|
If you find yourself doing a lot of calculations that resemble school math problems the SAT, you're probably not doing it right. There is always a fairly simple solution. The kids who do well, do so because they see the simplicity of the problems. I can't count how often I've shown a kid a solution only to have them ask, " Is it really that easy?" And I always reply, "It really is that easy."
I have yet to see an SAT problem that asked for the distance between two points that actually required the use of the distance formula, for instance, because what they're really trying to find out is if you know that said formula is based on the Pythagorean theorem. So they'll give you a simple 3.4.5 triangle to work with.
They only test the most basic concepts and never in a way that school does. One of my personal favorite questions was the last on a section. It asked: If 4506^x = y, what is the greatest possible value for y-x? Some kids with Cs in precalc can answer this without looking up from Assassin's Creed because they look for the easiest possible numbers that will work. ( If x is 1, then y is 4506 and y-x=4505 ) I've had other kids with 5s on AP calc bring out complicated techniques only to stumble.
Forget school math. It generally does a horrible job of teaching concepts. Remember, if it's hard, you're probably doing it wrong. Think about what the expression or picture in front of you MEANS. As for the geometry, all you need to know that you didn't learn in 7th grade is in that little box at the beginning of the test. Look for places to use them.
| 
