How to go about SAT Math:
Preparing for SAT Math can be daunting, especially if you opted for biology in your intermediates like me and the only math you’ve done for two years is for physics. No need to fret though, as all you need is the proper guidance, good sources, and some self-control to practice a lot and you’re good to go!
SAT Math is quite basic once you get the flow of it. You need to believe in yourself and not make up ideas inside your head like ‘Math is my natural enemy’ because it’s only bad as long as you don’t get it, right? And we’re going to get rid of that problem by following through these steps, so hopefully, Math won’t be as bad as we all think it is after this!
Here are a few suggestions that I used and thought were really good to prepare for the Math section (Not sponsored work!):
1- ALL THE GUIDANCE YOU NEED:
Knowing what you’re up against can give you an edge over it. Not only does it boost your confidence but it also gives you an overall idea of what you need to focus on more and how you can improve yourself to ensure a win! PrepScholar is the blog for you in this case.
This blog gives a comprehensive overview of what SAT is exactly, its layout, the scoring pattern, and a thorough explanation of each section of SAT. It also provides links to official SAT practice tests so that all the data you need is at the same place! They have their paid SAT courses too, but you don’t need to avail them just to get the data.
2- KHAN ACADEMY:
Collegeboard and Khan Academy are official partners for SAT prep. The major benefit of Khan academy is that it is completely free! Now, I’ll be honest and let you know that I didn’t really use khan academy for my prep ( Not because they’re not good or something, but because I had already purchased a course and I wasn’t going to waste my money.). But I did take a few English lectures, which were pretty helpful.
They also have a proper schedule plan that is customized according to your needs, so if you plan on preparing for SAT by yourself, this can be a major help!
3- YOUTUBE TUTORS:
Still don’t get a topic that you’ve gone over again and again? Well, Youtube is the place for you! There are many SAT-related YouTubers and I’m listing a few favorites of mine below!
- Mario’s Math Tutoring: The guy’s honestly a gem and really helped me out with my graph shifts. Check his channel and see if this works for you!
- John Jung — The Admission Hackers: This guy had some fun videos regarding SAT math with little tricks here and there to solve questions real quick. Some I knew, some I didn’t — so can’t say it didn’t help me!
- Scalar Learning: Okay, so for this one I only watched one video but he had a nice way of going around the explanation. He also solves practice tests in his videos so if you don’t get a question or want to check if your speed is up to par, pick up a pencil and paper and start solving your questions right along with him! Also, if you have Monday blues and don’t feel like practicing at all, you can watch his practice videos instead of wasting time. It’s not the same as practicing yourself, but you do get an idea of what type of questions you’ll be dealing with on the test day and how you can go about them.
- LeafED: Last but not least, this lady helped me out with the inequalities-related questions. The instructor for my paid course missed out on a rule and I was majorly confused, but after watching her videos my inequalities questions were all set!
4- COLLEGE BOARD OFFICIAL TESTS:
I know you all must’ve already heard this a lot by now but it only amplifies how important it is: practice, practice, practice!
Collegeboard provides official practice tests and samples on its website that can help a lot. This helped me for the SAT essay part as well, as I got a clear idea of what was required of me by reading the sample answer essays thoroughly.
As I said before, the links are provided on PrepScholar’s Blog, but you can also access them through Collegeboard’s official website. Also, check out the samples by clicking here.
5- LUMS SAT WORKSHOP:
If you’re giving SAT to apply for LUMS, as I did, the LUMS SAT workshop videos will also help you a lot! (And for SAT in general too.).
These videos are available on LUMS’ official youtube channel and are quite long so it’s better to keep your snacks close by just in case! Also, these videos alone won’t be enough to prepare for your SAT as it’s just a three-day workshop course and the instructors cover mostly the important topics of SAT, but these lectures helped me out a lot so it’s worth going through them.
6- TIME YOURSELF:
I know some of you might not agree with me on this but I believe SAT is not that hard academically.
The real challenge lies in how well you manage yourself under pressure and how well you manage your time. There’s no point in knowing the correct answer if you never get to read the question. Sadly, based on my experience, there’s no shortcut way for going around it. You might know all the hacks and tricks for SAT, but not being able to apply them when needed won’t give you an edge over the other participants.
For that, you need to practice in a timed environment. Sit somewhere quiet, set your timer, and get started. Don’t take breaks between sections, that won’t build your stamina and endurance for the test day. Put your water bottle alongside you and just go through the whole test in one go. Don’t be disappointed if you can’t make it in time in the first few tries, this is what we are practicing for, and we will get better with time.
Also, make sure you do each section within the specified time limit of that section, as SAT is conducted like that. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be and hence the better you’ll do InShaAllah!
By going through these tips and suggestions you’ll surely do great on your SAT. Best of luck, study hard, and remember to take care of yourself too! A sound mind is in a sound body!
