BITS: Basic Instructions (Before) Taking the SAT
Less than twenty-four hours to the test. What do you do?
I’ll tell you what you shouldn’t do: cram in a whole bunch of testing.
The Point of Practice
A few years ago, a student asked for my advice on how to prepare the week before the test, and I gave it to him. Pretty much the same thing I’ve been saying over the past few days.
Friday morning before the test I run into this kid at school and friends, he looked…beaten down.
He told me his parents basically locked him in and made him complete a full practice test every day that week, and I think I gasped audibly.
I asked him what he was going to do that night, and he told me his parents wanted him to complete a whole ‘nother test before Saturday morning.
Would it surprise you to know that this student made minimal gains on that test?
Here's another story along those same lines: In the first couple of years of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise, their coach (John McKay) was known for his brutal practice habits. Even when most teams had backed off their practice schedules during the grind of the regular season, McKay had his teams practicing in full pads for hours, sometimes twice a day.
Would it surprise you to know that the Bucs lost the first 26 games they played?
In both of these cases, by the time the real test/game rolled around, the test takers/players basically had nothing left to give, mentally or physically.
The point of practice the day before the performance is not to wear you down to a nub. It is to sharpen you to a fine point, so that you can do your best when it is absolutely necessary.
So if you’re wondering what you should be doing today, wonder no more.
Cram Seshes Don't Work!
Generally speaking, I have a ZERO TESTING policy. That is, you practice as long as you need to to feel confident in every area by Thursday evening, then…step awayyyy from the test book! If you must relieve your anxiety on a particular section today, make sure you schedule all of your practice time before noon. This practice should be a final walk-through, completed under relaxed conditions. No bubble sheets, no time constraints. Turn the timer off and think out loud, if necessary.
All you’re trying to do is affirm your weeks of preparation. Rehearse your lines, in a sense.
By lunchtime, do yourself a tremendous kindness and cut the test prep off. You’re ready for this. Trust your weeks of preparation and begin to prepare yourself - mentally - for Saturday morning.
Tammy Test-Taker's Day Off!
For the rest of the day, do something you love. If the weather is good enough, take a walk. Binge that show you’ve been putting off because of test prep. Laugh with friends. Do whatever it takes to get your mind off of the test looming in the distance.
Eat a satisfying dinner that involves at least one of your comfort foods. In my house, Friday night is pizza night, so my meal might be a few slices of deep dish pizza and a bowl of Denali Moose Tracks ice cream.
Just before bedtime, start making your final preparations.
First, reduce the variables.
Everyone I’ve ever talked to about this has had That Dream. You know the one - you’re sitting in class and you’re in some way unprepared for whatever it is that is about to happen when the bell rings and class begins. For me, it’s always the last day of the term, and it’s always some advanced math class. The sloped auditorium buzzes with panicked undergrads humming equations to themselves like monks reciting prayers.
Me? I’ve got nothing but this feeling that I’ve missed class all term, and now the prof is about to hand out the final. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in that room long enough to see the actual exam! Usually, I bolt out of sleep and roll over to the next dream, but sometimes I just pretend that I have to go to the bathroom and run out of that building like I was Forrest Gump at the University of Alabama.
You can short-circuit that nightmare scenario before it ruins your test day! Remember that once the adrenalin begins to flow tomorrow morning your decision-making skills will be somewhat diminished, which creates a perfect scenario for you to forget something essential. Don’t leave that to chance!
Get It Together!
You need pencils, a working calculator, your test registration, and a photo ID. And some sort of sustenance (snack, water, energy drink, etc.). Make sure you put the non-perishable items on this list together in a container that is easy to take with you out of the house and into the testing venue. Like a drawstring bag or reusable grocery bag.
If you’re driving already, enter the correct address of your testing center into your GPS, today. That way it will be right there at the top of your history when you need it tomorrow. If you’re getting a ride, make sure you coordinate pick-up times with that person. Call, text, talk to your parents, whatever. And verify. The last thing you need is to arrange everything perfectly, only to have your ride fall through.
Lay your clothes out like the first day of school! Okay, maybe you don’t need to go that far.
But maybe you do.
Breathe!
Take half an hour and meditate. Put on some ambient music, stretch out on your bed or a comfy couch (in a place where no one will walk in and interrupt) and prepare yourself mentally for what is about to happen the next day.
Focus your thoughts on breaking down the barriers that might have blocked you from achieving your best score.
Or whatever else you want to include in your mental slideshow. Everything you think or say to yourself should point you toward breaking barriers, calmly and comfortably, free of stress and anxiety. Believe that your most ambitious score goal is there for the taking like the ripest, sweetest fruit hanging off of a tropical tree branch.
Get a good night’s sleep! Eight to 10 hours is enough for you to feel rested, but I also realize that most teenagers survive on less than that. Whatever it takes for you not to be dragging by 10am, sleep that long.
Personally, I could probably make it work with six or seven good hours of sleep and a strong enough energy drink to give me a boost during the long break. As I’ve said several times, whatever works for you!
In the morning, eat breakfast! Your brain needs that fuel. Or if you’re like me, test anxiety does a number on your stomach and you just physically can’t eat before the test. That’s fine! Bring a snack for when the anxiety subsides and you need a little pick-me-up during a break.
If the test begins at 8am, make sure you are there no later than 7:40am. It’s time to put your plan into action!
tl;dr
Remember that today should be a day of calm, not chaos. Cut yourself off from practice by noon, then find something to do that puts you in a happy, peaceful state of mind. Eat a good dinner and prepare your take-away bag so that the only thing you have to do in the morning is shower, dress, eat (if you can), and go!
And don’t forget to breathe and visualize crushing this test. It’s well within your reach if you’ve made it this far in your test prep.
Thanks again for reading! If you’re taking the SAT exam tomorrow, you’ve got this!