<p>@DigitalKing as you can see, I’ve perused through the Vocabulary part of Xiggi’s post, but not da grammar/writing part.</p>
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<p>It’s like asking Derek Jeter for his autograph. </p>
<p>@wcao9311 - Yeah, that is kinda out of line, man. He didn’t start this thread or have anything to do with it. Why should he have to explain himself to you or anyone else?</p>
<p>LOL Xiggi would respond if everyone hashtagged his name. I guess that is the only way for him to respond to it.</p>
<p>I summon the mighty Xiggi!</p>
<p>@Xiggi</p>
<p>And so do I! </p>
<p>@Xiggi</p>
<p>Haha, what is this commotion all about? </p>
<p>I am not sure how much there is to explain. The story is that about a decade ago, a CCmember asked me to describe and condense the ideas I had shared in the previous years. I simply described my approach in a series of posts in a thread that has been stickied in the SAT Prep forum for a long time. In addition, I invited professional tutors to comment and add their own views to how to prepare for the SAT. Since there are not that many posts in my “serie” there is really not much need to describe. Please realize that my suggestion is mostly based on common sense and the objective was to present an approach that was eminently doable by people of all levels. </p>
<p>The basic approach can be summed as … learn in the context of taking official tests. It is not about trying to identify a magical book full of shortcuts. It is not about learning a “special” list of words. It is all about refreshing your academic memory and learn/relearn concepts that are SAT specific. In theory, very little on the SAT is at a level above 10th grade (in math) but in practice, the presentation and the type of questions can surprise students who have not spent much time on such questions. Hence, the recommendation to methodically go through a set of tests and slowly build the necessary blocks of knowledge. Methodically because this works better by doing little but often. There is a time to take full time tests, but your preparation is best based on 20-40 minutes a day, and a section at the time. </p>
<p>Let me stress that there are no secrets, People over the years have derided the concept of … the more you practice, the better you become as simplistic. That might be true, but it also does work pretty well. Some have disagreed with some of my positions about “source books” that are not directly relevant to the SAT (by being deliberately harder than the tests.) When I wrote the original posts in 2005. I recommended to buy as many “prep books” as possible and use them to look up various methods to solve a particular problem (in addition to discuss in the SAT forum.) The idea was to find a solution that fit the learning type of the student. Most problems can be solved through different approaches. Some are faster. Some are time sinks. After a while, a student can develop his or her own “methods” and learn to recognize the patterns and traps. This said, I maintain that it is important to rely mostly on books that are well-edited, void of mistakes, and directly relevant to the SAT Reasoning test, and NOT the GRE, GMAT, or SAT Subject Tests. </p>
<p>Here you have it. Realize that I wrote the original posts in 2005 based on what I had “learned” by deconstructing the test. Later, I had the chance to validate my approach in a professional environment, and never found a reason to change much to the initial approach. Safe and except for a CAT process, I still believe that the proactive process of taking sections and verifying all answers to master to concept is still powerful. If done in earnest! </p>
<p>Last but not least, please realize that THIS site is one of the very best resources available, but you need to make it happen. You need to be pushing discussions, posting questions, and eventually helping others. In simple words, there are no better ways to learn than by trying to … teach. Try to arrange “study groups” with other members, discuss (and review) the last administrations, and keep your mind open for suggestions. Being a lurker is OK, but being an active member will pay huge dividends. Pay attention to the tips shared by professionals, and especially in the math preparation. </p>
<p>Best of luck to all! </p>
<p>PS Please do NOT send me requests for personal help, lists of past tests or books. I had to abandon helping some directly years ago, and the reality is that I always tried to share all I know in the public forums, and for all to see. And, as always, remember that by being totally free, the price was right! </p>
<p>Why is Xiggi so popular? Because she is just so darn cool and hip!! What’s not to like?!! 
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<p>She??</p>
<p>^^ Good point. I have not a clue if Xiggi is a he or she? I just wrote she without thinking. How about we just say demi-god and be done with it. </p>
<p>OK, demi-god sounds good!</p>
<p>Great! I like the levity shown in this thread. For the record, I am indeed a “he” :)</p>
<p>Sir, I am sticking with demi-god, if you do not mind.</p>
<p>Over 700 threads and 21 thousand replies??? Demi-god indeed!!! :)</p>
<p>You simply accept xiggi into your heart and don’t ask questions</p>
<p>By the way, pronunciation?</p>
<p>I love @xiggi!!</p>
<p>Because his method makes sense. AND he’s a demigod. AND he’s chock-ful of great information, ideas, and knowledge about anything and everything SAT and college-related. Nuff said?</p>