Why Smart Students Score Higher
Chancy and consequential exams like the SAT & ACT have long been conflated with IQ tests. While there may certainly be some overlap–historically, SAT scores correlated highly with the g factor or general intelligence–these different assessments are designed for dramatically different purposes. Even so, smarter students tend to score higher on these and any other exams. But smart doesn’t carry the same connotation as intelligence, at least in this context. Instead, I favor the way Seth Godin–-a genius in his own right–-defines what smart really means: Smart is no longer memorization. It’s not worth much. Smart is no longer access to information. Everyone has that. Smart is: Situational awareness Filtering information Troubleshooting Clarity of goals Good taste Empathy and compassion for others The ability to make decisions that further your goals The good news is that smart is a choice, and smart is a skill. Anyone old enough to remember…
Working Playfully: How to Ace your Biggest Exams
“Play-based learning” is a term most often associated with early childhood programs and preschool teaching philosophies, but high school students can also benefit from adding some playful dimensions to the way they tackle the whirlwind of exams at the end of the school year. This time of year, many students are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. A return to play-based learning can keep students fresh and engaged as they tackle large quantities of material. You may ask, naturally, how this playfulness might happen. Isn’t doing work the opposite of playing? When you are studying for an upcoming exam, think of how you feel when you realize you have worked for several hours, but still have a lot of material to review and learn. You may be losing energy and focus, dreading having to keep plowing through the material or taking yet another practice test to review. One way to keep yourself…
How to Prep Before You Really Prep
Timing is everything, which means there is a right time to sit for the SAT & ACT (usually as early in 11th grade as makes sense) and a right time to prep–usually 2-4 months in advance of your target test date. That doesn’t mean the years and months before you officially commit to prep don’t matter. On the contrary, college entrance exams evaluate critical reading, writing, and math skills developed through elementary and secondary schooling. The core skills that drive academic excellence also provide the foundation for superior test scores. So what should students be doing before they really commit to test prep? 1. READ REGULARLY Reading, as many of us heard relentlessly while growing up, is fundamental. The ability to understand what you read quickly and efficiently, regardless of topic or style, may be one of the most important success skills in any field. Yet, many teens put off…
Dress for Success on Test Day
Clothes, it is often said, make the man. But can the right clothes make the man test better? If we accept that our best scores come from managing every aspect of the testing experience we can, then even something as prosaic as wardrobe choice can impact performance. Dressing for success of test day involves more than remembering your lucky socks–though you can wear them too if that will help! When laying out your wardrobe (along with all those other test day necessities) the night before a big test, your main concern should be COMFORT. Consideration of comfort should include a few important factors: Freedom from distractions You don’t proctor as many practice tests a year as we do without seeing lots and lots of hoodies and sweatpants. Why are sweats so popular? When sitting in place for hours on end, teens intuitively favor apparel that is non-binding and free flowing.…
Muhammad Ali Knows Test Prep
Muhammad Ali is remembered as one of the greatest boxers of his era or any other, and he never tired of reminding the world of his greatness. His enduring fame as an Olympic gold medalist, heavyweight champion, and civil rights leader afforded him a platform from which he shared more than just poetic boasts. Ali communicated the cost of greatness to the world in both words and deeds. Anyone preparing to pit themselves against a tremendous challenge or competitor can learn from his insights… He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. It’s not bragging if you can back it up. Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is…
Make This Your Year of Preparation
One topic I never tire of hearing, learning, talking, and writing about is preparation. What makes the principle of preparation so compelling? Simply put, all of our wildest dreams and aspirations become possible and perhaps even easy to achieve with the right preparation. Do you have big goals for this new year? Have you resolved to be better than you were last year? The path to everything you can hope for lies through preparation… We hope you choose to make this–and EVERY–year your year of preparation!