Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Standardized Tests How to Triumph!
Standardized Tests How to Triumph! As a high schooler, youâve probably heard a lot about at least two standardized tests, the ACT and the SAT. Colleges typically require you to provide one of these test scores on your application, making the whole process feel like a daunting hurdle you need to clear. Since these tests can be overwhelming and confusing, weâve provided some tips to help you prepare and lead you to success. Make sure to register! This sounds silly. It makes you think of all those times your mom or dad asked you if you had your lunchbox when you were hopping off to grade school. Of course you did;younever forget these things ⦠until you get to school and realize all your food is at home. Obviously, remembering to register is important. The registration deadline for most standardized tests, including theACT andSAT, is around a month before test day. Thereâs often a late registration period, but you may have to pay an extra fee for signing up late. Bummer. It costs money to register for the test, but students from low-income families may be eligible for a fee waiver. Talk to your high school counselor as soon as possible if you think this might apply to you, since youâll need the fee waiver before you register. Bottom line is to sign up, and sign up early. It takes time for scores to come in, and signing up for an earlier test means that youâll have the option to retake it multiple times if you want to. Sending Scores to Colleges When you register for your tests, you can choose to send your results directly to the colleges youre most interested in. This is the quickest way to send your scores, and its also free (assuming you arent sending to more than four colleges, that is). If you decide to send your scores to Illinois, our SAT I code is 1836 and our ACT code is 1154. Study! Or donât. There are so many different ways to approach standardized tests. Some people study every single day leading up to the exam, and others waltz into the testing room without ever having opened a study guide. It all depends on who you are as a student. Major standardized test websites provide free study guides and even old exams that students can work through at home. You can useACT study resources orSAT prep guides to study by yourself or with a group of classmates. Some students enroll in test prep classes or hire tutors, though these options will probably cost money. No one is going to make you study for these tests (well, some people might). Itâs okay if you want to take your chances by not preparing, but in that case, be prepared instead that you might have to take the test more than once. Donât get one good nightâs sleep ⦠get two! No matter how hard you study, you wonât be at your best if you canât keep your eyes open during the test. Youâll be functioning like a zombie, and not even a cool zombie, but one that didnât get enough sleep before its standardized test. Definitely not cool. Catch up on your sleep and youâll be much more able to face any challenges during the next day! Plan out your morning. The night before, decide how youâre going to get ready for test day so youâre not rushing in the morning. This includes figuring out where youâre going, how youâre getting there, what time youâre going to leave, what youâre going to wear, does your watch work, why did your sister break your watch without telling you, etc. Itâs also important to plan out what youâre going to eat the morning of. After all, breakfast is the dayâs most important meal. Youâll definitely want to eat something before the test, whether itâs a home-cooked meal or a couple of granola bars in the car. Itâs a good idea to bring snacks for the breaks in between tests as well. Keep things in perspective. Yes, standardized tests are important, but they are by no means the be-all and end-all of your life. In fact, theyâre not even the be-all and end-all of your college applications! While a score that youâre happy with might be helpful when applying, many colleges,including Illinois, perform a holistic review of their applicants. This means that test scores are only part of what the admissions team looks at. Who you are is more important, and it always will be. Keep things in perspective. Though it might be hard to believe right now, many college students donât even remember what their test scores were past their freshman year. Think beyond the score. If youâre feeling anxious (or spiteful) about taking a standardized test, try to think of it as an opportunity to learn about yourself. The takeaway from these tests shouldnât just be your score, because you are definitely more than a number. Your experience leading up to this test is more than a number, too. Maybe you wonât use your score after youâre done applying to colleges, but taking this test can still be extremely valuable. You can gain a lot of insight into yourself and even learn new skills when youâre preparing. Try asking yourself these questions throughout the process: What helps you prepare most?As you study, think about what works for you and what doesnât. Do you like working with groups, or do you naturally want to study alone? What distracts you, and what helps you focus?How do you approach stressful situations? Do you procrastinate? Are you unable to see the forest for the trees? Or are you unable to see the trees for the forest? Or are you wondering why youâre in a forest in the first place and why your eyes arenât working?How do you feel during the test?What goes through your mind as you take the test? Do you manage your time well? Was there any part of the test you liked (or at least didnât mind)? Was there any part that you absolutely couldnât stand?How do you react to your score?Do you feel relieved? Discouraged? Motivated? Do you feel pressured to compare your scores with your friends or siblings? (Or are you the one asking others to share their score?) How do you define âa job well doneâ? It takes a lot of endurance to get ready for a test like this. Through it all, remember that you are you, and you are awesome. To do the best you can do is to triumph, and in the end, itâs very possible that youâll walk out of that test room thinking, âHey, that wasnât too bad after all!â applying college prep resources high school planning Illinois Admissions We're here for you as you prepare for college. Whether you're looking for guidance on the college search process or have questions about Illinois, we hope our blogs will help!
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