<p>Thank you mathmom, vandyeyes, ecouter. You are right, “every” is indicating that if there are two students, they are sharing one stapler. I guess this is where the practice helps - inferring the “language” in the math problems. I will ask to DD re-read that problem again with emphasis on “every”. She hates SAT wording so much. </p>
<p>Classof2015: Yes, I agree :)</p>
<p>Yes you have to assume every student is at some point using a stapler, ruler, and glue. Even if they don’t need it for their project, it’s available. The school board counted students and divided by the number of items they were willing to purchase, I gather…</p>
<p>Word problems are a PITA that way. I teach “math contest math” to kids from ages 8 - 14 and it’s figuring out the wording that gets them most of the time! Both “getting” what the problem means, and also knowing the vocabulary (sum, product, consecutive, integer, etc…) Step 1 of problem solving is “read and understand the problem”. Often that’s the hardest part. (Hopefully these kids rock at SAT word problems after several years of practice with MOEMS and Mathcounts problems…)</p>
<p>Now that I have my new Android Phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 2 !!!) and I can actually see the text on it, I’m thinking about using it to help manage the various tasks associated with College Selection process. Has anyone tried this? I thought it might be great if my iphone enabled son and I would work together using modern tool to keep track of everything.</p>
<p>Has anyone used Google Tasks? Evernote? Astrid? Toodledo? RemembertheMilk? Any.Do? Wunderlist?</p>
<p>[Five</a> Best To-Do List Managers](<a href=“Five Best To-Do List Managers”>Five Best To-Do List Managers)</p>
<p>What about [The</a> Secret Weapon: Evernote and GTD smoothly integrated into TSW](<a href=“http://www.thesecretweapon.org/]The”>http://www.thesecretweapon.org/) brought to you by David Allen’s GTD folks? (Love 'em!)</p>
<p>I have always needed tools to help me stay organized, but I have very little experience managing other people to see if they are keeping track of what they need to keep track of. Any advice?</p>
<p>Smiles,
PS</p>
<p>ParentSparkle: The best tool will be any one your son will agree to use. I’d have him look at them and pick one. Even the best hammer won’t drive in nails if you won’t pick it up first!</p>
<p>HappyORmom: Those math word problems drive me nuts. I was an A math student back in the day but those kind of inference, plus word problems, are such a PITA. I want to see what real life application that particular problem addresses. Gah…</p>
<p>Mathmom: more power to you. I don’t know how you do it.</p>
<p>Parentsparkle: Is there an app to remind (nag) kids to get their act together? Now, that I’d buy. Also congrats to your son.</p>
<p>ETA: Welcome Crazy4Disney! This is a great group of parents.</p>
<p>I agree that if S was using a system, I’d adapt! But the best way to get my S to leave the hammer on the table, is to put out 10 of 'em (or 3 of 'em) and tell him to choose the best one. </p>
<p>He still might not nibble - you can lead a horse to water, I guess.</p>
<p>I think the best app for that is
Love this essay:
[On</a> My Mind: The Mean Boss | Karen Pryor Clicker Training](<a href=“http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3844?source=kl_1211]On”>http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3844?source=kl_1211)
On My Mind: The Mean Boss | Karen Pryor Clicker Training
[Karen</a> Pryor Clicker Training | The Leader in Positive Reinforcement Training](<a href=“http://www.clickertraining.com%5DKaren”>http://www.clickertraining.com)
One time at a conference I shared a breakfast table with a woman who was an executive in an oil comp…</p>
<p>Hi all!! I just found this thread by accident as I was searching for new posts to the Parents of 2013 thread! That thread is soo busy, and if I start reading TWO threads, I don’t know if I’ll have any extra time at all! But I would like to get to know everyone, so I will start at the beginning and slowly work my way through - well, at least part way! :)</p>
<p>Sorry if this has been asked, but are any of your kids taking the SAT tomorrow? While S’13 awaits his ED decision, S’14 will officially start his journey tomorrow! There’s also waiting for his PSAT results…</p>
<p>ParentSparkle - Although I wish he was, my son is NOT a reader, and he ended up a 760 on the critical reading portion. He got a 700 the first time, and then used this CC thread, and brought it up the second time. It might be worth taking a look at this thread: </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/750399-how-attack-sat-critical-reading-section-effectively.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/750399-how-attack-sat-critical-reading-section-effectively.html</a></p>
<p>I know this was from a few pages back, but I was just starting to read some new stuff.</p>
<p>Good luck to all SAT takers! :)</p>
<p>Beta question to be introduced in one of the 2012/2013 SAT Critical Reading sections:</p>
<p>SAT is like:
a) abbreviation for Saturday
b) sat (Jane sat on the rug)
c) pseudonym for S-A-T-A-N
d) all of the above</p>
<p>ParentSparkle - I have started using Do.com (web version and iPhone app version) for work. I’m still deciding whether I like it or not, but you can sort things by category or due date. You can include other people in the task and assign it to other people. I’m trying to think how it would work come next year with application deadlines …</p>
<p>Welcome Crazy4Disney & My3gr8boyz! We go back and forth from being chatty to quiet. </p>
<p>Good luck to the SAT test takers tomorrow! I really should get DS signed up for that one. Still anxious for PSAT results.</p>
<p>DS informed me that they get one excused absence per semester for college visits. I was thinking that was only for seniors, so double checked and it’s for juniors as well. So now I’m trying to decide where we can go visit that’s within 4-6 hours before Christmas! I’m thinking that most of the schools are getting close to finals so it probably won’t be a good time to visit.</p>
<p>Does anyone know about Texas schools and engineering? I was talking to someone the other day that had graduated from UT - Arlington in engineering.</p>
<p>Classof2015: I love that.</p>
<p>ParentSparkle: If I need a nag for myself to call the doctors to setup annual physical and every six month dentist appointments, I schedule a calendar item. DD used todoist.com for her homework but she says it is ok. I had to laugh when I saw your comment about hammer. That happened with scissors in our house, so I finally kept scissors in several rooms and bathroom. Now I have the scissors when I need it. </p>
<p>Agentninetynine: I think you are joking about the nag. But if you need a way to remember appts that are way in the future, you may use the calendar. If it is something that DD signed up way ahead of time or the dentist/doctor appt, I started sending a calendar item to her gmail account. Since I also have that on my calendar, she and I are not forgetting the appts any more. I guess calendar can also be used to schedule a “nag”.</p>
<p>my3gr8boyz: Welcome!!!</p>
<p>beadymom: I have two friend’s kids that go to UT, Austin engineering school. One of them is in the CS and was able to get internships in TX after sophomore year as well as freshman year. He is also able to get a research position which helps with COA. I guess the only complaint is it is a huge school.</p>
<p>beadymom: That’s awesome that your son’s school allow juniors an excused absence for college visits. Ours gives seniors three days each semester for those visits. We, on the other hand, do not believe in waiting until that senior year (which is insane), so while heading to my parents’ place in SC this holiday season, we’ll make a college visit. I made the reservation, and then I told my son. He was really cool with it. After making the reservation, I learned from our college counselor that her daughter attended the school years ago, loved it and got an awesome job following graduation – something that all parents want to hear!</p>
<p>DD came home after taking the SAT. She says, it is such a torture. Good thing she didn’t run out of time and skipped only one question per each math section. I hope that will keep her at least around 85 percentile or above for math. </p>
<p>I noticed that a lot of kids are posting the questions under SAT preparation thread, isn’t that against the rule? DD said she can’t tell me anything. </p>
<p>Oh one note. It was a bit cold in the morning here and DD said since her hands were cold and she had to immediately start writing, she started getting the cramps. If your kids are taking Jan or March SAT, make sure they write a little bit on the way to the test in the car.</p>
<p>Hi All! I have been enjoying your posts for several months now, but this is my first post. What a terrific group! </p>
<p>My DS '14 took the SAT Saturday. All was going well until he hit one of the middle sections of math - says he skipped the appropriate section and inadvertently worked on the section ahead. The proctor caught it, but he had to ‘sit out’ that section and will lose those points. I know he is planning take it again (maybe 2 more times), but how disappointing! So a word of advice to your future test takers to ensure that they working are on the correct section every time!</p>
<p>Hello all. I had some catching up to do but tried to go back far enough to see what I missed. S2 & his rm were home for Thanksgiving, and although I so look forward to it, it does wear me out to have extra people in the house. It’s so quiet with them gone. 
They’re second year students so make the adjustment from college to home life well and are a joy to have around. I hope everyone had a good holiday with family & friends.</p>
<p>Congratulations to those with November SAT scores released recently! It feels so good to know hard worked pay off!! :)</p>
<p>Welcome to new posters! There’s a great mix here of parents who have been through this with older kids, as well as those going through this with their oldest who have the perspective of a ‘fresh set of eyes’. IMHO it is a powerful combination that leads to some really helpful information for all of us!</p>
<p>My S3 took the SAT on Saturday, first run at it. He came out feeling really positive, no complaints. So I’m assuming he did at least passably well. He didn’t get in quite as much prep as I’d hoped, but not for lack of trying. Like everyone else’s student here, he leaves for school early, has ECs, and is up late studying. He does as much prep as he can sandwiched in between. It’s hard not to compare, but his older brother was very focused in his approach which was effective when he didn’t have much time. We’ll see when S3’s scores come back if his approach is working. If not, we may consider a tutor simply to help him find a focused approach and keep him on task. He already has one SAT2 down from last Spring, so he only needs one more this Spring (probably Bio). We learned a lot from S2 and are trying hard to pace the testing much better, as opposed to everything squashed at the end of Jr year…APs, proms, state testing, SATs, SAT2s, ACTs, Finals…it was just WAY too much, and he was an unflappable kid. We are starting much earlier and hope this will avoid the end of year juggernaut.</p>
<p>jcard3, if your son wants to cancel his scores he can do that but needs to get right on it [SAT</a> Reasoning Test - Canceling SAT Scores](<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/scores/cancel]SAT”>Canceling Your SAT Scores – SAT Suite | College Board) </p>
<p>Otherwise if he applies at schools that ask to see all his scores he will need to give a special explanation for that anomalous score.</p>