In 24 hours, you’ll be writing the SAT, arguably one of the most important make-or-break college examinations. Even though you can, take as many SAT exams, the nerves before any exam don’t subside with that knowledge. Most of the mistakes made during the SATs aren’t due to the lack of knowledge or practice, but nervousness taking over and derailing your thought process. Here are a few tips to help you beat the nerves on the most important day of the SAT- the day before the exam for a smooth SAT exam.
DON’T study
Last-minute cramming adds nothing to your knowledge. In case you’ve been wondering about that one type of question that you don’t understand, chances are that if you haven’t understood it so far, you won’t get it right before your test. Instead, put that aside. Don’t worry about it. Take this moment to reflect on everything you know rather than don’t know. Trust that everything that will come will be from something you know.
Eat a light, but filling breakfast
Students often make the mistake of either not eating enough breakfast in the morning due to nervousness or eating high-calorie foods before the exam. In the first scenario, you become hungry very fast in the middle of the exam, hence making it difficult to focus. In the second case, the high-calorie breakfast sneaks up on you and makes you tired, hindering your performance. DON’T DO EITHER. Eat fruits, and some protein like eggs and drink coffee, if that’s something you’re used to. Eat well, but not too well. After finishing the SAT, you should feel a little hungry to feast like a king for lunch.
Sleep early
A good night’s sleep will make a world of difference in your performance. You will be much less likely to fall asleep during the exam and you will wake up ready to take on whatever comes your way. Plus, if you sleep early, you can mentally revise all the concepts you learned once again in your head and go to sleep thinking about strategy and whatever you know. A win-win!
Go in with a positive attitude for SAT
If you write the exam expecting the worst, sometimes that’s exactly what you’ll get. If you start the exam with a negative attitude, you’ll tend to double-think every answer you mark and that would lead to more mistakes. Going in with a positive attitude, and answering questions will not only be a breeze, but you’ll also have enough confidence to trust yourself to pick the right answer. Many times, the first “gut” answer that a student marks turns out to be the correct, rather than the answer they reached after hemming and hawing over the question for 2 minutes. With a positive mindset, you’ll stay with the right answer but with a negative one, you’ll change it.
There is no perfect science for relaxing, so do whatever helps you relax. These SAT tips above are general and are guiding tips for a smooth exam!
Thanks lot, Will try this for my next exam.