One Saturday morning in early May, sunshine warms the grass, and birds chirp overhead in freshly-budded trees. It's a perfect day for hiking, shopping, walking the dog, reading, even doing laundry—for anything but taking a 3+ hour test. Inside a cavernous, air-conditioned hall, I stand in line with shuffling strangers, our nervous bustle and chit-chat smothering outside traffic and birds. Inside, fluorescent lights hum overhead and voices echo around me. A dreaded high school rite-of-passage is about to begin: the SAT.
As we file into the auditorium and settle into firm, red-upholstered seats, accidents are bound to happen: a calculator plummets to the floor; a lap desk slips and clangs on metal arm rests. Air presses down and overhead lights blink. The room throbs with nervous tension. Time stands still. The proctor intones "begin," and I grip my pencil in sweaty palms, an endless column of math equations and reading passages leering up at me. Stiff, unsmiling proctors patrol the aisles. All I hear is a faint scratch of lead and crinkle of paper.
I wonder: Will this ordeal ever end?
As even the most successful test-takers will attest, the SAT is nerve-racking and monotonous.
It is also conquerable. Like many other test-takers, I was able to take the test with confidence and success, despite my nerves. My key to mastering the SAT was simple: Realizing that conquering the SAT is a skill that can be developed and improved over time.
Just as an athlete prepares for a big event through focused practice over a period of several weeks, I also prepared for the big event in advance. After investing in a couple practice books, I took practice tests at home, setting conditions just as if I was in the testing room: bright lights, sharp pencils, a calculator, no use of dictionaries, minimal disturbances, and a timer. Even though I knew my score would not be official, pretending the practice test was the actual test made me just as nervous as if it was. In addition, I took the PSAT twice (in sophomore and junior year) to give me practice in actual school testing conditions. Experiencing this anxiety prepared me so that, when the true moment came, I knew what to expect and did not overreact. Practicing the test also taught me endurance—and good posture (long stretches of time in the same position can be surprisingly painful without practice!).
No amount of previous preparation, however, can guarantee a stellar score. When the actual hour arrived, I discovered the true "test" of the SAT is maintaining proper focus—not too much stress, but enough to keep me alert. I tried to approach the next few hours as a mind game, recognizing that the life-or-death feeling was my perception only, not reality. Instead of seeing the SAT as a burden, I approached it with an attitude of acceptance. I also reminded myself that I could always re-take the test if necessary. This mindset took the pressure off and freed me to perform naturally and on automatic, using the skills developed in previous months. I listened to music to get my adrenaline pumping; I ate a wholesome breakfast; I worked a couple easy math and reading problems from my practice book to give me confidence. Loosening pent-up nerves—whether by wearing a favorite outfit or one's lucky charm—results in a good dose of confidence, which translates into a better score.
In the midst of the test, time seems interminable. Students surround me—sighing, coughing, sneezing, and mumbling. I feel like I am writing my last will and confession. Then I glance at my watch; with wonder, I realize that the second hand is still ticking. Time has not stopped. A short time later, I hear the command to "put down your pencils; the test is over." Shared sighs of relief lift the room's pressure. Again, I form lines with other students. We emerge from the auditorium, haggard and glassy-eyed, but triumphant. This time, a sense of camaraderie, not of dread, unites us. The SAT no longer looms large and menacing. Instead, I see it as a short interval in the life of students, an obstacle to be conquered with determination and focus.