One of my first lessons for my students is that you cannot stress about the SAT or ACT. Stress is not allowed on the test because your life represents more than just a test score. The more you get wrapped up in the score, the more you stress. And the more you stress, the worse you perform.
Even the latest study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling points out that a student's success in college has little or nothing to with the fact that he or she reported test scores to the university.
In fact, this study implies that using standardized test scores as a predictor of college performance is not a reliable model. Students that submitted test scores to colleges finished their degrees with a trivial difference in both GPA and graduation rate as compared to students that did not submit test scores.
Now, it would be premature to think that the sunset is upon the SAT and ACT. These tests remain major factors in the college application process. But since over 800 schools hardly use the ACT or SAT for admission decisions, the writing may be on the wall.
The best advice, at this point, is to prepare for both the SAT and ACT as if they were games or puzzles to solve. Don't let stress enter the equation. Keep your brain focused, fresh and flexible. Just because you may have to take the test doesn't mean you should stress about it.
If you remove the stress over achieving a perfect--or near perfect--score, then your performance will soar.
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Few things on television deliver goosebumps like the Olympics do. Politics aside, the stories of these elite athletes are as remarkable as their achievements.
Undoubtedly, Olympic athletes have incredible skill. More importantly, they train hard. 10,000 Hours hard.
What if you trained 10,000 hours for the SAT or ACT? How would you perform?
I always find it curious when I come across students that call themselves bad test takers. As I talk to these students more, I find out that they play a musical instrument, practice a sport and/or maintain long term personal relationships. Basically, they are skilled in something that has required time, dedication and persistence.
Test taking is a skill that can be learned through time, dedication and persistence. Even if you think you are a bad test taker.
Not every athlete is going to win a medal at Sochi, and not every test taker is going to achieve a perfect score. But those that train hard to master a skill will be rewarded with achievement.
The Olympians of Sochi are an inspiration to us all. They show us that it takes hard work to overcome obstacles, perfect a skill and accomplish goals.
Achieve your test taking goals with help from CROSSWALK, the Monterey Peninsula's resource for test prep and academic tutoring. Contact CROSSWALK for more information about Boot Camps, Skype sessions and other test prep services. Learn more SAT test prep tips by reading 2400 Scores.
