<p>So I've been scouring the forums for a while and Xiggi method will probably suit me well.
However, seeing as though I'm a rising junior (take the SAT this October) should I start full-fledged studying or just indulge in some academic activities that'll potentially raise my SAT score (i.e. reading, vocab review)? In other words, is it appropriate to begin "real" studying now?</p>
<p>Or perhaps I should start studying from the BB, but at a slow pace?</p>
<p>I’m in the same position as you
I’ve bought a lot of practice books and am reading through them at a really leisurely pace, doing a bit of vocab review and reading on the side.
Keep in mind you only have 4 months left, I plan on really starting to tackle it in a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>the Xiggi method is recommended for those above a certain level, meaning you should know what your range is on the SAT. If you feel like you do pretty well on the practice tests, especially on the sections where you need to actually know the specific content (vocab) and know how to do well on the math and writing sections without a time limit (meaning the content isnt really the issue, but the timing/strategies), then you should start doing the Xiggi method because it helps build knowledge about the test. From my perspective, doing practice tests like Xiggi did won’t help your arsenal of vocab much, but how much you know about and how you attack the test. so basically if you think you know your vocab and you think you know all there is needed to know to find out the answers to the rest (DISREGARDING TIME!)… you could say that how well you do on the first test(s) in the Xiggi method is what im referring to as a starting point.</p>
<p>this is all my common sense</p>
<p>oh, and if you dont know your vocab (and the like), then you should be studying that. first you should get yourself familiar with what types of words appear on the SAT (in the sentence completions). of course it might be just easier to start taking tests now (the first one is most important in your case i think), but save the rest for later (or soon)</p>
<p>I would say… take a BB test every sunday? Study vocab/whatever you want during weekdays.</p>
<p>It’s how I studied… good for 2 months :P</p>
<p>Very good advice crazybandit. If I scored around 600 in each section on my PSAT with no prior preparation (first semester sophomore year), would you recommend that I simply delve into the Xiggi method?
I do need to work on my vocab, however that can be done on the side.</p>
<p>Or perhaps I should work through the exercises in the BB before taking the practice test, then start the Xiggi method?</p>
<p>Start! The more preparation you get, the better. Although preparation in academic subjects do help, the only way to succeed in the SAT is to practice. When I was a sophomore, I scored a 177 on the PSAT. I began preparing for the SAT in the second semester of my sophomore year and now I am at a 2200 as a rising senior. It’s all about getting used to the test. Also, since I got started early, I never really had to cram.</p>
<p>Yeah, summer before junior year is best time to study. Summer of junior year is too late, as you’ll only get one test date (Oct) before EA deadlines.</p>
<p>Alright thanks for the advice guys, I think I’ll start practicing. How exactly did you prepare cchang44, with such a large amount of time? Surely you will run out of official practice tests if you prepare very early regularly.</p>
<p>It is a good idea to start preparing over the summer; just make sure you don’t peak early and run out of material and motivation.</p>
<p>yea you should start now, but dont continue in the same pace that you started in because youll run out of tests i think. if you notice that the scores arent really improving then dont continue… work on what you need to work with and then go back to testing, or just take a small break. but its definitely a good idea to start now</p>
<p>oh and you can look over your PSAT (im not sure if theres question and answer service for this though but my english teacher gave me mine when i took it) as well, but dont get too into it because its not the same test as the SAT. i think the first thing you should look into is the essay part (unless youve already taken SAT practice tests or a practice essay) which is another reason that you should start testing now</p>
<p>which is ALSO a reason to read books on the side because you need good examples to devour the essay prompts</p>
<p>Yeah, I did run out. So I did end up having to get more material. I actually have a ton of books because of it - got lots of books from friends and discounted books on amazon. </p>
<p>What worked for me was first taking a basic SAT course, just to put things into perspective. If you don’t have the means to, not a big deal, I’m just one of those people that needs a little push to get started. </p>
<p>I did start out with actual SAT practice tests. You need to carefully plan this out because collegeboard practice tests are the most important and you wouldn’t want to run out really early. I did one or two of the eight practice tests in the book to gage where I was at. Also used PSAT scores to determine my weaknesses. For me, my weakness was Math. So I went out and bought a Kaplan Math SAT book which allowed me to focus on just that section. Same goes for CR and W if they’re the weakest.</p>
<p>After you’ve gaged yourself, I would recommend making an “SAT journal”. Some of my friends use flashcards, but I’ve always found it helpful just to have all my notes in one book. I got one of those 5-subject journals that allowed me to separate into sections: 1. CR: Vocabulary, 2. CR: Reading Portion, 3. Writing: Multiple Choice, 4. Writing: Essay, 5: Math. Yes, there are only three different sections, but I decided to subdivide 
. Whenever I saw a word I didn’t know, I would write it in section 1 of my journal, using colors, drawings, and phrases to help me remember it. For section 2, I wrote down the types of question I frequently missed (long passage vs. short passage. detail vs. big picture) and what the question concerned. For section 3, I wrote down grammar rules that I might miss (stuff like beside vs. besides, who vs. whom, etc.). For section 4, I listed examples that I might use (this might be hard to do until you’ve done more practice essays). And section 5 was used to re-do problems or write the type of problems I missed</p>
<p>Resource Use: Realize that the blue Collegeboard book is the most accurate in terms of difficulty, so that’s what you want to use as you are close to the test date. When I was far from my test date (more than 3 or 4 weeks), I used a more difficult book –> Gruber’s Complete SAT Guide 2009. Also, any of the SAT 2400 books are pretty good. But when you’re two or three weeks from the test, use only Collegeboard. Hard books could discourage you, while easy ones could give you a false sense of confidence. Since I had so many books, I was able to focus on one subject at a time, even if it meant doing only certain sections of a test at a time. I found Kaplan and Barron’s to be easier than the actual test (this doesn’t include their CR, W, and M specific books). For vocabulary, get Hot Words for the SAT, it’s really helpful. And you can get lots of Essay prompts from the internet - google. If you have trouble with time on the essay, do untimed a couple of times at first, THEN always time yourself.</p>
<p>Test Day: Obviously don’t cram the night before. Before you get to your test center, have a few essay prompts ready and think about how you might answer them. </p>
<p>I’m taking the test again in October, and luckily I have one more practice test I haven’t done in the Collegeboard book. Since I’m pretty much done with my preparation, I’m going to look over EVERYTHING that I’ve done - review my mistakes, re-do problems, and look over my journal.</p>
<p>The trick is making the most of your material and getting as many books as you can.</p>
<p>I think I’ll take the tests one section (for example Critical Reading for a week) at a time, as I believe that’s a more effective way to develop strategies. The only source book I have is Grammatix. So I’m thinking I’ll just make a “journal” as you recommended, writing down strategies from Grammatix, as well as various websites I deem trustworthy.</p>
<p>I believe I have a good measure of my abilities, so I think I’ll just dive into the practice tests and try out strategies. This seems like the best way of developing my own strategies.</p>
<p>Sound like a good plan?</p>
<p>Oh and I don’t have access to other source books as I am living in the Middle East. I should have access to RocketReview and Barron’s by Mid-July however.</p>
<p>I should add that I mainly start this thread as I feared that starting with practice tests immediately might be “premature” studying.</p>
<p>I would take one practice test, figure out what you need to work on, work on it, and then take more tests.</p>