately avoided schools that required it

Candidates Who Involve In Exam Malpractice Will Be Prosecuted – NABTEB Registrar [url][/url]https://nnb.ng/blog/candidates-who-involve-in-exam-malpractice-will-be-prosecuted-nabteb-registrar/

wow. thank you. why you no come like am nah?

learner007:
This will help you : http://catalog.csuohio.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=24&poid=5368&returnto=1853

I have never done WES evaluation, I no like am from time and I deliberately avoided schools that required it

Good day house,

I've been following this thread for sometime now as a guest where I was able to read from the first page to the point where I am now posting for the first time. I read so many success stories that serve as great motivation. The tireless help being rendered here by all is top notch and I must commend all members for that.

I equally discovered that after some person received help from this group and subsequently got an offer in US, they just deleted their NL account. Really bad I must say..

Anyway, I plan on writing this exam soon. However, I will like to go for a direct Phd programme and I really need help with schools who can offer full funding.

Here is my profile ;
Undergraduate: B.Eng. Mechanical
CGPA: 4.57/5. I don't know what that would be on the WES scale, maybe 3.6/4 dunno
Experience: Graduate Research Assistant 1yr., Automotive/ energy establishment 7months
PhD Focus: Mechanical Eng. (Sustainable/Renewable Energy/Climate Adaptation, Energy/Power, Material Science)
Schools Projected: I'm looking at UT, Boston University, Purdue and University of Minnesota

I kindly need advice and suggestions from all the pillars of this thread. Cheers!!!

Wow!
You have an awesome CGPA (it will be around 3.7 - 3.75 WES conversion) coupled with one year experience as a research assistant and relevant experience too. With a good GRE and TOEFL scores, right choice of schools, you will surely get a full funded PhD offer.

I will advise you to give GRE your best, the exam is a bit tricky but with consistent practice you'd get a competitive score.

Check petersons.com to select list of schools, Gradcafe to see profiles of student admitted to programs you intend to apply to. I particularly don't like giving applicants list of schools. Also, use Quora, Linkedln the importance of networking(contacting graduate students in the prospective lab/program you intend applying to) can not be overemphasised.

I would advise you to register for membership of Education USA, due to your class of degree membership form will be free. Also, apply for opportunity funding program. Visit this link; https://ng.usembassy.gov/education-culture/exchange-programs/opportunity-fund/


P.S: I deleted my previous account because my moniker was my real name, you may have read my story. I am Mechanical Engineering major too, I will be pursuing PhD (direct PhD) in mechanical engineering this fall.

Success bro!

Kingzd:
..

Anyway, I plan on writing this exam soon. However, I will like to go for a direct Phd programme and I really need help with schools who can offer full funding.

Here is my profile ;
Undergraduate: B.Eng. Mechanical
CGPA: 4.57/5. I don't know what that would be on the WES scale, maybe 3.6/4 dunno
Experience: Graduate Research Assistant 1yr., Automotive/ energy establishment 7months
PhD Focus: Mechanical Eng. (Sustainable/Renewable Energy/Climate Adaptation, Energy/Power, Material Science)
Schools Projected: I'm looking at UT, Boston University, Purdue and University of Minnesota

I kindly need advice and suggestions from all the pillars of this thread. Cheers!!!

Hello guys please where can I register TOEFL for 45K

Fan01:
Wow!
You have an awesome CGPA (it will be around 3.7 - 3.75 WES conversion) coupled with one year experience as a research assistant and relevant experience too. With a good GRE and TOEFL scores, right choice of schools, you will surely get a full funded PhD offer.

I will advise you to give GRE your best, the exam is a bit tricky but with consistent practice you'd get a competitive score.

Check petersons.com to select list of schools, Gradcafe to see profiles of student admitted to programs you intend to apply to. I particularly don't like giving applicants list of schools. Also, use Quora, Linkedln the importance of networking(contacting graduate students in the prospective lab/program you intend applying to) can not be overemphasised.

I would advise you to register for membership of Education USA, due to your class of degree membership form will be free. Also, apply for opportunity funding program. Visit this link; https://ng.usembassy.gov/education-culture/exchange-programs/opportunity-fund/


P.S: I deleted my previous account because my moniker was my real name, you may have read my story. I am Mechanical Engineering major too, I will be pursuing PhD (direct PhD) in mechanical engineering this fall.

Success bro!

Duly appreciated sir, I am grateful for your response and I would do just that. Thanks once again, I wish you the best with your studies.

lolokike:
Hello guys please where can I register TOEFL for 45K

ponpon or lincoff

Good morning sir/ma'am, I am Dada Oluwafemi, a student of Kwara State University and a member of international association of engineers(IAENG). I love research and am passionate about developing people, I mean students, I have a desire to help students do well in school (university students).

I started an online class just some weeks ago, and it being going on smoothly, but I know that I cannot achieve this on my own so I need volunteers that have same burning desire to help.

Please chat me on whatsapp(08088958424) if you are interested. Thanks

please how can i contact them....... @ponpon can you kindly holla lolokike2@gmail.com

nelem:
ponpon or lincoff

tonidgreat:
Please, are this information on the beginning of this thread still valid as it's dated 2014.

Just want to be sure if I cam count of it for self studying.

PLS help a brother

There are better strategies and materials. Check my posts for the Google drive Link

wow. good evening everyone. I was really surprised and impressed to find a thread like this on nairaland. I am about to preparing for GRE. studied banking and finance. cgpa 4.59. aiming at full funding for a PhD finance program in the USA. please are there any universities you can recommend? Any advice will be appreciated too. thanks

roland2rule:
I will appreciate it bro if you can help my career by sending the materials to me at prowess2rule@gmail.com
God bless you

please send to ijofy27@gmail.com

.

hello bethren, pls i need magoosh video
this is my email address yusufflolade335@gmail.com
thanks

graciousify:
wow. good evening everyone. I was really surprised and impressed to find a thread like this on nairaland. I am about to preparing for GRE. studied banking and finance. cgpa 4.59. aiming at full funding for a PhD finance program in the USA. please are there any universities you can recommend? Any advice will be appreciated too. thanks

please any advise for me?

graciousify:
please any advise for me?

try checking this first
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges