One of the main issues is that the sat has revealed to me that years of just focusing on getting a good grade, hours of drills to memorize and then forget for the next topic has resulted in me not being able to tackle the puzzle like questions on the sat. Despite working hard to never have less than a B in math class from middle school to precalc, my sat math score is on average 300-490, because oftentimes I don’t even know the first step to take on the problem, and end up guessing, or I try and get it wrong. Even when I look at the answer key it can feel like a complete surprise, and I end up just blankly rewriting the step by step answers not sure how to deconstruct the problem to apply to other sat problems, if the problem set I am given even has a step by step explanation than just “the answer is B”
In general as I move into college, I now want to study not just for grades but for understanding I can carry to any problem I face. I want to study math analytically, but I’m not sure how.
Clearly when I am not even able to consider the first step to take on a sat practice problem and even when I try the answer key makes my attempt look like gibberish.
I need to start doing general math review, but I don’t know how to format my review for sat prep specifically when most resources are meant for math classes and don’t give analytical lessons you can apply to a challenge problem like the sat meant to purposefully be aberrant.
I’d need to find a course that’s not just about passing class but understanding the problem deeply enough that even if you are presented with a challenge problem you have the fundamental skills to solve it. I’ve saved up money for a test prep course, but even then the class is mostly just solving practice problems fairly quickly. I’m considering using the rest saved from summer work for more for one-on-one tutoring, but I’m not sure how much more they can tell me when my understanding is ultimately shallow.
Have you tried any test prep books? They’re a lot cheaper than test prep courses and you can study at your own pace. Based on how you’ve described your situation, I think the SAT Prep Black Book might help you. Check it out.
There are some good free resources like Khan Academy. All released SAT tests can be downloaded from Reddit r/SAT. If you can spend a little money then uworld and ■■■■■■■ are fantastic resources. I have listed them in order of importance based on what my son found out to prepare for SAT.
You may want to first start by doing released tests under test conditions, then seeing from which of your answers were correct and incorrect which topics you actually need to review, so that you can focus your test prep time on those topics, rather than “everything”.
I don’t know what you’ve done so far, but if you haven’t already, get a book like The College Panda SAT Math. They have SAT questions that will force you to apply your knowledge to SAT-like questions. When you get something wrong, spend time figuring out how the question confused/tricked you.
Next, it sounds like you have some issues with test-taking. First, make sure you’re breathing. I’ve helped a lot of students who froze up on tests, and most of them didn’t realize that they were holding their breath when faced with a difficult question. This makes it hard to think. It may not be your issue, but look into it.
Finally, take a mock exam with a company that can give you in-depth statistics about the way you take an exam. 300-490 is low for someone who does well in math at school. Biometric Edge is the best online mock exam, because they’ll give you time per question and compare it to the average time students spend on that question. They’ll also give you pulse rate.
You can definitely improve. Good luck!
Yes, I’ve bought practice books, but ultimately practice problems don’t help if I’m not understanding the steps to solve the problem. It’s as though i just guess, get the problem wrong, look at the answer key, write the answer key down, and move on to do the same mistake. I need to analyze the SAT answer key at the very least to retain anything in-between practicing problems. The main problem is analysis, i realize I have never had the chance to focus on that over just memorizing procedure and getting a good grade. I don’t know how to deconstruct a problem.
Look at the 1600 website that I cited above. They literally work through each problem from SAT QAS. Also, remember that there are test optional schools as well. You could try your hand at the ACT to see if you perform.
Math is a discipline where, in order to do well, you just have to do many, many practice problems. For the SAT, you can get to the point where you’ve seen every type of question (mostly), and then it just becomes a matter of wording and numbers. I would recommend doing Khan Academy’s math section because it was really good for me.