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  • How to Make the Most Out of a College Visit

    How to Make the Most Out of a College Visit

    Visiting colleges can be a fun, although time consuming, part of the selection process. Considering the many aspects that go into getting into your top-choice school, it is a step that should not be skipped. Although there is typically a standard process for a college visit, taking the time to get a real look at a school can be very worthwhile. Here are some ways to make the most of a college visit:

    Look Around the Neighborhood

    This community will be your home for the next four years, so you want to make sure it is a place that both feels safe and has all your needs. Will you have a car on campus? Many schools do not allow them in early years, making it important that you can walk or catch public transportation to places you may need to go.

    Talk to Current Students

    These are the people who are currently living where you are thinking about attending. Take a few moments to see what they have to say about classes, campus life, activities, and anything else that is important to you.

    Sit In On a Class

    Most schools will allow you to sit in on a class to give you an idea of teaching style, class size, etc. Choosing a subject in the major are considering is ideal, but a general class is good if you are not yet sure. Stay after to meet the professor and ask any questions you have.

    Take Photos/Notes

    It may seem simple, but many college visits will blend together if you visit more than a few schools. Snap some photos and take some notes so you can remind yourself of the environment when the time comes for you to make the final decision.

    Tour the School on Your Own

    Most visits include a standard tour that is meant to sell you on the campus. After this, take the time to walk around on your own and explore parts of campus you may not have seen on the scripted tour. If athletics are important to you, take time to check out the gym and fields where you may spend some of your free time.

    Sleepover

    If your plan includes living in the dorms, spending the night in one is a valuable experience. This allows you to actually understand what it feels like to live on campus in a room that may be a lot smaller than what you are used to! Overnight visits are typically easily scheduled through the admissions office. Or if you know older students attending the same college, you could stay with them overnight. That would allow you to know how a normal college life feels like and share their experiences.

    Try the Dining Hall Food

    Eat lunch in the dining hall, the place you will probably eat a lot of you meals in the first few years. Some schools have considerably better food than others and may pay more attention to dietary restrictions. It won’t be Michelin rated, but it will definitely be an experience!

    Grab a Student Newspaper

    Pick up a student newspaper while on campus which gives you an idea of activities as well as the issues that students care about at the school. It also gives you a different perspective that you may not have received during the structured tour.

    Make sure you understand that college is more than studying – it is a lifestyle change. College can be one of the most exciting and impactful experiences in a person’s life and taking the time to choose wisely can impact down the road. These tips will help you think about all of the aspects that go into a college experience.

  • Key to Studying Successfully

    Key to Studying Successfully

    Get Rid of Distractions

    Studying can’t be accomplished if there are distractions around you. I suggest unplugging and finding a workspace where you can concentrate. Turn off your phone or set it aside in order to avoid picking it up and losing valuable study time. If you need the internet for research, try using apps like Anti-Social and FocusWriter to keep you from logging on to social media. It seems impossible to go without checking Instagram or Twitter every 10 minutes, but knowing the math formulas during your test is worth it!

    Don’t Wait Till the Last Minute

    You’ve heard this a million times, but it will save you from unnecessary stress in the long run. It’s not unusual for us to get busy and leave things until the last possible second, but studying in advance will ensure that you know the material better, you don’t cram too much all at once, and you won’t have a heart attack looking at how much you put off before your test.

    Use All Your Resources

    There are millions of study materials available that enough students don’t take advantage of. There are a lot of practice tests available to make yourself familiar and comfortable before the tests. Prepmedians is an entertaining and engaging platform that provides you with condensed review in the form of music and sketch comedy! This way you would not need to distract yourself from studying and look up memes to have a quick laugh. Rather you can do both at the same time!

    Listen to Music

    There’s so much music out there that pairs well with any type of studying. Listen to upbeat music if you want to keep yourself awake enough to review notes, or maybe listen to calming classical music in order to focus on reading. Some common study grind songs are “Angels” by Khalid; “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill; “True Colors” by the Weeknd; “Sad!” By XXXTentacion; “Unknown Brother” by the Black Keys; “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston; and “Sound & Color” by Alabama Shakes. Listening to any kind of song that you like would help you not get distracted while studying.

    Learning is Worth Laughing For!

    Studying has a reputation for being painfully dull, so do anything you can to make the experience more bearable. Study with a partner or ask someone to quiz you on the material. Try studying with snacks. Or try studying for 30-minute intervals then reward yourself with a 10-minute Netflix break!

  • How to Tackle “Weed-Out” Classes and Other Difficult College Classes

    How to Tackle “Weed-Out” Classes and Other Difficult College Classes

    What is a “Weed-Out” Class?

    For those unfamiliar, a “weed-out” class is a specific class in a major (generally intro or lower level courses) that your college makes harder than normal to discourage students from continuing with the major. Although this may not seem fair, the thinking behind these courses is to separate the students who are genuinely interested in the course and those who aren’t. When students start to progress through their respective major and take harder classes and more advanced electives, then those who aren’t interested in the subject will struggle greatly. For instance, my college makes general chemistry the “weed-out” class for the chemistry major because if you decide to continue on with the major, then you’ll take harder courses like organic chemistry, which you’ll greatly struggle in. By having these weed-out courses, colleges allow students to get out of majors that they won’t like/will struggle in early.

    Tips:

    ## Stay Organized
    Staying organized is important in every class you take, but when you encounter especially hard classes in college, staying extra organized is really important. Staying organized will make your brain feel more organized. Also, harder college courses require notes and organization in order to do well. By staying organized, you won’t have to comb through a bunch of material when you’re studying. I recommend using notebooks, folders, binders, and flashcards to organize your notes. A really useful website that I use to study definitions is Quizlet.

    Read/Practice the Material Daily

    There are some courses when you can get by just studying the night before a test, and you are still able to do well. However, hard college courses will require you to look over the material on a daily basis. There’s a reason why you almost always have homework everyday. This isn’t a huge commitment: looking over your notes for 30 minutes a day is really all you need. This will not only help you perform better in these difficult classes but also will help reduce your stress come exam time since you’ll already have a good understanding of the material.

    Make the Material Interesting – Even If It Isn’t

    Times flies by when you’re having fun. This saying is even applicable to studying. Part of the reason why you’ll struggle with difficult college courses is because you just aren’t interested in the material. By not being interested in the material, you’re less motivated to study. In addition, you also won’t study as intently as if you were interested in the material. I didn’t enjoy the material in my financial accounting class, but I imagined how investors would use the balance sheets that accountants created to determine a company’s financial stability.

    Next Steps

    Every major has a difficult course. They’ll require a lot of effort on your part, and even then, you aren’t guaranteed an A. Don’t get discouraged if your class seems impossible. No professor or college wants you to fail so by putting in some effort and applying the right strategies, you can get through these hard college classes and ace them!

    Are you in high school and you feel stressed from the SAT/ACT is impossible? Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so even in such a stressful time like the college application process, you’ll be able to laugh. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • 6 Ways to Improve Studying

    6 Ways to Improve Studying

    1. Create a Schedule

    Imagine going into a football game, and your coach tells you to score and not let the other team score. You’d probably quizzically look at your coach and ask how to score and not let the other team score. In sports and other parts of our lives, we always have a gameplan or a blueprint to success, yet when we study, we often don’t take a step back to plan our studying out, and instead, just dive right into studying.

    Before studying, you should schedule your study time. It doesn’t have to be that detailed, but something like studying the math section on the ACT/SAT for 1 hour and the reading and writing section for another hour can go a long way. In fact, I’ve found that keeping a flexible schedule is optimal since you might overestimate how much time you need to study for a subject so you can portion that extra time into another subject. Through taking a step back and creating a schedule, you’re ensuring that you don’t linger on one subject for too long.

    2. Choose an Appropriate Time to Study

    Everyone has different preferences on when they like to study. Some people prefer waking up early in the morning and studying. Others like studying in between classes. And most would say they like studying at night when they have finished all their extracurricular activities and other requirements for the day. It’s important to figure out when is your optimal time to study so you can plan classes, extracurricular activities, or other requriements around that time.

    3. Find the Right Study Environment

    Finding the right study spot is essential to studying. Everyone has their own preferences but generally, quiet is best for focus and productivity. However, I’ve found that too quiet is not good for me. I choose to stray away from the quiet section in my school’s library because I need a little life and noise to keep me energized, and I feel that it’s so cutthroat there that a small noise like tapping your pencil on your desk would result in death stares from across the room.

    I prefer to study in study rooms with a few friends because it allows the best of both worlds – peace and quiet while offering a little noise to keep the atmosphere animated. It’s important to find multiple spots to study because come crunch week, your favorite study spot might get taken. Unless you’re willing to wake up as early as when buildings open, you aren’t guaranteed any study spot.

    4. Take Breaks

    Taking breaks is important to studying. Your brain can only process so much before it starts to overfry. In our stress blog, we talk about how studying for long durations without breaks leads to ineffective studying. When planning your study sessions, you should account for breaks. Breaks can be as small as a 5 minute break to look at your phone or as large as an hour to go out to eat with friends. Breaks keep our brains from overheating and help optimize our studying time. However, you have to keep yourself accountable from taking too many breaks.

    5. Have a Study Partner

    Having a study partner is important because you’re able to bounce questions, ideas, and answers off of each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re more proficient in the material than your study partner because the best way to see if you know the material is to see if you can teach it to someone else. I’ve also found that having a study partner motivates you to study, even if your study partner is studying a different subject. Their presence and energy next to you inclines you to study and vice-versa. Not to mention, it’s easier and more enjoyable to coordinate breaks when you have company.

    6. Use Office Hours, TA Hours, and Any Other Available Resource

    Imagine this: it’s winter in Maine. You have a review session soon, but it’s currently snowing heavily, it’s a 10 minute walk, and the temperature is in the single digits Fahrenheit. Do you go to the review session?

    I’ll be the first to say that it would depend on my mood. I’ve skipped review sessions, TA hours, or other resources for something as small as a 10 minute walk, and many others have as well. But not going just leaves a resource on the table. Skipping the review session is like going to college with only one pair of clothes: you’re forcing yourself to wear that same pair everyday.

    I’ve done a single practice test as preparation for a test, and eventually, instead of fully learning the material, you’re going to remember the answers and the steps to the answers for that practice test. Using every available resource challenges you and results in the most effective studying.

    Next Steps

    There are many factors that result in effective studying so don’t be discouraged from unsatisfactory results. Take a step back and instead of diving right into studying, focus on how to optimize your study sessions. By doing this, I’m sure you’ll be able to achieve any goal you set for yourself!

    Having a hard time studying for the SAT/ACT? Use Prepmedians! We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so you’ll be fully engaged when preparing for the SAT/ACT. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule prep time.

  • College-To-Do-List

    College-To-Do-List

    Below you will find a list of things you should do to prepare for the college application process and college starting your junior year of high school.

    List of Colleges

    If you haven’t started already, you need to do so NEOWWWW. Like, right now. I’m dead serious. Start narrowing down the colleges you are going to apply to early because there are a number of factors that go into choosing this list. This will give you time to revise and make adjustments to your list given that a lot of things are subject to change before your senior year of high school, including your college goals or career path. Plus, this will force you to do some introspection to figure out the kind of career you want to pursue and where you want to spend the next few years working towards that goal.

    Standardized Testing

    I’m sure most, if not all, students can agree that the most dreadful part of your junior year of high school is standardized testing. For most, the ACT and the SAT act as the required entrance exams for college-bound teens. As stressful as these exams can be, reduce stress by finding a fun and entertaining test prep program like Prepmedians to help you ace the exams.

    There are two main benefits to taking these exams your junior year:
    1. By your junior year, you will have learned most of the material tested on the exam (even though Prepmedians would be a strong refresher for you).
    2. This gives you plenty of time to make a second, third, fourth, etc. attempt if you don’t do so well the first time around. Check out my article Should I Retake the ACT/SAT? to help you make your decision.

    Waiting until senior year to take the tests puts you at risk of inadequate preparation and limited opportunities to take the exam before college applications are due. Minimize stress by not waiting until the last minute.

    Grades

    Your GPA is important, we all know that, but even if you don’t have straight A’s there’s still hope and a lot of it. Some colleges may not care about a perfect 4.0 GPA as much as they care about a gradual or exponential upward trend in your grades. This shows that you’re improving and adjusting over time while gaining more knowledge. However, this does not mean that you can take a break because your junior year grades are probably scrutinized more than any other year. Therefore, the grind never stops; so, you must buckle down and hone in on your studies.

    Extracurriculars

    The extracurricular activities you’re involved in contribute to what sets you apart from other applicants in the college application process. This allows schools to get a glimpse into who you are as a person, so join clubs, organizations, sports, etc. that you are passionate about. It’s not about having the most clubs listed on your resume, but elevating to a meaningful leadership role for being a longstanding, active member. Show that you have some influence and authority in these clubs.

    Scholarships

    Once you hit your junior year of high school, scholarships become readily available for you to apply to. Check your school’s guidance counseling office or speak with a counselor to find scholarship opportunities on a local, state, and national level. Find scholarships that are a good fit for who you are as a person and what you want to do. I hate to break it to you, but most college students go broke at some point during their college career, so any amount of money to pay off tuition and loans goes a long way.

    Getting ready for college can be stressful and nerve-racking, but it’s also exciting because of everything that you’ll be gaining from the experience (knowledge, relationships, independence, etc.) Simply follow this guide and you’ll be off to a great start in your college journey!

  • How to Choose Your College Courses

    How to Choose Your College Courses

    What Are Your Passions/What Are You Interested In?

    We all go to college with the hopes that we can get a degree that will set us up for a future career, but what you study doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be pigeonholed into that area for the rest of your life. Obviously, if you’re hoping to become a doctor and you don’t study pre-med or some sort of Biology, your dream will be very hard, but I’ve found from finance talks and conferences, you don’t have to be an economics or business major to get into finance. So if you’re unsure which courses to enroll in, choose courses in subject areas that you liked in high school or you think might be interesting.

    You’re a freshman. Most schools don’t require you to declare your major until the end of your sophomore year. Use this time to experiment and see which subject areas you are genuinely interested in. Do note that you should look ahead at requirements for majors to plan out and see which courses you will end up taking in the future.

    Choose Courses that Fulfill Requirements Early

    Most colleges have a variety of requirements in different subject areas that students must fulfill by the time they graduate, and if you ask any college student, most will say that they are not fond of these requirements. For the English majors, they don’t know why they have to take science classes. For the STEM majors, they don’t get why they need to take an art class.

    Whether you end up enjoying these requirements or not, it’s best to take them as soon as possible for two reasons. First, you might end up enjoying one of your required courses and find that you want to pursue that subject area as a major. Because you took the class so early in your college career, you have the time to declare that subject area as your major and pursue learning that subject. Second, it’s best to get your requirements done early so you’re able to take more in-depth classes later in your college career. Most interesting courses across all majors are known in a category called electives, and in order to be eligible to enroll into electives, you must first take some required courses where you’ll learn about the fundamentals of that subject area. Taking some of your general requirements early will allow you to take more electives since by the time you’re able to enroll in these electives, you won’t have to worry about fulfilling your general requirements.

    Note: This is also true for major requirements. Although, you might find some of the courses you are required to take for your major more interesting than the courses you have to take for your general requirements.

    Choose Courses That You’ll Do Well In

    This isn’t to say take all the “easy A” classes, but your grades in college do matter. Your grades show future employers and graduate schools whether or not you are able to learn and perform tasks. This tip is more to guide you in smaller decisions like if you need to fulfill a science requirement and you know you have no interest in science, should you take Biology, which you aced in high school, or Chemistry, which you struggled with in high school.

    This tip can also expand into bigger decisions like what major you will choose. Most people enjoy subject areas that they excel in so if you had plans on becoming an economics major, but you’ve done well in your environmental science classes, then you should consider pursuing an environmental science major.

    Use Add/Drop Week

    Reading course descriptions can only get you so far. Reading course descriptions is like reading someone’s Tinder bio and then deciding that you want to date them for a semester. It can only tell you so much; you’re basically going in blind. If you were forced to make a semester-long commitment, wouldn’t you rather go on a date first?

    Add/Drop week is that first date. Sure, that one week of classes might not accurately portray how the semester will go, especially since it’s syllabus week, but at least you’ll be able to get a feel for the class environment, how the teacher is, and what specifically you’ll learn throughout the semester. This is crucial in deciding which courses to take because even if the course sounds like something you’ll be interested in, maybe the teaching style that semester doesn’t suit your learning needs. Small things like that can really make or break one’s learning experience so it’s best to test the waters before fully committing to something.

    What’s Next?

    College can be a stressful time for many students since although these are some of the 4 most free years of your life, they’re also the 4 years you’ll be judged on before you enter the “adult world.” It can be intimidating picking courses that might decide what you will be doing for the rest of your life, but when choosing your college courses, you just need to have the right approach.

  • Creating A Study Vibes Playlist

    Creating A Study Vibes Playlist

    Before we begin, I’m going to take the time to insert yet another #ShamelessPlug. Check out my other article “Is Your Brain Hungry?” which outlines the best foods to eat to boost brain activity. See, that wasn’t too long to read now was it? Okay, let’s begin!

    Sure, there are plenty of ways to enhance your ability to focus, but a more enjoyable habit you can develop is simply listening to music. Listening to music can do a boat load of things for you including:

    • enhance efficiency (when performing tasks repetitively)
    • increase productivity
    • increase [mental] presence
    • stimulate creativity
    • improve mood due to release of dopamine

    If you’re struggling with productivity, or you’re unsure of what music to play in the background while you’re on Prepmedians studying for the SAT or ACT, consider these three different types of music to help you put your best foot forward.

    Classical

    So, there’s this theory called the “Mozart Effect” that claims that classical music can enhance brain activity, and can be used as a catalyst for improving health and well-being. Classical music is known to be very calming and relaxing, and therefore, it is also a huge stress reliever. Listening to classical music will not only help you study longer, but it will also help you retain more information. Try starting off with classical composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, etc. I personally love to listen to classical music, specifically Tchaikovsky, when studying because the absence of lyrics has proven to not be a distraction for me when I’m trying to focus.

    Movie Scores

    One of my favorite movie scores has to be from the movie Inception. And trust me, you’ll be surprised at how empowering cinematic music scores can be. Even when you’re just chipping away at a list of clerical tasks, an epic soundtrack in the background makes what you’re doing more exciting. I, myself, happen to be both a Marvel fanatic and a Star Wars fanatic. In fact, my ringtone is the Avengers Assemble Theme from the 2012 soundtrack and my message notification sound is Darth Vader. Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Yeah, having the same taste as a seven year old boy is probably questionable and lame. That’s fair. Heck, I probably agree! But, call it what you want, I really don’t care. That’s beyond the point I’m trying to make. The point is that movie soundtracks can make the most mundane tasks feel important by simply lifting your spirit and brightening your mood. This will give you that extra boost of motivation we all yearn for, thus improving your productivity and concentration.
    ## Video Games
    The same thing applies to video games. The general purpose for video games is to create an enhanced experience for all of your senses. Thus, the music within these games echoes the simulated, stressful hardships you’re subjecting yourself to which keeps you engaged. Consider fantasy, action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda or first-person shooter games like the Halo franchise.

    Nature

    Natural sounds are another way to boost your mood and focus. Why? Because they mask the distracting noises around you like people talking, eating, typing, etc. Enhance your cognitive function and concentration by listening to the soothing sounds of nature. I love rainy days, so listening to rainfall while studying creates an atmosphere that I enjoy which keeps me motivated.

    Remember that…

    Music is one of the very few things that connects us all. It’s a very cliché statement, but it’s true. Music is used in more ways beyond entertainment for ourselves. Music encourages us to be more productive and promotes our own creativity. All in all, music is beneficial to us because it helps with learning and improves our ability to process information.

    Click on the following link to get started on your Prepmedians journey and jam out to some music that stimulates brain activity while you’re at it wink wink.

  • Ways to Relieve Stress

    Ways to Relieve Stress

    We all know how stressful test prep can be. We have all been through it just thinking it is normal to be stressed during the process. While being stressed is nothing wrong, not handling it definitely is. You should find the key to the locked box called stress to help you be better prepared for tests in the short run and lead a healthy life in the long run.

    Meditate

    Meditation brings short-term stress relief as well as lasting stress management benefits. There are many different forms of meditation to try–each one is unique and brings its own appeal.You might develop a mantra that you repeat in your mind as you take slow deep breaths. Or, you might take a few minutes to practice mindfulness, which involves being in the moment. Simply pay attention to what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.

    Create Artwork

    Getting in touch with your creative side may have been easy for you during childhood, but if you’ve lost touch with your penchant for artwork, it’s not too late to pick it up again.
    If you aren’t into drawing or painting, consider coloring in a coloring book. Research consistently shows that coloring can have a meditative effect. Adult coloring books have risen in popularity and for good reason—coloring can be a great stress reliever. There are even a ton of apps where you can just color random pictures. While all this might seem too childish, you might unknowingly find yourself enjoying it.

    Make Time for Leisure Activities

    Leisure activities can be a wonderful way to relieve stress.Yet, many people feel as though their lives are too busy for hobbies, games, or extra fun. But building time for activities you enjoy into your schedule could be key to helping you feel your best. And when you feel better, you’ll perform better, which means leisure time may make your work time more efficient.
    Whether you find joy in caring for a garden, playing tennis for hours or you like making quilts, hobbies and leisure are key to living your best life.

    Practice Yoga

    Yoga combines physical movement, meditation, light exercise, and controlled breathing—all of which provide excellent stress relief. And while you’re likely to reap immediate benefits from a single yoga session, you’re likely to receive long-term benefits if you incorporate it into your life in a consistent way.
    There are a variety of apps like Breath2relax and Headspace that guide you through the process of yoga, saving you time of even stepping outside of your house to go to classes.

    Spend Time with Friends or Family… Even Your Dog Counts

    While this is not a new idea, it is true that just spending time with others takes your mind off of stressful things and lets you enjoy the present. Whether you go out with friends or just stay home with your family or take your dog out for a walk, just taking the time out and enjoying your surroundings will help you clear your head.

    Spending time with your family or friends would allow you to laugh and be happy. Laughter is a great stress reliever. Prepmedians provides you with the test prep videos that are entertaining and funny. It is meant for everyone to laugh while learning. Thus, Prepmedians is a way to relieve stress while learning!

  • ACT/SAT Checklist

    ACT/SAT Checklist

    What Do I Need?

    The keyword here is need. Think about all the supplies you need to enter your testing location, to do each section of the test, fill out the answer sheet, etc. Don’t worry about the things you want to bring just yet, we’ll get there in a second. Let’s begin!

    Admission Ticket

    Every time you register to take the test online, you should receive an email with your admission ticket attached. If not, contact them immediately! This ticket has all the important information needed to enter your testing location. The ticket shows your name, test center, and the test you’re taking; so, print this out ahead of time and make sure that this is in your bag! Without the admission ticket, you will not be allowed in.
    ## Photo ID
    An acceptable photo ID is not the selfie you took yesterday on baecation with your boo thang. Your driver’s license, state ID, passport, school-issued ID, or typically anything else that is government-issued are all examples of acceptable photo ID. At your testing location, your test proctor will use your photo ID to check your admission ticket to see if the names match. Therefore, similar to your admission ticket, you will not be allowed in without an acceptable photo ID.
    ## No. 2 Pencils
    The only writing utensil you can use to complete the test is a No. 2 pencil, so don’t even bother bringing in pens or other types of pencils. Make sure all of your pencils are freshly sharpened and bring at least four pencils (one for each subject test) or five if you’re doing the exam with the writing. This will also help you avoid constantly getting up and waste time sharpening your pencil.

    Side note: Also, make sure you have good erasers just in case you make mistakes. All errors have to be completely erased; otherwise, you risk affecting your score.

    Calculator

    A calculator is only allowed on one of the math sections of the SAT and the math section of the ACT. If you’re enrolled in a Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, or AP Statistics course, then you probably already have a TI-84 Plus calculator which is suitable for the test. I highly recommend that calculator along with any other scientific calculator or graphing calculator.

    What Else Can I Bring?

    The following items are nice to have but aren’t required for you to bring to the testing center come test day.

    Bag

    You have a couple options here. You can bring your backpack, a purse or crossover bag, or a drawstring. All are suitable bag options which will make it possible for you to keep everything you have organized and in one place. I would go for a drawstring simply because it is not too big and not too small.
    ## Snacks
    As you may know by now, there will be several 5-minute breaks throughout the tests during which you can chow down on some snacks. You cannot eat during the actual exam. That being said, use these breaks to your advantage and eat some snacks to sustain you and drink some water for optimal focus and concentration. Click here to read my other article that will help you determine snack foods to eat for memory-boosting powers.

    Do NOT Bring…

    • ANY electronic devices
    • Dictionaries
    • Cheat sheets/notebooks

    For having any of the items above in your possession, you risk being immediately dismissed from the exam and your scores will automatically be cancelled. No refunds. Now, I know you’re thinking “How am I supposed to contact family to let them know I’ve finished?” or something else along those lines. Well, I’m not going to lie to you, I brought my cell phone. Ooooo I’m such a rebel, right? No, actually I’m pretty lame on the highest of keys. Anyways, I can’t stop you from bringing your cell phone, but just know that it should remain on silent, rather, turned off during the test and left inside your coat pocket or bag. The last thing we want is for you to be suspected of cheating, or even worse, caught doing so. There aren’t too many thieves roaming the halls of high schools stealing cell phones on exam day, so no need to worry. Your phone will do just fine without you for a couple of hours, trust me.

    If you have a disability, make sure your testing accommodations have been approved ahead of time by the College Board’s (or ACT’s) services for students with disabilities.

    Now you have all the items you need to bring with you on test day and you know what not to bring. But, how should you prepare? The answer’s simple: Prepmedians! Get started today! 🙂

  • ACT And SAT Score Conversion

    ACT And SAT Score Conversion

    SAT to ACT Conversion

    Many students are better at the SAT than they are at the ACT and vice-versa, so if you take both tests, you’ll need to perform an SAT to ACT conversion to determine which score to send to your colleges. This chart was made based on the data from both the ACT and the SAT (collegeboard). This will give you an idea of which test you are better at based on the score.

    ACT SAT SAT RANGE
    36 1590 1570-1600
    35 1540 1530-1560
    34 1500 1490-1520
    33 1460 1450-1480
    32 1430 1420-1440
    31 1400 1390-1410
    30 1370 1360-1380
    29 1340 1330-1350
    28 1310 1300-1320
    27 1280 1260-1290
    26 1240 1230-1250
    25 1210 1200-1220
    24 1180 1160-1190
    23 1140 1130-1150
    22 1110 1100-1120
    21 1080 1060-1090
    20 1040 1030-1050
    19 1010 990-1020
    18 970 960-980
    17 930 920-950
    16 890 880-910
    15 850 830-870
    14 800 780-820
    13 760 730-770
    12 710 690-720
    11 670 650-680
    10 630 620-640
    9 590 590-610