Studying for the SAT
Using the school vacation for test prep.
by Rachim Baskin

TWEENS & TEENS News May/June 2008

Summer is just about here. You probably want to work on your T-A-N, not the S-A-T.

Thing is, it’s intelligent to prepare for the SAT in the summer months. The alternative, starting the study process in September, is too late to help you for the November or even December tests— unless you make it your prime focus, which is hard as you’re starting school at the same time. The good news: You can fit in study time and still enjoy your favorite seasonal activities. During the summer, effective SAT prep can be devoting just a handful of hours each week to the task, meaning you don’t have to lug your books to the beach.

Here are a few primers to get your brain in gear for easy, breezy study sessions.

One question: Traveling 40 mph to the beach a few towns over and 30 mph back, a one-hour trip averages out to?

a. 30 mph. No. That’s obvious, you say.
b. 40 mph. Ditto, too easy. Good, you’ve gotten rid of two answer choices.
c. 35 mph. Divide 70 by 2, and you get the number 35. Thus, the correct answer is 35 mph.

Second question: The SAT is
a. Overvalued. Why should four and a half hours of your life matter so much? (See the ninth bullet point in the next section.)
b. Tricky. Well, the standardized test only remains tricky for teens who are lax about studying.
c. Straightforward. You bet. The SAT tests whether you know proper test-taking skills. But, the SAT is also hardball; if you’re naive, you’re out!

In relation, the test-makers are:
a. Also the umpires. Due to a proctor’s error, a student of mine, along with the rest of the room, was shorted 12 minutes on the math section of the SAT. That’s a significant amount of time. I’d use every minute to take the test, and I am three times as old as you (but two times older; see how sharp you have to be come test day?). My gripe was the test-makers’ offer: Either keep your damaged score or take the SAT II, which, in my opinion, is harder, and is a whole new test to study. Yet, what the umpires decide, goes.

b. Not always right. They don’t tell you that the guessing penalty is vaporized by the guessing reward. This is simple to prove. And you sure can eliminate answers by prepping for the test.

Insight on Acing the SAT
Make strides come test day by using these strategies for successful summer studying.

•If you can learn from a book— and commit to studying this summer— head to the library. Your library lends free red-and-white books that help many test-takers with the preparation process.

•Realize that little practice brings little results. One set of parents was disappointed that four weeks with me— yet no practice between tutoring sessions— didn’t raise their son’s SAT score. Now I warn students and parents: A great score requires months of work, including understanding the system, then practicing.

•The SAT always throws the same pitches. With practice, test-takers can anticipate and break down questions and answers, yielding higher scores. If the answer seems obvious, it’s likely not correct.

•Months ahead of the test, get a vocabulary list of about 300 words. Rather than the ridiculous lists of 3,000 words and up, manageable lists should encourage you to absorb— not memorize— a few vocabulary words each day. Stash the list in the kitchen, living room or another spot in the house where family members spend time each day. Ask your parents and possibly your siblings to help you learn the words.

•The SAT essay is no big deal. Check out articles revealing how to tackle the essay on www.tweensandteensnews.com, such as “Mission Impossible Made Possible.” The piece outlines how to easily prep for and answer the 25-minute assignment.

•Generally, math questions on the SAT should not be solved in the same ways as in class. Learn the tricks and games to answer standardized problems in the most timely— and least stressful— ways on test day.

•For the reading comprehension portion, think like a lawyer. If it says “Jane was rich,” we can’t assume she was generous, stingy, happy— or anything else about her, unless the text explicitly reveals Jane’s other traits. Don’t infer, even if asked to. Rich means Jane has money, period.

•Realize that scores are not precise. A change of even 60 points up or down means nothing.

•In your quest to find the best-match college, and one that accepts you despite your SAT scores, consider going to one of the fine schools that doesn’t require SAT scores for admission.

•Though you should study consistently, last minute cramming is actually smart. Recently learned material has a high retention rate, according to textbooks for Psych 101.

•Fidgeting is good, too. It brings blood to the brain, according to NASA.

When it comes down to it, to ace the SAT game, you need to learn and practice the material well before the actual test day.

With patience and enthusiasm, Rachim Baskin tutors people of all ages in most subjects. Contact Baskin at (201)840-5161.