ACT GUESSING - SHOULD I LEAVE A QUESTION BLANK OR GUESS IT IF I DON'T KNOW IT?

ACT GUESSING - SHOULD I LEAVE A QUESTION BLANK OR GUESS IT IF I DON'T KNOW IT? THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. SINCE THERE IS NO GUESSING PENALTY ON THE ACT, YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY GUESS ANY QUESTION THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. DO NOT DO NOT LEAVE IT BLANK. YOU HAVE A 20-25% CHANCE OF GUESSING IT RIGHT DEPENDING UPON HOW MANY ANSWER CHOICES THERE ARE! THAT IS A GOOD PERCENTAGE! IF YOU RUN OUT OF TIME AND HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS LEFT JUST PICK ONE OF THE ANSWER CHOICES AND WRITE IT DOWN IN ALL THE BLANKS YOU HAVE LEFT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE 6 QUESTIONS LEFT THAT YOU DID NOT GET TO, JUST PICK THE FIRST ANSWER FOR ALL OF THEM. THIS PROBABLY GIVES YOU THE BEST CHANCE OF GETTING AT LEAST SOMETHING CORRECT. YOU CAN DRAMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR SCORE THIS WAY AS OPPOSED TO LEAVING A QUESTION BLANK ON THE ACT.

SAT GUESSING - SHOULD I GUESS OR LEAVE A QUESTION BLANK THAT I DON'T KNOW?

WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SAY IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT IT COULD LITERALLY ADD OR TAKE AWAY AROUND 100 POINTS FROM YOU SAT SCORE. YES THAT IS RIGHT!! ON THE SAT I AND SAT II THERE IS A THING CALLED THE GUESSING PENALTY. WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT MATHEMATICAL DELIBERATIONS, IT SUFFICES TO SAY THAT IF YOU ABSOLUTELY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION IT IS BEST TO LEAVE THAT QUESTION BLANK. LEAVING A QUESTION BLANK ON THE SAT CAN ALSO GIVE YOU EXTRA TIME TO WORK ON THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU CAN DO. THE SAT TAKES OFF 2.5 POINTS FOR EVERY QUESTION YOU GET WRONG. SO EVERY 4 QUESTIONS YOU MISS TOTALLY ERASES THE 10 POINTS YOU MAKE FROM GETTING A QUESTION RIGHT!! NOT GOOD. MOST STUDENTS ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHEN THEY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION. OBVIOUSLY THE VERBAL VOCABULARY IS A GREAT PLACE TO LEAVE SOMETHING BLANK IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE WORDS. I WOULD SAY TO TRY AND LEAVE NO MORE THAN 3 OR 4 BLANK PER SAT SECTION (MAYBE FROM 1 TO 5 IS FINE). DON'T DO MORE UNLESS YOU HAVE TO. THE MORE YOU LEAVE BLANK THE LESS CHANCE YOU HAVE OF EARNING MORE POINTS SO THERE IS A POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS ON LEAVING THINGS BLANK. DON'T LEAVE SOMETHING BLANK JUST BECAUSE YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO IT.

AS A TUTOR, WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS YOU SEE STUDENTS HAVING WHEN TAKING THE ACT OR SAT?

SOMEONE JUST EMAILED ME THIS QUESTION. GREAT QUESTION! ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS IS THAT BOTH STUDENTS AND PARENTS SEEM TO EXPECT IMPROVEMENT IN THE SAT OR ACT TO COME IN A PREDICTABLE WAY. IT DOES NOT ALWAYS OCCUR LIKE THAT. I HAVE HAD MANY CASES WHERE A STUDENT MAY HAVE TAKEN THEIR FIRST EXAM AND HAD NOT MUCH IMPROVEMENT, THEN TAKEN ANOTHER ACT OR SAT JUST A MONTH LATER AND IMPROVED BY 200 POINTS OR MORE (SAT POINTS - SAME TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT FOR ACT POINTS). SAT AND ACT IMPROVEMENT IS NONLINEAR. IT CAN COME IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS. WE ARE DEALING WITH TEENAGERS HERE, NOT ROBOTS. HUMAN BEINGS ARE NEVER EASILY PREDICTABLE! YOU CAN HAVE INCREDIBLE IMPROVEMENT IN A SHORT TIME. SOMETIMES IMPROVEMENT DOES OCCUR IN A VERY PREDICTABLE MANNER - THAT IS GREAT BUT IT DOES NOT AT ALL ALWAYS HAPPEN LIKE THIS.

THE WORST PROBLEM I SEE WHEN STUDENTS TAKE THE ACT AND THE SAT IS NOT UNDERSTANDING THE GUESSING PENALTY ON BOTH TESTS. I WILL ADDRESS THIS IN THE NEXT POST.

SAT OR ACT TUTORING - IS LONG TERM TUTORING BETTER THAN SHORT TERM TUTORING?

THIS QUESTION IS OF TREMENDOUS IMPORTANCE. I CAN TELL YOU FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT CLIENTS WHO BEGIN THE TUTORING EARLY DO MUCH BETTER THAN THOSE THAT START JUST WEEKS OR MONTHS BEFORE A TEST. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS MUCH BETTER TO TUTOR ONCE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS RATHER THAN TWICE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS. MUCH BETTER! I THINK MAINLY IT HAS TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION GETTING INTO LONG TERM MEMORY WHEN THE TUTORING IS SPREAD OUT OVER LONGER AMOUNTS OF TIME. EVEN THOUGH THE SAME AMOUNT OF TUTORING HOURS IS USED, SPREADING OUT THE TUTORING OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME SEEMS TO GIVE MUCH BETTER RESULTS. THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE ON THIS. I DO HAVE BETTER SUCCESS WITH LONGER TERM TUTORING THAN SHORTER TERM. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE GOOD SUCCESS WITH SHORTER TERM TUTORING ALSO. SHORTER TERM TUTORING IS JUST MORE STRESSFULL ON ALL PARTIES CONCERNED, AND IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN NEW SKILLS, NEW KNOWLEDGE, AND NEW STRATEGIES. IT TAKES TIME ALSO TO PRACTICE THESE NEW THINGS. BASICALLY PUT IT THIS WAY, WITH LONGER TERM TUTORING THE STUDENT HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF DOING WELL ON THEIR VERY FIRST TEST AND NOT HAVING TO TAKE IT AGAIN. OF COURSE I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CAN PREVENT A STUDENT FROM STARTING TUTORING EARLY. THAT BEING SAID, JUST TRY YOUR BEST TO GET ANY HELP THAT YOU THINK YOU MIGHT NEED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. I MEAN EVEN A YEAR BEFORE YOU TAKE THE ACTUAL EXAM MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA. REMEMBER, IT IS ALWAYS EASIER TO GET HELP EARLY BEFORE YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE EXAM. TUTORS CAN BECOME VERY CROWDED THE CLOSER YOU GET TO THE EXAM.

COLLEGE ROOMATES - I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MINE

I KNOW THAT THIS CAN BE A VERY FRUSTRATING, PROBLEMATIC EVENT. NO ONE WANTS TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEIR FIRST ROOMATE, BUT THESE THINGS DO HAPPEN. EVEN THOUGH YOU FILLED OUT THAT EXTENSIVE FORM ON PICKING A GOOD ROOMATE, IT STILL MAY NOT ALWAYS WORK OUT RIGHT. THIS IS NOT AT ALL A BIG DEAL. IF WHEN YOU GET TO COLLEGE YOU FIND OUT FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT YOU DO NOT GET ALONG WELL WITH YOUR ROOMATE THEN YOU CAN EASILY APPLY FOR A CHANGE. I WOULD RECOMMEND APPROACHING THE RESIDENCE HALL ASSISTANT OR THE RESIDENCE HALL ADMINISTRATOR. EITHER ONE CAN HELP GIVE YOU FIRM, GOOD ADVICE ON HOW BEST TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. THIS TYPE OF THING HAPPENS ALL THE TIME! NO BIG DEAL. COLLEGES ARE USED TO DEALING WITH THESE TYPE OF THINGS ALL THE TIME.

FRATERNITY OR SORORITY - SHOULD I JOIN?

I GET ASKED THIS QUESTION BY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ALL THE TIME. THIS QUESTION IS NOT QUITE AS IMPORTANT AS IT WAS MANY YEARS AGO. "GOING GREEK" MEANS JOINING A LOCAL CHAPTER OF A FRATERNITY OR SORORITY AT A PARTICULAR COLLEGE. WHAT ARE THESE? WELL THEY ARE ON CAMPUS "CLUBS" THAT YOU CAN JOIN. THESE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE MAINLY SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES ON CAMPUS, BUT THEY ALSO ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PHILANTHROPIC PURSUITS. EACH FRATERNITY OR SORORITY IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS NAMED BY A GREEK LETTER NAME. A CHAPTER MAY HAVE A LARGE HOUSE ON CAMPUS OR NEARBY WHERE STUDENTS CAN LIVE AND ATTEND COLLEGE. NOT ALL SCHOOLS HAVE THESE FRATERNITIES OR SORORITIES BUT THEY MAY HAVE SOME OTHER TYPE OF SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS. AT SOME SCHOOLS, FRATS AND SORORITIES ARE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN AT OTHER SCHOOLS. AT SOME SCHOOLS, THEY MAY HAVE VERY LITTLE IMPORTANCE AT ALL. THE GREEK SYSTEM CAN PROVIDE A STUDENT WITH AN INSTANT SOCIAL FRAMEWORK IN WHICH TO MAKE MANY LIFELONG FRIENDS. THE GREEK SYSTEM IS AN ENTIRE "SOCIETY" IN AND OF ITSELF WITH EVEN ITS OWN VOCABULARY. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO THAT HERE. MAINLY MY OBJECTIVE HERE IS FOR YOU TO BE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THE GREEK SYSTEM IS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AN INSTANT SOCIAL CLUB LIKE THIS, THEN PLEASE VISIT SOME OF THESE ON CAMPUS AND SEE IF YOU ARE FURTHER INTERESTED. SOMEONE IS CALLED AN "INDEPENDENT" IF THEY ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE GREEK SYSTEM. THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS AND SOME DRAWBACKS TO JOINING THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM. YOU MUST BE YOUR OWN PERSON HERE AND MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS. JOINING A FRAT OR SORORITY CAN BE VERY TIME CONSUMING, LOTS OF PEER PRESSURE, EXCESSIVE PARTYING, LOTS OF OBLIGATIONS AND DUES, ETC. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET PERSONS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX, ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS, CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT, ETC. YOU MUST AGAIN MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION. IT CAN BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO MAINTAIN A GOOD GPA WHILE BELONGING TO A FRATERNITY OR SORORITY. DO YOUR RESEARCH. OH ALSO A SORORITY IS THE WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION AND A FRATERNITY IS THE MALE ORGANIZATION. MANY SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES FORM ALLIANCES SO THAT THEIR MEMBERS CAN MORE EASILY SOCIALIZE WITH ONE ANOTHER. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND YOU SHOULD CONSIDER IT CAREFULLY. IF YOU ARE EASILY TEMPTED TO WASTE YOUR TIME AND NOT STUDY PERHAPS THE GREEK SYSTEM MAY NOT BE FOR YOU AT LEAST INITIALLY. ANOTHER GOOD SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC MIGHT BE YOUR PARENTS, OR ANY OF YOUR TEACHERS WHO WERE GREEKS IN COLLEGE. PLEASE GET SOME ADVICE.

READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS - HOW DOES ONE IMPROVE THIS?

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS APPEAR ON ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TYPE OF TESTING KNOWN. FROM GRADE SCHOOL ERB TESTS TO HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE. READING COMPREHENSION IS NOT AS MUCH OF A SKILL AS YOU WOULD THINK. RATHER, IT IS MORE LIKE A GAME. THE ANSWERS TO ANY READING COMPREHENSION QUESTION ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO BE IN THE PASSAGE. THATS RIGHT FOLKS. LEGALLY REQUIRED TO BE IN THE PASSAGE. THEY MUST BE. THAT DOES NOT AT ALL MEAN THAT THEY ARE EASY TO FIND! YOU MOST CERTAINLY CAN IMPROVE YOUR READING SKILLS BY PRACTICE. HOWEVER, PRACTICE + GOOD STRATEGY IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE. I HAVE MYSELF DEVELOPED A VERY SUCCINT STRATEGY TO HELP STUDENTS WITH READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS GET BETTER AT THIS. IT IS NOT NECESSARILY AN ACQUIRED ABILITY. IT IS MORE LIKE HOW WELL YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE GAME CALLED READING COMPREHENSION. ALL THE GOOD TEST BOOKS ON THE MARKET I HAVE MENTIONED THUS FAR HAVE EXCELLENT PRACTICE TESTS IN THEM. THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PRACTICED AND IMPROVED UPON, NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE HAS ALREADY TOLD YOU.

SAT II SUBJECT TESTS - WHAT ARE THESE USED FOR??

THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS. SINCE THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCENE IS BECOMING SO COMPETITIVE AND OVERCROWDED, MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOW USING THE SAT II TESTS AS A FURTHER TEST TO "WEED OUT" STUDENTS THEY DO NOT WANT. IN OTHER WORDS, SOME SCHOOLS ARE ACTUALLY ASKING STUDENTS TO TAKE THESE TESTS JUST AS AN ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENT. MEANING, IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT GOING HERE YOU MUST TAKE THIS EXTRA TEST TO PROVE IT! SOME SCHOOLS ARE SAYING THAT THEY ARE USING THESE TESTS NOT AS ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS, BUT AS "PLACEMENT" TESTS. EITHER WAY IT IS A HUGE HASSLE TO TAKE YET ANOTHER TEST TO GET INTO COLLEGE NO MATTER WHAT THE TESTS ARE USED FOR!! CHECK WITH THE PARTICULAR COLLEGES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GOING TO. DO THIS ASAP BECAUSE YOU MUST KNOW IF THAT IS A REQUIREMENT OF GOING THERE. SOME COLLEGES ARE REQUIRING TWO TESTS AND SOME ARE REQUIRING THREE SUBJECT TESTS. SEE MY OTHER POSTS ON SAT II SUBJECT TESTS AND WHICH ONES ARE GOOD TO TAKE AND WHICH ONES SHOULD BE AVOIDED.