<p>So I take the SAT in about 2 weeks, my first time btw, and I haven't done even a little bit of studying for it. Am I screwing myself over?</p>
<p>I've heard of kids getting like 1800-1900 by doing the same as me, but should I take that chance? I plan to take it again next year, around Octoberish, of that makes a difference.</p>
<p>I didn’t study the first time. I think it gives you a good idea of where you stand; if there are scores you want to raise, you know what to study and how much.</p>
<p>An hour getting familiar with the test, especially the essay section, would be time extremely well spent.</p>
<p>
This is good advice; you should know the format, times, and types of questions.</p>
<p>In response to the above post^</p>
<p>Well I do know a little about it, I mean, I took 2 PSAT’s, and my English teacher has dedicated a whole class period to the testing format, but I haven’t cracked open a review book and spent hours upon hours taking numerous practice tests like some kids have,</p>
<p>You only need to take a couple of hours to study, and even if you don’t want to go to a top school, you could save a lot of money in the long run.</p>
<p>Most people I know went up hundreds of points from not studying on the PSAT to studying on the SAT. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to give yourself that chance, especially if you are applying to competitive universities. </p>
<p>Many people have a knack for reading or math, and don’t need any work there. However, grammar isn’t covered in many high schools, and learning the rules from an SAT book can make a huge difference for the writing section.</p>
<p>It’s also the fact that I have 4 big projects that need to be done in a month, so I don’t have a lotta time to fit in some studying…</p>
<p>You sound like you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Read through Silverturtle’s SAT Study Guide. It’ll only take about an hour, and it can provide crucial advice when it comes to the writing section.</p>
<p>If you have two weeks, don’t cheat yourself of the chance to be successful on the SAT the first time (or of the $47). I’m a junior, and I took the SAT in the middle of AP exam weeks, so obviously my focus wasn’t on the SAT. I don’t have my score yet, but I think I did pretty well. My advice to you is to take the free practice SAT online. It takes a little over four hours and will allow you to assess your strengths and weaknesses. It breaks your results down well, telling you, for example, you got 75% of the probability questions correct, so you might want to study this, that, and the third. I would also suggest signing up for the (also free!!) official SAT question of the day. You don’t need to dedicate five hours a day to study for the SAT. Just do the one question, and if you find you have extra free time one day, find the list of official SAT questions of the day on the college board website, organized by subject, and strengthen your weak spots. College board even goes as far as to explain the answer to every question. You don’t need a lot of time (or money, by the way) to prepare for the SAT. Just do it.</p>
<p>The SAT test takes a little under four hours, not over. My mistake. You can also stop at any time and resume later if you’re really that stretched for time.</p>
<p>I’ve never understood this. If you just want to see where you stand, take a practice test at home. Does ETS really more of your money?</p>
<p>^Exactly.</p>
<p>10char</p>
<p>
That’s weird. I went down 20 points from not studying the PSAT to studying the SAT.
True, my reading score stayed the same and math went up 30 points, but the essay topic (reality tv) was horrible and my MC subscore was 40 points higher than the writing section composite score.</p>