Ways to Manage Stress as a Teen
Have you ever felt completely lost and needed genuine advice or guidance? I can relate. As a graduating senior in high school, I’ve faced uncertainty and anxiety, especially while preparing for my digital SAT. Initially, I had few resources and didn’t know where to start, which made the whole process overwhelming. To combat this, I turned to YouTube videos for practice and guidance. This reduced my anxiety; I became more organized and gained insight into the digital SAT, which helped decrease my feelings of uncertainty.
If you’re a junior in high school preparing for the DSAT (Digital SAT) and feel unsure about where to begin—or even what the DSAT involves—this blog is for you. I’ll focus on high school advice, specifically about standardized testing and managing the stress that often accompanies it. Many teens experience burnout during their junior year, particularly when it comes to preparing for these important exams. Students often struggle with how to start or how to cope with the pressure, leading to increased stress levels.
Preparing for College Entrance Exams:
As most of you know, the SAT is now fully digital! However, it’s still quite important even if you’re applying to colleges that went test-optional. Since the SAT is now digital everywhere, here are a few tips I gathered from watching countless SAT/DSAT videos.
Don’t throw away your SAT books
First, even though the test is fully digital, don’t throw away the books you bought while studying for the paper version. They’re extra practice for you because everywhere I looked for DSAT resources, I’m not going to lie to you, they’re very limited. So, if you already have some SAT books lying around, I would recommend flipping through some practice questions to understand how to solve some of the math problems and familiarize yourself with vocabulary and grammar.
Register for the SAT first
Second, what I found out when I studied for my SAT was that if I had a deadline ahead of me, I was more likely to start prepping sooner. What I mean by that is, if you registered for the SAT in October, then you’re more likely to start studying regularly. Without a deadline, you might be more laid back and chill while studying. While this may not hold for every single person, I found that this works best for me.
Saving time: Look at your Mistakes from the PSAT
Third, take a practice exam or look at what you got wrong on the PSAT. The PSAT is kind of like your preview of how you would do on the real deal (+ or – some points). Look at what concepts you performed well on and what concepts you don’t understand. Focus more on what you need to improve. This saves a LOT of time.
Consistency is Key:
Fourth, you don’t have to study 8 hours a day. If that’s what you want to do, go right ahead! But if you’re quite busy with schoolwork, etc., studying for 3-4 hours a day is better than none at all. Don’t study for 8 hours one week, forget about it the next week, and start again the following week. That has got to be the worst thing you can do. Even if it’s just 1 hour each day, return to the resources and test material to remember them better, come test day.
About the DSAT:
Since the DSAT is new, there are probably going to be fewer resources available for you to study. So, here’s some advice/websites that I looked into to familiarize myself with the digital SAT.
First of all, get to know what the digital SAT is about. In the digital SAT English portion, you will have 2 modules with reading and writing, followed by a 10-minute break, and then 2 modules for the math portion. For each English module, there will be 27 questions and 32 minutes to finish that set of questions.
In total, you will have 54 questions and 64 minutes to complete the entire English portion. For each math module, you will have 22 questions and 35 minutes to finish that set of questions. Altogether, you will have 44 questions and 70 minutes to complete the entire math portion.
About the English Section:
When it comes to the reading and writing portion of the DSAT, it’s VERY different. The DSAT has shorter passages, and each question is based on a new passage. Central ideas, graphs, words in context, etc., related questions are all fair game! You will also need to familiarize yourself with grammar and punctuation because those topics will also appear in the reading and writing portion of the test. Don’t overthink the questions; most of the time, the answer will be found within the passage itself. If you can’t locate the answer, move on to the next question and return to it when you have time. The last thing you want is to spend too much time on one question and leave the rest of the test blank. The goal is to get the correct answers! So, try not to zone out while reading the passages and keep track of the time!
What I did during my practice tests, which helped me when I was taking the digital PSAT, was tackle the first 4-5 questions and the last few questions first. This saved a lot of time because the middle portion of the test has some lengthy graphs and comprehensive questions, which require more time to look at and analyze. However, please explore what works for you during practice, as those strategies will be beneficial on test day.
About the Reading Comprehension Section:
Tips for the reading comprehension questions (which come after the vocabulary questions): First, read the question and determine what it’s asking you! Second, read the background information that precedes the actual information, as the test usually provides context clues that may or may not help you with the question. Thus, it’s always good to read it. Third, read the paragraph! Don’t assume anything! Read the paragraph as it is and try to summarize it in your head for easier comprehension. Then read the questions carefully. Whatever aligns with your understanding, without added fluff or assumptions, would be the best answer to choose. The other answers try to introduce assumptions to throw you off, so be a detective and rely on the evidence, not the suspects.
When I was doing the practice tests, some questions sounded like they were 50/50. What I mean is, they sound correct in the first half of the answer, but then they introduce an assumption or an idea that you’ve never read in the passage. In that case, that option is the wrong answer.
Last tip: Know your grammar rules and vocabulary. If you understand those, study AND practice, and you’ll be all right!
About the Math Section:
For the math portion of the test, go ahead and look at SAT books for more practice because I’ve heard that the context and type of questions remain the same in the paper-based SAT as well as in the digital SAT. The math portion has the Desmos graphing calculator available for every single question, so learn how to use it if you don’t already!
Make sure to be familiar with these 4 concepts because you’ll see them in the math portion:
Algebra
Geometry and trigonometry
Problem-solving and data analysis
Advanced math
If you’re having trouble with Algebra, go to Khan Academy or YouTube for help and try out some of the problems regarding that concept.
Resources:
Khan Academy
Practice tests in the Bluebook app provided by College Board
And coming to the YouTube video, advice/ help on some DSAT questions:
SuperTutorTV
The Real Deets
The 5 academy
Beyond the test
Hayden Rhodea SAT
These YouTube channels are the best when it comes to advice and help on DSAT questions and advice!
Tips on how to reduce stress while studying for the SAT:
Know what the DSAT is about
Practice areas where you lack understanding
Review, practice, and study regularly
Avoid last-minute review sessions
Take short and long breaks between study sessions
Eat a nutritious and healthy breakfast on test day
Consider exercising before you sit down to study or take your practice exams. It can help with focus and stress
To all the juniors in high school, know that you can do it! Do not stress too much, and good luck!