SAT Math and Logic

Most people have heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Many times in life simply taking action is not enough. There must be a gameplan, a set regemin and schedule that you strictly adhere to so that you can measure your progress and achieve the results you desire. While it is very important to take daily action toward educating yourself about the SAT (i.e. the whole setup and the material it tests you on), there must be additional measurements other than frequency.

The first logical step in studying for the SAT is to learn all about the test. Ask any teacher, attorney, real estate agent, insurance salesman, doctor, or any other business professional if they studied the exams required of them in their respective fields and they will unanimously tell you, “All the time!” If you walk in to any exam in the professional world without a clear understanding of what you will be tested on, the format, or the timeframe you have to work with you can be guaranteed failure.

If you do not intimately know the SAT and walk in to take the test then you are not only wasting your time and money, but you probably need to examine your priorities and get a reality check. Imagine walking in for a job interview at a company where you don’t even know what they do for business. After you are acquainted with the format of the test you will want to immediately begin reading books that stretch your comprehension on a daily basis – at least 15 minutes a day and definitely 30 minutes a day minimum for students who do not already have a 650+ verbal score. Three of the greatest books I believe any student should read are:

• As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
• The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
• The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles

www.rocketreader.com is a fantastic resource for teaching the basics of reading comprehension. They have a six minute demo that will prove to every student that he can be great at reading efficiently in a very short period of time. Reading is a decision and will impact your life in every way until the day of your passing. Integrated into your daily reading habits should be 30 minutes of mathematics study. Brush up on the math formulas, algebra, and geometry you will be required to know and make sure you can explain why they even work. www.thinkarchimedes.com also has free resources geared toward teaching you to become quick and accurate with mental arithmetic.

On a final note: there is definitely something to be said for study groups. I have found that students who regularly study together in focused groups typically will score 50 points higher than a student who does not. It is usually a good idea to have a person you can ask questions to and bounce ideas off of, and also to have someone there with the intelligence of a hockey puck. The reason is that it will ensure an open dialog and give you the opportunity to dig deep and say exactly what you mean. Find some good looking girls (or guys) who are also motivated to score well on the SAT and meet at a coffee shop once a week in the morning. It will keep you accountable, sharp, and progressive.

– Andrew Turner

www.thinkarchimedes.com