What You Need to Know to Crush the SAT: Math Edition

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f What You Need To Know To Crush The SAT_ math edition

Here is the second installment in my series on test taking and prep strategies for the SAT. My parents paid an arm and a leg for SAT prep, so your parents won’t have to! 😉

General Test Taking Tips

Test questions are ordered from easiest to hardest.

The test is ordered from least missed questions to most often missed questions. For the grid-in problems the difficulty resets. So as you go on from the first grid-in problem to the last grid-in problem, the questions will get progressively more challenging.

You can either focus on doing as many easy problems as possible with reasonable assurance that you got them correct.

OR, you could focus on the hardest problems first then do the easy problems because the easy problems should take less time therefore you can put them off until later when you have less time, assuming that because they are easier, they should take you less time to solve.

When in doubt, skip it! Come back to it later.

Skip problems that take you more than 2 minutes to solve.

If you see a problem you know how to solve (but will take you a long time) or have a vague idea how to solve, skip it.

If you see a problem and you don’t immediately know how to solve it, skip it.

How to Save Time

The test answers choices are generally listed from least to greatest or vice versa. If you need to fill in a value, start with one of the middle values. Then you can go up or down if that answer choice doesn’t work.

Don’t show all of your work if you don’t need to. You won’t get partial credit for showing your work. If you can do it in your head quickly and accurately then do it and bubble in the answer immediately.

Know when it’s going to be faster to plug in the various options versus solving for the correct variable.

Getting Better and Avoiding Making the Same Mistakes

Identity areas where you are the weakest and categorize your weakness into the following categories

  1. Silly mistake (ex. simple addition error or mixing up values)
  2. Knowledge based: you didn’t know how to solve that problem
  3. Ran out of time

Avoiding Making Silly Mistakes

  1. If you’re making a lot of silly mistakes, SLOW DOWN.
    • This may seem counterintuitive, but you have to give you brain the time it needs to function properly. I’d recommend taking practice tests so you can get used to the stress of working under time constraints.
    • Also, double check your work if you have time.
      • Generally, I double check my answers before I go back to answer the really hard questions.
  2. If you missed the question because you didn’t understand it and/or know how to solve it, use Khan Academy to learn how to solve questions like that.

The Most Important Tip I Can Give You

All the questions on the test are weighted the exact same. One will not count for more or less than any other, so focus on the ones where you’re absolutely sure you can obtain the correct answer.

Equations to Master

You should be familiar with all the you learn in algebra 1 and 2. Some ones that you should definitely know are

  • Parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines
  • Point slope form
  • Equation of a circle
  • Quadratic formula

Skills To Master

  • Splitting the middle
  • Combing like terms
  • Factoring quadratics
  • Similar triangles
  • Expanding polynomials

Good luck with the SAT! Always remember that the College Board is THE devil.

Sincerely,

Marie

Currently Coveting No. 4

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Having just announced my shopping ban, I felt a bit hypocritical writing this book and online window shopping. Ultimately, I came to this conclusion: this blog is my creative outlet and one of my creative hobbies is creating fun and pretty and outfits. Honestly, most of these outfits are so different from my usual uniform of jean shorts and a T-shirt – I like living vicariously through these Currently Coveting posts.

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Today, we have a navy gingham midi wrap dress from the Gap, strappy white sandals from Target, tassel earrings from The Tiny Tassel, a necklace from KJP, and an adorable hair scarf from H&M.

dress | sandals | watch | bracelet | necklace | scarf | earrings

Gingham Wrap Midi Dress

I hate midi dresses. I love wrap dresses. I’m not sure if I’d love or hate this dress. I do think this is would be the perfect introduction into midi dresses, as I tend to stick with mini dresses.

Strappy Sandals

I think I saw Kate from Lonestar Southern wear these. Honestly, I don’t really remember, but these sandals are adorable nonetheless! I could actually see myself wearing these with a nice little sundress in the summer.

Michele Watch

I was introduced to this brand by Dorothy from Prep in Your Step. I wouldn’t buy this $2,300 watch for myself, but it sure it pretty! Also, I’m not a big fan of metal watches – I definitely prefer leather watches.

Kate Spade Enamel Bracelet

I love a good enamel bracelet! So clean, so classic, so chic! You can’t go wrong.

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Me wearing enamel bracelets when I met Ayanna Pressley !!

Hair Scarf

I love hair scarves! Love. Love. Love. I think a cute scarf in your hair totally elevates your look. 50% of the time, you can find me with a scarf in my hair. Pro tip: you can use hair scarfs to tie up your hair (like a hair tie) when you run out of hair ties. 

Pearl Necklace

This necklace is actually really similar to a necklace my mom gave me that I wear almost every day. I love how simple and classic it is – I can literally wear it with anything. And I have!

Tassel Earrings

Generally, I am *against* tassels  in all their forms, but these are acceptable (and cute). These earrings are from Tiny Tassel. This is a Black owned company based out of Charleston, SC! We love to support Black owned businesses!

Sincerely,

Marie

Making Content to Consume Lists

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A few days ago, I came across a massive post on Carly the Prepster’s Facebook Group. It was a list of small bloggers and micro-influencers. I clicked on every link with the intent to follow, read, or just check out all of the blogs listed.

I didn’t get to it that day, so when I opened my computer the next day – I HAD 30 TABS OPEN. Now, I’m the kind of person who gets super stressed out when I have too many tabs open. It’s just visually overwhelming and urgh! I’m just not a fan.

Then I had an idea! Eureka! (I’m like basically Pythagoras now!)

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Shout out to my friend Joaquin for sharing this meme with me!

 

Anyways, I made a content to consume list in Notion, my new replacement for Notes.

I started by making a new page within my one of my notebook in Notion aptly titled “Notebook”.

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Next, I created two separate pages within the content to consume page: instagrams and blogs. In hindsight, I probably should’ve just made two separate sections for instagrams and blogs on the same page. But if it’s not overly complicated, then did Marie really make it? I think not.

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Last, I just used bullet points to make my lists. I like to hyperlink the text. To do this, select the text you want to link, while the text is selected press command + K and voila! A box should appear and you can paste in the link and press enter.

 

Later, I combined the two lists onto one page to simply matters. Overall, like this layout much more.

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Happy list making! (But for real, how can list making not be happy?!?)

Sincerely,

Marie

Book Review: The Year of Less

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The Year of Less by Cait Flanders

Rating: ★★★★☆

This book convinced me to stop buying sh*t. That in and of itself is an accomplishment. Really. If you don’t believe me, you should see my amazon account … Yikes.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. One, I *love* memoirs that are narrated by the author. It just feel that authors know exactly where to put the emphasis and it just works. Ya know? I’m a big fan.

Since lockdown, I’ve been doing a lot more chores. Normally, during the school year, I barely have time to sleep, so my parents are pretty lax about my not doing chores. In lockdown, my parents have tasked me with doing the dishes most nights after dinner considering my school basically gave up on remote learning. I used to HATE doing the dishes, but oddly enough, now, I kinda like it when I’m listening to a good audiobook. Sometimes I also listen to more narrative based podcasts like Lore or This American Life. So far, I’ve listened to Make Trouble by Cecile Richards, The Year of Less by Cait Flanders, and now Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Anyways, this book actually made me kinda look forward to doing the dishes. Crazy! I know, but let that show as a testament to how good this book is.

Anyway, moving on from my tangent, I just found this book to have some, dare I say, profound insights. One of my favorite ideas Flanders talks about is asking yourself “Am I buying this for the person I am or the person I want to be?” After listening to this, I didn’t think much of it, but now I realize – this is such an important idea. I can’t tell you how many shirts, pens, and books I’ve bought thinking to myself “this is what ideal me would wear/use/read”. Like do I really want to read Pride and Prejudice? No, not really.

Here’s a tidbit of information from The Year of Less I want to share with you all: a shopping ban is more like a browsing ban. Think about all the notifications you receive from your favorite stores. I get an email at least twice a week from LL Bean. I almost always scroll through it, imagining myself as a savvy outdoors-woman. It made me all the more inclined to purchase whatever they were advertising. The solution: stop browsing, stop window shopping (IRL and online), unsubscribe, and unfollow.

Cait totally convinced me to try a shopping ban. I’ll be writing more about that here. She also encouraged me to start decluttering. I will be headed off to college in the fall of 2021, so I want to gradually start decluttering to avoid the massive pain of rapid decluttering.

Lastly, Cait really made me think critically about myself and my finances. Like I said earlier, I’m about to go to college. That means for the most part, I’m going to be responsible for my own finances. My parents have agreed to give me a small monthly stipend for expenses when I’m away, but I still have to be a fiscally responsible *gasp* adult. Because of this honestly scary revelation, I have started tracking all of my purchases whether I spend my own money on it or not. I’m planning to do another post about this. Ultimately, my goal is to be more conscious and mindful about what I’m spending and why.

“The ban uncovered the truth, which was that when you decide to want less, you can buy less and, ultimately, need less money.”

– Cait Flanders, The Year of Less

Honestly, everyone needs to read this book. I think “seeing” someone else do it helps you feel like you can do it – you can want less, buy less, and save more.

I’m beginning a 3 month long shopping ban. I’m hoping to extend it to 12 months, but I’m starting small!

Wish me luck!

Sincerely,

Marie

the year of less

The Website EVERY Student Needs to Know About

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This is going to change your life.

A couple of days ago, I was just minding my own business, looking for an explanation for a question I had been assigned in my SAT prep class. Then I stumbled upon this website called Soft Schools.

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Initially, I was like “WTF did I just click on?!?”. I lowkey thought it was going to give me a virus. Luckily, it didn’t. But. Y’all. It’s amazing. It has articles explaining pretty much everything you would cover in grades 1-12.

I was really excited by its offerings for AP Chemistry. I just took AP Chem this year and I never had enough resources to practice or apply the new concepts I was learning. For anyone who has taken chem, you know that practice problems are the key to success. Soft Schools has practice questions for AP Chem with answers! on it’s website!

This website is amazing! I’m so in love. I just wish I had know it when I was actually taking AP Chem. I am so excited by this because you can access practice questions which is something even the AP Chemistry course on Khan Academy doesn’t have! I mean, this is pretty huge. Also, you could definitely use a review book like Barron’s to get practice questions, but still – this is free!

They have notes, articles, and quizzes for a bunch APs such as AP Geography, AP US History, AP Environmental Science which I’m planning on looking through to get ahead for school in the fall, and so many others.

Unfortunately, they don’t have all the APs, but something is better than nothing! Here’s a link to all the high school materials on the site.

They say (read: lie) that they have materials for calculus, but it’s basically all pre-calc stuff like logs and trig functions. So if you’re looking for calc help, I wouldn’t use this site. However, my friend who TA’d Calc I and took Calc BC last year said Khan Academy’s Calc curriculum and videos were really good and helpful. I’m planning to use Khan Academy for when I take calc in the fall.

Another really cool feature on their website are the history timelines. I always find timelines to be super helpful to get a broad idea about what was happening in a certain time period. On this website, they have ones pre-made for you. Generally, it’s better to make your own timeline. But if you just need a quick reference guide, this is a really good option. Honestly, the timelines in this website are organized in no particular manner or at least, I can’t tell what manner it’s organized in. For example, after the Rosa Parks timeline is on on the Civil War, so I don’t even know what’s happening there.

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Everyone and their mom needs to know about this website. It’s super helpful (though not super easy to use). Trust me, command+F will be your best friend when navigating this disorganized website. You’ll definitely have to plan around with the site a bit to get where you’re trying to go, but I think you’ll probably find exactly what you’re looking for when you (eventually) get there!

Sincerely,

Marie

Simplicity at Its Finest

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There are some things that are super simple, but when they’re made well – it makes a world of a difference. In this post, I’m rounding up totally random items that I use every day that are just super thoughtfully designed and well-made.

Pomelo Pill Dispenser

My doctor recommended keeping my meds by alarm clock so I could take them as soon as I woke up. I wanted something cute and functional – this is that. 

Kindle

I love my kindle! I’ve had mine since 6th grade – it’s the 2013 2nd Generation Kindle Paperwhite. It’s so old you can’t even buy it anymore. Kindles are amazing! If you enjoy reading, you shoud have a Kindle. They’re relatively inexpensive and last FOREVER. Reading on a phone doesn’t even compare. 

Aukey Table Lamp

I bought this lamp go on my bedside table. I needed a lamp that would cast a soft and warm light for reading at night before bed. This lamp is great for that purpose and many others. You can change the color, and when it’s set to the basic white light, you can change the brightness. Overall, this is a just a nice lamp that does it job well. Mine is in the size, large. 

Bic Cristal Pens

These pens are a classic and for good reason! They write smoothly, don’t smear or bleed. They’re great pens, and they cost like 10 cents apiece. You literally can’t go wrong.

Homtime Alarm Clock

I actually discovered this alarm clock while staying at a friend’s house. I really appreciated how easy it was to set the alarm. There was none of the constant pushing the minutes button then pushing the hour button. All you had to do is turn the dial – it’s so easy! I also like how I can change the brightness of the clock, so it doesn’t distract me when I’m trying to fall asleep. Also, it comes with 2 USB ports in the back. Bonus: you can also add batteries so if your power were to go out over night, your alarm clock would still work in the morning. 

Speck iPhone Case

Since 2016, I have used a Speck case. Sometimes, I switched to a different brand, but for the most part I’ve used Speck. They have the best slimmer cases for the price. They often have sales on their website, and often on Amazon. I drop my phone a lot, and this case has protected my phone the best and stayed intact. Honestly, if you have a phone, get a Speck case. You won’t regret it!

Leuchtturm Notebook

I started out bullet journaling using a TERRIBLE Walmart Exceed brand dotted notebook. It was a horrible, no good, very bad experience. 0/10 would recommend. My dad brought home a Leuchttrum from a conference where he received it in a swag bag. I told myself that I would wait for at least a new school year if not a calendar year to begin using the Leuchttrum. Spoiler: I didn’t wait, and I’m so glad I made that decision. Using a well-made journal made a huge difference. If you are using something every day, make sure it’s a quality item.

Oral B Genius Toothbrush

Would I have spent $130 on a toothbrush? No! Would I take a $130 toothbrush as a part of my dad’s new company insurance? Heck yes! This toothbrush is the item I never knew I needed. I have struggled with maintaining good oral hygiene. Having a toothbrush that really cleans my teeth was a total game changer for me. My teeth just feel cleaner. I love it! I would recommend a sonic toothbrush to anyone and everyone. I will never go bad to manual toothbrushes. Also, according to my dentist, you should buy one that has a built in timer and pressure alert to make sure you’re not being too harsh on your gums and teeth – so no need to shell out $100+ dollars on a toothbrush. 

Alpha Gel Kurutoga Mechanical Pencil

When I started my summer tutoring in math, I rewarded myself by buying this pencil. I have a death grip when it comes to holding pens and pencils, so I try to buy ergonomic writing utensils. I loved my original Kurutoga pencil, but the hard, unforgiving grip was incompatible with long homework sessions. I bought this pencil, and now it feels like I can write indefinitely with this pencil. Seriously, though, I don’t think my hand has cramped once when I’ve used this pencil. 

Camelbak Water Bottle

I use this water bottle everyday. When I thought I had lost it, I almost had a panic attack – that’s how attached I am to this water bottle. It suits my need perfectly! 32oz is the perfect amount – it’s not too much so that the water bottle is too heavy, yet it’s just enough so you’re not constantly refilling. 10/10 would recommend!

Sometimes, it the simple, well-made things that make all the difference.

Sincerely,

Marie

Book Review: Such a Fun Age

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Warning: minor spoilers ahead

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Although, I read most of Such a Fun Age in bed, outside makes a far better picture. 😉

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Rating: ★★★★☆

I have a lot of thoughts about this book – perhaps more than I can make sense of. Then again, having too many thoughts to make sense of is my perpetual state of being anyway, so what else is new?

One

I think this book is honestly, just indicative of how white people act sometimes. As an African American growing up in a wealthy, white, and liberal suburb, Alix’s actions don’t surprise me at all.

Two

I thought this book did a great job as a smart and sharp social commentary while still being fun and enjoyable. I find that books that aim to be social commentary can be isotonic and lofty and overall not super fun to read; I didn’t feel that way about Such a Fun Age. 

Three

I love how Reid uses Kelley and Alix as foils for one another. As far as I’m concerned, it was literary mastery. Also, the weird love triangle was nothing short of delightful! I love a good rom-com or trashy romance beach read, so the love triangle was just pure fun!

Four

Reid does a great job of making you sympathize with the “antagonists”. I totally saw myself in Alix; Alix’s ambition and constant professional FOMO was super relatable. I also was totally with Emira’s friend, Zara, in wanting Emira to “get her life together” and start working a “real job” with possibilities for advancement.

Five

As for Alix, Reid does a great job of intertwining the socioeconomic and racial motives for Alix feeling superior to Emira. It was particularly poignant to see how often Alix referred to Emira as “hers” – her sitter, her friend, her nanny, her family.

Six

The antagonist. This book is a character vs. society external conflict. In the case of this novel, it quite literally Emira against the world. Alix, Kelley, Tamra, and the grocery security guards are part of the racist, elitist society that is causing harm to Emira.

Seven

Tamra – she’s such an interesting character. Tamra’s wealth makes her feel superior to poor Emira. Essentially, Tamra feels comfortable taking away Emira’s agency because Tamra must know best as she is more financially successful than Emira. This, in particular, was as fantastic and sharp criticism of capitalist and socioeconomic caste system the United States is. This type of paternalistic view towards the less fortunate is exactly what empowers people like Donald Trump to say that those on food stamps should have better and healthier food selected for them, as opposed to letting people but their own food to suit their own needs.

Eight

The more I think about this book, the more I like it. It’s been masterfully written.

If you’re been thinking about reading Such a Fun Age, read it! You won’t regret it!

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Sincerely,

Marie

Must Have Supplies for High School

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Ahh, high school – what a time!

One of the things that stressed me out about entering high school was the utter lack of school supply lists / the lack of consensus on what you need for high school. As a Type-A, ESTJ worrier, I was super freaked out an overwhelmed. And I’m the oldest out of the kids, so I didn’t have any older siblings to tell me what to buy.

First, high school is very different from middle school, but the supplies you need basically stay the same. The thing that will change the most is probably your organization system, but that’s a *whole* other blog post.

Anyway here’s what you need.

what you need for high school

//ONE// A binder for every class

If your school isn’t paperless, you will likely need a binder (or two!) for every classes. This is where you will store old handouts, worksheets, tests, and quizzes. You won’t take these to school with you every day. It’s best to keep this organized chronologically. Alternatively, you could use one binder for all the classes, but thats a) more expensive for one 3in binder b) hander to organize. I got mine from staples. I recommend getting D-ring binders.

//TWO// Notebooks

This one is a bit trickier. It’s hard to gauge whether a class is going to need a whole notebook to itself or not. For example, my freshman history only took about 40 pages of notes for the entire year. I’d recommend buying one 3-subject notebook and two 1-subject notebooks. That way you can put the classes that don’t take a ton notes altogether. Alternatively, one the first day, you can ask your teachers what supplies they’d recommend for their classes. You can always return items if you don’t need them, but you can’t buy things after they’ve sold out.

//THREE// No. 2 Pencils

You will definitely need some No. 2 pencils for scantrons and standardized testing. I like the Dixon Ticonderoga and the Pilot Dr. Grip Mechanical Pencil. You can use mechanical pencils as long as the pencil is using HB grade lead.

//FOUR// Colored Pens

This one is pretty simple – having multiple pen colors is super helpful for drawing diagrams, annotating texts, spicing up your notes, and basically everything. I have a set of colored gel pens and a set of colored ballpoint pens.

//FIVE// Colored Pencils

You will have a project or a poster to create. You will need colored pencils. Do your future self a favor, and buy the 24 pack of Crayolas. This is save you from the inevitable last minute, late night dash to Staples the night before your project is due.

//SIX// Pencil Sharpener

I’m always surprised by the number of people who don’t have a pencil sharpener – don’t be like those people. Assume that the pencil sharpeners in your school are trash (they probably are) and bring your own. I keep a mechanical one on my desk at home and a manual one in my backpack. The manual one is my absolute favorite pencil sharpener. I’ve had mine for 3 years! And I absolutely love it!

//SEVEN// A folder for every class

This is what you’ll carry around with you every day. I like to store ONLY the handouts relevant to the current unit in class. It is imperative that you keep this clean and organized. I’ve used these really cool 4-in-1 folders and these basic 2 pocket folders. I’d definitely recommend getting these in plastic, so they are more durable.

//EIGHT// Pencil Case

I will never understand the people who just throw their pens and pencils all willy-nilly into their backpacks! I high recommend using a pencil pouch that has two pockets like this one. That way you can have one for your post-its and erasers – things you don’t to get dirty with pencil marks all over them. Plus a separate compartment just for your writing utensils.

//NINE// Planner

Honestly, I probably should’ve put this first. A planner, agenda, assignment book, whatever you want to call is one of the keys of long term success in high school. You NEED to know *exactly* when your assignments are due and when your tests are given. A planner is key to that. You don’t really need a planner that’s any bigger than 5in x 8in. That’s the size I use. It’s slightly smaller than the A5 size.

//TEN// Watch

A watch is essential for me. I know in my school, at least 2/3 of the clocks in my school are broken. Also, most of time, teachers won’t allow you to whip out your phone to check the time. This is why a watch is the best thing ever. I genuinely wear a watch every day. I get watch tan lines. Here’s the watch I currently use! One really important feature for a watch to have is the date – I constantly forget the date, so having it on your wrist is super convenient and useful.

Good luck with high school – You’ll need it!

Sincerely,

Marie

What I’ve Been Reading No. 1

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I’ve been reading a lot lately.

//ONE//  The Results Are In for Remote Learning: It Didn’t Work

Wall Street Journal

I thought it was super interesting to hear about other parents’ and students’ experiences with home based learning. I haven’t enjoyed it, but it is nice to have more freedom in choosing when and how I want to work. On the other hand, though, I miss having instruction and lectures from my teachers. Without their teaching, I get so lost so quickly in my school work.

//TWO//  The New World Disorder

The Economist

I’m a big fan of the UN. I keep a miniature UN flag on my desk. I definitely agree with the stance of this article. The basic thesis is in the wake of US abdication of global leadership, middling countries such as Japan, Germany, France, Australia, and Canada should pick up the slack to prevent China increasing its global hegemony.

The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.

If other countries do not act, the system will come to reflect China’s expansive views of national sovereignty and resistance to intervention, even in the face of gross human-rights violations.

//THREE//  Is Taiwan the Next Hong Kong?

Foreign Affairs

I’ve been really interested in Taiwan and generally China’s expansion since 10th grade when I got the Extemp question “How should the international community react to China’s renewed threats of forced reunification with Taiwan?” – or it least it was something like that. Since then, I’ve been following the conflicts happening in the South China Sea, the internment of the Uighurs, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Honestly, China’s growing hegemony terrifies me. One thing I really liked about this article was that it laid out specific solutions and policy recommendations. My annual $30 student subscription to Foreign Affairs is definitely one of the best purchases I’ve made.

//FOUR// Scientists Accidentally Bred the Fish Version of a Liger

New York Times

A “sturddlefish,” a hybrid of Russian sturgeon and American paddlefish, accidentally bred in a nursery in Hungary.

This is up there on the list of moderately disturbing weird things I’ve seen. It’s just uncomfy, ya know? Anyways, I thought this was a super fun read, and I really enjoyed it – definitely out of the realm of my normal reading.

Have you read anything interesting lately?

Sincerely,

Marie

What You Need to Know to CRUSH the SAT

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What You Need To Know To Crush The SAT.png

Hello! This is the first in a series of posts about making the SAT your b*tch! This point is about

  1. general test prep tips
  2. tips for test day
  3. helpful online resources
  4. best test prep book

ONE // General Test Prep Tips

  • Take practice tests routinely and often. The more exposure you get to the test, the better. If you can’t dedicate 4 consecutive hours of your day to taking a practice exam, try taking just the math sections one day and the English sections another day.
  • Make a master list of all the questions you’ve gotten wrong so that you can review them later and identify weak spots.

TWO // Tips for Test Day

  • When testing, make sure you bring at least a 32 oz water bottle and high quality snacks.
  • Pack your bag the night before. Make sure you include: your test ID, student (school) ID, at least 5 sharpened pencils, pencil sharpener, and eraser.
  • Make sure your calculator is on the College Board (yuck!) list of approved calculators.
  • Make sure you have your printed admissions ticket and valid school ID (it must be from the current school year or the year before if you’re taking the test before December of the new school year).
  • Pick out your clothes the night before. I like to wear comfortable but still nice clothes. what i swore to the SAT.png

sweatshirt | sneakers | pearls | shirt | glasses | socks | jeans

This is literally what I wore to take the SAT. Nothing special. I wore that were clothes that I had owned for YEARS. I have to say, I love the jeans I wore – they are real jeans, but they have a super comfy elastic waistband. I LOVE THEM. You’ll thank me later. Also, this shirt I got from GAP is the comfiest shirt I own. It’s the perfect combination of thick but not heavy and still maintaining a nice stretch. This shirt is literally perfect – you should buy it in every color!

THREE // Helpful Websites for SAT Prep

Erik the Read

I highly recommend this website. Super informative and helpful! I really can’t say enough good things about him. He teaches a lot of strategies that you’d typically only learn from expensive test prep companies. Also, there are plenty of worksheets on his website that you can access for free!

Khan Academy

Everyone knows and loves Khan Academy. For SAT Prep, Khan Academy is great for two kinds of people. One, people who need a lot of help to learn the actual content on that is assessed on the SAT. Two, people who already learned the content in school and just need to be able to do it faster and with greater accuracy. If you fall out of these two categories, Khan Academy isn’t going to cover the bulk of your needs. Also, Khan Academy doesn’t teach test strategies.

Prep Scholars

This is a really cool website that is all about how to succeed on standardized tests in high school, college, and grad school. Honestly, I didn’t use their website too much to study for the SAT, but I found it really helpful for the AP Chem exam. They do put together really useful study timelines and study guides that I think are pretty helpful.

FOUR // The Best Test Prep Books

Princeton Review Premium Prep

If I could recommend only one book to buy, it would be this one. I’d recommend buying this book because I didn’t need new test taking strategies since I had a private tutor and attended an SAT prep course. However, I still think the test taking strategies are super helpful and worth it! Also, it comes with 8 full-length practice tests. This book also reviews the format and mechanics of the test. You can access the official SAT practice tests on Khan Academy anyway.

Official College Board SAT Practice Test Book

This is just a really big book with 8 full-length SAT exams in it. You can access these EXACT same exams on Khan Academy too, so keep that in mind too. This book does walk you through each section of the test and its format. It also gives practice questions for each section of the test.

Princeton Review Extra Practice Tests 

This book has 10 full length practice tests. I really appreciate that each problem comes with a detailed explanation. I don’t think this one includes the test taking strategies like the other Princeton Review book mentioned above.

Good luck!

Sincerely,

Marie

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