SoFi Blog

Taking a standardized test can feel like an anxiety-inducing task that you’d really rather skip, but if you plan on applying for graduate school you might have to buckle down and take the GRE. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are a part of many graduate school applications.

The GRE is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which is responsible for the behind-the-scenes creation and scoring of around 50 million tests in more than 180 countries.

Prepping for the GRE can feel like a daunting task, but breaking it down into steps can make the process of taking the GRE less intimidating. While this information is subject to change, here are some tips about how to take the GRE today.

Finding the right place to live after graduation can be tricky. Do you pick the biggest city with the most diverse job market, or do you find a smaller city with a lower cost of living? Do you prioritize culture and entertainment or community and family? How important are climate and access to outdoor recreation?

While those are questions you’ll have to answer for yourself, the process could be a little easier with some research. You’ll likely want to consider things like employment, cost of living, housing, and overall job growth in the areas you are interested in moving to after graduation.

It’s no secret that today’s generation can have a hard time setting healthy boundaries between their work life and their personal life.

Whether it’s figuring out how to stop checking work emails late at night or how to develop a healthy relationship with work income and spending in the face of student loan debt, navigating the workplace in a sustainable way is often easier said than done.

The constant demands on today’s workers can sometimes make it feel like work doesn’t really have an “off” switch. Thanks to social media and email, it can sometimes start to feel like you’re losing control of your own time and life—working around the clock, even when you’re outside of your physical office.

When it comes to your career development, it pays to take matters into your own hands. If you’re waiting for a manager or mentor to tell you exactly what you need to do in order to grow your skill set or get promoted, you could be waiting forever.

If you are thinking of getting a new job, changing industries, or have bigger ambitions than your current role, your boss may not even be that interested in helping you. No one knows you better than you know yourself.

Career development means more than just taking a class or going to a networking event—it’s thinking two (or more!) steps ahead for where you want to go and grow in your career, and what you need to learn or experience to get there.

Whether focused on your personal or career goals, it’s clear that you’re thinking ahead to the new year. But some will say you can’t move forward successfully without first looking back and understanding where you are today. Goal-setting usually works best in tandem with self-assessment.

To help make this year the year you step up professionally and work toward a more productive, profitable, and fulfilled career, don’t start with resolutions; start with reflection: