The summer break is almost upon us. It is time to take a little time off, catch up on rest and sleep, read a few books for fun and get recharged. Doing something productive over the summer such as a summer program, volunteering, or a job/internship is always a good idea to occupy a few of the weeks of your summer break and add value to your resume. However, test prep is not something you can take a holiday from – at least not for too long.
So, after you have taken a little time to recharge, pull up that lawn chair, spend a little time outdoors or by the pool and work on your test prep. Here are some tips.
- Make a study plan.
- Target your weak area(s).
- Take a practice test occasionally to make sure you are improving.
- Consider a summer SAT prep course.
- Repetition is the key in any standardized test prep.
- If you are taking subject tests, know that the test will likely cover material beyond what you have studied in school. Order the book for the Subject Test you plan to take (I recommend the Barron’s brand, College Board is also a good option) and self-study for the material that is new to you.
- Regardless of whether you are taking the SAT, ACT or Subject Tests, it is imperative that you do a few full mock tests to practice. Make sure one or more of these are timed with your watch. The timing makes all the difference because in real life these are timed tests. In other words, if you run out of time and leave the last few blank, it will affect your score.
- Finally, be proactive and do not waste your summer watching Netflix or playing video games. Remember, you are the architect of your own future!