Studying for Tests pointless (my personal anecdote).

Test Preparation
1

<p>I took the SAT and ACT without any preparation, just once each, as well as 2 SAT II subject tests.</p>

<p>Although I was enrolled in an SAT prep class, it turned out to be sort of remedial, and explained basics like algebra I, so I slept through it. I never opened the SAT prep book my parents bought. I stayed up until 3 AM playing Video Games the night before the SAT reasoning test.</p>

<p>Scores:
Math: 760
Reading: 730
Writing: 640</p>

<p>Naturally, I was dismayed at my low score, especially on writing. Throughout the test, I was fatigued and hungry , so my guess is that sleep deprivation and a lack of breakfast was the main reason for my poor results,</p>

<p>ACT I took more seriously in terms of basic needs, and went to bed at 11 PM, and ate a hearty breakfast before. However, signing up was a sort of spur of the moment thing, and I had forgotten about it until I got a reminder a day or two before.</p>

<p>Scores:
Math: 35
Science: 36
Reading: 32
Writing: 32
Composite: 34</p>

<p>Subject Test: Again, I just showed up well rested and well fed. I only took 2, I had to cancel the German listening test because my CD player failed to work (that sort of preparation is smart! Learn from my mistake!).
Scores:
Physics: 790
Math II: 790</p>

<p>I don't count myself as especially brilliant, and my high school is a private school which is only slightly above average in any respect, and that comes from the fact that the really dumb failing kids leave before they take the tests, to save their parents the tuition money. </p>

<p>My conclusion is that relaxing and being confident and not worrying or stressing is at least, if not far more than, as useful as all that ridiculous effort that people spend on the tests. And those kids who learn to a test, I imagine, are not as prepared for the actual college class experience, since they focused so much into one specific task as their college preparation, instead of practicing how to learn. So relax, don't worry, and just be confident in your brain as up to the task of a test, and be sure to eat and sleep, and perform other basic bodily needs, as according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.</p>

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<p>You realize you’re on CC, right?</p>

3

<p>Well if you don’t know the material then you’re not going to do well regardless of how relaxed you are or how much/little you eat/sleep, etc.</p>

<p>I personally believe that with a little bit of practice anybody can improve their score, or get a higher score than they would have gotten. What I don’t advise is cramming for hours and hours (especially the night before the test), stressing out about it, letting SAT prep take away from your social life, and other overkill stuff like that.</p>

4

<p>^ Well the only conclusion that I can come up with is…</p>

<p>…that you’re asian.</p>

<p>I, on the other hand, have to work my a$s off just to get a B.</p>

5

<p>^Trust me, if any Asian characteristic applies to me it’s my work ethic. I work my a$s off for my grades as well.</p>

<p>My point, directed towards the OP, was that studying for tests is NOT pointless. But I also wanted to point out that there is such a thing as studying too much.</p>

6

<p>Hahaha, I wish I had your confidence and lack of insomnia…</p>

7

<p>I laughed when I read this post.</p>

<p>Enjoy college!</p>

8

<p>Maybe it’s pointless for you, doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else, right.</p>

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<p>You realize that your SAT II scores put you BELOW the 90th percentile, right? As in, over 10% of the people who took those tests got a higher score. That isn’t terrible by far, but I highly doubt you couldn’t have gotten that 800 had you studied.</p>

10

<p>Trust me, it’s not your laidback attitude that is primarily getting you good scores on the tests. It is your natural intelligence and wisdom gained throughout the years. Thousands of students out there wish they had your natural ability, but they don’t. These people have to study to get the same good scores. Some more than others. And it is kinda important for them to study. You may say that they are not helping theirselves in the long run by cramming, or learning how to game, a standardized test (and thus that they will not be as prepared for college) but some need to go to such lengths just to get into a decent college. </p>

<p>Consider yourself lucky in a sense and at the same time give yourself a pat on the back for learning so much without having to cram for a standardized test.</p>

<p>It is important to eat well and get a good night’s sleep. I agree with you there.</p>

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<p>For studying: it’s not pointless. For the SAT, if you’re a really good student anyways, then taking remedial practice classes probably won’t help much. But After taking the PSAT for the first time sophomore year (score of like 201), I realized my math score sucked, so I spent probably a total of 2-3 hours studying free practice math problems I found online (just googled SAT practice math). It boosted my math score from like a 68 to 75, and I was quicker at it and more able to work through it. The SAT I did the same prep, as well as taking the practice test they give you, and looking over the problems I got wrong to understand why. Which meant I would have gotten 750 on each section, if not for my 9 on the essay (pushed W to 740).</p>

<p>Admittedly, I scored better on the ACT than SAT, and I didn’t study for the ACT, but I did take it after taking the SAT.</p>

<p>As for subject tests: these are NOT reasoning tests. They’re much more like AP tests than the SAT, except they only have MC questions. For math, if you get a study book like the Princeton Review (like $8 used) you can DEFINITELY improve your score by taking one of the tests, figuring out what you don’t understand, reviewing those sections then taking another practice test. All this can be done in about 4 hours of work. As to the other subject tests, the best preperation is just taking an AP class on the subject, and doing well on the AP test. Then the subject test will seem like a breeze.</p>

12

<p>I agree. Being happy and just having a good day before the test helps more than studying\cramming a few days before.</p>

<p>Mood is more important then you think. Getting those extra hours of sleep will allow you to think coherently and logically. If you’re tired and ****ed off, you will get a low score.</p>

13

<p>Well, to be fair about my SAT II’s, it was about 90th percentile. Plus, that percentile is of the people who take it, which usually is not students who are average college applicants. Pretty much the only people who take SAT II’s are people who believe they have a chance at top schools in the first place.</p>

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<p>Scoring well without studying doesn’t mean one can’t do better with studying. I was scoring 2250 pre-studying – a very satisfactory score. After studying, however, I got a 2400. Who knows? Perhaps you could have gotten a 36 if you had studied for the ACT.</p>

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<p>Never studied for ACT either, got a bad score ( including was in bad health), though looks like I will be taking the SAT in October and so far plan to study for it since this may be my final test.</p>

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<p>cool epicwingguy you are so smart</p>