<p>I'm an American living abroad and I'm sitting the SAT on Oct 6 (less than 3 weeks away.) I don't have guidance counsellors to help me because they're not familiar w/the American system so I decided to ask this here. Anyway, I've never received anything less than an A in English in my entire High school life, and I've written arguments/essays/speeches that have been lauded by my teachers, principal and staff members at my school. I came first in a national writing competition. </p>
<p>Then came the SATs. I'm fine with the writing section but I can't master the reading. On average, I'm getting about 7/13 so about 55-64% on the long passages. When I first started doing them, I was doing great but then as I followed Kaplin's strategies more meticulously and when I found out I only had 25 minutes to complete the section, it's like something changed and now I'm stuck at C-level. I did every CR test in the entire Kaplin book, plus every one on the MajorTest website, with hopes of improvements, but I'm still scoring Cs. </p>
<p>I just don't understand. I can still write and create arguments of my own but it's just as I'm reading one that is not my own, my mind starts to wander and I lose focus of what the author is talking about. I literally read, but nothing that I read actually goes into my head; it's as if it just doesn't stick as I progress through the passage. When I think I understand, I'll read the question and then the answers will throw me off because none of them tend to have anything similar to the hypothesis in my head. So then I have to re-read - waste time - and stumble through the rest of the questions in a panic. I feel like I've attached a stigma to the reading sections where I tell myself that I can't do it; when I read outside of the SAT I can follow everything fine, it's just as if I've erected a mental block that's preventing me from doing as well as I know I can.</p>
<p>My mind literally starts thinking about what I'll eat that night as I'm physically reading the passage. It's just as if there's zero concentration! I'd think there was something wrong with me if the problem was so specific to the SAT Critical Reading section! </p>
<p>Has anyone else experienced something like this? Any advise? Thanks a million for reading!</p>
<p>Ha, reminds me of myself. I’m big time ADD so it’s easy for me to get distracted, especially with extremely dry reading like on the SAT. There are the classic methods of improving concentration by trying to “actively” read by taking notes, underlining stuff, etc. I’m sure you’ve tried that already though. Have you tried reading the questions first? Not sure everyone would agree, but maybe by reading the questions first, when you read the passage your brain will subconsciously be engaged b/c there is a connection to what you are reading vs. just reading some dry passage where you have no idea what it is you should be remembering or paying attention to.</p>
<p>finally, just freaking relax! you are creating your own self-fulfilling prophecy! You stress out, tell yourself you are struggling and your mind wanders, and before you even open the test booklet, your mind is already wandering. Try to find ways to clear your mind BEFORE that section of the test…this is general advice, i know, but I’m not a psychiatrist, ha. I had to do something like that myself though b/c I would also get freaked out that I was somehow going to miss all the questions and do awful. Not a good mindset before the test!</p>
<p>There’s is strategy for mind wanderers…I also used to freak out on CR section.
First finish the sentence completion…single blank questions are easy…use POE (process of elimination) for double blanks especially look for the second blank.
Finish the sentence completion part in at most 5 minutes.
In short passage, go through the questions first, keep them in mind and then move on to the passage (finish short passage in 4-5 mins)
The long passage (mind wandering passage :D), first read the italicized portion…then read the first paragraph of passage slowly flowing along through the lines with your pencil.
Then go immediately to the questions, (the line references) and put mark on every line on passage that line reference asks you to. Example if 16 the mark on left of line 16.
Now just read the questions carefully and finish all the line references by (example: read a little more above line 16 and a little below it.
Then logical question are only left. After finishing the line references have finished a lot part of the passage. Then just have cursory glance the whole passage to get the gist.
Finish the general/logical questions.
If practice this strategy then you’ll finish it in about 20 minutes in 25 min section.
Then you can just revise it again.</p>
<p>I’d suggest trying to accept the fact that you’re going to have to read through those pages anyway, and try to somehow show some interest in it. Reading actively by possibly imagining what’s happening, questioning yourself about the motivations and actions of characters or enjoying the style of a certain piece could all help you stay focused and remember enough to later answer questions :D</p>
<p>thanks for the insight; i’ve always had problems staying focused too. i hate taking tests, so not looking forward to starting to study for the SAT soon.</p>
<p>Thank you guys! And thank you to scourge566 for those points - I’ll definitely use them come October 6th! I’ll let y’all know how it goes in a few weeks. Maybe this post will help other Mind Wanderers in the future :-)</p>
<p>I suggest that you mark the line references in the passage first.
Then read the passage up to the first line reference then answer that question.
then read to the next line reference and answer the question and so forth and so on and by the last line reference your almost done with the passage and you just have to finish the passage and answer the last few questions about the big picture of the passage and author’s purpose for writing the passage and your done.
Your mind won’t be able to wonder.
:D</p>
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