You know the ol’ saying: “all work and no play makes Jacques a boring and extremely weird bookworm that only thinks about the Civil War and the inner workings of micro organisms.” —- Wait, do you mean that is not how it goes?
In any case, do not be like Jacques. No, we are not saying that you can neglect your studies and play checkers with senior citizens all day,* but you should not work all of the time. Relax and give yourself a break. You are (insert age here), and you deserve to have some fun.
Suggestions for having fun:
- do your homework, and then watch the weekly episode of your favorite television show online when you are done
- hand in your lab report, and then have a dance party (solo, or with a friend!)
- clean your room, and then spend 15 minutes on tumblr (or facebook or myspace or twitter or whatever kids do these days)
So in short, do not be like Jacques. Do your work -and- have fun. Take a leaf out of our books - we are not dull and extremely weird bookworms. We have fun and do school work …we promise!
*Although senior citizens are awesome and we highly recommend it.
- Oranges, tangerines, vitamins, emergen-c, clementines, airborne, etc. etc. In short: Get your vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C! Eat healthy and try to avoid the junk and pile on the spinach, okay?
- Become deathly afraid of germs. Alright, that’s a little extreme, even for us. But wash your hands, don’t lick doorknobs, the usual.
- Ditch all you friends if they get sick - at least temporarily. If you know one of your friends is feeling under the weather, try to avoid doing too many activities with them, especially ones indoors where germs can breed in the warmth.
- Exercise - outside! Try to keep active, and, as hard as it is, go outside instead of being a couch potato. Even if it’s only a short walk, getting some fresh air and exercise will do ya good. ‘Nuff said.
How, you might ask, does this relate to your college application process? For starters, if you feel good you will do better work and therefore your grades will be good. Secondly, if you go away to school for college, nobody is going to be there to hold your hand and let you stay home from school when you’re sick. Making sure you have good habits now will help you succeed once you get to college.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to go write a lab report while bench pressing our text books.
We’re back.
And this time it’s for real. Consider this your best holiday gift, kiddies. Here’s an update on how things are going to go from now on.
As you may have noticed, our posts tend to be, uh, a we bit lengthy. This is going to pretty much end. Although we love filling our posts to the brim we simply don’t have the time to write them. And with your class schedule, we doubt you have the time to really read them anyway. Win win.
We’re doing a monthly motivation series. It’s pretty much what it sounds like - at the beginning of each month we’ll give you guys a task list or a pep talk or maybe even a fun picture! Score!
Every other week starting in February, Thorsdagr will be dedicated to an update on our personal college admissions journeys - unadulterated stress filled caffeine fueled hate rants! Not really. But we will share updates on our time lines, what is working for us, and things to avoid. And, of course, next spring we’ll share our joy with you when we get into every single school in the country. Just kidding. Kind of.
More list format yay! List format is addicting. No, seriously, try it. Maybe it’s all those to-do lists we’ve been writing, but list format is quick, precise, and allows you as the reader to skip past points you don’t want to read about (as if you’d find any in our posts).
Also on a completely unrelated and totally unbiased really just kind of a last minute p.s sort of side note thing: If you like us, recommend us. Not only to the tumblr gods (although much appreciated!), but to your friends, second cousin’s uncle’s daughter’s neighbor, etc. etc.
Aaaaannnnnddddd - don’t be afraid to ask questions or make suggestions! We do have an ask (you know how to get there) and an email (apcollege@rocketmail.com) so fill ‘em up.
We’ll be taking the next few days to write write write! See you soon kiddies!
XOXO
Gossip Girls (aka Sadie and Laura, who expressly forbid you from watching such frivolous and brain melting tv shows like the one previously mentioned).
Yeah, yeah, we know. It’s been like … a month? Well junior year kind of screwed with our plans.
We’re working to get back on track. Expect regular-ish posts soon (ish).
Wait —- what are you doing on Tumblr? GET BACK TO HOMEWORK! ;)
Today’s post is short and sweet. We’re going to give you a little shove and tell you to do new things. Join a club. Start a club. Try out for the play. Play sports. Do something new this school year that interests you. Why?
A) Meet new people
B) Enrich your acedemics
C) Find a group of people who share similar intrests
We don’t care if you join mock trial or anime club.* As long as you join something, for goodness sakes! Nothing yells slacker like not doing anything. Why are you still reading this? Shouldn’t you be signing up for something?
*We vote both.
Here’s the scoop: school is about to / has just started, and you’re probably already losing assignments. Never fear, Laura and Sadie are here!
Since we are veteran school supply shoppers, our list of hints on what to buy and how to organize could go on for centuries. Literally. So, for your convenience, we’ve grouped it up. First off are some basic organizational skills, followed by a list of school supplies and what (or what not) to do with them.
Organization: what the big hairy monkey is it and what the huge scaly snake am I supposed to do about it?
Well, my fine feathered friends, there’s a dictionary definition, and then there’s our definition. Our definition is as follows: organization is having a system in place that allows you to eliminate clutter, and keep track of everything without having to waste two million years on anything. We like it quick and dirty …er … clean. Here’s our money back guaranteed* 7 step system for being organized for school.
1. Buy a planner (and actually use it!). They come in all shapes and sizes, but we recommend one with ample room to write both school assignments and meetings or after school activities (sports matches, clubs, etc.). Once you have it, keep it with you everywhere, and tape a pen or pencil on the inside so you never have an excuse not to use it.
2. Keep your stuff clean. This means your desk, dresser, backpack, and sports bag (if you use one). This will help stop you from losing things. Less time searching for work = less time doing work = more free time. And who wouldn’t want that?
3. Buy a large calendar. Put it on your desk or somewhere close to it, and write down long term projects, upcoming tests, SAT’s, sports games, study groups and whatever else needs to be noted. We think it’s best to have this and a planner because it’s easier to plan for long term goals with a calendar.
4. Keep old papers in an accordion folder. When you’re done with a unit, take all the hand outs / papers / notes from that chapter and go through them. Throw out what you don’t need, then paper clip them and place them in an accordion folder. This way, you’ll have all of your subjects in one place, and all of your notes ready for midterms and finals.
5. Toss it. You don’t need a mini stapler shaped like a lightbulb, so why do you have it on your desk? Get rid of old supplies (Dried up glue stick from first grade? We think not!) and other chotchkies so that you can find what you need quickly. Clean out your closet, too, and donate your old clothes. (See the “appropriate clothing” post to remind yourselves about what is kosher and what isn’t.)
6. Find a routine and stick to it. Once you feel out the way which you like to take notes, when you are most focused, and what type of studying works best, use them all the time. It may be a while before you find out what works best for you, but it is worth the effort. By the middle of the semester you’ll be thanking us.*
7. Utilise the post-it note*. Stick it in your text book to mark an important page. Put one in your planner to remind you about your massive upcoming test. Stick one that says “kick me” on your friends back. ‘Nuff said.
School supplies: how much money did that calculator cost again?
Binders: We think they’re great. Unlike notebooks, you only have to carry around this weeks class notes, thus eliminating lbs from your bookbag. They can also be used year after year, thus eliminating waste and your cash outflow. Buy good ones so they last —- plain black ones are often better than the bright and shiny ones, kiddies! (But that’s only a suggestion! Some people prefer a little color.) We like the hard cover binders because they come with pockets, thus eliminating the need for folders.
Paper: Buy it if you use binders, stupid.
Dividers: Use ‘em and use lots of ‘em. Seperate by chapter, not by notes/ homework / tests. This way all of your chapers are in chronological order when you go to study for the midterm or AP.
Three whole puncher: Love love love.
Notebooks: We think they’re a little inconvenient. You can’t move notes around or keep study guides with notes or any of the great stuff you can do with binders. Plus, all of that paper is a deadweight in your bag. On top of that you will need more than one per subject. To wrap it up, spirals can be a downright pain in the glutemus maximus and leave the fringies on all of your paper. (Not to mention, they’re not very convenient if you aren’t right-handed.)
Folders: Utterly pointless. Nowadays notebooks and binders come with folders bulit right in so you don’t have to buy these usless guys anymore. If you’re stupid and use them anyway, at least buy the plastic ones —- they don’t rip as easily as paper and might even last a few years if you take care of ‘em.
Pencil Case: Yay! Keep pens, pencils, erasers, your calculator (if it fits) in yours, as well as some chap stick, Purell, tissues, or any other little thing you might need.
A Backpack: Backpack, messenger bag, large purse, tote, we don’t care —- as long as you keep it tidy and clean! Empty it out once a week to rid it of old gum wrappers and the like. (Sadie likes to clean her every other day to remind her how nice a clean bag is!)
Bottom line on school supplies: Whatever you buy, keep it well tended. All the binders in the world won’t do you any good if they’re stuffed to the brim with “class notes” and the cover is coming off. Keep good care of your text books as well, especially if you have to buy your own.
A quick note on notes: Some teachers will “require” you to take notes in a certain way, use only one kind of notebook, or have 5 separate binders for the same class (true story). If this happens to you, make a meeting with the teacher and explain your system and how well it works for you. Tell them that you would like to use it instead of their system because you know that it will work and you are trying hard to be organized. They may say no, but it’s worth a shot.
*And by “money back” we mean “works if you’re not an idiot.”
*All of your thanks can be sent to our ask box, but will only be read if written in proper english.
*We have no affiliation with post-it notes at all. We just think they’re cool.
P.S. If you want to see how we organize our stuff, let us know. We’d love to have you plagiaries our systems.
Us? AWOL? HA! We laugh at your assumptions. We were merely… demonstrating a very important idea. Yes. Yes, that’s it.
For today, we want to give you a little note about deadlines and self-set goals. There is a very distinct difference between the two, and there are appropriate (and not-so-appropriate) ways to approach each.
Deadlines are things like turning in a research paper before getting points deducted from your final grade. They are not flexible, and they are set by others, whereas goals are more flexible, and you create them for yourself. An example of a goal for Laura and myself would be posting something every Thursday and Sunday for our lovely followers.
Deadlines. Take them seriously. Goals. Take them seriously, too. The difference is that what you slip up on a goal, you have no one to blame but yourself, and the consequences are insubstantial. We feel badly when we don’t give our followers something to read every Thursday and Sunday, but we meet that goal more often than not, so we learn to carry on. If you fail to turn in your research paper, you don’t simply forget about it and try to do better next week. You get things done so you can meet deadlines. No exceptions.
Goals: Keep calm, and carry on.
Deadlines: Just do it.
Much love! (And we are planning on seeing you again on Saturday. <3)
Do you want to be taken more seriously? Do you want to have more responsibility? Do you want your life to be improved tenfold? Well, you have come to the right place!
Okay, listen up, kids. These are five things that are seriously holding you back. If you’re sick of being treated like a kid, it’s because you’re acting like one. So, man up. Don’t think of yourself as a teenager. Think of yourself as a young adult. Nothing is stopping you from being more mature except for a few things… like these unseemly habits.
5. Your appearance. Cut off shorts and spaghetti straps? Really? We don’t think so. You don’t have to wear a power suit, but you don’t have to look like a power slut, either. Throw out the short shorts, tube tops, and low cut tops. Now. Don’t make us come find you.
4.Texting all the time. When you text during conversations with other people, at the library, in class, and in the car, nobody takes you seriously. Put away the phone when you’re with other people. Save your thumbs for thumb wars and handshakes with college counselors.
3. Lazy speech patterns. “Um, so like, today in like, history class I was um, texting with um, Sally, right? And she was like “OMG Mike iz supa hott fo realz”, yeah? And I was like…” Sorry we stopped that short, our ears were bleeding.
2. Being Late. If you hand in a paper late, you get points taken off. If you show up to a meeting late, the same goes. If you don’t want to fail life, then you’ll be on time.
1. Whining. If you whine about your current responsibilities, you’ll never get more. Nobody likes a whiner. Ever. Every once in a while it’s okay to complain about a few things, but more than once a week? Forget about it. Whine and complain about little things like emptying the dishwasher? Get over it. Everyone has to put in their part at school, at home, and in relationships, so suck it up, get over yourself, and think twice before you whine. It’s irritating, childish, and unbecoming.
No go forth and be mature!
It’s the middle of August and some people have completely “forgotten” that school is just around the corner. (But not us. We’re tickled pink.)
It’s fine that you’re wearing short-shorts and a spaghetti-strapped tank top … for now! But when the first day of school arrives and you show up in a micro-mini / tube-top combo, don’t act shocked when you are asked to change into “something a little more appropriate.”
Let’s face it: it’s 80 degrees, it doesn’t feel like fall yet, and the teachers aren’t thrilled about grading all your summer homework, so they’re on the lookout for bad behavior. There are very simple ways to avoid getting scolded (and looking looking like a cheap hooker) while also staying cool.
Let’s start at the bottom, and work our way up. Some schools don’t allow students to wear flip- flops. (We feel your pain!) An easy alternative is a pair of flat sandals. Light footwear will help you to stay cool. For guys, the simple sneaker will do (please don’t sport the man-dal).
As a general rule, try to avoid long, tight pants in the early fall. You need to let your skin breathe every once in a while! For girls, skirts, skorts, shorts, and capris are all acceptable options. Make sure that nothing is too short! Quite frankly, most people can’t pull off short shorts, and most of them look cheap, anyway! Everyone knows the finger-tip rule, so use it. When your arms lay flat at your sides, your pants should be beyond the tips of your fingers. Anything shorter is definitely a no-no. We’re college-bound ladies, not party-bound teenagers! As for the guys, keep it simple. Knee-length shorts are very appropriate for the warm months.
For dresses and skirts, we recommend no more than 3 inches above the knee as an appropriate length. You don’t want to flash everyone when you go to pick up something. Also, stay away from things that are made out of thin fabric, as it can become see-through in sun / bright lights. If you are wearing white, wear a slip, because this is likely to happen. It is NEVER appropriate to show undergarments, in any way, in class. Keep it clean and considerate —- no cleavage!
Avoid wearing layers. There’s no need to wear three wife beaters right on top of each other. For guys and gals, a simple tee will do! A polo, perhaps? Keep the cleavage out of the classroom and the bra-straps hidden. It’s as simple as that. Honestly, you look a little silly with bright pink bands coming out of your teal tube-top. Also, wear tops that are long enough to be tucked into you pants without pulling out. This will ensure that you aren’t flashing your lower stomach and back when you sit down in class. And let’s face it —- unless you’re Kiera Knightly*, nobody really wants to see your lower stomach.
As for makeup, keep it simple and school appropriate, if you wear makeup at all! Caking on layers of foundation, bronzer, translucent powder, blush, and cover-up can be tiresome (and ugly). In the heat, there’s a good chance that the time spent in front of the mirror will be wasted by 3pm, anyway. Keep the eye makeup simple and light. If you are blonde or dirty blonde / brunette chances are you should use brown eyeliner / mascara, not black. It will look more natural. A chapstick is fine. Avoid the bright red lipstick. (Where are you going? History class or a grand ball?) Concealer will help hide any dark circles. Our advice? If you take more than 3 minutes to do your makeup for school, you’re wearing too much makeup .
If our motto has been “let your body breathe”, do you really think we’re not going to tell you to use a hair tie? Keep your locks locked away in a pony tail. You’ll thank us when you’re not dying from heat-stroke. Aside from that, playing with your hair in class sends the message, “I’m not paying attention at all!”
If all else fails, remember to keep it appropriate and classy. We’re not asking you to dress up, per-say. We’re telling you that spaghetti straps and short-shorts are no longer appropriate once the 8am bell rings.
*And trust us —- we’re no Kiera, either!
*If you wear uniforms, please abide by the school’s uniform standards
Unfortunately due to some technical difficulties we will be postponing Thorsdagr. :( But don’t worry! That means we’re having Fridaydagr tomorrow! Yeah, yeah, we know, we’re disappointed too. (If your confused about Thorsdagr, check out our earlier posts!)
On a happier note —- thank you so much to all of our followers for reading and <3ing our blog and posts! We have had a small influx in followers of late so thank you thank you thank you!
Don’t forget to submit questions, ideas for posts, or anything else to our ask or email them to us (apcollege@rocketmail.com)!
It’s a normal day. Everything is going smoothly until you check Facebook. One new friend request! Yippee! You look and see who it is. Your jaw drops. It’s none other than Oprah Winfrey* herself! Do you accept?
For 100% of high schoolers the answer should be a resounding “no.” Oprah* is a big time celebrity, yes, but she is also a high-powered philanthropist and a well educated woman who does not want to see pictures of you partying it up after homecoming.
So, what do you do? Clean up your Facebook, duh! Here’s a list of things that you should never ever keep or put up on your Facebook. People have been rejected from college or had their acceptances revoked because of inappropriate content on social networking sites. We’re not saying it’s common, but it has happened!
Don’t:
- Pictures of you with / doing / wearing:
- Drugs of any kind (even prescription or Advil), or drug paraphernalia
- Alcohol (this includes “solo” cups. We’re not joking, kids. Carrying around/drinking from these cups is probable cause in New Jersey.)
- Partying (or at a party). Study parties exempted.
- Guns or weaponry of any sort (unless in a museum display case)
- Clothing with insignia from alcohol, gun, or drug companies.
- Inappropriate clothing (A bikini at the beach is one thing. A micro mini in a class room is another.)
- Making out (Oprah* doesn’t want to see it! And neither do we!)
And remember —- pictures of you are partly your property. If a friend posts something inappropriate of you, demand they take it down, and don’t waiver.
Also refrain from posting / commenting anything that has hateful, racist, or sexist remarks, saying anything explicit, mentioning drugs, alcohol, guns or other weaponry, sex or sexual activities, or making a strong political statement. If a friend posts something that falls into one of those categories on you wall, delete it. In other words, keep it PG.
In terms of your status: don’t upd8 lyk dis and say wht a bad day u had wheen u flunked da math test yo. Use real words and keep it light. Don’t complain about teachers, grades, or other students / faculty at your school (in you status or on your wall).
Also: do not lie about books you’ve read, places you’ve been, community service projects you’ve been involved in, etc etc. When asked about your Habitat for Humanity trip by a college admissions officer, you can’t say you haven’t done it if it’s on your Facebook page. You will never know if they checked or not, and why would you “like” something if you have no idea what it is? You can’t make up your thoughts on the spot. That’s a well known and respected organization so saying, “yeah… it was cool!” won’t cut the mustard.
Okay now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way let’s move on to something happier: the “do’s”:
Do:
- Update your groups to get rid of old or inappropriate groups (think “i luv beer” and “spongebob”)
- Join new groups that reflect your academic interests, community service groups, etc.
- Update your activities and interests with your favorite books (NOT TWILIGHT!), movies (NOT TWILIGHT!), quotes by your favorite people (NOT EDWARD CULLEN!), etc.
- Update your privacy settings! Keep ‘em tight!
- Have an appropriate profile picture where you are recognizable.
- Pare down your “friends” list. You don’t really have 900 friends and we all know it.
- Untag / delete unflattering photo’s of yourself.
Now that you’ve done all of this, go accept that friend request from Oprah! Wait —- you didn’t get one? Only we did? Our bad …
*Oprah Winfrey = a college admissions officer. Smart, looking at you for a reason, and expecting you to do your best 24/7.
You aren’t in the midst of writing a paper for AP English, nor are you trying to balance staying awake in class with getting enough studying in. It’s summertime! Why in the world would you need relaxation tips? We’ll tell you why. Our junior year is coming, and we’ll be up to your eyeballs in stress in no time. And you will too! So you’re a junior? Welcome to the club. Senior? Good luck! Sophomore/ freshmen —- good job for thinking big. You’ll be stressed too.
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Part of getting ready for school should be preparing yourself for all of the pressure. You’re getting a medical check up and buying all of your school supplies (more on that later … the school supplies, not your doctors visit, sicko!). Now, it’s time to take note of a few things that will keep you from going crazy in the coming months.
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1. Hydration, hydration, hydration: A dry student is an unhappy student. An unhappy student is often stressed. All of that built up angst (think Edward Cullen*) isn’t going to help you focus on your biology project. Solution: get wet! Keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times. Refill it. You’re preserving the environment by not buying countless plastic water bottles, and you’re preserving your well-being! (And the well-being of all of your friends. We know you can get a tad cranky when you don’t drink enough water.)
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2. Get enough sleep: If you think people get cranky when they don’t drink enough water, just watch out for someone who only got 3 hours of sleep (think Harry Potter*)! Getting enough sleep helps you focus. And it’s been proven that you need at least 6 hours of sleep to retain information. Why spend all that time cramming the night before a big test only to get 2 hours of sleep and remember a mere third of what you studied?! Not worth it (think Ron Weasley*).
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3. Work smart: why cram the night before a test that you’ve known about for 3 weeks? Spread out your studying and get help with things you’re not sure about. (Teachers won’t answer your e-mails at 2AM. We’ve tried.) Check the sylabus to see if you have an upcoming test or quiz. You’re going to thank us when you ace your APUSH exam.
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4. Prioritize: If you have a project due in four weeks, and a test in four hours, study for the test. Sure, you want to work on the project, too (see tip number 3), but it’s smart to make sure you’re prepared for closer events. Think Frodo*: the bigger goal in mind (destroying the ring), while taking his journey one step at a time (i.e. not being eaten by orks). On a lighter note, if you don’t have any clean clothing, and you’ve already missed two weeks of your favorite TV show, it’d be wise to do a load of laundry and watch your TV show some other time. We don’t care if you aren’t up to date with Jersey Shore* (and if you’re friends do, get smarter friends. Yours watch too much TV.).
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5. Meditation: Do it! It can be awkward sitting quietly in a criss-cross-applesauce position, but it’s be proven to relieve stress. Trust us. Here’s a directional video for beginners and a site that goes through the meditation process, step-by-step. It also has some helpful things to read!
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6. Just some old-fashioned relaxing and calming!: 1 ; 2 ; 3 ; 4 (This last one is an incredible 30-minute loop of a thunderstorm. It’s so calming.)
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7. Eye candy: One way to make you feel better is to just look up a few pictures of your favorite celebrity. It releases endorphins! (You know… endorphins. Those things you are going to learn about in APBio. You’re going to remember them by thinking about how dolphins make you happy. Or from Elle Woods in Legally Blonde*) Pretty people, fantastic musicians, and talented actors are all fine options.
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Remember, know how to relax now will save you time in the future. If you don’t bookmark some of these links now, you’ll be clutching your chest with a combination asthma/panic attack while you’re scrolling through page after page of awful relaxation techniques.
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* We do not endorse the Twilight series or franchise. You youngins shouldn’t be reading that crap! Get back to A Tale Of Two Cities!
* Harry Potter, for the record, is a much better read then Twilight. Even if Harry doesn’t get enough sleep.
*We all know Ron’s a slacker. He always copies off of Hermione. We do not advocate for total Ronald Weasly emulation. Try to strike a balance between the two.
*Oscar winning films + Orlando Bloom (see tip 7) + a great book series? Now that’s what we’re talking about!
*Step away from Jersey Shore. Just put down the remote. Look away, kiddies, and never look back.
*Okay, okay, we watched the movie once … or eight times …
Pros: Cons:
Very thorough SAT prep Not free
Proved strategies for SAT questions Site did not tend to cooperate
Materials provided lots of practice/other practice tests
VERY helpful teachers and hotline support staff
Structured classes
FANTASTIC flashcards (SAT in a box)
Timed tests -with- breaks
Tests were returned in a timely manner
SAT prep that gives you real results by adding tons of points to your SAT score
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Will I Continue to Use: I will continue to use the practice materials, and the online video tutorials.
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Would I Recommend This Program: Yes.
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*********.5/********** (9.5/10 stars)
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http://www.kaptest.com/College/SAT/index.html
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Pros:
There are only a certain number of people on this planet that enjoy spending countless hours devoted to SAT prep. I am not always one of them. However, this program was fun and very straightforward, which made sitting in front of my computer for 3 hours (each class) or 5 hours (practice tests) Monday through Thursday for the past 3 weeks easier than I could have ever imagined.
My teacher and teaching assistant were lively and upbeat, and were helpful, to boot! I have access to their e-mail addresses (and the Kaplan website) for a full year after the class ends. This means I can go back and watch the video tutorials, keep track of my SAT scores, and e-mail my teacher or TA if I have any questions. Having these resources for another year has already come in handy. The other resources include a menacingly thick lesson book, a practice test book (with 4 practice tests inside!) and a box. SAT in a box, to be exact. If it’s possible to have fallen in love with SAT prep, I have. This little box contains three types of flashcards. The yellow, blue, and green flashcards correspond to the material on the card, which include vocabulary, math, and grammar, respectively. Did I mention that the box is 3-by-3-by-2? Throw it in your purse or pocket, and you can even review for the SATs in the car, on the way to the grocery store! (As long as you aren’t the one driving, that is.)
I took four practice tests over the course of this class. Each testing period was about 5 hours long, mostly due to the pep talk beforehand, and the directions for entering your answers afterward. We were encouraged to print out each test, use a number 2 pencil (not mechanical!) and have the graphing calculator that we would be using on test day. Preparing you for not only what is on the test, but for the testing environment is going to be extremely beneficial when I take the SAT. I’m going to walk in and know that I’ve done it all before.
The class was very different from the practice test days. The classroom was interactive; you would ask questions, give answers, etc., using a chat box on the screen. Students saw the teacher in a little video box, but the teacher couldn’t see the students. The teacher put up polls for the students to answer questions, but also for what kind of music should be played during breaks. It was a very calm environment, which made learning fun.
What we actually learned was standard, but Kaplan has developed strategies for answering problems. Some of these include backsolving, picking numbers, road-mapping and pre-defining. They proved to be useful when taking the practice tests, and will be just as useful when I take the real SAT.
Now, do you want to talk about real results? My SAT score went up by 560 points. 560! It could stand to go up by 200 more points overall, but I was incredibly happy. Where I am now definitely beats where I was three weeks ago.
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Cons:
The program is not free. In fact, it’s pretty expensive. But when you compare a compact, three-week course to a bi-weekly meeting with your SAT tutor, this may be less expensive. It really depends on your other options.
The only other bad thing about the program is that the site did not cooperate. I was logged out before I had finished entering my test answers. Half of the videos didn’t work. The practice questions that came after the video were sometimes not connected to the right set of answers. (The practice questions didn’t count against you for anything, so the only thing that happened was that I got really frustrated.)
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Overall, this program was immensely helpful. I would recommend it to everyone I know. Their site was recently reconfigured, so they are still working the bugs out of it, but it should be fine by next summer, when you start taking your Kaplan course. (Because I know you will! Who doesn’t want the extra points?!)
Now, I don’t mean to be haughty or conceited, but there are some things that I would like to present in this post. Most teenagers have developed lackadaisical speech patterns that can be detrimental to the college admissions process. Call me a maverick, but I aim to help you reform your comatose brain. So, stop using so many colloquial terms and get your head in the game!
How many of you looked up one (or more) of the words in the preceding paragraph? Bonus: how many of you caught the slant rhyme? Be honest! This may have proved a few things if you did look something up. One: you need to work on your SAT vocab. Two: your speech patterns have fallen into disrepair.
When you study vocab, don’t just memorize the meaning. Use it in a sentence, write a short story or poem, and incorporate it into your daily life. Once you start speaking in a more educated manner, you will remember your vocab better. You will also be able to throw in some words that impress while on college interviews without even thinking about it. This is something that can help your SAT score and help you be taken seriously. Here are our suggestions:
-Make an effort to incorporate your vocab into your daily life.
-Stop using colloquial phrases (in speech and writing). E.g instead of “I’ll call her up,” use “I’ll call her.”
-Write out funny sentences on your flash cards. Repeat them back to yourself as part of your memorization.
-Carry around a pocket dictionary and look up words that you don’t know when you see (or hear) them. Yes, you may look crazy but eventually you’ll just be crazy smart.
-Give yourself daily or weekly vocab words and force yourself to use them.
-Ban words such as “like” “um” “very” “really” and “super”. If there is a “very” or a “really” then there’s a better word. E.g. “That house is really big!” vs. “That house is humongous!”
Fun Fact: In an exercise for a Public Speaking class, one point was deducted from the student’s presentation grade for every “um” they used. You might think everyone aced this. But most students either barely passed or completely failed. It’s hard, but eliminating words that don’t add to your speech will make you sound more confident. And it means you could at least pass that Public Speaking class.
What are you waiting for? Go out and impress all of your colleagues with a word you learned today!
P.S. Write us a short story using five great vocab words and send it to us as a question or an email. The best one will get posted by us (with your tumblr name, if you choose!).
ALOT =
A LOT = VERY MUCH
YOUR = BELONGING TO YOU; OF YOU
YOU’RE = YOU ARE
THEIR = BELONGING TO THEM
THEY’RE = THEY ARE
THERE = THAT PLACE; A LOCATION OTHER THAN HERE
Something that many people confuse. ^^ Break away from the pack, and learn to use these words properly.
