SATs? More Like SAPlease-Give-Me-a-Good-Score (Am I right?)

Because I was officially done with SATs forever as of December 5th, I think it's finally time for me to write about them. I won't be able to give any concrete advice concerning the substance of the test since the SATs are changing as of 2016 (March of 2016, I think), but I still have some things to share that I think will be helpful for all you future test takers.

1. It's all about psychology

The main thing this test does is mess with your mind. The new test is supposedly designed to be easier and include concepts that are similar to the content taught in high school (I honestly don't believe that). They want to trick you, convince you that whatever problem you're doing is more difficult than it really is. Remember, you're supposed to be able to solve each question in less than a minute. If you're thinking really hard or you have a lot of scratch work for a math problem, then you're answer is probably wrong. You've got to get into the head of the test maker. Think of it like you're in the Hunger Games and the only way to make it out alive is to think like the sick, twisted Game Makers. It's not easy (well, apparently it is for some people but that's pretty rare) but it is possible.

2. Practice, practice, practice

I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear, but you need to practice. Go buy the College Board SAT Prep book. Not only do they have examples and tips, but they also have ten practice tests. SparkNotes has a whole area dedicated to SAT and ACT Prep and to find out more about the new test and for practice questions, visit College Board's website.

3. Vocab

If there's anything you do to prepare yourself for this demon of a test, please do yourself a favor and study your vocab. Some of the questions on the test aren't that hard but if you don't understand the words they're using in the questions, then you're in huge trouble. If you at least know the words, then you'll have a good chance of picking the right answer simply based on context. "But Sasha," you say, "Studying vocab words takes so much time. I don't have time!" Well, you're in luck! A quick way to learn a word a day is to download the Dictionary.com App. They have this really cool thing called Word of the Day where you can, get this, learn a new word every day. That way you can literally boost your vocabulary in 20 seconds. Even better, if you write the new words down, then you can study seven words every Sunday so you can memorize them and actually be able to use them. Pretty simple and not very demanding, if you ask me.

4. Think outside the box

Like I kind of alluded to in my first point, the math section isn't really math. You really don't need to know anything past the basics of Algebra II, the nefarious test makers just like to word the problems in a confusing way so you have no idea what they're asking you. Something that I did to help myself see through the distracting garbage in those questions was to do Sudoku. For those of you who don't know, Sudoku is a Japanese number puzzle where you have to use the numbers 1 through 9 in each row and column but you can't have the same number repeat in any one row or number. The whole point is to get you to see patterns and see things differently than you normally would. It's really, really hard but it becomes easier once you start seeing the patterns. Just doing one puzzle every few days or dedicating one day a week just to doing Sudoku can help you look at SAT Math differently. Also, it's pretty fun once you get the hang of it. You can find these puzzles online or go to Barnes and Noble to get a book full of them.

5. Take the test more than once

I advise that you take the SAT for the first time between January and May of your Junior year (preferably before May, though, because if you take any APs, then you'll have to prepare for both tests at once, which is very stressful, trust me). I was supposed to take my SAT for the first time last January, which ended up not happening because, contrary to my personal plans, I took classes at an SAT Prep school which was not helpful to me at all and I was still very much unprepared by the time January rolled around. (I only recommend SAT Prep schools if you're willing to do lots of extra homework and if you learn well in large environments with little to no personal help from a teacher). A lot of sources have said that taking the SAT more than 2 times is not helpful and actually will result in you getting a lower score. This was not true for me. My third test produced my best score because I didn't feel pressured to score high because I already had two other scores to fall back on in case I did horribly on the third one. Once you've already taken the test twice, you know what to expect the third time and there's no reason to be nervous because, in a worst case scenario, you can just use your other scores. Also, prepare yourself really well for the first time so you don't have to study for the second or third time. You'll already have all the knowledge you need to pass, just without the nerves to hinder your performance.

So, here are my top 5 tips concerning the SAT. I haven't taken the ACT but if you're reading this and you have taken the ACT, please let me know if you would be willing to write some advice concerning it and send it to me so I can post it on here. Happy reading!