Being a high school junior is tough. From social pressures to academic demands, for many students, the third year of high school is by far the most difficult. After all, it’s not easy to walk around with the notion of the SAT exam looming over your head.
Although some educators believe that academic institutions put too much stock in the SAT, it’s hard to ignore the fact that a high SAT score can often make the difference between getting accepted to the college of your dreams and having to settle for a backup school instead. For this reason, the SAT exam will often serve as a source of anxiety for students who fear that without the right scores, all of their academic success will have been for naught.
While many experts in the field of standardized testing like to stress the importance of practicing for the SAT, sometimes reviewing the same types of questions over and over again simply isn’t enough – especially if you don’t find yourself developing a deeper understanding of how to tackle such problems. Rather than spin your wheels going through the motions of taking practice exams, you should consider enrolling in a SAT prep program that can teach you how to approach your trouble spots. If you find that you’re having difficulties with the math and verbal sections alike, then a course that caters to both areas may be your ticket to a higher SAT score; but if you’ve mastered the verbal portion and are solely stuck on math, then a classic SAT prep class could end up becoming a waste of money and time. If math is the problem, then you’ll need guidance from a team of experts who are trained to talk numbers – and you’ll find that guidance at your local Mathnasium center.
John Napoli is the owner of Mathnasium’s Middletown, New Jersey branch, and according to him, the key to succeeding at SAT math (and math studies in general) is developing an understanding of how to approach problems by thinking mathematically. Each year, far too many students struggle with SAT math despite the fact that they’ve memorized all the right formulas and practiced for months on end. The reason is that solving math problems via trial and error is not the same thing as understanding the fundamental approach that needs to be taken in order to tackle such questions quickly and efficiently.
At Mathnasium, the dedicated instructors believe that no two students are alike, and that people experience difficulties with math for a wide variety of reasons. By undergoing a personalized assessment to figure out why you’re having trouble grasping key concepts and why your mind is failing to come up with the proper approach, you’ll be putting yourself in a much better position to attack those SAT math problems head-on.
Of course, doing well on the SAT does require a fair amount of practice, but your review sessions have to be based on a clear understanding of how math works. According to Napoli, in order to achieve a high SAT math score, you’ll need a solid mathematical foundation upon which to build up your skills. At Mathnasium, a team of experts can help you develop that framework so that tackling those tough SAT problems becomes a simple matter of applying your new-found understanding of math to a variety of challenging yet workable scenarios.
Now you may be thinking that Mathnasium perhaps isn’t the most popular destination for SAT review, but before you jump on the bandwagon and sign up for a course that deals with the exam on a whole, take a step back and figure out what progress you actually need to make in order to do well. If your verbal skills are strong, then why not focus your efforts on the section of the SAT that is giving you trouble? After all, if you’re like most high school juniors, then your time is probably limited. Rather than spend hours each week reviewing material that you could tackle with your eyes closed, concentrate on the area in need of improvement. Sure, you should still practice those verbal questions, but if math is clearly the problem, then let the experts at Mathnasium help you overcome it.
Although the Mathnasium approach can help you improve your SAT math score, remember that success stories don’t tend to happen overnight. If you’re serious about doing well on the SAT, then sign up at Mathnasium well in advance of the actual exam. By giving yourself enough time to study and practice, you can beef up your skills and minimize your stress level. Finally, try to remember that as significant as the SAT may seem, it’s really only a test, and no matter what happens, you still have every reason to applaud yourself for a job well done.
