I hate standardized testing and I hate the ACT. I took a practice test a few weeks ago without doing any studying and I got a 31, which I start was a good starting point. I took another one at a testing center and got a 30 which kind of bummed me out. I studied a lot this break and was feeling a lot better and today I took a test out of the red book and got a 29. Ughhh this is so frustrating and my mom is so angry at me. With school and ECs starting up again its going to be even harder to find times to study.
The worst part is I don’t even understand my mistakes. I went back through them and read the explanations, but a lot of them especially on reading still don’t make sense to me.
Does anyone else have no clue whatsoever how to write the ACT essay? At least for the SAT essay, you can tailor the prompts to fit your own personal views, but the ACT essay is so superficial, and I honestly just don’t care about the topics the ACT prompts are about.
@KE3299 Don’t get down on yourself! You are always better off having studied, even if it seems futile at times. Also, remember that your score can fluctuate a lot despite your ability staying the same. If you want help on English or Reading, feel free to DM me specific questions and I will do my best to explain them in a different light
@photogeek8 the ACT essay sort of reminds me of some AP Rhetorical analysis prompts we have in english - imo, the act essay’s more about developing 1-2 examples in an argument (as well as explaining why the other arguments are partially incorrect)
I have so many systems set in place for this year. This break strengthened my resolve, and I’m ready to be productive and not waste time in the whirlwind that is third quarter. I’m hoping that this whole setup doesn’t collapse tomorrow!
I figure that the hardest part of doing anything is overcoming your own inertia. It’s like, you want to read a book but first you have to draw your energy away from the Internet, and it requires energy to get moving in the direction of the book, although once you’ve started you’re happier. Oh, actually, that sounds like an exothermic reaction with a high activation energy, doesn’t it? Well, whatever the metaphor, once you get started doing homework/writing the essay/reading the book/working on that project, it’s easy to continue to do so. My resolution is to start with the productive thing every time so that I don’t have to change my direction; I’m already going that way. And when breaks are exercise or cleaning, they won’t disrupt the pattern either… we’ll see how this goes.
Does anyone have any tips for increasing the writing score on the SAT? My score is really low, on practice tests I usually score between a 570-610. I took the SAT in October and got a 580 on writing. My essay wasn’t the problem, I got either an 8 or 9 (I can’t remember), but I don’t really know how I should try to improve. Should I just do practice sections and analyze why I got the problems wrong that I did? Any advice is appreciated.
@MissRB0021 Learn the 13 grammar rules. Just know them. You can’t always rely on how it sounds, as the English language is often spoken incorrectly. Also, use Erica Meltzer’s SAT Grammar Guide.
@Studious99 Yeah! Northwestern I want to dual major in Neuroscience and Music Performance. The only two schools that offer this that I’m interested in are NU and Vanderbilt but I have legacy at NU and family lives nearby which makes it really nice! I hope i get in. LOL. Just have to retake ACT and do good and get my audition tape perfected.
@sprights you’re lucky you’re basically all set with your major and school and everything. Most of us are just blindly applying to schools hoping we get accepted somewhere haha
@coffeeaddicted I guess, but NU is so hard to get into…and my gpa isn’t 4.0 UW either so that lowers my chances by a lot @Studious99 Piano! I’ve played most of my life. I would like to do voice as well but I may be getting ahead of myself right now
I want to ask about the study hall: is it actually useful? And what are some of its benefits/drawbacks? I have it at school but literally no one applies for it. I’m curious though, because I heard its actually helpful…
@BethanyD I like having a study hall a lot, because it gives me the opportunity to get started on my homework. I also have mine at the very end of the day, so I’ve already had all of my classes beforehand. Some drawbacks would be that sometimes you might not feel like working, then it would be a waste. Also, if you end up with a lot of friends in your study hall they might end up distracting you a lot.
Nothing like an all-nighter after break haha
