The GED is more than just a piece of paper on the way toward something else, though. In studying for the GED, it’s important to think of the GED as a stepping stone to college and to a better life. GED students can learn important skills that will help them in college or in the workplace, and by learning these skills, instead of just focusing on the GED test itself, studiers can earn their GED easier as well as prepare for what’s beyond.

To make the most of your GED experience, while you’re working on your GED, you should work on:

1) good study habits… things like making a study schedule and study space, and figuring out how best to spend your study time.

2) learning to be responsible for your own learning–to own what you know and judge what you’ve learned and what you haven’t.

3) thinking about how you learn best and learning study techniques.

4) developing reading, writing, math, and thinking skills… Learning basic skills is the essence of studying for the GED because these are the skills that the GED tests. Realizing that they’re essential skills for college and the workplace puts them in a new perspective.

The GED Academy focuses on teaching these skills in addition to just knowledge that’s on the GED, because they’re skills you need, but it’s not just about being “taught.” It’s about actively learning.

No matter how much GED preparation you get, college can be a tough transition. That’s why the GED Academy recommends community or junior colleges as a transitional step between the GED and 4-year colleges for most students. Community and junior colleges have a lot of support and extra classes for students who have been out of school for a while, and you can get your feet wet at the college level. Community colleges generally accept local residents who have a GED or high school diploma. Once you have community college grades, they will be what a 4-year transfer college looks at. However, if you wanted to go directly to a four-year college, you might need higher GED scores and have to meet other requirements, like SAT or ACT score requirements. The requirements are different at different colleges.

On the positive end, in a lot of ways, college isn’t like high school. Your teachers know you’re adults. And you and your classmates are there because you want to be. You’re working toward a career and a future that YOU envision for yourself. You’ve got more responsibility, and more control over your own curriculum. These factors can make college a very positive experience, once you make a commitment to succeed.

Becky Atwood, coordinator of adult education and literacy for the Cape Girardeau School District in Missouri, faced a waiting list of more than 100 potential students last year. Though the waiting list cleared, now it is back to 80. A waiting list can be discouraging for students looking to earn a GED, and reaching each individual student is a problem. The school district has started using orientations to prepare students for GED preparation and to ask for a commitment from learners. The focus is on finding the students willing to stick with the program, who will get the most benefit from it.

When the economy slows down, demand for GED programs and job preparation increases, but at the same time, funding for these programs often remains tight, or gets even tighter because of budget cuts. When The GED Academy was first formed, it recognized that there is a greater need for GED preparation than the current adult education infrastructure can handle. Technology provides one option for both adult education programs and individual learners to expand GED preparation. The GED Academy Prep Program is an online study-at-home program that offers individualized help for students at different learning levels. Software programs like the GED Academy Prep Program can be used by individuals or implemented by adult education programs to expand their capacity.

Adult learners often find it difficult to make the commitment to go to GED classes and get a diploma. Waiting lists, problems with money, problems with transportation and child care, or simply fear and lack of self-confidence can stand in the way. The more programs are available, and the more flexible they are to fit with adult learners’ lifestyles and learning needs, the more people will be able to earn a GED, raising the overall level of education in the U.S.

To learn more about The GED Academy Prep Program, visit: http://www.passGED.com

Read more about the Cape Girardeau School District adult education program here: http://www.semissourian.com/story/1589190.html

Education has become a critical issue in America. 39 million Americans lack the most basic educational achievement: a high school diploma. What skills do these Americans need in order to earn their GED and move ahead in today’s economy?

The GED Academy guides hundreds of test-takers through the GED program. “We see the same stories over and over,” President Michael Ormsby says, “The first questions everyone asks are: What can I expect? What will the GED test be like? What do I need to know for the GED?”

The GED is a sophisticated test that measures the most important skills that people should learn in high school. The test is divided into five sections: mathematics, social studies, science, reading, and writing. Most of the sections are in a multiple choice format, and the writing section includes a timed essay. The questions are formulated to test essential real-life skills: problem solving, critical thinking, evaluation, information processing, and making inferences. “The GED,” Ormsby states, “is a thinking test. I call it a thinking marathon because the GED takes eight hours of almost non-stop thinking.”

The analogy is not a bad one. A person who planned to run a marathon would need to train his or her body, and in much the same way, GED test-takers need to train their minds to think in specific ways. Training for a marathon takes time, and runners spend time building up their muscles and lungs every day. In much the same way, Ormsby recommends that GED test-takers should set aside some time each day to practice. The amount of time adult learners spend in test preparation depends on their current level of learning. “GED test preparation is for a specific purpose. You’re learning a well-defined set of skills,” says Ormsby. “Not facts and figures, but skills, like how to think through a problem to come to the right conclusion. It may take a few weeks or a couple of months, but with the right preparation, adult learners are amazingly successful [at the GED].”

Just like running a marathon requires specific strategies to go all the way, passing the GED also requires strategies for pacing yourself and test-taking skills as well as specific thinking skills. The emphasis of the GED is on measuring test-takers’ ability to reason, observe, and think clearly…skills that Ormsby insists adults can learn using the right tools.

The benefits of the GED are difficult to deny. GED graduates can qualify for better jobs and higher education. With a GED, an adult will on average earn $350,000 more throughout a lifelong career. Adults who go on to higher education earn even more. Ormsby credits this, in part, to the real-life skills that students learn to pass the GED. “It’s more than just a paper,” he says. “The GED represents essential knowledge and understanding.”

For more information about GED online study programs, visit: www.passged.com

Additional GED Test Information:

http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Professionals&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=58&ContentID=24092

http://www.dtae.org/adultlit/Perspectives9/testtips.html

http://adulted.about.com/cs/ged/a/GED2002.htm

http://www.testpedition.com/GED/

By Leonard Williams

Getting ready for the GED test can be overwhelming. For adult learners enrolled in a GED class, it’s often difficult to find the time or motivation to study outside the classroom, engage in the classroom experience or to measure the effectiveness of study sessions. And for adult learners who manage their own study program, test prep may seem even harder.

Planning, perseverance and motivation are the keys to effective, successful GED test preparation, the most important thing a test candidate can do to pass the GED test. Using these keys will reduce challenges and ensure that test prep is worthwhile.

Explore the GED test areas.
The official GED test is a set of five tests, which measures knowledge of math, science, social studies, reading and writing. Determine which test area you’ll probably score best in, and study that area first. Successful and enjoyable experiences with your GED preparation early will help motivate you and ready your brain for more difficult material later.

Measure test readiness.
Use official GED practice tests as part of your test preparation and as a study guide to help you determine skill strengths and weaknesses. Test scores on practice tests will indicate the skill areas where you’ll need the least and most work, and will help you outline a study plan.

Official practice tests also serve another purpose. They’ll give you familiarity with the test structure and timing. Understanding the way the test asks you to apply knowledge, and how the test is paced is a good way to improve your score.

Develop a study plan.
Study guides and study plans are available, but it’s important to adapt these models to your own needs. A study plan that you develop yourself or center around yourself will go a long way toward helping you reach your goal. Develop a realistic plan that’s established according to your needs and schedule, and complements the way you learn. This allows you to stick to your study plan and learn at your own pace, which contributes to the learning process.

A good study plan will include frequent short study sessions of 30 minutes to an hour, along with periodic longer sessions – two to four hours — to help prepare you for the marathon 7.5-hour official GED test. Be sure to include your weekly study objectives and measure them. Then you’ll clearly see what you’ve accomplished and it will motivate you further. The key is consistency.

Enhance learning with test prep materials.
If you’re an adult learner enrolled in a GED class, your GED program probably includes test prep materials. If needed, you can supplement these with additional materials that may be better designed for the way you learn. Libraries often have GED test prep materials for loan, and local bookstores should also have a range of offerings. Materials, study guides, practice tests and interactive courseware are also available online. Shop wisely though; be sure that study materials are authentic and will enhance your GED study program.

What motivates you?
There are many reasons adult learners work on their GED. For some, it’s a higher-paying job, a new career or the stepping-stone to educational opportunities. For others, it’s simply completing an educational milestone or being a role model for their own children. Regardless of your reason, it’s reason enough to motivate you. You’ll want to clearly identify your motive and visualize the benefits of achievement.

Motivation is essentially based on a single premise: how bad you want something. If you really want it to happen, it will. If you really want to pass the GED, you will. It’s that simple; it’s the cornerstone of your GED program, whether you opt for a classroom experience, an online program or create a self-guided study course.

So, when preparing for the GED, prepare through small, well-planned steps. Accomplish each step; build upon them. Then use these accomplishments as additional benefits and motivators to move you closer to the final achievement — the GED.

More Resources
For additional GED study tips, test information and free resources on the GED test, including financial aid and student support, visit passGED.com. The website also provides links to federal agencies and nonprofits that serve GED students, instructors and workforce development programs. For a list of official GED testing sites and administrative contacts, visit Test Sites.

©2006 Essential Education Corporation. / www.passGED.com
Want to reprint this article? It’s easy, and in most cases, it’s free. See Articles, Content and Image Use Guidelines.