Applying for college is an exciting but nerve-wracking time. You deserve to have every chance at success with the best help you can get your hands on.
Prepare to put your strongest foot forward with this list of 8 things to do the week before the SAT.
If you’re worried about how to study for the SAT in a week because life has been insane and you haven’t had extra study time… for starters, don’t stress.
Higher Scores has an awesome online SAT Quick Prep course just for you.
You still have to do the studying work, but you can be ready for the exam in as little as four hours. Give yourself the ability to raise your score and do your very best.
Then be sure to follow the advice below and get ready to shine on the SAT.
1. Do a few practice SAT questions each day this week.
Opt for quality review over quantity breeze-through.
Download real SAT practice questions for both test sections or a full-length practice SAT.
Don’t try to work through hundreds of questions at a time.
There are a lot of free options on the site and it can be overwhelming.
Carve out 30 minutes every day to focus on 3 math questions, 3 reading questions, and 3 grammar questions.
This will help you feel comfortable and confident.
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
It might sound silly, but exercising during the week can give you an advantage come Saturday’s test.
Exercise will help you:
- Blow off stress,
- Maintain your focus,
- Sleep better, and
- Boost your immune system to ward off any last-minute bugs right before your SAT dates.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or crazy. You could:
- Stroll through your favorite park
- Recreate your favorite dance video for your social media channels
- Kick or throw a ball around with a family member
…Or anything that pumps fresh air into your lungs, blood to your brain, and energy to your whole body!
3. Eat an extra helping of veggies or fruit at each meal this week.
Similar to tip #2, you want to do everything you can to keep sickness at bay, boost your energy, and do your best on test day.
That means upping your superfood intake.
Here are some of the best foods for higher brain function and energy:
- Blueberries
- Green Tea
- Artichokes
- Beans
- Nuts
- Apples
- Fish
- Turnips
- Avocado
It doesn’t have to be a barrage of beet smoothies. Again, as with trying to cram in too much knowledge, there is such a thing as too many superfoods (especially any that your system might not be used to).
Add in any favorite fruits or veggies at a steady, moderate pace throughout the week and you’ll be in good shape for the test.
4. Go to bed earlier than usual this week.
Most students are running on very little sleep these days. High school is tough and all-nighters are not uncommon.
The problem is that if you just keep your normal habits and then try to rest up the night before the test, you’ll have a hard time falling asleep or be groggy the next morning.
Try to adjust your bedtime to a slightly earlier time this whole week so that you won’t have trouble the night before the exam.
An extra hour each night will do wonders!
5. On Friday, collect all of the items you’ll need in one place.
The last thing you need the morning of your exam is to be running behind schedule because your printer has run out of ink and you can’t print your admission ticket.
Set out everything on the checklist below on Friday night so that you can grab it and go on Saturday morning.
Here’s what to bring to the SAT:
- A College Board approved device with Bluebook downloaded and updated
- Your College Board login written on a piece of paper
- (For Mac/Apple users: Your App Store login in case you need to update the app)
- Your laptop or tablet charger!
- Your SAT admission ticket, printed at home
- An official photo ID
- An extra pencil in case you want to work things out on scratch paper
- The calculator you're most comfortable with
- A few healthy snacks (and maybe some dark chocolate to keep you going!)
- A bottle of water
To access your admission ticket and to see a list of approved calculators, visit the College Board website.
6. Wake up 30 minutes early on test day.
We want to keep your stress level as low as possible on your SAT date.
Wake up early to ensure that you have plenty of time to eat breakfast and get to your test site - rather than using up energy worrying about whether or not you’re going to be on time.
Save your energy for the exam and have an easier morning.
If you’ve been resting up all week (remember tip #4?), an extra 30 minutes of sleep on test day won’t be as difficult to forgo!
7. Eat a good breakfast the morning of the test.
This is imperative.
The SAT is a lot like a marathon - so eat up! Lack of food is frequently the culprit of lower-than-expected scores.
Your brain is an organ.
It needs food to maintain focus and clarity.
Be sure to avoid breakfasts with too much fat or lots of refined sugar. The former will make you feel groggy; the latter will pep you up initially but cause you to crash mid-exam.
Menu suggestion: Scrambled eggs and oatmeal with a side of fresh fruit makes a great, filling start on test day. It will keep you powering through but won’t weigh you down.
8. Breathe! You’ve got this!
No matter how you prepared (or didn’t), you’re going to take this test.
If you did a great job preparing, trust what you’ve learned.
Test-taking techniques are not training wheels, they are the wheels. You won’t go anywhere if you don’t use them!
Trust what’s helped you improve on your practice tests to get a higher score on test day.
If you didn’t prepare for this test, don’t get hung up on shoulda-coulda-woulda’s. Download the Insider’s Guide to the ACT & SAT to make sure you understand all the best tips and tricks for tackling the test - then find a way to release your stress and don’t focus on regret.
If you feel you can do a better job preparing, then you can do so after this exam.
Do your very best with what you’ve got at this moment on this test day. That’s all anyone can ask of you!
Good luck to you, and may higher scores be yours.
If you have any other questions, send us an email and we’ll make sure your testing needs are taken care of ASAP!