Need Help..

Test Preparation
1

<p>Hello guys, I'm a Junior in High School, and have just took my first SAT and am very dissatisfied with my score..
I know you guys just post about 2000+ stuff, but my score that i took in January SAT was 560 in CR/Writing(8 in essay) and 740 in Math= 1860
I have not been studying a lot, addicted to a lot of games that i have spent just too much time on it (im not the kind of person who does drugs/smokes/alcohols, however)
i am very disappointed in myself, and that score in January just opened my eyes ( if that makes any sense)
Not to be stereotypical, but I'm asian, and just now i have told my parents my SAT score and i received a 1 hour long talk with my parents (FYI i moved to US about 6 years ago)
they told me i have failed and won't even make into a year into college, and i might as well give up studying.. They do have a reason to be mad at me, since they had sent me to a few thousand $ costing SAT prep classes, which i took last year summer.. ( they were expecting me to get 2000+)
i have bought 2 sat books (Princeton and Barron's) and being how lazy i am, i have not looked into either of them
i just have not been motivated to study a bunch, and i have a few B's and one C (i got this sem, AP English 11-i hate the teacher and he looks high every day in his classes) and my GPA is 3.96 (the highest one, there was like 4 and i have no idea what weighted/unweighted means)
i know that i deserved that score, and i know that i fucked up in my life...
am i really done with my life? should i just give up college and start working after graduating high school? (if so, i'm planning to take all AP courses next sem, should i just take reg classes)
i am taking another SAT in March (not signed up yet)(is that even a smart idea?), should i even go for it? (since i now have "opened" my eyes, i am not prone to play games and fuck up again)
this is president's week, and I'm just debating whether or not to study with my SAT books (if i am, what is the best strategy for my scores? i'm planning to take 1 practice test each morning, then review it the rest of the day)
Sorry for the mess in my discussion post, as it reflects my messed up thoughts inside my head
I really need help, and i'm in the verge of breaking down and giving up..
there are 4 ap tests coming up for me in may (AP Calc(ab), English, APUSH, and APBIO) and i have not studied for any of them, and since i have not studied a lot, i know little about any of them (except math, i've always been good at math its pretty easy for me)
I'm also worried about college essays, and that SAT subj tests
the one AP test i took last year in AP Euro, i was expecting at least a 3, and i got a 1 instead.
I guess it all comes down to: should i give up,? did i fuck up to the point that i cannot turn back? is it all over for me?
I know you all are very smart, and from a few posts ive read there are some people who got accepted to IVY leagues here
i seek help from you all, and i wait for replies..
Help me...</p>

<p>P.S.: i guess the last excuse i have is that ive never been settled to one place, ( went to 6 elementary schools, (repeated 5th since i had no english skills when i first came here then) thankfully 1 middle school, then now i have moved high schools.. ( i hated it ) this is my first year in this new school, and im very shy in making friends, so i was very reserved, eating lunch alone and whatnot)</p>

2

<p>Okay, so your best option is to study. Study hard. Buckle down and do it. Only you can motivate yourself, and it sounds like you haven’t been bothering much.</p>

<p>When are you next taking the SAT? Between that, AP tests, and subject tests, focus on whichever set is coming up soonest. Use your prep books and look for online study materials.</p>

<p>SAT I: Your math score is already good, so good job there. You need practice in reading and writing, so crack open those prep books and get going. I’ve heard that writing is the easiest to improve (and you already got an 8 on the essay, so that’s decent). Don’t ignore math, though; just study CR+W harder.</p>

<p>AP tests: That 1 is not going to do you any favors whatsoever. Did you not study? Put in more effort this year. There are online study materials that you can use, or you can buy prep books (I think Barnes & Noble carries them). </p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests (SAT II): Take them as soon as possible after your class in the subject; so, if you’re taking Bio this year (and an AP class should be good prep for a subject test), take the Bio subject test in June or something like that. (Just as an example. Pick which subjects you’d do best in / which are required for your future major.)</p>

<p>College essays: Don’t worry about them yet. You’ll have plenty of time over the summer and in the first semester of your senior year.</p>

<p>Unweighted / Weighted GPA: Some schools “weight” more advanced classes. For example, at my school, a regular class is on a 4.0 scale; an honors class is on a 4.5 scale; and an AP class is on a 5.0 scale. What this does, for my school at least, is make it somewhat difficult to calculate my unweighted GPA–my school’s counselors have professed that they can’t do it xD Sigh. However, an unweighted GPA is only on a 4.0 scale. This means that an A is a 4.0; B, 3.0; C, 2.0; D, 1.0; F, 0. If you have only received As in high school, you have a 4.0. The GPA is the average of all your grades. For example, if you made 3 Bs and 2 As in five classes, add the grade “points” (4, 3, 2, 1, or 0 as outlined above) and average them (3.4, in this example).</p>

<p>Also, I’ve heard that College Confidential makes the applicant pool seem very skewed towards the side of overachieving straight-A students. Don’t feel bad about yourself, just work hard to achieve more.</p>

3

<p>I’m taking it on March 8th, and i have 3 weeks to prepare for it…</p>

4

<p>Okay, so that should be your first priority for now. Get to it! Good luck! :)</p>

5

<p>thanks a lot :slight_smile: still looking for more replies though</p>

6

<p>An 1860 is not bad especially with a 740 math. I got a 2030 and scored a 720 Math 710 Writing and a 600 Reading, so your math is clearly there. Writing is by far the easier of the two scores to improve. The SAT is really bad a varying what writing topics they will test; usually only 3 major topics are really tested: noun-pronoun agreement, tense agreement, and subject verb agreement. If you are disciplined and motivated, try to do the 35 question objective part of the writing every few days and track your progress. You will eventually notice some patterns in material tested, and it should get easier to identify errors. As for the critical reading, the only thing I can say – as I am not expert at the topic – is to learn your vocab and practice the passages. For your practice, I would suggest the College Board online course and the Blue Book; they are the most reliable sources for practice SAT material.</p>

<p>For school, discipline and motivation are again the keys to success. Coming from past experience, the gaming habit is a hard one to lose. Throughout freshman year, I was obsessed with Minecraft and my Xbox, and probably spent no more than 2 hours a night studying and doing homework. I took all honors at the time, and my grades suffered. I finished the year with an 89 unweighted GPA and around a 94 Weighted. The way that I broke this habit was to gradually reduce the amount of time I spent on games by reducing the amount of time by 30 minutes every few days. Eventually, I hit 0 hours of gaming, and saw an increase in my grades. Last year, I finished with a 91 Unweighted GPA and a 96 Weighted, and this year, I have a 93 Unweighted and a 101 Weighted. I take all honors and APs now, but only succeed in them because I had the desire to do well, and I think that’s what you need. Turn school into a game where you’re competing for the spot on the top of the class; don’t be content with being average. Now objectively, if you want to do well on APs, I suggest hitting the review books now, paying attention in class, and doing all of your homework and study SEVERAL hours per night (Around 4-6). It sound rough, but it will pay off.</p>

<p>For your subject tests, pick the tests for things you like and buy Barron’s review books, and line up the tests so that you’ve taken the course immediately before the test. That’s about all I have to say on this.</p>

<p>Also, CC is a really biased resource. Most of the people here (including myself) are just really unconfident students who need an outlet of support because school is a really stressful thing especially when you want to be the best.</p>

<p>P.S. If it makes you feel any better, I scored a 160 on my PSAT sophomore year and I thought my life was over (I’m asian too), and my 1940 on my first SAT didn’t make things look any better, but getting good grades and better test scores is definitely doable. Don’t let yourself or anyone else belittle you for this as you have most certainly not screwed up beyond repair.</p>

7

<p>FWIW, the thing that stands out to me is that you need work on your writing, not just for the SAT, but for college work. Instead of spending a ton of money on SAT prep w/SAT tutors, I think you’d be better off going to an English teacher you like and working on your writing. And no, you have NOT ruined your life. There are many, many schools that will admit a manifestly intelligent student like you with your current scores. Good schools. CC is a pretty skewed sample.</p>