"How I got my G.E.D."

I got my G.E.D. when I was 21-years-old in a county jail.  They offered you the opportunity to take the test there if you had not already got your G.E.D. or high school diploma and had classes to help you study and prepare for the test.  These classes were an hour and a half long and were 5 times a week, Mon-Fri.  I went to about 80% of the classes, which lasted for about two months and were immediately followed by the test.  The classes normally had 8-12 students and one teacher.

The main reason I decided to get my G.E.D. is because I would need to have it to get into college.  I did not have to study hard to pass it.  The main things were touching up on my basic math skills and algebra and learning the structure of a “five-paragraph essay”.  It really did not take much effort to relearn these things and I feel that anyone who has completed a year or two of high school would be able to pass the test.  The information just needs to be fresh in your head.  I had not been to school in 4 years and did not need to study much at all.  The reason for my going to so many classes was to get out of the cell, and I enjoyed helping other people study and getting into ridiculous debates with the teacher.

To study for the test I would go through a set of questions that are typically found on the test.  After completing this “mock test” I would be able to see which kinds of questions I have problems with.  For example: after taking the “practice” or “mock” test I might realize I have problems with using “Pythagoras’s equation” to find the length of a triangle or how to find the percent of a number.  I would then focus on those kinds of problems.   In my case, I would ask the teacher to explain it, but you don’t need to have a teacher or be in a class to learn this stuff.  You could look the problem u online and find a good website that explains how to do it.  You could find a book on the subject, or ask a friend.  After going over the stuff you had difficulty with until you understand how it works, take another practice test to see how you do.  

The G.E.D. is broken down into 5 different sections, so you only need to focus on one at a time.  The five sections are: math, science, social studies, reading and writing.  For me, I only had to focus on two of those.  If you are comfortable with a section the first time you take it, you can put it out of your mind.  The main thing is making sure it’s all fresh in your mind when you go to take the test.  Review anything you had difficulty with the night before.  

When I took the test it was over the course of two mornings.  When you take the test you take each of the five sections one at a time.  For each section you are given a certain amount of time to complete it.  I don’t remember exactly how much time was given, but I had enough time to carefully go through each problem and go back and review all my answers when I was done and still have time to waste after.  If you can comfortably get through the practice tests you should not have to worry about time being an issue.  You have to wait for the time for that section to run out before you can go on to the next section.  If you get caught up on a problem, skip it and go back to it once you have finished everything else in that section.  Don’t worry about getting a few wrong; that’s fine and you will still pass.  When you get to the writing section and have to write an essay, don’t worry about being creative or very informative.  Just answer whatever questions the essay asks for and show them you understand how to write a “5-paragraph essay”.  If you don’t have much (or anything) to write on the subject, or have no interest in the subject, just write the way someone else would who does care.  Make things up.  Keep it short and to the point.  The people grading these essays have to read so many of them and it doesn’t matter what you write as long as it makes sense, answers the question, and shows you know how to write an essay.  

 Did you get your G.E.D.?  Please tell us your story!