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Why I Love the SAT

Here's why I love the SAT:

(Note: This is an off the cuff list, and I am purposely ignoring all sorts of legitimate issues, such as the high stakes, socioeconomic inequalities, etc. That's a different post.)


  • If I'm feeling down,  I can grab a College Board Blue Book and start working my way through a section, and within minutes the rest of the world melts away and I'm all alone in my SAT bubble with my "problems" -- but not my real life problems -- these are my SAT problems.
  • I can chart my progress and see how far I've come in six months (which actually isn't that far if you just look at my scores, but it doesn't take much to give me that "I'm getting better!" sensation.)  As long as the line graph is headed in the right direction, I'm optimistic.
  • Despite the difficulty of the SAT Critical Reading section, I have stumbled across some breathtaking passages that lead me to discover books I want to read.  For example, there was a passage from The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri on the May 2011 SAT; now it's on the top of my reading list.
  • I have a visceral understanding of how hard this test is, and as a result have more empathy for the kids who are facing it (not to mention, the educators who are supposed to be preparing them to do well).
  • I am gaining a deep understanding of what's not being taught in school that you need to know to do very well on this test (e.g. grammar, the function of a sentence in a passage, the relationship between two passages, etc.).
  • I've learned new vocabulary words (and what's not to love about that?).
  • I'm officially learning grammar for the first time in my life.  I know that sounds boring, but trust me, it doesn't have to be.
  • I find the challenge of a gnarly looking function problem an enormously satisfying experience.
  • I've discovered this cool subculture of SAT enthusiasts, and I've even had a few kids admit to me that they enjoy the SAT, but I'm sworn to secrecy.

 

llustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis

 
5 Comments | posted July 17th, 2011
 
 
  • Edwardsmimolette

    I  read the Namesake three summer ago and it's very good !! do you enjoy the math section? and how much time do you spend answer that section/ reviewing it?

    • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

      I love it, and in fact it's my favorite section, despite the fact that I score the lowest.  

      I was going to go on and on about how much time I DO/DON'T spend, but I actually log the details right here (bottom right of this site, called Project Diary): http://perfectscoreproject.com/project-diary/   

      I wish I could spend my whole life doing SAT math -- but unfortunately I have to conduct the rest of my life or the ship will sink ;(

      I was just reading this article from Wired about memory that a commenter left: http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/ff_wozniak?currentPage=all

      The whole article is fascinating, but following quotes from the article describe my life better than I can:

      "Learning things is easy. But remembering them — this is where a certain hopelessness sets in.""Wozniak felt that his ability to rationally control his life was slipping away. "There were 80 phone calls per day to handle. There was no time for learning, no time for programming, no time for sleep," "Our capacity to learn is amazingly large. But optimal learning demands a kind of rational control over ourselves that does not come easily. Even the basic demand for regularity can be daunting."

      • Edwardsmimolette

        ha ha that's surprising, math isn't my fav subject or this case section. In these test they tend to make this exams near impossible … thank god that in real life math isn't that complicated.
        I think that I would to,but I can't … because I'm busy with my studies and even though I pick up the book to review the math section and answer a new test, I feel like i'm still not learning that much; but last week I purchased a moleskine and i'm hoping that by rewriting some of the math problems  that i'll get a high score.
        very interesting article. How many books about the sat have you read?

  • Edwardsmimolette

    ha ha that's surprising, math isn't my fav subject or in this case section. In these tests they tend to make  the examinations near impossible … thank god that in real life math isn't that complicated.I think that I would too,but I can't … because I'm busy with my studies and even though I pick up the book to review the math section and answer a new test every day, I feel like i'm still not learning that much; but last week I purchased a moleskine and i'm hoping that by rewriting some of the math problems and practicing my answers  that i'll get a high score.very interesting article. How many books about the sat have you read?

    • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

      I'm the queen of the moleskin notebook ;)  You have no idea the notebooks I've filled. In fact, I'm pretty certain that the Micron pens make the moleskin notebooks even better (kidding, kind of).  

      I write it in the notebook, I write it on index cards and hang it on the kitchen cabinets where I cook and wash dishes (and feel like I spend half my life), and still, much of it doesn't stick if I look away for a few days.  Or maybe it does, but it's MUCH SLOWER than I could ever have imagined.

      The problem for me (I'm certain of it) is EXACTLY what that guy wrote in the Wired article:  

      "Wozniak felt that his ability to rationally control his life was slipping away. "There were 80 phone calls per day to handle. There was no time for learning, no time for programming, no time for sleep," "Our capacity to learn is amazingly large. But optimal learning demands a kind of rational control over ourselves that does not come easily. Even the basic demand for regularity can be daunting."

      That's it!  That's my problem.

      I feel like writing a mass email to everyone I know, saying SORRY. I LOVE YOU, BUT I NEEEEEEEDDDDDD TO FOCUS!  Please forgive me if I don't return your calls and emails.  And please be there for me when I come up for air (because that's what I'm afraid will happen if I don't keep on top of everything and everyone (which I don't).  But I need to let go if I really want to leeeaaarrrrnnnnnnn!

      Re how many SAT books have I read, well, I'd say that I own nearly all of them.  Or at leas 80%.  Most of them I've skimmed.  A few of them I've read.  Actually, I can count on one hand the ones I've studied.

 

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