Many of my students knew that I planned to take the SAT last Saturday, and they've been asking me what I thought of the test. I can't answer them because I didn't take the test. But I learned one more thing to add to the list of "what NOT to do on test day."
Oh, I got there in plenty of time, armed with my "test bag"--a canvas tote containing my admission ticket, pencils, calculators, water, and snack. After I parked, I decided I didn't need to take my purse in, so I took my driver's license out and (thought) I put it in my pocket. A half hour later, in line to be admitted to the test room, I reached for the ID and didn't find it. The proctor generously offered to wait while I looked for it. But a trip to the car and back failed to locate it. I told her to proceed without me.
Disappointed, I went back to the car the second time, did a slower, more thorough search, and found the license where it had fallen behind the driver's seat. Oh, when will I learn to slow down and be more careful?
I'm old enough that, quite frankly, I don't hold out hope that I will ever learn this, but you who are young, take note. You are still malleable--there's hope for you. While taking either the SAT or ACT, stop for a second and think about the question. Don't be too eager to either guess or move on. With just a little more thought, what first appeared to be difficult might turn out to be easy. This is my message of the week.
