In a couple of months, the St. Louis High School junior students will be taking their SATs, and while the test isn’t until Spring, it’s a good idea to start studying now.
The SAT is a standardized test typically used for college admissions worldwide. It measures critical reading, math, and writing. According to bestcolleges.com, with the SAT debuting in 1926, the original purpose was to standardize the admissions process administratively and to force New England boarding schools to adopt a uniform curriculum. The test was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test for most of its time and later tossed around other names such as the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I: Reasoning Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, and now it’s just the SAT.
Senior Bethany Bowerman shared, “My advice for first-time SAT takers is to go to bed early the week of the exam and to drink a lot of caffeine the morning of the exam. I almost fell asleep during the test because I was that bored, and although I slightly regret it, it is what it is.” A lot of colleges take SAT scores into account when looking at applications. While it’s not the only factor, it’s important to do well on the SAT if planning to attend a four-year institution. Even when someone isn’t planning on attending college, it’s smart to study and score well to see what opportunities might come from it.
Nowadays, there are plenty of ways for students to prepare for the SATs. One frequently used resource when it comes to studying for anything is the Internet. The Internet offers not only tips for taking the test but also free practice tests students can take to get an idea of what’s going to be on the actual SAT.
For instance, in an article titled “How to Prepare for the SAT” on bigfuture.collegeboard.com, there are multiple tips available for juniors who have to take the test. One is, “If you took the PSAT/NMSQT, you should review your results to understand your strengths as well as areas you need to improve on.”
Bowerman later added, “While the SAT is important to measure your level of education, it’s not something you should pressure yourself over too much. It’s more about how well a person can learn, what they’re willing to learn, and what they know. And besides, being classified by a number that tells you whether you’re smart or not is so overrated.”
