PSAT Woes

Dear me, it seems to be the time for PSATs again! The SAGE Club's PSAT help session has been moved to Thursday, October 16, due to the half day presented by the Homecoming Parade.

If you're not a junior yet, you don't have to worry as much about doing super-well. This is another year of practice for you, and also for the SAT.

If you're wondering what in the world PSAT stands for, its more or less "pre-SAT." SAT has no real meaning these days. Its simply a test that colleges use to judge your ability to take a test.

So, back to the PSAT. Juniors, yes, you should worry about doing well--If you score high enough (in the top 1% of the nation) you will qualify for National Merit. In doing so, it opens many doors for you, especially in scholarships. Becoming a semifinalist will earn you a lot of money for in-state colleges, and as a finalist, some prestigious private colleges such as USC will also award you a scholarship (granted that you are accepted to said university). Even if you're not interested in going out of state, you should try your best to score as well as possible. It never hurt to try!

If you haven't been studying, well, hopefully, you will at least run through a few sections of practice PSAT. Don't be afraid to ask a teacher or two why you missed a problem if you don't quite understand what the book's explanation tells you.

And as always, make sure you not only get a good night's sleep the day before, but also a decent amount of sleep a day before that. Depriving yourself of sleep one night, then sleeping well the next doesn't quite return you to full mental capacity. Make sure you get up early enough the day before as well, so your body is somewhat used to the earlier wake-up time, so you won't have to be dragged out of bed by your parents in order to make it to the PSAT on time!

Don't forget to eat a good breakfast. Make sure you have your carbs and your protein--nothing too sugary. Sugar is good for a quick spurt of energy, but after that runs out your mind will start to lose its thinking capacity, impairing you later. Complex carbs, found in bread and whole-grain cereals will last a lot longer. Protein will also help you think straight. And don't forget to have a banana to help your body absorb and use those carbs!

Bring a snack--having enough energy is crucial to surviving a long test. A protein bar, a banana, or a PB&J sandwich (using whole wheat bread is even better!) will help you maintain focus and not succumb to hunger or mental fatigue (maybe I'm being a bit too health-conscious...but it will help you keep focused on your test!)

Lastly--don't stress about the PSAT. After you take it, you can't change anything. So don't worry! If you've prepared adequately, you will not have anything to worry about. For actual college admissions, the PSAT isn't considered, so if you bomb once, its perfectly fine! So stop worrying that much! 

So, my underclassmates, I wish you luck in your endevours in the wonderful world of standardized testing!

--Brian Djaja