About four months ago, I returned from studying abroad in Japan for a semester (6 months) during my junior year. I will be taking the SAT this coming august and have been stressing out about how this entire experience might’ve affected my chances of getting into a few of the colleges I am looking to apply for this coming fall. During my time abroad, I attended a Japanese high school and followed a normal schedule like every other student. I am very worried about how having participated in this semester abroad is going to affect my chances of getting a decent score on the math section of the SAT. I didn’t take the PSAT before leaving (very dumb of me), but I have taken a couple of practice tests online. I score pretty well on the the English and reading sections, but score very poorly on the math sections.
I was not placed into a math class upon returning to my high school. (I went abroad during my first semester) My counselor thought it would be better for me to start off math from the beginning, as it is a subject that builds up on itself, so I wont be in a math class until next year. I also thought that jumping right into a math class during the middle of the year wasn’t really the best thing to do.
While I did have a math class in Japan, I couldn’t understand a majority of it. (I was nowhere near having the Japanese skills that a native speaker has) So basically I haven’t had a formal math class since sophomore year, which was geometry.
I know that I will need to brush up on a LOT of math skills on my own considering how long I haven’t done any kind of math and will most definitely have to teach myself new topics since I haven’t taken algebra 2.
Whats the best way for me to do so ??? I haven’t had much luck in finding resources that teach the subjects from the bottom up. I’ve tried Khan Academy, but im really not a huge fan of their instructing. I’ve found that a majority of SAT prep programs and books are written and made for people who already have a good grasp on almost all of the subjects you are tested on. (complete opposite of me!)
Algebra 2 can be a pretty difficult course, even with a good teacher. So I think I would recommend a different approach. Why not spend your time making sure you remember all the Algebra I and Geometry that you’ve already learned? Make sure that the only questions you’re missing on the SAT by the end of the summer are the ones you really haven’t been exposed to.
I agree with your assessment of Khan Academy. I think Sol Khan is a brilliant man, but I hate many of his explanations.
Here’s what I think I would do in your shoes:
- Get a copy of the Barron’s SAT review book. Before you buy, check to make sure there’s a grid at the end of each practice test, detailing what topic was covered in each question. (So: “Quadratic equations: 1, 5, 17” type stuff.) Then take 3 or 4 practice tests. Keep track of the topics you’re getting wrong; this is where you need to work.
- Hit sites like TeacherTube, YouTube, and ExplainEverything. Review those topics there, taking notes, making flashcards for the formulas, and so on.
Can we assume that you’re taking Algebra II in the fall?
I wouldn’t go with prep books quite yet. It sounds like you need to learn some more math before delving into prep books. Fortunately, textbooks are designed just for this purpose. I would get a good one for Algebra II (or College Algebra/Precalc if you have already taken Algebra II). Get one where the writing is understandable to you. Read it very carefully and complete the exercises–remember that there are answers in the back (you could also get a teacher’s edition). If there is some topic you don’t understand in the textbook, there are plenty of useful videos online that should be able to clarify things for you.
Thank you for your response bjkmom ! I’ll be sure to check out that book. I will be enrolled into algebra II this coming fall.
TheSATTeacher, thank you for your response. I’ll be on the lookout for some textbooks on algebra II.
Is there a way you could get a tutor over the summer?