Common Mistakes Made When Preparing for the SAT
Some time in your life, you may have heard the phrase “quality over quantity.” When it comes to studying, we should always bear this idea in mind. The SAT is a rigorous test that requires you to study diligently and efficiently. At Aegis Advisors, we not only specialize in individualized SAT tutoring, but we are also dedicated to helping our students develop the best studying practices. We have compiled a list of common studying and test preparation mistakes, their negative effects, as well as some suggestions to do in their stead.
1. Studying without a plan
The SAT is composed of questions from an expansive list of topics. Tackling all of these concepts aimlessly and hoping to learn it all before test day is impossible. If you do this, you may end up mixing up related concepts, or altogether missing a concept when preparing. This is why making a plan is the crucial first step of studying for any topic. Crafting a study plan requires you to first know what specifically to study, prioritizing weaker areas over stronger areas, blocking out times for drilling, and leaving time to take practice tests. As always, consistency is key.
Suggestions: utilize a planner or checklist when creating your study plan to keep yourself accountable and make sure nothing important is missed.
2. Using inadequate materials
Because SAT content is so plentiful and challenging, it can be hard to know what materials to use when studying. Drilling random math problems and reading any article that you stumble upon will not adequately prepare you for the test. Similarly, using too many different textbooks and websites will lead you to inconsistencies, repeated content, and worst of all missed content. Knowing the specific topics that will be covered can also give you a clearer target. These topics can be accessed online through The College Board website.
Suggestions: know which topics will be tested and stick to a consistent bank of materials.
3. Passively learning
The first part of learning is receiving information, usually through spoken lectures, videos, or reading. Oftentimes students will overestimate the importance of this component of learning and overlook the second, more crucial stage of learning. When students only passively receive information, they end up having decreased long-term retention, a lack of critical thinking, and resultantly a lack of motivation. Active learning – or simply practicing – allows students to solidify newly-learned concepts so that they can reuse them later. What good would learning something new be if you forgot it the next day?
Suggestions: making flashcards, doing practice problems, and summarizing the concept in your own words.
4. Obsessing over hard problems
SAT questions range in difficulty from easy to hard. While drilling practice problems, you may encounter a question that is so difficult that you don’t know where to start. The wrong thing to do in this scenario is to get held up on this question and become demoralized. It is okay to look things up, as long as you have tried your best and you use reputable resources. On test day, you may encounter the same problem. You cannot look up a difficult problem in the examination room, so you will need a different strategy to deal with the unknown. If you have already tried what you know but are still coming up short, just move on to the next question. If you finish the rest of the section with time remaining, you can come back to the unknown questions and try again. The last thing you want to happen is to get stuck on a problem in the middle of the section and run out of time to complete questions that you do know how to solve.
Suggestions: when studying, look up what you don’t know. On test day, move on to the next question and come back if there’s time at the end.
5. Not asking for help
When the hard question inevitably shows, another thing that students often mistakenly do is keep the problem to themselves and not reach out for help. Whether it is because they are afraid of judgement or have a general lack of confidence, the effect is the same. Not asking for help when you are really stuck only leads to more confusion and more time wasted. Asking for help can be the simplest solution to the hardest problem. If you’re not sure where to go for help with SAT preparation, take your first step by reaching out to Aegis today.
Suggestions: always attempt everything by yourself first. When you do ask for help, be specific about which concept you are struggling with and remember to try it yourself afterwards.
6. Cramming at the last minute
One of the worst – and most commonly seen – things that students do when preparing for the SAT is leaving everything until the last minute. Unlike a test you might take in school at the end of a unit/module, the SAT is not only cumulative but not fixed year-to-year. Therefore, you will never know exactly what is on the exam until you are in the examination room. It is not possible to learn and remember everything you need to know for the SAT if you only start cramming a day or a week before you test. Ideally, you should start preparing months before your test date. The full test schedule is listed on the official College Board website; in general, there is one testing date once every 1-2 months. If you start preparing well in advance of test day, you have a much higher chance of consolidating all of the challenging concepts that might appear on the exam.
Suggestions: start early, try to connect newly learned concepts to old ones.
7. Neglecting break time while studying
It is very easy for students to fall into the trap of non-stop studying and believe that it is benefitting them. Neglecting to take breaks during studying sessions can cause stress, worsen memory, and cause mental fatigue. When you’re in the zone, study breaks may seem pointless, but they are scientifically proven to improve recall ability. Some techniques that help you structure your study time effectively while leaving enough time for breaks include:
- Pomodoro technique: breaking worktime into intervals, usually 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes break
- Section/concept-based break times: rewarding yourself with a longer break after successfully learning a concept and doing a fixed number of example problems correctly (ex: resting for 15 minutes after learning Pythagorean theorem and doing 10 examples correctly
Suggestions: thinking of breaks as rewards can help motivate you to keep studying
8. Studying instead of sleeping
Breaks are not only important during study sessions, but even more so after them. Your brain needs rest to consolidate the day’s learning and to be prepared for the next session. As established, it can be hard to stop when you feel like you’re on a roll with your drills and exercises. But the adrenaline that you’re feeling will eventually run out, and not going to bed will only make you exhausted and have a worsened memory the next day. It is of paramount importance to sleep the night before your SAT.
Suggestions: get 7-8 hours of sleep every night while studying. Being diligent about your study plan will allow this to happen.
Conclusion
Preparing for the SAT is not as complicated as it may seem. Just remember to stick to your plan, and leave ample room for rest and recovery. When test day ultimately arrives, your hard work will pay off. For information regarding next steps, see our post about what to expect during and after test day. At Aegis Advisors, we are always here to help guide you. Contact us today!