5 ways to prepare the night before you take the SAT or ACT
‘Twas the night before the SAT, and all through the house, everybody is stirring, and being loud and obnoxious—especially your little brother who keeps running by your door and pointing at you and laughing…oh, uh, sorry about that. I got a little carried away there for a minute. But, seriously, the night before your SAT or ACT can be chaotic and your nerves may be on edge. But Eduify is here to help! We’ve created this list of things to do the night before the test, so it doesn’t turn into the Nightmare before the SAT.
You’ve been preparing for this test for the last year—reading SAT or ACT guides, attending study groups, taking practice tests—and the time has finally come. The test is tomorrow. This is it…your entire future rests on this single test and if you don’t do well, you’re going to be flipping burgers at McDonald’s for the rest of your life. Actually, it’s not that big a deal. Even if you don’t score well on the SAT or ACT, you can always take it again; so take a deep breath and have a nice, relaxing night to make sure you’re physically and mentally prepared for the big test.
Stay Home – Even though half your school is taking the test with you tomorrow, some of your classmates are still out on the town tonight. Maybe they invited you along. Don’t do it. There will be another party tomorrow night, and, if you do well on the test, you’ll have something to celebrate rather than vituperate.
Take it Easy – You’ve been studying for this test every night for the last three months. Chances are, cramming the night before will do more bad than it will good, for cramming is a sign of anxiety and unpreparedness. You have no reason to be anxious, though, because you’re ready. So, even though it sounds odd to say so on the night before the test, give yourself a break! Do some light reading, take a walk, or watch a movie. This will help you to relax before the test.
Prepare – The last thing you want to be doing on the morning of the test is running around your room searching for your wallet, phone, and keys. So make sure you have all of these things ready to go before you go to sleep. And you can’t take the test in your pajamas, so it’s probably a good idea to lay your clothes out on your dresser the night before. Pick out some comfortable clothes and shoes, and remember: it’s not a fashion show.
Make sure you know how you’re going to get to the test site. If you’re going to need a ride, make sure the person is reliable—your best bet is probably your mom or dad. Try to arrange your ride a few days in advance and make sure you remind the person frequently about the date and the time you want to leave.
Pack Your Book Bag – It would be pretty embarrassing if you got into the classroom thinking you were prepared only to realize that you’d forgotten a pencil. One, in fact, is probably not enough. Pack a couple of pencils just in case one breaks or gets dull during the test. Pack a calculator as well. You’ll be at a big disadvantage if you have to spend the time doing simple arithmetic on your scratch paper. Check the College Board Website for acceptable calculators (no, you’re not allowed to use the calculator on your cell phone).
Some other things you might want to pack are extra batteries for your calculator, a bottle of water, a light snack, and a watch. It’s a good idea NOT even to bring your cell phone with you into the classroom, for if it makes even the slightest sound, you could be disqualified from the exam.
Sleep Well – Perhaps the most important thing you can do before the test is get a good night’s sleep. It’s important that your mind and body are well rested, so you should get at least eight hours. Set your alarm clock to allow yourself enough time to get ready and get to the test site with at least twenty minutes to spare. Having to rush to the test site will only make you anxious.
SAT / ACT Checklist
- Your Admission Ticket
- Acceptable photo identification
- Two No. 2 pencils and an eraser
- An acceptable calculator
- For a Language with Listening Subject Test: a portable CD player with earphones (yeah, they still make them)
- A watch (without an alarm)
- Luck (hey, it never hurts to have a little on your side)
- A backpack
- A snack and bottled water
- Extra batteries
- Confidence (you’re going to do great, because you’re well prepared!)
