Work at least one practice exam from Part 5 or www.collegeboard.org. Do your diligence and keep practicing! Get your stamina ready for the SAT marathon plus get a sense of what’s on the exam. Review your practice exam afterwards, so you know where to focus. Best case, review it with a friend who is also taking the SAT and has taken the same practice. Check out Chapter 20 for good ways to use the practice exam to boost your score.
Clear your calendar of all unnecessary activity so you can study as much as possible. It’s time to prioritize, and it’s just for a few weeks. Anything that can wait: Let it wait. Right now is crucial, and an hour in the weeks before your exam is worth a lot more than an hour in the weeks after. That movie or golf game can wait.
Get a wristwatch so you can manage your time. Now is the time (so to speak) to go to the store or online and get a nice, simple wristwatch that has absolutely no functionality at all except to tell the time. Try it out, make sure it’s comfortable, and most of all, make sure it doesn’t beep, otherwise the proctors will take it. More on the cutting-edge, exam-changing, night-and-day difference that the advantage of having a wristwatch gives you in the upcoming section “It’s All You: What to Do the Morning of Your SAT.”
Planning It Out: What to Do the Night Before Your SAT
Your SAT is tomorrow. Scared? That’s normal. When you walk into that testing room, everyone is scared — except you’re more prepared. The fear is normal, so don’t deny it. Just accept that tomorrow is a big day and do what you can to control it. More on handling anxiety and taking control coming up in this chapter, but for now, here’s what you do on the night before the SAT.
Most important: Don’t study anything. Instead, get your rest. You’ve prepared for months (or weeks), and you’ve built your skills and addressed your gaps. Right now, you need to build your strength, so get some rest. There’s always one more thing to review, but now is the time to shift focus from studying to conserving energy.
Don’t go out. There’ll be another party or game. Stay home and relax, maybe read or watch a movie. (No binge watching! You need your sleep.) Have a good, wholesome dinner and avoid anything intense like sushi or super spicy food. The last thing you need on exam day is an upset stomach.
Resist the urge to contact friends who are also taking the test. If they’re nervous too, their anxiety is not going to help you relax. Instead, mitigate (reduce the effect of) your anxiety by taking control of the situation. Take control of the morning by setting your phone alarm and asking Mom or Dad to wake you just in case, so you’re not worried about oversleeping. Take further control by getting your stuff together (detailed in the next section) and placing it all in one spot, so it’s ready to go and you’re not worried about forgetting something. As you take more control of the situation, the rest will follow.
It’s All You: What to Do the Morning of Your SAT
Whatever your normal morning routine is, do the same on this day. Along these lines, eat something good that you’re used to, that has protein (eggs, cheese, meat, tofu, and so on). Stay away from sugary foods (donuts, sugary cereals, and the like) because sugar gives you a surge of energy and then a chunk of fatigue. You don’t want to crash in the middle of the Reading Test.
Bringing the right stuff
Be sure to have these items with you. Get them together the night before:
Admission ticket for the SAT: Don’t leave home without it! If you registered online, print out the ticket. If you registered by mail or phone, make sure you have your ticket. (If your ticket hasn’t arrived, check with the College Board, ideally a week or so before the test.) Without your ticket, you can’t get in, and you’ll have to do this whole routine over again.
Photo ID: The SAT accepts your driver’s license, school ID, passport, or almost any other official document that includes your picture. The SAT doesn’t accept your Social Security card, library card, or anything without your picture. If you’re not sure what to bring, ask your school counselor or check the College Board website at www.collegeboard.org.
No. 2 pencils: Don’t guess. Look for the No. 2 on the side of the pencil. Take at least three or four sharpened pencils, and be sure they have usable erasers. You can also bring one of those pink rubber erasers.
A calculator: You don’t absolutely need a calculator to take the SAT, but it does help on some questions. A four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is acceptable, but it cannot make noise and it cannot connect to the internet. There are other rules too, so if you’re not sure, check the College Board website (www.collegeboard.org) to see if yours is on the list of acceptable devices. Also, the day before the exam, check the batteries or plug it in.
Some snacks: Bring some healthy snacks (trail mix, cheese, or other non-candy items) in your backpack. You can eat them during your rest breaks, and your water bottles can keep them cold.
Water bottles: Bring a couple chilled water bottles to drink during your breaks. Don’t bring anything sugary like soda or juice, because you’ll crash and get even more thirsty. If you want to bring something with electrolytes, such as a smart water, make sure it’s a drink that you’ve tried before: If it gives you a headache, you don’t want to discover that on the day of the test.
A wristwatch: You must, must, must wear a wristwatch to the exam. Wearing a watch is a huge and easy step for you to manage your time and take control of the testing situation. Dissolve a big part of your anxiety by knowing exactly when each section will end and how much time you have. The worst way to take the SAT is in constant fear of the proctor jarring you with, “Put your pencils down!” Your wristwatch can’t beep or be a smartwatch, so on this day, bring something cheap that tells the time and does nothing else.
After you arrive at the test center, take out what you need and stow the rest of the stuff in a backpack under your seat.
Taking control of the tension
You’ll probably feel nervous when you arrive at the test center. This is normal, and it’s okay. Try a couple of stretches and head shakes to chase away tension. During the exam, wriggle your feet and move your shoulders up and down whenever you feel yourself tightening up. If you roll your neck, be sure to close your eyes and not to face the other students so you don’t risk a charge of cheating. And take a few deep breaths to calm yourself.