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Few words evoke more fear in teenagers'
minds than the Scholastic Aptitude
Test, guardian of the portals to
college admissions
AUDREY KAHANE
Special to The Jewish News
A
UNITED FASHIONS OF BENETTON
Orchard Lake Rd. • South of Maple
737-3737
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Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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357-5578
60 FRIDAY, AUG. 28, 1987
s fall begins, hun-
dreds of thousands of
high school students
turn their attention from tan-
ning to testing. The pursuit of
high SAT (Scholastic Aptitude
Test) scores is a rite of passage
that creates upheaval in the
lives of adolescents and their
parents. Mental health pro-
fessionals across the country
will soon be reporting the an-
nual epidemic of SAT panic.
However, help is available for
nervous students.
Although few words are
more capable of evoking fear
in the average 17-year-old
than Scholastic Aptitude
Test, the fear is what creates
the problem. Just as someone
who is afraid of snakes might
freeze when confronted with
one, a student worried about
the SAT is likely to freeze
mentally and be unable to
answer some of the questions
turning in a poor test perfor-
mance that does not accurate-
ly reflect his or her abilities.
The SAT (which will be of-
fered twice in the fall, in
November and again in
December) contains trick
questions that often require
the student to make subtle
distinctions when choosing
the best answers. This kind of
judgment requires concentra-
tion, and negative thoughts
can distract the test-taker.
Picture this scenario: Your
teenager is about a third of
the way through a test section
when the first difficult ques-
tion appears, triggering
self-doubts.
By the third "killer" ques-
tion, his or her mind is runn-
ing this tape: "I'm doing ter-
ribly — my score will total
400 — I won't get into college
— my parents will be upset —
everyone will think I'm
stupid — I'll never get a de-
cent job — my life will be
awful." This kind of inner
dialogue interferes with con-
centration and prevents the
student from picking the
right answers even to simple
questions.
The first step in countering
SAT anxiety is to de-mystify
the exam. Many students go
into the SAT without know-
ing what to expect. Who
would take a driving test
without first getting behind
the wheel and studying the
driver's manual? Walking in-
to the SAT with no prepara-
tion would be equally foolish.
There are several ways a
student can prepare for the
exam: on his own, with group
counseling, and with in-
dividual counseling. To help
your junior or senior practice
on his own, send for copies of
past exams, which can be pur-
chased from the College
Board. Write to: College
Board Publications, Box 886,
New York, N.Y. 10101, and
ask for "10 SATS." Payment of
$8.95, which includes postage
and handling, must accom-
A student worried
about the SAT is
likely to freeze
mentally and be
unable to answer
some of the
questions.
pany your order. The book
might also be available at
area bookstores.
Completing several practice
tests before the real exam will
increase your student's
awareness of the format, tim-
ing and types of questions of
the test. He also has a chance
to try out different strategies,
and to discover what ap-
proach works best for him.
There is rarely only one right
way to arrive at the answer to
a question, and using logic is
more effective than memoriz-
ing formulas.
To prepare with profes-
sional help, check the Yellow
Pages listings under Educa-
tional Consultants or Tutors.
Students can sign up for one
of the classes offered by local
colleges and private firms.
These programs generally of-
fer 20 to 40 hours of group in-
struction and testing for $150
to $400.
Private tutoring is also
available and is especially
helpful for students who suf-
fer from test anxiety. The fee
for individual coaching can be
expensive starting at $20 per
hour.
Whichever route you choose
for your teenager, be sure that
the plan includes practice on
actual SATs. A good coaching
program will stress test-
taking strategies and teach