SAT Prep Tips

OK, for those taking the SAT on Saturday (December 6), or just ever, here are some tips for preparing.

The Week Before:

(1) Sleeping. Start your sleeping schedule a week in advance (for the December 6 takers, that would be NOW). For example, I'm getting up at 6 to take it (imagine...6 AM on a Saturday...now I KNOW the world's coming to an end). Over the next week, I'm going to go to bed earlier and get up earlier so that I'm fresh and used to the schedule by Saturday. My dad has a saying (he didn't coin it, but he says it a lot): "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." Well, I'm sure we'll all be a lot healthier if we get into the school of our choice and wealthier if we get scholarships by wising up for the SAT.

(2) Review the books. If you have any SAT books or if your library has them, then review them. If you have a difficult time with Geometry, then review the Geometry section of your prep book. I recommend Princeton Review, because I've found them to be of great assistance.

(3) Stay healthy. If there's a bug or cold going around your home or school, then try to stay healthy. Be sure to take extra measures to wash your hands on a regular basis. Garlic is a natural anti-biotic, so be sure to eat some in your salad, on your pasta, or in a sauce, if you like garlic. Fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C, so do the whole "apple a day" thing.

(4) Chill out. Worrying isn't going to get you anywhere, so just don't worry about it. On Friday, don't do anything more than you have to. Studying can wait til later. This is an expensive and important test. You don't want to blow it over being stressed out. If you needed to study for a test for school or homework or whatever...don't do it on Friday, wait until Saturday night or something, because you just need to relax for Saturday morning.

(5) Be prepared. Buy some snacks to eat and be sure to bring a calculator that you are familiar with using. It can be a huge time saver for the little things in math.

The Day Of:

(1) Getting up. When you get up, do something that really wakes you up. I've heard that green apples help wake people up (and by that I mean eating them, not having them thrown at you!). Take a cold shower (although that might not be smart during December), eat a good breakfast, play some loud music...anything to get you AWAKE.

(2) Stay calm. Seriously, freaking out IS NOT GOING TO GET YOU ANYWHERE. Listen to calming music on the way there (unless you're having to play that loud music to wake yourself up).

During the Test:

(1) There are multiple breaks throughout the SAT. Take advantage of each one. Go to the bathroom each time, if for no other reason than to get the circulation going. Eat something. I always bring some snacks, Pepsi, and a water bottle. Drinking a little Pepsi (but not a lot...don't want your bladder to distract you during the test!) and eating a few baby carrots, Goldfish, chocolate, or bread can be soothing.

(2) Don't worry about it. Once you've finished a section, you CANNOT go back to that section. Period. If you messed up, then just chill out. There's nothing you can do about it and worrying about it is only going to distract you. Concentrate on the here and the now.

(3) Smile. Smiling can provide you with confidence. Confidence in yourself can lead to better test-taking. Plus, it helps relax you and those around you. It's amazing what a smile can do!

(4) Have fun! You're not going to do well on something you hate. Find some way to enjoy this. Consider it a big puzzle and the prize is (*insert possible scholarship amount here*). It makes it a little more exciting and fun if you think about it as something fun instead of something you're wasting your entire Saturday morning on.

A Few Specific Hints:

(1) Essay. One thing I've noticed about the SAT (I've taken it twice) is that the essay is easy to score highly on. Have good logic, proper grammar, decent spelling, and a variety of things. Take examples from personal experience, religion, history, literature, movies, media, politics, etc. The more examples the better. Last time I took the SAT, I walked out thinking I bombed the essay, but I got a 10. I credit that to the fact that I included history, literature, personal experience, and some logic into the question.

(2) Math gets progressively harder. Princeton Review recommends using the "Joe Blogger" method. If it's an easy question, there will be an easy answer. If there's a hard question, there will be a hard answer. Sometimes numbers in the problem will be options for the answer. If it's a hard question, it likely won't be one of those numbers.

(3) Cover the answers. For the Critical Reading section, Princeton Review, Barrons, and probably other SAT Preps suggest covering the answers and coming up with your own word. Also, making the answer a positive or negative word can help. For the paragraphs, look at the clues. There is only one answer, so there must be a problem with four of the five options. Find the problem.

(4) Writing. Again, there is a problem with four of the five options. Remember your grammar lessons and figure out those problems. Good luck!

Hope these help and good luck on Saturday! I'm taking my SAT for the third (and hopefully last!!!) time on December 6, 2008.