Finals Approaching

SAGE,

You totally don’t want to think about it right now, but finals are just around the corner. That means you can add studying for them to your already vast to-do list. Here are some helpful hints on how to prepare for your exams and get everything else done.

Tip 1: Start early
Preparation for exams should begin earlier than the day before the test. You can’t cram an entire unit of information into an all-nighter. Get started at least a week before the exam. Space out studying in advance, so you're not overwhelmed at the last minute.

Tip 2: Organize
Begin by making yourself a calendar outlining a daily schedule of topics for review. Cover a small amount of material for each class each day. Every time you complete a topic, give yourself a mini review on what you've already learned.

Tip 3: Outline
Once you have decided what you need to study and how much time you need to spend studying, it is time to actually study. One of the best ways is to make succinct outlines. As you read over your textbook and class notes, write a brief summary for each topic. Highlight the areas in your outline that were most troublesome. When you have finished with all the material, you will have an outline you can review.

Tip 4: Make flashcards
Similar to outlining, making flashcards is a really helpful technique for studying. By writing down the information from your outline, you are already doing half the studying. Once the flashcards are complete, you will have a portable study packet to look over.

Tip 5: Get help
If you are having trouble memorizing something or a particular concept is just not sinking in, get help before it’s too late. Ask your teacher to go over a glitch you might be having. All your teachers are there to help you before school, and sometimes after school as well.

Tip 6: Sleep
You need at least seven hours of sleep a night to function. Tests are designed to make you think. If you are sleep-deprived, you won’t be able to remember any of the information you worked so hard to cram into your brain. When cramming the night before (you shouldn't, but this is a worst-case scenario) KNOW WHEN TO STOP. A good night's rest is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF.

Tip 7:Stay calm
Do not panic at the exam! Even if at first glance the test is overwhelming, remember to breathe. If a question seems too hard, answer all the questions you know, then return to the ones you left blank. Remind yourself that you are prepared. Step into the test with confidence, because you're prepared.

Tip 8: Don’t rush
You have spent at least two weeks studying, so what’s another couple of minutes? Work through the exam slowly and read all the questions before answering them. If you are done before the time is up, look over your answers. Checking your work may be boring, but it can catch stupid mistakes that cost you easy points.

Tip 9: Relax post-exam
Don’t let panic overwhelm you. Even if you think you bombed the exam, worrying will not change your score. It may, however, affect your mindset for your next final. Zone out the last test and stay focused on the next one. Odds are, you didn’t do as badly as you think.

And last, try not to stress. Stay calm, and know that it'll all turn out alright in the end. Good luck!

-Victor
:)

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

Advanced Placement Exams: Monday, 5 May to Friday, 16 May 2008

Good luck to all of you on your upcoming AP exam (or exams). I recommend that you all study hard up to the exams, but give yourself that final day before the exam just to relax. Get a good night's sleep and be sure to eat a healthy breakfast before you go to your exam (so, no cold Pop Tarts on the run). The exam dates and locations are as follows:

Week One
Monday, 5 May 2008—
Government & Politics: US
Begins 7:45 – 41 students
Proctors: Mark Kulik, Karen Hinds
Location: Library Labs 1-3

Tuesday, 6 May 2008—
Spanish Language
Begins 7:45 – 15 students
Proctor: Josephine Levy
Location: Language Lab

Statistics
Begins 11:45 - 12 students
Proctor: Birgit Musheno
Location: Language Lab Location: Library Lab 1

Wednesday, 7 May 2008—
Calculus BC
Begins 7:45 – 63 students
Proctors: David White, Kathy Shamley, Ryan Stanley
Location: Library 2 & 3

Thursday, 8 May 2008—
English Literature
Begins 7:45 – 9 students
Proctor: Mark Kulik
Location: Guidance Career Center

Friday, 9 May 2008—
US History
Begins 7:45 – 60 students
Proctors: Amanda Domino, Amie Hickel & Dennis Abgrall
Location: Library Labs 2 & 3

European History
Begins 11:45 - 19 students
Proctor: David White
Location: Library Lab 1

Week Two
Monday, 12 May 2008—
Biology
Begins 7:45 - 24 students
Proctor: Kathy Shamley
Library Lab 2

Music Theory
Begins 7:45 – 8 students
Proctor: Kari Fischer, David White
Location: Guidance Career Center

Physics B
Begins 11:45 - 5 students
Proctor: Stacy Foster
Location: Guidance Career Center

Physics C: Electricity & Magnatism
Begins 11:45 / 1:45 - 11 / 1 students
Proctor: Katrina Montoya
Location: Library Lab 1

Tuesday, 13 May 2008—
Chemistry
Begins 7:45 – 34 students
Proctor: Laurie Wiesinger
Location: Library Lab 2

Environmental Science
Begins: 7:45 – 8 students
Proctor: Michele Lucas
Location: Career Center

Psychology
Begins 11:45 - 33 students
Proctor: Chris Jones, Stacy Foster
Location: Library Lab 3

Wednesday, 14 May 2008—
English Language
Begins 7:45 – 53 students
Proctors: David White, John Matthews,
Michele Lucas, Chris Jones
Location: Library Labs 2 & 3

Art History
Begins 11:45 - 4 students
Proctor: Kari Fischer
Location: Career Center

Thursday, 15 May 2008—
Macroeconomics
Begins 7:45 – 1 student
Proctor: Kelly Price
Location: Guidance Conference Room

Microeconomics
Begins 11:45 - 1 student
Proctor: Chris Jones
Location: Guidance Conference Room

World History
Begins 7:45 – 74 students
Proctors: David White, Amie Hickel, Diana Brown
Location: Library Labs 1-3

Friday, 16 May 2008—
Spanish Literature
Begins 7:45 – 19 students
Proctor: Dawn Schmidt
Location: Library Lab 1

Latin Literature
Begins 11:45 - 7 students
Proctor: Josephine Levy
Location: Career Center

Take care and good luck

- Mr. White

What are the differences between the SAT and the ACT?

Most of you are probably wondering what the difference between SATs and ACTs are. You can compare the two by reading the charts below:

ACT
-3 hours, 25 minutes (including the 30-minute optional Writing Test)
-4 test sections (English, Math, Reading, Science) plus an optional Writing section
-4 Reading Comprehension passages, 10 questions per passage
-Covers science reasoning (analysis, interpretation, evaluation, problem solving)
-Math Topics Covered: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry (4 questions)
-Total composite score of 1-36 (based on average of 4 sections); each section receives a score of 1-36; the optional Writing section receives a score of 0-12
-No wrong answer penalty
-You decide which score is sent

SAT
-3 hours, 45 minutes
-10 Sections
-Critical Reading, Math, Writing (includes the Essay)
-Reading sections: mix of passage comprehension and sentence completion questions that require vocabulary expertise
-Science not included
-Math Topics Covered: Algebra, Geometry, and Basic Algebra II
-Total score out of 2400; 3 scores of 200-800 for each section; Writing section has 2sub-scores: multiple choice (20-80) and the essay (0-12)
-1/4 point per wrong answer (except for Math Grid-in questions)
-Your entire score history will be sent automatically

Leave comments if you have any questions or concerns.

-Ellen