<p>Sorry, guys, if my question sounds ridiculous to you, but I am freaking out. Today my SAT preparation books arrived, I got BB2 + Barron's aiming for the 2400 and I'm starting the big study. However, I'm facing a huge dilemma - whether to take the exam in January or May/June? Of course I aim for at least 2200 as I'm sure most of us here on CC are, and I know that the more time I spend studying, the better prepared I will be, but in May and June I have 3 more SAT Subject tests, 3 APs and several other exams to take and I feel like I will be overwhelmed and will fail everything completely. So, what's your opinion, is a month and a half enough to prepare well (I'm assuming I won't have problems at all with the math, I feel pretty confident about it and I somewhat get the writing part also, the reading's tough, though) or is it not possible at all? Anyone else who had done this and has an interesting, maybe encouraging experience to share?</p>
<p>What is wrong with taking the March exam?</p>
<p>There is no SAT in March for internationals, unfortunately :(</p>
<p>First, take a full practice test under exact test conditions. (No music, no extra time.) How did you do? What did you miss and why? How much do you have to cover in 5 weeks? Can you do it?</p>
<p>Second, if you only have a month, find a better book than Barron’s. (Their vocabulary words are ridiculous. They are far harder than the test words, which are actually pretty common words that only seem hard because you haven’t run into them before.) The Blue Book is the best, although they go light on the testwise tricks. Read Princeton Review for the tricks, but don’t spend too much time on it. I like Rocket Review. (Adam Robinson worked with John Katzman in the 1980’s to develop Princeton Review. ( I think Katzman was the salesman and Robinson was the content guy. That’s just my opinion, not based on certain knowledge, but it’s also not really relevant.) Kaplan isn’t bad. They are pretty straight-arrow, lacking the sassy attitude of PR; but the content isn’t bad and they have the same test-wise tricks as PR, just in different words. (Actually, they all do, more or less.)</p>
<p>Silverturtle’s Guide here on CC is highly condensed, but a good survey of the writing subject areas.</p>
<p>Third, review the math sections lightly at least. Take a couple practice tests and make sure you know what they cover. The problem here is that advanced math students are more advanced than the test. The test has a lot of material you may have covered and partially forgotten since. It’s worth an hour or two to find out. Check out the reasons why wrong answers are wrong, even if you got the question right. It will give you a feel for what kinds of mistakes they are expecting you to make.</p>
<p>Last, read. Read the right way. Read actively and read the right things. Try not to read when you are tired, you’ll just let the words pass by your eyes and you won’t remember what you read. You will be reading superficially and reinforcing bad habits. Rather, read when you are fresh and when you can dedicate some thought to what you are reading. Don’t let anything pass by unless you thoroughly understand it. If there’s a word you don’t know, use the context to figure out what it means AND THEN check your work with a dictionary. Keep a list of these words, and learn them. Use them when you talk to others. When you finish reading, try to put the main ideas into your own words. Explain what you read to your parents, if they’ll listen, or to yourself (out loud) if they won’t.
Read the right things. On Sunday, read all the editorials in the New York Times, every one. (You can read them for free online. Just sign up.) Then read an article in the financial section and another about science and read the book reviews. Why? Because they will be similar to many of the CR passages, and they will be at about the same level, and they will take some work to understand. They will also fill you in on the events of the week in the wider world, which will give you ammunition for the SAT essay.</p>
<p>Do this in addition to working in the SAT prep books.</p>
<p>Two quick, final things. First, if you plan to study vocab, do it in bed before you go to sleep. Go to bed a half hour early and study words until you are ready to turn out the lights. Review the list in the morning. You’ll be amazed how many of the words you will remember. (PS Your brain NEEDS sleep in order to function properly. Give it a break. Indulge it. Don’t skip the sleep.)</p>
<p>Second, There should be no marathon sessions with a single project. Spend some time on one thing then go to another. Then take a break, then go to a third. Let a day or two go by, then go back and review. That is the way long term memories are usually formed (unless somebody is shooting at you, or you win the Lottery).</p>
<p>Of course, I could go on, especially about CR, but it’s late and tomorrow is another day.</p>
<p>One final PS. If you decide to wait until May, remember that the work you do studying for your AP and Subject tests can be simultaneously improving your CR skills. You could start slowly on the SAT prep now, switch to the other projects, just doing a bit of writing review and taking a practice test every now and again, and then return to the SAT just before test time. All other things being equal, I’d say that’s the best strategy.</p>