Do The Easy Questions First

Today's Question of the Day involved a series of mathematical combinations and permutations. While the mathematical calculations were simple (as they always are) understanding and setting up the problem would have taken a lot of time (as most difficult math questions take). SAT scoring does not reward more points for these difficult questions. The SAT is not like Olympic diving or figure skating or even AP classes, ie. there is no extra credit for degree of difficulty. So don't be a hero, get as many easy points as possible, then go on to the medium questions then after checking for careless mistakes, use any extra time to tackle the more difficult questions. A math question which takes 5 minutes to solve is clearly not worth the time and effort and omitting such a question will not adversely impact your score.

Track Your Study Progress

Fitness trainers map out the workout routines of their clients by using written progress charts. Writing things down and observing incremental progress is good for the psyche. The same can be said for an SAT study plan. I give my students a 10 week progress chart. Each week they cross off with a big red marker vocabulary words, reading passages, math problems, essay topics and writing multiple choice questions that were assigned to them. At the end of 10 weeks many stare in awe and ask, "Did I really just learn 100 new words, write 10 essays, complete two books of math problems and read fifty essays in Time Magazine? I didn't feel like I did all that!" Yes because it was done in small baby steps. You certainly can accumulate a lot of knowledge working one hour per day. If anyone wants me to send them a sample SAT Progress Report template, please email me at steve@testniques.com

Learn From Your Mistakes

When reviewing practice exams, you will learn more from the questions you get wrong than the ones you answer correctly for several reasons. First, if you answer a question correctly, presumably you already know how to do it, so there is no reason to focus on something you already know. Or worse, if you got the question right because it was a lucky guess you may think you know something you don't. Wrong answers represent with certainty, questions and concepts that must be studied. Ask yourself, "Was this a careless error? Do I understand why it is wrong? Is there a better method to get the correct answer?" For sentence completions, study all the vocabulary word answer choices you don't understand. Re-read a passage and try and find the answer. Learn a new rule of grammar from an incorrect short answer writing question. Look for patterns. Do you find that the same type of questions always give you the most difficulty? For example, a student of mine had trouble answering the critical reading main idea questions. So I directed the student to some study aids and quizzes designed specifically for that type of question. This is what I call efficient study time. Use your time wisely by zeroing in on those questions that pose the most difficulty.

Why Do I Have To Know Geometry?

At my local pool, a teenage girl sat on a lounge chair, highlighter and pencil in her hand along with a bunch of math problems. Eventually, overcome with frustration, she blurted out for all around to hear, "Why Do I Have To Know Geometry?" One adult surmised, "Well if you're not going to be an astronaut, I guess you don't really need to know geometry" Wrong!!!!!!! While the the subject of geometry is not important per se, the problem solving skills used in geometry are life altering. Geometry, crossword puzzles and sudoku all are activities which involve problem solving skills. Many successful people on Wall Street who are the top traders in their field are also champion chess, bridge, backgammon and poker players. Many social scientists use "game theory" to solve complex issues. Just realize that when studying for the SAT you are not wasting your time. Acquiring problem solving skills is a good thing! It will help you in college and aid in your profession and in your ability to make money.

New SAT Reporting Rules.......

Be Careful what you wish for! Starting with the class of 2010, the College board will give students the option of choosing which of their complete SAT scores to share with college admissions offices. This rule is similar to that of the ACT and it favors students who can afford to take the test as many times as possible. This policy will include the SAT and the SAT subject exams known as the SAT II. Please note--this new found freedom to choose can backfire as well. Colleges that consider the best sub scores will not be able to cherry pick the Math score from October and the Reading score from January. You must elect to send in scores from an entire test or exclude an entire test. Some schools which oppose this policy such as U.S.C. may still require full reporting as a condition of admission. For more information on this breaking news please click on this link to the L.A. Times http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sat21-2008jun21,0,1318580.story

A Journey of 3000 Miles............

begins with one step. Ex NY Giant captain George Martin just completed a 3003 mile walk from NYC to San Diego, CA to raise money for 9/11 rescue workers. Martin began his journey on Sept. 16, 2007 and averaged 22 miles per day for approximately 10 months. The lesson here is that remarkable things can be accomplished with baby steps. Students who can devote as little as one half hour per day this summer, will be able to accumulate up to 45 hours of study time before school starts in the fall. Imagine 45 hours of study time for the SAT without impacting your daily routine. It takes 21 days to form a habit. So by July 10th, the half hour study time should be as routine as brushing your teeth. Slow and steady wins the race. Start now, don't wait until the last minute. Be the best prepared of all your classmates for the PSAT in October 2008.

SAT Writing Section

According to a new study by the Collegeboard, performance on the SAT Writing Section is the best indicator of a students performance in his or her freshman year of College. According to the data on 150,000 students, the writing section is a better predictor than the math or critical reading sections. Introduced in 2005, the writing section consists of one 25 minute timed essay, one 25 minute multiple choice section and one ten minute multiple choice section. The complete study is to be released this summer. To read more about this please click on the link to USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-04-24-sat_N.htm