So, the SATs. Those are quite entertaining.

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thread starter ilyToaster Sep 08 2010 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

I am currently thinking of taking the SAT I in January, March if I do bad, and May if I do bad again. I'm kind of glad that after 2012, UCs don't require us to take SAT II (Subject tests) anymore, but that seems like they're just going to analyze the SAT I and base more of their decisions off of that now. :d Are any of you guys prepared for the SATs? :d I have not even taken the PSATs yet. Gah! I'm starting on the math practice portion right now. I use the Princeton Review books & the official SAT guide book. :d

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Boring7 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Regulus133 : I believe you are looking for the term "review," but I agree. Low scores on such a simple test reflect poor education. [/quote] Wth? Really? I'm in honors and i got 5 A's and a B for the year. I took a practice SAT from a practice book i forgot which and i got like an 800 (not 1800) D:

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Ztarfish 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Take as many practice tests as you can. It's really getting used to the style of the test and knowing what kinds of questions they'll ask. That's all the prep you need and practice tests will give you that.

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Chaud + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Regulus133 : Low scores on such a simple test reflect poor education. [/quote] That is indubitably (sorry, love using this word) not a fair conclusion. Boring7 Is that possible...? My apologies for asking, but that just seems too extreme a case, though it is possible. One reason for asking is... you get 200 points just for writing your name down on the test...

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AnasF 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

I wanna take the SAT now, just for lolz.

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Regulus133 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Boring7 : Wth? Really? I'm in honors and i got 5 A's and a B for the year. I took a practice SAT from a practice book i forgot which and i got like an 800 (not 1800) D: [/quote] [quote] Chaud : That is indubitably (sorry, love using this word) not a fair conclusion. [/quote] What I mean is that, somewhere along the way, the educational system failed people with low scores, just as it often does for undergraduates in college. I'm not calling anyone an idiot, nor am I saying that people with low scores must come from the worst schools. There are also cases of intelligent people who are simply impatient or who feel great stress when taking exams. But I am excluding these factors because there are plenty of patient, laid back people who receive low scores. I look at the SAT questions (especially in the math section) and wonder how this could be a standard for students entering college. I certainly could have done the math they require by the end of middle school. Even the reading comprehension, which might have some "tricky questions," should be simple for those with command of the English language. The grammar and vocabulary (including analogy) section is another matter, because I know that English classes across the United States, at least, are increasingly focused on ideas rather than mechanics. Word roots and parts may be taught to some extent, but not often enough and certainly not in every school, so how can we expect students to be able to identify words they simply have never seen before? The same applies to grammar. It may be corrected in essays for classes, but it's not stressed as it should be--or at least it is not taught properly. I graded undergraduate papers when I was a graduate student and saw the same old mistakes people were making in middle school . When I was a junior or senior (I can't remember precisely when I took the test), I took the final SAT that was strictly verbal and analytical. There was no essay section, so I never had experience with it. And yet I can say that high school students generally write poor essays, because I know how high schools teach students to write essays, I know from other people what sorts of essays the SAT expects, and, as a grader of college papers, I can say that undergraduate students bring the same terrible habits (poor conception, format, organization, etc.) with them from high school. Many composition departments and professors agree with me, so this is not just one man's opinion. On top of this, the SAT really does not test critical thinking the way I believe it should, though I will concede that this is mere opinion. But my conclusion is that the educational standard of the United States, along with aspects of its standardized tests and the educational system itself, is shameful.

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liitleliisa 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Some people stress way too much about the SAT's. Just remember your SAT score is not the only thing that makes you stand out in your application. (:

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xJunKun 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

@littlelisa i did that boy did i do bad :/

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Boring7 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Chaud : That is indubitably (sorry, love using this word) not a fair conclusion. Boring7 Is that possible...? My apologies for asking, but that just seems too extreme a case, though it is possible. One reason for asking is... you get 200 points just for writing your name down on the test... [/quote] Well i didnt do the essay part of course. And yea, I forget everything I learn and i stress out before/while learning so maybe it's not a good thing for mee. SAT that is. =( I took 3 subject tests and got about 550 each. =(

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Chaud + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

[quote] Regulus133 : What I mean is that, somewhere along the way, the educational system failed people with low scores, just as it often does for undergraduates in college. I'm not calling anyone an idiot, nor am I saying that people with low scores must come from the worst schools. There are also cases of intelligent people who are simply impatient or who feel great stress when taking exams. But I am excluding these factors because there are plenty of patient, laid back people who receive low scores. I look at the SAT questions (especially in the math section) and wonder how this could be a standard for students entering college. I certainly could have done the math they require by the end of middle school. Even the reading comprehension, which might have some "tricky questions," should be simple for those with command of the English language. The grammar and vocabulary (including analogy) section is another matter, because I know that English classes across the United States, at least, are increasingly focused on ideas rather than mechanics. Word roots and parts may be taught to some extent, but not often enough and certainly not in every school, so how can we expect students to be able to identify words they simply have never seen before? The same applies to grammar. It may be corrected in essays for classes, but it's not stressed as it should be--or at least it is not taught properly. I graded undergraduate papers when I was a graduate student and saw the same old mistakes people were making in middle school . When I was a junior or senior (I can't remember precisely when I took the test), I took the final SAT that was strictly verbal and analytical. There was no essay section, so I never had experience with it. And yet I can say that high school students generally write poor essays, because I know how high schools teach students to write essays, I know from other people what sorts of essays the SAT expects, and, as a grader of college papers, I can say that undergraduate students bring the same terrible habits (poor conception, format, organization, etc.) with them from high school. Many composition departments and professors agree with me, so this is not just one man's opinion. On top of this, the SAT really does not test critical thinking the way I believe it should, though I will concede that this is mere opinion. But my conclusion is that the educational standard of the United States, along with aspects of its standardized tests and the educational system itself, is shameful. [/quote] I see. I can agree with that to an extent, but then the diction of your original comment needs revising. You said that "low scores on such a simple test reflects poor education." Your word choice is too strong and can easily be misleading. But thank you for clarifying. (I never thought that you were calling anyone an idiot or that people with low scores come from the worst schools, I realized immediately that your words were also chosen in a manner to avoi

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Regulus133 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

Chaud When English classes are simply a forum for discussion of literature and any idea that can come to a student's mind, they are no longer unique. Both the "academy" and the world are increasingly interdisciplinary, yes, but each subject still maintains some kind of form. English teachers, having lost interest in--or having been forced to not teach--grammar and vocabulary, have turned the discipline into a joke. It is no surprise that most of the ridiculous classes one hears about, such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings: A Side-by-Side Comparison, emerge from the English department, since there is no sense of limitation. And as fewer students are taught the basics of English, there are fewer English teachers who can do more than smile and pat students on the back for having "great ideas!" At my university, a freshman composition course was only recently made mandatory, yet I had to take a course on teaching freshman composition for my Master's degree before that point. Not surprisingly, the class was focused entirely on encouraging ideas and growth through writing. The material and discussions were all very nice and often delved into philosophy (another subject where the basics seem to not be emphasized), but I didn't walk away with the feeling that I would genuinely be able to help students write. The possible explanations for poorly written undergraduate papers are reasonable, but I received 240 papers per semester and always offered a chance to revise--even multiple times. Although we graders were instructed to grade the ideas and the organization instead of the mechanics, I usually tried to do it all. Unfortunately, there was little to no improvement for most students. I could correct errors, but I couldn't effectively teach grammar to students who came to me one by one. That material should have been thoroughly covered in high school and earlier. Perhaps in that case, I would accept the emphasis on ideas in college as part of a natural progression for students to learn how to read and write about the world. Still, there is not much excuse for poor essay form, which, as any modern composition teacher would say, can influence the quality of the content. The high school standard is too rigid, yes, but even that standard is rarely met. It became a blessing to see an essay that actually followed through with the format. If only English teachers had clarified that the high school standard was more of a guideline than a rule, students might have come to understand the purpose of the standard. And one who understands not just the letter, but also the spirit, of the law is far more flexible and (usually) far more skilled a writer. But that is another area where English classes have failed: making the subject and the rules relevant . Students always ask, "Why do we have to learn this? What's the point?" These are very important questions, but between those who feel we should all regard learning and knowledge as goods-in-themselves and those who ju

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LEGENDairy 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

What the heck is a SAT? School Assessed Test?

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cronomage117 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

what the heck is SAT 2? edit: wow copy my post ^ didn't even notice

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heroxme 09/09/10 + PM | QUOTE | PERMALINK | REPORT

||during senior year, i took both the SAT & ACT for college but i retook the SAT for math and to be honest, taking the SATs are much easier/better than ACT|| anyways! its better to take the pSAT if you havent cause then youll know which subject you need to work on (but study the other ones equivalently so you dont forget). and id buy a SAT review book on amazon cause its cheaper than collegeboard and it has more contents that can be very helpful. also, who cares if youre taking the SATs early -- if you take it early, you dont have to worry about it later in the school year. and plus you can always retake it to improve the scores on a certain subject that youre not comfortable with (i did this for math and yea it was expensive yet worth it) overall, goodluck woman! dont stress and just relax -- im sure youll do fine if you put your mind into it xP

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