Ooh, so that's why my SAT math score sucks!!

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>well, my SAT Math score sucks. I've reviewed the material like a million times already and now I'm doing practice tests.
For some reason, I've NEVER gotten more than 660 on a Math test in my life.
I decided to see what I'm doing wrong.
Here's what I found:</p>

<p>-on average, I have 10 mistakes on each test (i.e 5 incorrect, 5 ommit).
-out of the 5 incorrect questions, ALL were stupid, careless, idiotic mistakes. (like adding 5 instead of subtracting).
-I only leave really hard question and I'd never be able to get them right if I were to revise my work on each section.</p>

<p>to make a long story short, I'd get 700+ if I concentrated.
But here's the problem:
I've tried to simulate the test environment at home. (sitting for a total 1.5 hours for the math in a closed room with no distractions or noise,) but....
it's not working! I'm still getting 660-ish.
I know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't fix it. Maybe I'm doomed to have a 670 in Math....</p>

2

<p>Dude,</p>

<pre><code> PM me and I will give you a breakdown of the manner of study for math I try and teach to some of the kids I tutor for a couple of extra bucks a month. I do not tutor math, but I learned of a neat manner of study for it and share it with any kid I tutor in English (I tutor University level English, and I tutor SAT and ACT prep, but in Memphis, Tn- I will not try and seel you anything!) who seems worried about math. It might help you. Once again, I am just going to give you a breakdown of the manner of study, nothing more- I am not running a business or anything like that:)
</code></pre>

<p>peaceout,</p>

<p>your granny merlin</p>

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<p>y not just post it here</p>

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<p>It is really long, dantheman1188</p>

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<p>if its a document or any file type you can just put it in a document then upload it to a site like rapidshare which is free and no registration required</p>

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<p>Zomg, 660 is nice o.o
I only have 630 PSAT. Now that I think of it, 630 is also nice:)</p>

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<p>Maybe omit a couple more questions and use the time to check everything over a second time...? 7 omitted and 3 wrong is better than 5 omitted and 5 wrong.</p>

<p>And try to find clever solutions to stuff if you can so you have more time at the end. It also helps to be fast with arithmetic and know some shortcuts (e.g. 15<em>3 = 10</em>3 + 5*3 = 30 + 15 = 45) so you don't have to pick up your calculator.</p>

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<p>how much time do you have at the end of the section? if you have any time then starting from the back, assume every question is wrong and find the mistake. </p>

<p>when you finish your section you "know" there are atleast 5 wrong in there. find them. fix them. </p>

<p>if you dont have enough time for this, make sure you are comfortable with all the common problem types that show up on the test so you can do them quickly. </p>

<p>and follow any advice merlin gives you...</p>

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<p>oooh...</p>

<p>merlinjones: Please PM it to me.</p>

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<p>PM it to me, too, please?</p>

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<p>I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and say . . .</p>

<p>PM it to me too! :D</p>

<p>(you should've seen this coming)</p>

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<p>umm pm it to me too please :D</p>

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<p><em>jumps on too</em> PM it to me too, please? :D?</p>

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<p>I finish a few minutes early. So I think there might be some time to go over the stuff I might not be sure of.</p>

<p>um...everyone else seems pretty excited about merlinjones has to say, so, PM it to me please. :)</p>

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<p>I, for one, am not going to jump on this bandwagon. Merlinjones, please don't pm it to me. Please?</p>

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<p>lol^
it's already six people, s/he can only send it to five at a time anyway.</p>

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<p>can u send it 2 me too?? plz!! :D</p>

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<p>me too por favor?</p>

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<p>Oh alright. </p>

<p>Please remember my original post, though!</p>

<p>Also, someone on this thread, gave me their personal e mail through the private messaging. I am nice and not going to name names. But, please DO NOT GIVE ANYONE YOUR PERSONAL E MAIL UNLESS YOU KNOW OF THEM REALLY WELL OR IF THEY GO TO YOUR SCHOOL! In this day and age, there are weirdos online, so be careful or I will have to type on all caps again:) I deleted the e mail btw, for I am going to seminary soon and am way not a weirdo.</p>

<p>Remember that this is only one thing. And, out of all these things maybe three will pertain to your own personal method of study or something. </p>

<p>Oh gosh darnit :)</p>

<p>Please remember my post, alright? I do no math, I just know of this one, long thing, and it might help you. </p>

<h1>1 Break everything into topics. You know, just the plain old topics as such a thing pertains to your testing for the SAT</h1>

<h1>2 Do all the problems pertaining to your topics. Every last one.</h1>

<h1>3 Go over all of your work and check off the problems which were hard for you</h1>

<h1>4 Get some graph paper (or whatever) and fold it in half. On one side of the paper, please write down the full problem. On the other side of the paper, please write down only the problem and leave enough room for all of the steps.</h1>

<h1>5 Fold the paper in half where you can see the worked out (or full) problems. Really read over them carefully and make sure you understand every step behind the problem.</h1>

<h1>6 Test yourself by folding the paper where all you see are the problems with blanks space for your answer. Then work those problems without looking at the answers. You cannot look at the answers because they will be folder over and all.</h1>

<h1>7 Check your work and see what is happening.</h1>

<h1>8 On any problem you missed, color code all steps. If you do your math in pencil, you can just trace over the numbers and signs with some multicolored pens.</h1>

<h1>9 Make a list of all the problems you are still having trouble with. And put that list at the top of your paperwork for the topic.</h1>

<h1>10 Lather, rinse, repeat for how every many topics you feel comfortable doing. That is all up to you, you might like to do five topics a week?! I do not know. But, lather, rinse repeat= do steps one through nine on your topics.</h1>

<h1>11 After you do a good five topics. Get out that list of your most difficult problems. Then make a test using step 4. Time yourself. Set a timer where you try and estimate SAT time! Go crazy and make a game of it and give yourself like 20 minutes or something. Or whatever you feel would be the closest to SAT time.</h1>

<h1>12 Keep on working the steps and do not give up hope at all.</h1>

<h1>13 When you have exhausted your materials, then buy a ton of index cards.</h1>

<h1>14 Write down the problem on one side and the answer on the other. And, for sure, your graphs will not look perfect. I do not know how to make graphs look perfect on index cards, but you can always pull out your TI83plus or what have you to get an exact look.</h1>

<p>I had a super nice Professor tell me this stuff. I do not do math. But, I am not a snob, you know? I think that there is nothing wrong with sharing.</p>

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<p>Dude, take the ACT. I have friends who say that they go into both tests with different mentalities. They find the ACT more informal and make fewer mistakes. Also, they have said that they find the SAT tricks you and tests what you do not know while the ACT does not trick you and tests what you do know. </p>

<p>Anechdotal expereince: friend of a friend took the SAT got 1700 then 1600. Took ACT and got 33. It may just be the test, or your mentality towards the SAT. I should have gotten an 800, but stupid mistakes took me down too. Also, the math curve is brutal.</p>