For high school juniors who intend to attend college, the SAT is a significant milestone, and because of the pressure and high stakes, it’s critical to get as much assistance as you can. Some seniors at Quartz Hill High School who have already gone through the SAT process only a year prior are willing to provide underclassmen with insightful advice on how to do well. Here are the opinions of a few students who have already lived through this process.
One prominent piece of advice from seniors regarding the SAT is the need for time management. “ Effective time management is key to the SAT,” says Trenton Morrison, a senior at Quartz Hill. “During each section, you need to pace yourself. It is so easy to become engaged in challenging problems, but if you have time, it’s best that you skip them and come back later.” Trenton isn’t the only one who can stand by this advice. Many other seniors also recommend this because the test is time,d and spending your valuable minutes on a difficult question can take away from time spent on simpler ones.
The importance of practice is yet another crucial piece of advice. “Before the day of the test, I took a lot of practice exams,” says Arabella Bourdon, another senior at Quartz Hill High School. “It really helped me understand the format and rules of the test.” Official SAT practice exams, which are replicas of the actual exam, are another thing consistently recommended by seniors. “It helped me get used to the types of questions and the timing,” says Trenton. In addition to teaching students about the format of the examination, practice exams also assist them in specifying their areas of weakness.
You can’t depend on your strengths to get you to the end of the exam. Focusing on your weaknesses is a necessary part of practice. Daisy Curry, a senior at Quartz Hill High School, suggests, “Don’t ignore your struggles.” Spend more time going over formulas and concepts if math is your weak area. You will perform better on exam day if you practice the areas you are uncomfortable with the most. This tip stresses how crucial it is to determine where to concentrate your efforts rather than putting too much effort into areas where you are already proficient.
Putting your health and well-being first, even when academics are crucial, is a tip that most overlook, but it could really mean making or breaking your exam score. “Don’t neglect your mental health,” advises Daisy. Get enough sleep, eat well, and take pauses when studying. Cramming the night before is not nearly as important as having a clear head on test day.
Although the SAT is unquestionably a difficult exam, success is achievable with enough studying, time management, and self-care. Juniors, I recommend that you approach this test with clarity and confidence by taking into account the advice of your upperclassmen, who emphasize the need for strategic preparation.
