Comments on: How to Ace the SAT: A No-Nonsense System for Students Looking to Score High http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/ Demystifying Student Success Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:47:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Study Hacks http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-7014 Study Hacks Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:11:25 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-7014 <blockquote>I was just wondering if you would like give a list of like books taht are like good for the sat</blockquote> To be honest: any book. Go to the bookstore, look at the tables of new releases, grab things that really catch your attention.

I was just wondering if you would like give a list of like books taht are like good for the sat

To be honest: any book. Go to the bookstore, look at the tables of new releases, grab things that really catch your attention.

]]> By: joe http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-7012 joe Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:37:46 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-7012 <strong>I was just wondering if you would like give a list of like books taht are like good for the sat Thnaks I was just wondering if you would like give a list of like books taht are like good for the sat

Thnaks

]]> By: Dottywine http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6488 Dottywine Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:49:58 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6488 @Mack, do you understand what KIND of test the SAT is? It is not an academic test to see what you have learned. It is kind of a logic puzzle. Anyway, your method did not work for me, Cal. I think what would have helped me break 2000 is if I had followed my Rocket Review Revolution book as I was going through the study process. To study for vocabulary, those books are a waste of time. You just need to get the red and blue book and study those words in there. You will find the same kind of words and even duplicates of a word and save time. You'll also become familiar with the logic of the SAT. Writing simply requires a good memorization of the grammar rules the SAT follows. Math is the hard one. I did what you said, Cal. I tried to rework those hard math problems. I just couldn't get it. I forgot that these math problems are not like my school test. Its a logic game and I just didn't get the logic of it. @Mack, do you understand what KIND of test the SAT is? It is not an academic test to see what you have learned. It is kind of a logic puzzle.

Anyway, your method did not work for me, Cal. I think what would have helped me break 2000 is if I had followed my Rocket Review Revolution book as I was going through the study process.

To study for vocabulary, those books are a waste of time. You just need to get the red and blue book and study those words in there. You will find the same kind of words and even duplicates of a word and save time. You’ll also become familiar with the logic of the SAT.

Writing simply requires a good memorization of the grammar rules the SAT follows.

Math is the hard one. I did what you said, Cal. I tried to rework those hard math problems. I just couldn’t get it. I forgot that these math problems are not like my school test. Its a logic game and I just didn’t get the logic of it.

]]> By: Nazim http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6375 Nazim Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:32:24 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6375 FreeRice.com is an excellent resource for studying for making the SAT Verbal section your bitch. FreeRice.com is an excellent resource for studying for making the SAT Verbal section your bitch.

]]> By: 3nigma http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6303 3nigma Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:01:37 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6303 Thanks for the response, Cal. I hope you're right man. The GRE seems to be so... useless and unrelated to what grad school is supposed to be about. Thanks for the response, Cal.

I hope you’re right man. The GRE seems to be so… useless and unrelated to what grad school is supposed to be about.

]]> By: Mackenzie http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6268 Mackenzie Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:17:17 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6268 The SATs are dreaded? Er...why? You know Johns Hopkins has 7th graders take it just for the hell of it to see how they do as compared to 12th graders. I was surprised at how bad the 12th graders did, or rather, that they did no better than the middle schoolers. As far as I'm concerned, that's proof that the SATs are too easy. Geometry's the highest level math on it, right? You can be done with Calculus 2 by the end of high school, though. OK, not everybody does finish Calculus 2 in high school (I didn't, since I didn't take math my senior year, opting to take college courses instead), but pre-calculus should at least be on there. Or maybe it's a sign that high school is useless, if 7th graders and 12th graders know exactly the same amounts. The SATs are dreaded? Er…why? You know Johns Hopkins has 7th graders take it just for the hell of it to see how they do as compared to 12th graders. I was surprised at how bad the 12th graders did, or rather, that they did no better than the middle schoolers. As far as I’m concerned, that’s proof that the SATs are too easy. Geometry’s the highest level math on it, right? You can be done with Calculus 2 by the end of high school, though. OK, not everybody does finish Calculus 2 in high school (I didn’t, since I didn’t take math my senior year, opting to take college courses instead), but pre-calculus should at least be on there. Or maybe it’s a sign that high school is useless, if 7th graders and 12th graders know exactly the same amounts.

]]> By: some random person http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6252 some random person Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:06:18 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6252 I did one full length practice test about 3 months before the real thing, and I signed up for one of those email 'SAT question of the day' things about a year in advance, so basically one question a day for a year. No other prep, got a 2310 on my first go :) I love crossword puzzles, word games and dense fiction, though, and I live in a country where the stuff on SAT maths is covered in elementary and middle school (I don't think anyone in my year got less than 650 on the maths section), so lots of 'unofficial' test prep not covered by looking at the actual study. For the SAT 2s, I did three practice tests for each subject, got 800 on all of them, also on my first go. That was also pretty much it in terms of specific study, but I did all three of those subjects for IB and had mock exams at the same time as the SAT, so I didn't bother studying separately. I did one full length practice test about 3 months before the real thing, and I signed up for one of those email ‘SAT question of the day’ things about a year in advance, so basically one question a day for a year. No other prep, got a 2310 on my first go :) I love crossword puzzles, word games and dense fiction, though, and I live in a country where the stuff on SAT maths is covered in elementary and middle school (I don’t think anyone in my year got less than 650 on the maths section), so lots of ‘unofficial’ test prep not covered by looking at the actual study.

For the SAT 2s, I did three practice tests for each subject, got 800 on all of them, also on my first go. That was also pretty much it in terms of specific study, but I did all three of those subjects for IB and had mock exams at the same time as the SAT, so I didn’t bother studying separately.

]]> By: Cory Levy http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6250 Cory Levy Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:14:22 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6250 I am going to be an upcoming junior in high school and am currently at CU doing a summer study (studying the SAT). I would love to hear what books you think would be a good read to help increase vocabulary scores. I took a practice test a week ago and my worst section score was critical reading. Those long passages and questions kill me! I am going to be an upcoming junior in high school and am currently at CU doing a summer study (studying the SAT). I would love to hear what books you think would be a good read to help increase vocabulary scores. I took a practice test a week ago and my worst section score was critical reading. Those long passages and questions kill me!

]]> By: Julie http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6249 Julie Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:38:12 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6249 The first time I took the SATs, I had done a computer software study kit that had practice tests and practice questions. I started and worked on this for several weeks before the test, and used a Kaplan study book as well. Ironically, when I took it a second time a few months later, I did absolutely no studying prior to the test, got a very good night's sleep the evening before, and ended up scoring over 200+ more pts, putting my score at a 1520. I used this same method taking the PCATs in January and outscored every other person I knew who took the test that day. Maybe it was just luck, but I wholeheartedly believe that a good 8-9 hours of solid sleep without cramming the night before makes all the difference in your performance and attentiveness. The first time I took the SATs, I had done a computer software study kit that had practice tests and practice questions. I started and worked on this for several weeks before the test, and used a Kaplan study book as well.

Ironically, when I took it a second time a few months later, I did absolutely no studying prior to the test, got a very good night’s sleep the evening before, and ended up scoring over 200+ more pts, putting my score at a 1520.

I used this same method taking the PCATs in January and outscored every other person I knew who took the test that day. Maybe it was just luck, but I wholeheartedly believe that a good 8-9 hours of solid sleep without cramming the night before makes all the difference in your performance and attentiveness.

]]> By: Mike http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6248 Mike Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:52:20 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/07/11/how-to-ace-the-sat-a-no-nonsense-system-for-students-looking-to-score-high/#comment-6248 When I studied for the GRE and was scrounging for "get smart quick" links on the web, a blog post from an Indian student suggested reading PG Wodehouse novels to improve verbal skills (math was easy for this guy). I'm a bookworm so the verbal was no problem, but I had hard and lingering problems with the math. I prevailed though. I wrote two long posts on my GRE experience at my old blog <a href="http://highunimportance9.blogspot.com/2006/08/v800-q640.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> and <a href="http://highunimportance9.blogspot.com/2006/08/rating-my-gre-study-materials.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. When I studied for the GRE and was scrounging for “get smart quick” links on the web, a blog post from an Indian student suggested reading PG Wodehouse novels to improve verbal skills (math was easy for this guy).

I’m a bookworm so the verbal was no problem, but I had hard and lingering problems with the math. I prevailed though. I wrote two long posts on my GRE experience at my old blog here and here.

]]>