If you are a junior, chances are the word “SAT” is enough to strike fear in your heart. The SAT, a standardized test most take in 11th grade to embellish their college applications, is a major source of stress for students. Most of them have been preparing since 8th grade, when they took their first PSAT, or preliminary SAT, and many take the real SAT for the first time during October, November, or December. But what exactly makes it so stressful?
“I find it hard to manage studying and my schoolwork at the same time,” says Areeba Hammad, junior, sharing a common problem students face. With classes getting more difficult and many students taking anywhere from one to four AP classes, it is challenging to clear one’s schedule to study for the exam. Even if they did have time, they are often too drained from all their schoolwork and homework to even open an SAT workbook. For many, starting the studying process is the most difficult part, as the test can seem so daunting that they may not know where to start.
Others, however, had already started studying before school, and all its assignments, started. “Over the summer, I looked over free resources online and took some tutoring classes like the ones offered at C2 Education, as well as doing practice tests,” says junior Shifa Alhaddad. “I knew that I would have less time when school started, so I decided to utilize my time during break.” Those who studied during the summer followed the advice found in Khan Academy’s article, “Creating an SAT Prep Plan,” “…it’s a good idea to start studying during the summer before your junior year if possible.”
Whether studying during the summer or the week before their SAT, many juniors find help in online resources like Khan Academy and the practice exams and questions on the Bluebook app. Practice exams can help determine a baseline score to work off of, and practice questions can help improve that score to land in one’s desired range. Additionally, students utilize workbooks that teach concepts and strategies. “My workbooks have helped me realize the specific parts of the subject that I lack knowledge in. For example, I realized that I was strong in problem-solving and data analysis but not as much in geometry,” says Mona Alavi, junior. An SAT course can also be helpful, as it comes with already established deadlines and work for students so they don’t have to pace themselves. Even without a course, students can still structure their own self-study plan with the help of many SAT prep websites.
Students either take the SAT in the fall, spring, or summer of junior year, and many students took it this Saturday, November 8th. “I feel nervous but prepared because I’ve been taking practice tests, but I’m scared specifically about the vocabulary and geometry,” said junior Eman Hayee about her upcoming exam. “I’m aiming for higher than a 1500, but I’ve never been able to get that score on practice tests before.” Fortunately, students can take the SAT multiple times to get their desired score, and some colleges even allow them to superscore, or combine scores from different modules of different exams.
Though the SAT can cause a lot of stress to juniors who are expected to take it for college applications, focused and purposeful studying using free online sources or buying workbooks or courses can mitigate that. Additionally, many colleges have made the SAT optional for their admissions, reducing the importance of the exam. And finally, to those taking the SAT in the upcoming months: the BHA Post wishes you the best of luck!
