Sat Test

I was doing some SAT research and found some interesting videos on Google Video that have to do with the SAT. Some are amusing, some are students complaining about preparing for the exam, about having taken it and not done well and some are people wanting to give you advice on how to boost your chances at coming out of the SAT with a high score.

The videos are all fine, if you like that sort of thing, but none that I found really seem to be offering any concrete help in SAT preparation. A few of them were slick advertising for some SAT books or courses you could buy in order to prepare.

All the SAT videos in the world won’t help you prepare to take the SAT. What will help you is a determination to succeed and setting goals to make it happen.

Someone once said if you don’t write down a goal then it’s not a goal it’s just a wish. I think this means that if you’re not going to set some concrete goals and steps to make that goal a reality then you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Write your goal down. Is it getting 2400 on the SAT? If so, then write that down. Now you know where you want to go. The next step is getting yourself there. 2400 is the BIG goal. Now you need to set small, reachable goals in order to get to the big one. Set time aside each day to practice your vocabulary. As you do it, cross it off your list. This will give you a feeling of accomplishement. Make a goal to learn a certain number of SAT vocabulary words per week. Mark off your progress on a chart. As you see the marks pile up you’ll see how much progress you’re making towards the BIG goal of getting a perfect SAT score.

If you continue to reach your little goals you will be moving slowly but surely towards the main goal you’ve set. Reward yourself for milestones reached. Treat yourself then go back to work on your goal. If you do these things and put your forth your best effort, you will succeed.

Going to high school can be a wonderful experience. You’re getting ready for the rest of your life, especially if you’re a senior. You’re getting ready to take the SAT and choosing where you want to go to college. You’re actually planning your future.

That’s a huge deal. Going to college is exciting and even a little scary. You may be going away from home for the very first time in your life or you might just continue to live at home and go to a college near your house. Either way, you’re in for some wonderful new experiences in the next four years of your life.

If you are planning on going to a college some distance from your home, you’re going to have some decisions to make about where you want to live. Dorms on campus or off campus housing? I’d recommend that you try living on campus for at least the first semester to give you a chance to find out how things work at your school. This will give you some time to acquaint yourself with the surrounding areas of the university. Take time to walk the neighborhoods, look at what off campus housing has to offer. Living on campus your first year might make it a bit less intimidating for you. If you have an older sibling that goes to the college you are admitted to and they are living off campus, you might want to look into moving in with them.

One thing you’re going to experience at college is having a roommate. Depending on how you grew up, this could be a culture shock of a very serious kind. If you have a lot of brothers and sisters in your family and you’re used to sharing a room with someone, the having a roommate at college shouldn’t be that much of an adjustment for you. If you’re an only child and have never shared a room with another soul before, then this might take some time to feel comfortable. A roommate can turn out to be your best friend or your worst nightmare.

Campus Housing offices generally try to match roommates that want the same things, as applicants fill out their admission forms for housing. If you’re the studious, religious type then it might be best if you were not paired with a punk rock playing slacker. Not that I believe anyone would actually put that down on a housing application, but you see where I’m going with this. It’s best to be compatible with someone that you’re going to be spending a lot of time with.

If you find that you simply cannot get along with the roommate that has been assigned to you, talk to your housing office. Generally they can help you change rooms or make other arrangements in order to make you more comfortable.

After the first year of dorm life you may feel that off campus is where you need to live. By this time you’ve probably checked out what’s available and decided where you want to live. Dorms are generally for the underclassman, but you can live there during your entire college education if that’s where you are most comfortable. You can even apply to be an RA, a Resident Assistant. An RA lives on your floor or in your building. They are generally an older student who knows how things work, and they are there to help you with any issues you might be having. Your RA is the person to talk to if you need help or have questions about your dorm room or rules.

Wherever you decide to live while you’re at school, make sure you feel safe there. After all, it’s your new home for the time being.

In my last blog I talked about how important it is to schedule your time and make sure you don’t neglect study time. In this blog post I want to give you some ideas to help you relax from the stress of studying for the SAT, working and just being a teenager in general.

*Take a hot bubble bath, yes even if you are a guy. You’ll be surprised at how relaxing it can be.

*Read a good book, one you don’t have to read for any class. Send your imagination soaring and you’ll forget about the stress of the day.

*Go for a long walk. If you have a dog, take the canine with you for company. Look at the sky and the flowers and smell the fresh air. You’ll feel better and rejuvenated in body and mind.

*Retail therapy. This is mostly for the girls, but it can help the guys too. Going shopping or simply walking the mall and window shopping can be a way to kick back and relax.

*Do something nice for someone else. When you’re thinking about the needs of others, you rarely have time to feel sorry for yourself or wallow in pity for the things you’re going through. It’s one of the best ways to pick yourself up. Find someone who needs something, or seems down and cheer them up. You’ll feel better in the process.

*Watch a good movie. I’m not talking about some tense, suspense filled shoot’em up bam bam type movie; I’m talking about a classic movie, perhaps one you haven’t seen before. You’ll discover just why it’s called a classic once you see it.

*Grab some friends and play a game of touch football or baseball. Sharing sports with some good friends is an excellent way to blow off some steam and it’s good for your health as well.

These are just a few ideas to get you going. I’m sure you might have your very own way to take a deep breath and step back from the crazy world surrounding you. Whatever works for you is great. Remember that it’s not worth it to work yourself to death and forget to be you. All things in moderation.

Have you started your senior year yet? A lot of schools around the nation have already had their first day of school, some won’t begin until after Memorial Day. The first day of school is always exciting. You have to get your picture taken for your ASB card, pick up your class schedule and compare it to your friend’s schedules to see if you’re sharing any classes with each other or if you got the worst teacher on the school for Biology. Your notebook is new, the paper clean and smooth and not at all marked yet with notes or doodles. It’s a clean start, a fresh slate for you. Make the most of it!

One way to make the most of it is to set a goal for your grades and studying. Make a schedule so you don’t lose important and valuable time by spending five hours beating Halo when you should be studying for that chemistry exam.

Yes, it’s time to go back to school and back to responsibility. While it’s not always the most fun you can have, it is very important. When you do your best, when you work your hardest and get that A or A+ you have a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. It’s yours and yours alone. You did this, you worked for it and made it happen. Nothing can take that away from you, unless you allow it to happen.

There are a great many things pulling you in many directions during your senior year in high school. You’ve got to maintain your high grade point average by studying and doing well on tests, you have to prepare to take the SAT if you haven’t already done so, you might have a senior project that you need to finish for graduation and you might even be involved in sports or other extracurricular activities that are all calling for your time. We all have only 24 hours in each day and by cramming as much into it as possible it’s easy to become stressed, lose sleep and lapse into unhealthy eating habits all in the name of saving time. Don’t let this happen to you.

It’s a good idea to schedule your study time, just as you would a doctor’s appointment or a class. If you don’t set aside some time for your SAT prep, the it could quite easily fall through the cracks and be forgotten. Get a notebook calendar or use your electronic blackberry or simply write it down on a piece of paper, but DO write it down. It’s easy to overlook if it’s not written down.

If you have friends who are preparing for the SAT as well, you might want to schedule a block of time during the week to get together and study. You can quiz each other on vocabulary and math and practice writing essays. However you study, make sure you have a set time for it and don’t let it slide behind playing video games or surfing the Internet for hours. If you have problems losing track of time when you’re online it might be a good idea to have a timer with you. Set it for an hour and when it goes off, stand up and walk away from your computer. It’s easy to sit there instant messaging with friends and posting on myspace and before you know it, four hours have gone and you have nothing to show for it. Use the timer, or have your parents clock you. However you want to do it, time yourself. Make time for the really important things. I’m not saying that relaxing isn’t important because it is very important. What I’m saying is that you need balance and if you’re spending an inordinate amount of time on one thing and ignoring other areas of your life, then you need to reevaluate your habits.

In my next blog I’ll give you some ideas that will help you deal with the stress of being a senior and having so much on your plate right now.