The evil SAT and how it almost ate me up...

Test Preparation
1

<p>Greetings earthlings...{pardon my language}</p>

<p>I totally froze up on the first couple of math sections {always been my weakness}. Does anyone have any tips for things like that? It's so f---ed up. Oh well, i'll have two more chances {May and June}. I've read that some people thought the math and verbal sections were really easy. The verbal was pretty easy, but the math sort of killed me. Looking back, my poor performance in the math sections can be attributed to my panicking. As I slowly settled into the test I think I did better...I would hope. </p>

<p>I tried to stay calm and collected, but as soon as I started on the math, I was a mess. {I could really use some tips here.} Granted the first 6 or 7 are easy, but as I got into the section more and more, I felt like s---. I then began to think the whole test was s---. That was my downfall, but fortunately I snapped out of it. On a side note....</p>

<p>To future SAT takers: Don't get discouraged. Once you start to think negatively, you will really f--- up your test. I am a perfect example of that. I got bummed after one or two sections. That in turn probably damaged my ability to think clearly. Please, please, please, don't get emotional and angry at the test. It won't do a bit of good. </p>

<p>The essay, what can I say. I did okay on it. My strength lies in the verbal section of the SAT. However, 25 minutes flies like crazy. I was able to develop my intro, 3 examples, and conclusion. Before I go on, my opinion was that the general opinion was a good guide. Anyhow, hind-sight is always 20/20. I'm sure I could have done better. My second example was horrible. My mind drew a complete blank. I therefore grabbed at anything I could think of. After penning that s--- paragraph I got back in the "saddle" and developed my third {a little better} example. </p>

<p>To anyone who had difficulty on the essay, the best piece of advise I can give you is: "Practice the essay sections at home as often as you can. Always have a couple of examples {helped quite a bit} you can always fall back on. Read a whole s----load of magazines and newspapers {no Dilbert}."</p>

<p>Some of us who know we didn't do so well will probably take another SAT in either May or June. I know I am going to take one, probably both. My goal score is between 2000 and 2300. Anything in between is cool. Unfortunately, I may have scored somewhere between 1700 and 1900 {yes, it is f---ed up}. </p>

<p>I thought about cancelling my score. But, I realized that by seeing what I scored, I would be able to see what I did wrong and what I did right. As painful as it may be, stick with your scores. Analyze and try to improve upon your mistakes. I believe that a person has the ability to "up" their score by 100-300 points. Nothing is impossible. Keep your chin up and stay focused. It's hard to think about anything else but the SAT, but keep your goal in mind and work your ass off for it {I will be doing exactly this for the summer}. </p>

<p>I know I sound like a hypocrite {"You know you did bad, but you're giving advice?!"}, but I am trying to share a unique perspective. I know it's a long read, and I apologize for that. I just needed to "let it all out." </p>

<p>Thanks,
martini1020 {no I do not drink}</p>

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<p>For math: You might think that this is the stupidest tip EVER, but I've noticed I tend to be spacey and not really focused intensely on the math because it's so early in the morning and I probably had just finished having some wack dream a few minutes ago. So this one time, I got some EASY SIMPLE ADDITION and MIDDLE SCHOOL ALGEBRA problems (we're talking very very very simple, BUT ONES YOU CAN DO FASSSSSST), and I SPEED DID THEM. As in I did them fast and I focused. My brain was then in math mode. For the first time, I felt like I was really concentrating on the exam, and I got the score I was shooting for. I've never studied for the test, and I don't think it would have helped anyway.</p>

3

<p>Yea I got a 500 or so on math</p>

<p>1st Section I left 8 blank
2nd - 6 blank
3rd - 4 blank</p>

<p>w0000000000000000000000000000000000t
I bombed Math
woo0o0o0o0o00o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o00o0o0t!
:D</p>

4

<p>i thought math was allright...but sentence completion seemed difficult</p>

5

<p>Math was easier than normal. SCs were harder than normal.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all of your responses. Looking back, I am sure the math was somewhat easy. However, my panicking didn't help me at all. For some reason, I always do this. I'll just have to work on it. Thanks again for the replies. </p>

<p>As i've mentioned before, i'll be taking the SAT in May and June. I hope I don't f--- up the math section then! :-} </p>

<p>Is the graphing calculator better than your average scientific calculator? Everyone in the room on test-day was using a graphing calculator. Would ya'll recommend that I use a graphing calculator on the next test instead of the scientific one?</p>

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<p>I used to have a similar problem with tests. Junior year my classes got really hard, and I had one AP class in which tests were very hard (but curved). I had to learn not to think about how few questions I knew the answer to, because otherwise I would freeze up and do worse. That habit has stuck with me. While I take a test I devote exactly no thought to how hard the test is, how well I think I'll do, or anything of that sort. </p>

<p>It works for me. ymmv.</p>

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<p>i used graphing calculator, but i could probably have used a regular one. i'm just used to having a graphing calculator. i dont think there are many advantages to have a gc though. it wont hurt to use one on testing day. but then, my friend didnt have a calculator and he said he did just fine...so, its all in one's own opinon</p>

9

<p>Im doin the SAT in may ....bawwwwwwww
Well in the math sec...the graphs can rly mess things up :S
im cool wid math but i suckkk at verbal....i jus fall asleep half way through the compreh section...its too long n boring...z....
btw....is it true that for the old sat they had to learn alotta vocab words but we dun need as much vocab-studying for the new one
ciao :D</p>

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<p>to calm you down, take about a tablespoon of wiskey about an hour before</p>

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<p>yeah, I think beck86nj gave some good advice...I think that would help me so much!!! I always think about that in the middle of the test....feel like it's gripping my mind or something.....I like even start imagining how my college will react and if they'll drop me from my engineering major or something and then me being in loser classes so I can work up to an engineering class....and then getting depressed and making no new college friends.......and just staring at my desk with a blank mind for hours....and then me maybe finding some creative personal game to play with my pens and books on my desk to pass the time during the social studies classes I wouldhave to take as an undeclared major.....and then I start questioning about other majors and overanalyzing them.......</p>

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<p>Wow... DON'T LET YOURSELF DO THAT DURING A TEST, EVER. </p>

<p>Or ever in general, really. If you think about it, by the time you sit down to take a test (SAT or otherwise) there is nothing you can do about your level of preparation. Maybe you should have studied more, but that can't help you once you're taking the test. The only thing that can help you is to give it everything you've got; to make sure that your grader (whether it be teacher or computer) is shown every last bit of knowledge you have. The only way to do that is to keep a cool head. It isn't easy, I know. </p>

<p>Another thing you might want to work on is detaching your self-worth from how you do on tests. </p>

<p>If it sounds at all like I'm treating this stuff as trivial, trust me when I say that I know it isn't. Last semester I had a physics teacher who more or less considered it her personal mission to teach us that learning is more important than grades. We learned to be happy when we got a D- simply because we hadn't failed. I've pretty much completely detached myself from my grades at this point. There's no easy way to do it, but you'll be better off if you can manage it eventually.</p>

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<p>It's generally a bad idea to leave questions blank on the SAT.</p>

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<p>Well, leaving many blank is bad. If you can't eliminate any choices for a particular problem, leaving it blank is better than choosing an answer at random.</p>

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<p>Beck, thanks for your input. In fact, thank you all for your comments/suggestions. Dukedreamer, I doubt I will be able to get my hands on some whiskey. Could vodka work just as well? :-}</p>

<p>On the SAT, I tried my hardest not to skip any questions. I, towards the middle of the test, began to focus more, but my pulse was still pounding. I probably left more blanks on the Math section than the verbal. For me, the verbal has always been easier. A lot of people have said that they found the math section easier than the verbal for the March 12 test. It was the opposite for me. Oh well, we'll see in April. </p>

<p>I'm trying to score as high as I can on the SAT. As a homeschooler, the SAT is my ticket to college {hopefully the BS/MD program}. My 4.0 GPA isn't worth a d--- to the colleges. Why? Because of the fact that I am a homeschooler. So pretty much, the SAT is my only {sadly} way to further my education. And because I am aiming for the combined degree program {BS/MD}, I have to aim higher than some others. I'll also have to take a couple of SAT II's. I'll probably take the SAT II math, foreign language, and writing. Heck, I may even have to take the Chemistry one too. Let's just say I'm going to be very busy this year. </p>

<p>Thanks again for all your suggestions. I will definitely try them out!</p>