On April 10, Herrin High School will hold its breath as Junior students pile into Gym A to take the SAT.  According to College Board, the SAT is “used for admissions, financial aid, placement, and other purposes.”  Even if a college is test-optional or a student does not want to go to college, the SAT can also help students qualify for scholarships, strengthen skills required for future education, and measure a student’s in the infamous American “Three Rs” — reading, writing, and arithmetic.  

With the importance of the SAT undeniable, students must understand what the test will look like and what they must do.  On April 6, Juniors will need to come to Herrin High on time, with their school-issued Chromebooks fully charged.  They will be given a testing slip that will include the necessary information to log into BlueBook (the app used to take the new digital SAT).  Students will sign in and, when the time comes, begin working on the SAT.

There are two sections — English and Mathematics, which are thus divided into two modules.  Since the exams are adaptive, students will take their breaks on their own time (as opposed to the past breaks in which the entire Junior class took their break together).  

For students to succeed, they must be well-prepared for this test.  They should have taken the SAT preparatory advisory periods that were offered.  They must sleep well the night before and have breakfast (especially protein and healthy carbs).  Students need to be able to read the questions quickly and effectively.  They will be able to utilize a calculator throughout the entire Math exam.  When in doubt, it does well to skip a question and return to it with a clearer mind.

In effect, students should not fear the SAT.  It is a chance to show off their skills in math, reading, and writing.  Students should practice everything they can.  Even if they did not attend the advisory periods, they can still request practice tests from teachers who have them.  The SAT is one’s friend, a gateway into the bright roads the future has to offer.