You can smell junior year in the air. Homework assignments hanging over your head, the lame excuses you say to your friends when you can’t hang out due to the overload of work, and the pressure from your parents and coaches to succeed. All of the stress adds up, and what better way to make it worse than to add SATs on top of all the anxiety?
SATs are infamous for their level of difficulty and long time frame which concerns a high schooler throughout their junior year.. In order to get a head start on the preparation process it is best to review, review, and review. According to parents-and-kids.com, reviewing simple grammar rules is key. Not only should you purchase a grammar review book, but you should invest time in studying common vocabulary from the SATs themselves to get an advantage on the material, especially for the critical reading and writing sections.
SHS English teacher and SAT prep instructor Ms. Shanley said, “The most important [in preparing for the SATs] is to practice. So whether its practicing in a structured environment like an SAT prep class, you can get comfortable with the timed nature of it.” She also said, “I think familiarizing yourself with the format of the exam gives you strategies to succeed.”
While many may argue that SAT prep classes are costly and expensive, they do help reduce stress for many students. Revolution Prep offers classes for SHS students who are looking for some extra guidance and useful strategies for taking the SATs. Another useful tool most students do not utilize are the numerous SAT apps for smartphones. It may sound like a waste of time, but these apps are useful when you’re on the beach and want to cram in some extra studying time while relaxing under the hot summer sun. Some helpful SAT apps include IntelliVocab for SAT, Smart Vocab SAT, and SAT Math Review. These apps can be at your fingertips, so take advantage of these wonderful opportunities that are just waiting for you to pick up and utilize.
Studying up on simple elementary concepts from your middle school years may sound monotonous and repetitive, but reviewing basic math, vocabulary, and sentence structure will help you in the long run. Nothing is worse than when you are taking the actual test, and you can’t remember a simple concept which you know you have learned in previous years. By studying in small spurts, you can help to make this occur less often. Instead of studying in large capacities and all at once, you should try to study a little bit each night after school whether you’re reviewing useful vocabulary, or completing a practice test. Whatever it may be, preparing for the SATs will become a lot easier if you just put in the time and effort, and utilize the resources that are available to you.