Need Advice...1500 SAT :(

ksarmand
Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:44:42 +0000

My schedule for preparing for standardized exams (not the SAT; it was for PSAT before 9th grade) was as follows:

Sunday:

[ul]Prepare weekly schedule
[]Ensure that all appropriate materials (calculator, pens, pencils, books) are available
[]Outline one subject you would like to study in-depth for the week
[/ul]

Monday*:

[ul]Take three consecutive sections of the one topic selected (CR, M, W)
[]Review answers
[]Do practice exercises based upon the questions I got wrong
[li]Select five terms to commit to memory from that topic[/li][/ul]

Tuesday:

[ul]Take the day off
[]Set aside proper materials for next study session
[]Commit list of terms to memory[/ul]

Wednesday*:

[ul]Take three consecutive sections of selected topic (timed)
[]Review answers
[]Do practice exercises based upon incorrect answers
[]Compare your wrong answers from today with those from Monday
[]Compile a list of 10 terms to memorize (all pertaining to your current section of choice)
[/ul]

Thursday:

[ul]Take the day off
[]Prepare materials for the next day
[]Commit list of terms to memory
[/ul]

Friday*:

[ul]Take three consecutive sections of selected topic (timed in a setting as close to an SAT exam room as you can get; I use my library’s quiet room)
[]Review answers
[]Do practice answers based upon those incorrect answers
[]Compare your wrong answers with those on Wednesday and Monday
[]Make a list of the types of questions you generally get wrong; commit this list to memory
[li]Compile a list of 20 terms to memorize[/ul] [/li]
Saturday:

[ul]Take the day off
[li]Memorize lists[/ul] [/li]
And that’s pretty much what I did. Hope it works for you!

*Each study session should take no more than approx. 3 hours; your focus will decrease if you do more

Edit: I did not do this for SAT prep, but the after-effects of that studying (three years later :)) enabled me to get a 1510/2270. In my opinion, studying like this allows you to really familiarize yourself with the exam.