SAT Saturdays - The SAT and Methods to Mentally Prepare Oneself Prior to the Test
Note of Caution
This article discusses the SAT and methods to mentally calm yourself down in order to perform well on the test. It is important to note that the methods in this article are to be applied in moderation; do not interpret the meaning of the relaxation discussed in this article as an encouragement to cease studying the week prior to the SAT. Studying is still crucial and it is important that you keep preparing until the day of your test. While relaxation is important, remember that it serves to calm the mind and not to become lazy and complacent.
For many Juniors and occasional Seniors, there comes a time in the calendar year in which they must take the SAT, a standardized examination that measures a high school student’s readiness for college and is a crucial aspect for college admissions processes. The test consists of two sections: evidence based reading and writing, and math. The summation of a student’s scores on each section (out of 800) is the student’s total SAT score, with a perfect score equalling a point value of 1600. Since the SAT is so crucial, many students wish to perform well on this exam, often going through some form of studying to prepare for the test. While preparation for the SAT is definitely recommended for a student to improve their score, some students, either forcibly by their parents or by their own self standards, go through extremely stressful measures in the hopes of getting a good SAT score. This can lead to the student feeling greatly stressed, upset, and even pressured to the point where they cannot handle the pressure. During the week before the SAT, these pressures are at their climax, and that is why it is important for a student to know how to calm down and mentally prepare for the test, and this article serves to provide some examples on how this can be done.
It’s important to remember that in order to perform well on the SAT (or anything, for the matter), you should remain completely calm. How you do this is completely dependent on what relaxes you! For me, this included spending some time drawing, watching TV, and limiting the amount of time I studied each day for the SAT to only one hour. The week prior to the test, each night I did one section; I did reading on Tuesday, writing on Wednesday, math (no calculator) on Thursday, and math with calculator on Friday. This way, I would make sure to get some studying in while relaxing so that I could review while keeping it light. Remember, keeping calm is key. Additionally, make sure to know what types of testing methods work best for you; for me, going through each question calmly and collected and taking my time was key. However, others may find that taking the test as quickly as possible and then reviewing it again is a better route. Either way, know how you will plan on taking the test. Lastly, have a goal for a score in mind, but don’t worry so much about whether or not you will get it. If you fret too much, you may end up making decisions that could hurt your score!
Remember to stay calm. Remember to focus. Know the strategy you plan to take the test with. Prepare your testing materials the night before. Most of all, remember that as much as you’d like the score you’re aiming for, by staying calm and collected during the test, you would perform much better than if you were stressing over it.
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