For juniors, the SAT will be held on Wednesday, April 13th, at 9:30 am. And although some of us consider ourselves to be prepared, there are still ways that we can max out our chances of doing well.
Take a practice test
Not only is Khan Academy the Holy Grail of math explanations, but they also have an SAT Practice Course rivaling other top prep courses. Although it’s a little late to begin intensive, long-term studying, their full SAT practice test is a great way to familiarize yourself with the style of questions used throughout the exam. It also gives you the opportunity to assess your ability to answer all of the questions within the given time limits. This is especially important for those who find themselves rushing to finish tests in time.
Focus on your weaknesses
As much as it’s fun to aim for a perfect 800 on the subject that you do best in, now is not the time to sharpen those skills. Look at some common examples of SAT-style questions and assess your competency with the different ways the SAT can try to trip you up. I’ve found that most people struggle with systems of equations and addressing unnecessary clauses in the writing section.
Review the easy stuff
It’s important to study what you struggle with but you should make sure that you’ve got the rest covered. Because while you’re taking the test, you don’t want to realize that you can’t remember how to use a hyphen. Although it can be occasionally redundant, making sure that you know what to expect can make a difference of potentially hundreds of points.
Take care of yourself
If you feel awful the day of the test, you’re bound to be distracted. Even though it’s tempting to skip nights of sleep in favor of midnight study sessions, it’s simply not worth it. The morning before your test, go for a walk or a run before school to get your blood flowing. Wear something comfortable, consider opting for glasses as opposed to contacts if that will be more appropriate for reading, and eat something substantive. As much as these tests can make a difference in the college application process, nothing is worth poisoning yourself over. It’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to opt-out of submitting your scores to test-optional colleges, and it’s okay to try again. As long as you give yourself the chance to succeed, you don’t owe anyone a high score. So go review your heart out and trust that everything will turn out as it ought to.
