It’s that time of year…high school students across the nation, and around the world, for that matter, are studying their academic behinds off for the upcoming SAT and ACT. These exams are aptitude tests that most colleges use to determine what a student has done, and more importantly, what they feel a student can do. There are basically four ways to tackle preparing for these exams. What are they, you ask? So glad you queried! Read on, then!
First method – London Bridge thumbs are falling down
First, a student can choose not to study. After all, this is supposed to be a test of all they have learned and how they will perform later. It actually does make perfect sense to not study as, if a student feels he/she has always done what was required in his/her academic career thus far, it is not unreasonable to feel that he/she is as prepared as can be. Of course, we at London Bridge do not agree with this train of thought. It is true, there is not a lot of material to be learned for this test…to even try to actually acquire new information is just a bad idea. However, as there may not be a lot one can do about actual content of the test, there is plenty one can do about the test itself. Students who walk into a SAT examination room “cold,” so to speak, often find that although they feel confident as can be about content, they are not so confident about the structure of this particular test. It does not happen at any other time in a student’s academic career that a test is given in such a format, with such rules and regulations, and for four straight hours. Taking the time to prepare for the SAT /ACT is a preferable choice because of these things.
Second method – London Bridge is swaying dangerously in hurricane winds.
The second method is to try to go about it alone. A student can go out and buy himself/herself a preparation book full of little tricks, vocabulary flashcards/lists, and practice exams. At London Bridge, we kind of like this method. It shows a lot of determination and, even more importantly, self discipline for a student to do something like this. However, as much as we like this idea, it is not our favorite. While it does show a certain amount of “moxy” on the student’s part, we could not help but notice that most students do not do what they are supposed to on their own. Most students will get a book, skim through it, maybe even take one of the practice tests, and then figure they have everything they need. This is not to say that some students actually will not do this and wind up doing it well, but what we are saying is that in the majority of cases, it does not turn out that way. Also, as these people are adolescents, they therefore have a basic human, hormonal purpose in life (at this point, anyway) to do all things fun and social and not very academic. In other words, the student may desperately want to do well on these tests and even go out and buy a book to help, but at the end of the day, when it is only himself/herself to fight with on whether to study or to go to Starbucks with friends to laugh about how ridiculous it sounds to order almost anything on the menu there, you can pretty much count on Starbucks winning the battle.
Third method – London Bridge stands firm but decides standing isn’t enough – it wants…more
The third way to study for these tests is to take a class or workshop dedicated to them. We at London Bridge want it to be known that we care only about things that are in the best interest of students. That being said, and we say this with more love than Hallmark will ever be able to express, BE CAREFUL WITH CLASSES – and here is why: Most classes that students take to study for these exams are offered at places (places which will remain nameless on our ever positive website) that cannot possibly cater to the individual needs of a student…well, not for anything less than a promise of the student’s first-born. What we mean is, it gets expensive and most people cannot afford to pay out the kind of money these places ask for to give individual attention to a student. Okay, we get it and we cannot blame them. Times are tough and business is business. In any field in the world, to get a professional to give you one-on-one attention is pricey. That being said, there are things to be positive about with classes at these places and things to be cautious about. On the positive side of things, the setting could not be better and we recommend it fully. Tests are prepared for and given in a room full of a lot of people and an instructor who will also act as a proctor for a practice exam. This is the best possible exposure to what the test will really feel like. You are being watched, you are being timed, and you can feel the anxiety of every person around you, not just your own. For this amazingly good reason, London Bridge does recommend students take a couple of (our!) classes/workshops where they will be given the test in a manner as close to the way ETS will have it given as possible. The not-so-positive side of these classes is that they are classes. Like any other class a student has taken, he/she is only going to take from the class as much as the professor can offer the class as a whole. Basically, the teacher can only teach so much information and in only so many ways and hope that at least some students grasp concepts. This is not a teacher’s fault…it is just the way teaching to a class is.
Fourth method – London Bridge is tall and proud and considers itself a Super Bridge!
As the great Sinatra once crooned, “My friend, I’ll say it clear, I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.” The final and most outstanding method of all for preparing to take the SAT/ACT is private, individual tutoring. We know what you are thinking, “Why would a private education company push for tutoring?” Listen and learn, mates! Individual tutoring is the best way to ensure that maximum potential is reached for the simple fact that the tutor is focused on one student – YOU (or you’re kid, depending on our audience)! It does not take a professional long to figure out where a student’s strengths and weaknesses lie in both content and test-taking strategy. Once the student is “figured out,” work can begin immediately. Lessons from then on will be tailored to both maximize strengths and overcome weaknesses of the individual. One cannot get this kind of attention in a standard classroom as it is simply too much to ask of any teacher (Think about it, the school day would be at least 20 hours long!) Not only are lessons tailored to the student’s specific needs, there is also much less room for distraction. In a classroom, even the author of this article found time to socialize and doodle meaninglessly on perfectly good filler paper. When a tutor is sitting in front of you and there is no one around and you know you only have 60-90 minutes, well, you work! Private tutoring can get expensive but most find it worth the money. Results are often more positive, as well, because of the general feeling of having your very own private teacher. Even though it is grueling academics, most people feel good when someone else shows them attention and goes to great lengths to help them. When we feel good, we work better…it’s just science.
