<p>So I'm taking the SSAT in January 2010. However, unfortunately, there is no place that sells SSAT books in my country :(, only SAT.
I'm planning to buy SAT books to revise in place of SSAT for the vocabulary part.
But are they similar? Or is it that SAT vocabulary is much more difficult than SSAT?
Is it wise to revise SAT vocab for SSAT verbal section? If so, which SAT books should I buy?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance xx</p>
<p>Can you order the SSAT book online? I got mine from amazon.com.</p>
<p>I used this link: [Full</a> Ssat vocabulary list flash cards | Quizlet](<a href=“http://quizlet.com/109244/full-ssat-vocabulary-list-flash-cards/]Full”>http://quizlet.com/109244/full-ssat-vocabulary-list-flash-cards/) to study. I must say, it did help, and it was kind of fun.</p>
<p>My own guess is that it’ll definitely help if you’ve memorized both SSAT and SAT common vocabulary. If you can’t get an SSAT book, then you can study from that link and the SAT book.</p>
<p>Does this really work for you guys, memorizing loads of words? I’m just curious. I am sad to say that I am pretty unfamiliar with the habits of hardworking students. I mean, I’ve never actually seen my children study anything. I’ve seen them work plenty, but not on anything having to do with a test or with something related to school work. It’s mostly independent stuff. They’re not so much slackers as they just haven’t felt the need to spend hours “studying” or “reviewing.” I don’t even know if this kind of thing would work for them. In other words, if they haven’t come to an understanding of the material before the test, I don’t know that flashcards, etc would really help them. </p>
<p>Please understand that I am not in any way judging those who study. Actually, I think it’s terrific and I really would like to help my children learn some study techniques.</p>
<p>What exactly do you guys do and does it work?</p>
<p>In middle school bright kids don’t need to study much outside school other than finishing their homework to get good grades, but once they are in academically demanding boarding schools, they are encouraged to study for each test (and trust me they test a lot!). To get great grades you need to review/memorize/study as appropriate. As for standardized tests, if your knowlege is way beyond what’s been tested, preparation means doing some practice tests, and learn how to control time and pressure. If you know you have a “deficiency” in a certain area say vocabulary, memorizing a lot of words can help but only to a certain degree.</p>
<p>I have never studied in my life before the SSAT. Frankly, I havn’t needed too. I made a slight effort for the SSAT but spent less than a few hours revising. At my SSAT most of the kids were applying for day schools and had been having private tutoring every week for months. I feel that I should have spent more time preparing. I guess I’ll find out soon if I really should have. Verbal has always been easy for me though and that seems to be the one people revise for. It’s math that kills me and that’s hard to get a quick fix for.</p>
<p>Same here, I feel a kinship to you, Blueraven1, in the fact that I have never studied. Anyways, if I did study, I would forget it the next day, and if I didn’t, I would get the same-ish score with a few careless mistakes, but I would remember it longer. Yet for me, the math section is like fifth grade level for me and verbal is like outrageous. At my school, all we do is vocabulary workshop every so often and my English class needs to study for weeks and go over words in class for the vocab quizzes. We are ridiculous.</p>
<p>We did a vocab thing once. I was abent for 4 days prior to the quiz but took it the day I came back; all I remember is that it is ridiculously easy woth words like ‘hospitable’ and ‘wrath’ (which amercans say differently). I know the words because I read an unhealthy amount and whenever i don’t know a word I look it up and remember it through the context. I’m glad you didn’t study; everyone I know both here and in real life seems to have studied hours every week.</p>
<p>Yeah, I guess it’s kind of hard to learn study skills when you don’t really have anything to study FOR!</p>
<p>I’m glad to know my kids aren’t the only ones who haven’t needed to study. Aren’t you guys a little nervous about the jump in expectations at BS?</p>
<p>No, I can’t order the book online. For some reason, my parents would not let me. (they are very old-fashioned and think that EVERY site that has online orders is designed for stealing etc).
And thank you for the website !!</p>
<p>OMG now I only have two weeks to revise :-(</p>
<p>how bout wordly wise??</p>
<p>I’m very worried about the jump of expectations at BS. I’ll admit I’m rather lazy and at my current public school I’ve never really done any of the little homework assignments. Homework is 10% of grade so all you need is to do 2 hw assignment in class which pulls it up to a D and then 100%s on all exams and essays=Straight As. People at my school complain about hours of homework but I honestly cant remember ever opening my binder before 11pm. I’m really not sure how I’m going to adjust to being in a challenging environment; not only having to do homework to reinforce concepts but studying and paying attention too. Don’t get me wrong I can do these things; my previous school required me to put in much more effort to maintain great grades but I’ve fallen into bad habbits that part of me isn’t looking foward to changing.</p>
<p>Sorry for hijaking the original thread!
Just try a lot of the quizzes on the interenet a lot of them are words taken directly out of ‘The hit list’ in my princeton Review book. The 3 hours I did study was on verbal even though I was already scoring the high 90s on practice test because it’s fun! At least for me :)</p>
<p>SAT words are certainly advanced enough for the SSAT, but I agree with the other posters that memorizing huge lists of words may not be effective, especially if you only have two weeks to study.</p>
<p>You’re better off studying word roots rather than lists of vocab. Studying roots like bene, mal, trans, cis/cid, loc/loq, etc… are very effective, because learning just one root gives you the ability to at least make an educated guess at the meanings of dozens of different words. It’s very efficient as a means of study. And, you can find plenty of word root resources online. One word root website that I think is pretty complete without being overwhelming is [Word</a> Roots and Prefixes](<a href=“http://www.virtualsalt.com/roots.htm]Word”>http://www.virtualsalt.com/roots.htm) – give that a try.</p>
<p>Also, there are other online resources for the SSAT. Some tutors will work via Skype if you have access to that sort of thing, and there is also at least one SSAT Podcast out there which is totally free, and you can find it with a Google or iTunes search.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I don’t understand how guys don’t study becuase once you get to BS it’s going to be pretty life changing for you guys. I go to a private school and I study for everything. All the people who don’t study tend to finish first for all the tests then end up with…wait for it D’s. I have gotten straight A’s all the years I have had report cards and I think that you guys should probably take some type of “study course” before going to BS.
Just my advice. </p>
<p>I think that studying words 2 weeks before would be good because there are many words on the SSAT that are meant to confuse and it would be a good idea to know many just in case.</p>
<p>I went to a top selective private school outside the states. I was an A student, I feel no need to go to a study course. Why would one study when it is unecessary? My cousin went to yale and had never really studied all through high school and is doing fine, bit of an adjustment sure but not a big deal. I have a brilliant memory, I remember whatever I read, I take the full period for tests and wait for it… I get As, often 100%</p>
<p>urbanflop: Exactly why I want to go to BS! I get staight A’s (except b+ in 6th grade gym) without any effort. I want to be challenged.</p>
<p>me too, its really boring and makes you disengage</p>