Why We Love the Official Question of the Day App

We have to admit, we are not at the cutting edge of technology. It was not until yesterday that we purchased our first I-Phone. One of the first things we did was upload the Official Question of the Day app from the I-tunes store. The app is free and is excellent for several reasons:

1. It is very easy to navigate.

2. Students love their phones but rarely look at their computers or emails, so they are much more likely to actually use this feature on a regular basis.

3. Students can access the last 7 questions so the recalcitrant (SAT word,look it up) student can make up for lost time

4. The screen is set up so that the question appears without the answers. This is perhaps the most important feature of all because we teach that the question is much more important than the answers! Students can focus exclusively on analyzing and understanding the question before requesting the answers (which appear on a separate page).  Once the student totally understands the question, the answer usually pops of the page in a matter of seconds.

You can access the app from your I-Phone by searching Official Question of the day from Apple’s App Store or by clicking on the Icon on the Question of the Day page from the Collegeboard.

Did You Take the March SAT? Comments Welcome!

If you sat for the March SAT please comment on the experience.  Was this your first SAT?  What parts of the exam did you find challenging?  Did you write a good essay?  Were there any oddball math questions?  Did you adequately prepare?  Will you be taking another SAT?

Misery loves company!  Please share your thoughts.

Focus and Attention to Detail

Focus and attention to detail are important skills necessary to excel in the SAT and in life.   The SAT requires focus and attention to detail.  Many questions are missed because students misread or misinterpret the questions and come up with an answer based upon not what is on the paper but what they “think” is being asked.

In life focus and attention to detail are also important.  Would you want your pilot to stray 2% off course?  Or would you want your accounts payable department to add some extra zeros to a vendor and overpay them?  Or how would you like it if your administrative assistant booked your hotel and flight to San Antonio for an upcoming conference on March 21st but inverted the numbers and made the arrangements for March 12th?

Important SAT Test Dates for 2012

H.S. Juniors have 3 chances to sit for the SAT during the second semester:

March 10, 2012

May 5, 2012

June 2, 2012

Clearly the time to start planning is now!  It’s too late to register for the March 10th test.  So the practical choices now are either May or June. Most schools are off this week for the President’s mid-winter recess.  Use this time wisely to register, to buy some test prep materials and to research some test prep companies and/or private tutoring services.

Thoughts on the SAT Cheating Scandal

Don’t do it!  Don’t even think about it!  Don’t ruin your life before its starts.

Paying people for things you can do yourself is lazy, immoral and illegal.  If you start paying people to take an SAT in High School where will it end?  Will you start paying people to take your college and graduate school tests?  Will you pay people to write your papers and to “stand in” for you at final exams?

Then, later in adulthood will you pay people for “inside information” and trade on that information?  Will you start paying bribes to politicians for favorable deals and contracts?

If you start down this slippery slope two things will inevitably happen– the money will run out, leaving you with no skills or sense of self-worth; or you will wind up in jail with plenty of time to think about how your life went so terribly off course.

Timetable for High School Juniors

Mid October 2011 Take the PSAT

While awaiting the results in December take 10 minutes per day to attempt the Official SAT Question of the Day from www.collegeboard.com as well as learn a new word via the Word of the Day from www.dictionary.com

December 2011Obtain PSAT  Results and review your score report.  Determine which SAT or ACT test you will be taking.  Figure out what type of test prep is right for you.  Learn about all the options available including large classes, private tutoring or self-study.  January SAT Test takers should begin their test prep

January 2012 March test takers should begin their test prep as soon as the first week of the new year.  10-12 weeks of intense study before a test date is a good rule of thumb.

“When the Student Is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear”

The title of this post is from an ancient Buddhist proverb.  I thought about it today as I was helping a student prepare for next Saturday’s SAT exam at her local public library.  As she  focused on a 25 minute math section, my eyes glanced around the book stacks and I zeroed in on the test preparation books in the reference section. I was awestruck by the sheer volume of competent information available. It was then that I realized that all the SAT prep knowledge is readily available for students.  Across the room, another tutor was teaching a woman how to read.

Books, tutors, audio tape, videos, power point presentations, online courses, flash cards, smartphones,etc.  The technology is there. The material is there.  The flow of information is the constant. It’s the student that is the variable.  He or she must have the work ethic, the desire to improve, the energy to improve his or her lot in life, the motivation to succeed.  The student is the variable.  When the student opens his or her mind to learn, the teachers are already there.

ACT is this Saturday, SAT is 3 Weeks Away, PSAT is 5 weeks away.

High School Juniors and Seniors, it’s a new school year and a whole new Standardized Test schedule.  Its time to focus.  The summer is over and as sad as this news may make you feel, I guarantee you that you will feel a lot worse if you don’t start to refocus on killing these tests!

Just to motivate you I have found an interesting article called The Top 5 Reasons To Take The SAT Just click on the link and read it.

Preparing for this test is not a waste of time!  Diligent preparation will leave you with lifelong skills and habits.

Eliminate Before You Calculate!

In this fast paced, video game, text messaged world, the desire for instant
gratification has never been greater. I have witnessed many students fall into
this speed trap, especially when it comes to answering the Math SAT questions.
The need for speed often leads to misread questions, sloppy set ups and silly
mistakes.

Important Tip:

Before coming up with the answer, read the question as many times as necessary, until it is
fully understood. Next, eliminate the obvious incorrect answers. For example–if the
answer calls for a positive slope, eliminate the answers with negative slopes;
if the answer must be less than 90 degrees, get rid of all those answers greater
than 90 degrees. This method allows you to enjoy more accurate calculations
while avoiding the “sucker answers” which are designed to catch the careless
speed demons

Important Test Dates For the Fall of 2011

ACT- September 10, 2011
SAT- October 1, 2011
ACT- October 22, 2011
SAT- November 5, 2011
SAT- December 3, 2011
ACT- December 10, 2011