SAT Test next week!
Last minute preparations.
If you (or your teenager) is taking the SAT test next Saturday, here are some extremely valuable things to keep in mind:
1) Most important - get plenty of sleep. If you are like some of my high performing, dedicated students, you are probably operating under a sleep deficit. Studies (and the experience of tons of students) have proved that nothing raises your score more than one week of adequate sleep. Now is the time to start going to bed early - if you wait until Friday night, it'll be too late.
I have seen students score 100-200 points lower than they should simply by not getting enough sleep before a test. Don't let that happen to you! Getting tons of sleep is not wimpy - it's smart!
2) Remember to charge your calculator or to have fresh batteries. I always take two calculators, just in case one of them dies mid-test. It's never happened, but at least I don't need to worry about it. Having a calculator that you really know how to use is especially important on the subject test.
3) Have one sharp pencil and one blunt one. The sharp pencil is for writing on the test paper, and the blunt one is for bubbling in the answer sheet. Not trying to bubble in with a sharp pencil will save you at least a minute on each section of the test. Remember that mechanical pencils are not allowed.
4) Bring a silent watch that has a stopwatch on it. The classroom I was in during my last SAT test had a clock at the back of the room, and I was sitting at the very front. Remember that smart watches are not allowed.
5) Print out your ticket. If you don't do this, you won't be allowed to sit the test. I know this rule is stupid - why can't we just use our cell phone, but I saw a girl who had flown in from China being refused admission because she had not printed out her ticket. Unfortunately for her, there were no convenience stores nearby, so she lost the chance to take the exam.
6) Take caffeinated beverages (or vitamin B pills) only if you are used to them. Never experiment on test day - it might cause you discomfort.
7) Avoid cramming the night before the test. It's much better to chill out than to stress about the upcoming test.
8) Make sure you are totally familiar with how to bubble in the student response questions (the ones that are not multiple choice) on the math section. They're easy to do, but you should still practice a few times before test day.
9) Do at least 2 whole practice tests with the answer sheet. Print them out and do the test for real. Bubbling in and checking your answers adds about 5 minutes to each section.
I hope these tips were useful. They're just a few of the things that I tell my students.
Good luck on test day!
