Last year, I took the PSATs. No biggie. So this year, I was more than a little dismayed when my mom came home with a book that weighed more than my younger sister.
“It’s for review!” she said. “This time your scores matter, so I thought you might want to prepare. Isn’t it cool?”
My mom, “Ms. Organization,” prefers to exhaust every study option. My dad, “Mr. Wing It,” would show up at the last minute for his tests, hoping the kid next to him had an extra pencil. Me, I needed to find a happy medium. Luckily, I discovered a plethora (vocab word!) of studying options. Here are just a few ways I handled SAT test prep:
• The 10,000 page book: It may seem intimidating, but it does contain a lot of practice questions and advice.
• Online review courses: For me, these never work out so well. In the middle of a reading, I get distracted by e-mails, Facebook or my horoscope. You get the idea.
• School or other review courses: Most schools offer an SAT prep course for students. The one I took definitely was my favorite method of review. I got to spend time with friends, the school provided us with snacks, and I learned something.
Besides the actual material, there are a few additional things you can do to prepare for the test itself. You’ve heard it before: get a good night’s sleep; eat breakfast; have your ID, pencils and admission ticket ready and make sure you follow the directions.
Most importantly, try to relax. The SAT is just a test. In fact, it is better than most tests because you can retake it. Again, and again and again.
Maddie Rochford is a junior in high school who enjoys tennis, sailing and listening to music.