Reading What Sucks

Tommorrow, I have to drag myself out of bed early (on a Saturday mourning here in the US), get dressed, eat, and go to a town some half hour or so away to take a damn test. And not just any test, the one and only SAT. How I do on this test determines what Universities I can get into as well as how many scholarships I'm qualified for, and how many loans I'm going to have to take out just to pay for my bloody education. Wich bothers me to no end, that my future hangs on a frickin' test score.

To top it all off, I've got the flu and if I cancel that's quite a bit of cash down the drain. The only upside is that I'm going to take the test again in February, and can combine the best scores off both tests to get my final over all score. Not much of a conselation considering the stress that comes attached to this, as well as the fact that it's an extreamly challenging test.

--Jami

You fail it.

Salvial_Ten you make it sound as if you can only take the SAT once in your life. You can take that test as many times as you need.

It's not the end of the world if you have to take it more than once. Plus it's just a test. I've never taken it and I'm doing just fine in life. I wouldn't put so much stress on yourself.

This post was edited by majic on Jan 24, 2004.

Good luck, Jami!

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

I understand how you're feeling about that.

Those neverending assessments and exam, over and over again are a big pain in the ass themselves, but those test where so much depends on so little...

The worst thing I experienced was a series of five test, 10 minutes each, that decided whether I was eligible for a scholarship. One of the worst days in my life (luckily it worked out, but I found out about that only the next day).

I hope it works out for you, too.
Good luck and success! :-)

'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman. 'Get stuffed!' the Harlequin replied, sneering.

This post was deleted by request of the author.

"you're mighty brave in cyber-space, flame boy!"

Here in the US, we have two standardized tests designed to measure the probability that someone will do well in college. As a result, the colleges/scholarship agencies, etc. use the results to determine who to let in/ give money to. The most common test, by far (to my knowledge) is the SAT which Jami is so stressed about. This is the test that a potential student can most easily use to determine if they can get into a certain school. The other test is the ACT, which has a couple advantages to the SAT (In my opinion), the first is that it covers a greater selection of topics, and the second that it is a composite score, not a combination. I hope I have answered your question well enough.

Also, Good luck Jami. I know you can do it.

-Rev. Brandon

SATS here are just assessment tests typically at ten and fourteen years old. The really important ones are GCSE's, taken at sixteen, and AS/A2 levels (A Levels) at seventeen and eighteen years.

Currently Im mulling over which choice of A-level college to go to, since it seems that my current fascist regime grammar school is likely to try and force me out of one of my ten gcse subject courses, just because ive got a predicte grade one less than their precious league table stats, typically "90% of students gained an A-C grade in XYZ...". Of course this is very weaselly of them since it encompasses a very broad spectrum of student marks.

The subject they're criticising me over currently is Art. Personally I dont see how I could do any better, given the choices i could have taken in the Humanities "block". The options for courses were PE Studies, Geography, Latin, Drama, Music and Art. Lesser of all evils. Interestingly enough, my history subject teacher, while still giving me a D prediction ( I know the facts, its just that I always seem to miss what the question wants as an answer) isnt trying to force me to capitulate to their nazi-like discipline and single-mindedness about league table statistics/ marks.

Hence, from this we can conclude that my school's art department are oppressive fascist feminazi bitches.

Sir Deimos, Beater of Ass.

Hence, from this we can conclude that my school's art department are oppressive fascist feminazi bitches.

I think you'll like this.

[btw, jaz, I just tried using the 'inserters' in IE, and those aren't working... I doubt it's a server problem, but it's making me angry...]

Pistol Grip Pump In My Lap At All Times

This post was edited by eljefe on Jan 25, 2004.

You forgot the PSAT. Though the PSAT isn't for how well you will do in college, it accounts for more scholarship money than the SAT's and ACT's. And PSAT's are worse. You only have one chance, and so much finanicial aid hangs in the balance. Plus, it is the one and only test that qualify's you for the National Merit Scholar program (if you don't know what that is, I don't know if they have it implemented in Europe, its a national competetions, which starts at the state level. Just making a commended scholar, like a runner-up, will garentee you some money. Making semi-finalist or finalist guarentees you LOTS of money and almost immediate acceptance to the majority of public and private schools). I managed to do better than 95% of the other Juniors taking the test (my score was a 199/220), so I'm hoping I get some money from that, but I definately won't make it beyond Commended, even if I make it that far.

I'm about to take the ACT and have yet to take the SAT (yeah, ACT before the SAT seems wierd, oh well). I can't wait *sarcasm*.

Since you've finished the test by now, I hope you did well.

Pistol Grip Pump In My Lap At All Times

Eljefe, I already read Maddox on a regular basis, but thanks for the link anyway. :D

Sir Deimos, Beater of Ass.

I just wanted to say that I have taken the PSAT twice. It just depends on how many times you want to take it. It's free in my school if you're a sophomore, but you have to pay to take it your junior or senior year. I think the reason most people only take it once is because it is a PRACTICE-SAT, so once you take the real SAT, there's no need to repeat the practice test. Oh, and I get to take my SAT this Saturday. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo.

This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time.

No. The PSAT is a Practice SAT, yes, but it is the qualifying test for the National Merit scholarships. You can take it as a sophmore, but it will not count. It is when you take it your junior year does it count. The PSAT was specifically designed for the qualifying for the National Merit Scholarships. It was just modelled after the SAT (for obvious reasons).

You can't take it your senior year even if you wanted two. 1) The test is for sophmores and Juniors primarily, though I think you can take it younger 2) you'll have taken the SAT's.

Here's some information if you don't belive me.

Pistol Grip Pump In My Lap At All Times

It's times like these that I rejoice in my innate ability to take standardized tests. I don't know why, but I just generally do well in them (I took the ACT when I was 14 and got a composite 21 out of thirty-something, which ain't bad for a kid with no knowledge of geometry, calculus, chemistry, etc.)

Hope you get some luck out of your tests.

Thbbbbt

Eljefe, 220 should get you semifinalist

The unfortunate thing about the SAT is, no matter how many times you take it, the College Board sends all your scores to colleges, not just your best ones (unlike the ACT, which just sends your best composite).

Personally, I didn't think the SAT was that bad (I do standardized tests really well); haven't taken the ACT yet though (that's in April)

"It was not God who created man, but man who created God." --Santa Caserio

Oh no, I got a 199 (out of 220)

220's a perfect score i believe... or maybe its 240, either way.

Pistol Grip Pump In My Lap At All Times

Well, thank you everyone who wished me luck. I love you all.

The verbal part of the test was a breeze, despite the fact that I was sick to the point of the words blurring and running together ever so slightly. However...the math not so good I think. I'm hoping that maybe some of my pseudo-usual luck came in and I managed to squeek off a decent score on the math. *crosses fingers*

And I know you can take it as many times as you want, but taking it now and the one other time that I get to is by the luck of having a very generous friend. Getting the money together to take it wasn't much of an option at the time for registry for this months exam and as a present my mom's best friend (and a close friend of mine too) paid for my test and February's as a birthday present. Very seriously speak this test and Feb.'s are my only shot at this as far as things are looking now. (Only reason I have the internet is because I get it free). But, enough whinning.

--Jami

You fail it.

Don't worry so much about the SAT's they are over-rated. As long as you are taking them you still have a shot at whatever school you want to go to. Getting the test done is only 10% of the battle. Getting in the colllege is the other 90%. You'll be fine. In a few years from now SAT's will be obsolite. Because you can not determine how much a person learned in all 3 to 4 years that they have been in high school for in one test.

Take your time don't live to fast troubles will come and they will pass

Bah, over rated. With a score of at least 1450, My colllege i want to go to pretty much gives you a full ride.

Along with other colleges.

Infact, they weigh SAT's a little more than grades (since grades are bloated by stuff like "if you take an ap class, you get 9 extra points on yoru report card, etc.")

Pistol Grip Pump In My Lap At All Times

since grades are bloated by stuff like "if you take an ap class, you get 9 extra points on yoru report card, etc.

I don't get extra anything for AP classes aside from work. Bah.

--Jami

You fail it.

At my school, you can get a 5.0 GPA if you're in all APs, and one of our sister schools allows you to go up to 6.0, I think.

I've got an ACT coming up, and I've barely prepared. The only thing I'm worried about, though, is math; when I took the ACT in 8th grade (3 years ago, now), I got a 28 out of 32 on Verbal, and a 21 composite ACT score.

Thbbbbt

At my school, you can get a 5.0 GPA if you're in all APs, and one of our sister schools allows you to go up to 6.0, I think.

It'd be nice to be able to work toward that goal, but as I've mentioned in one of my other posts, there aren't enough AP courses available at my school for it to count toward much.

've got an ACT coming up(...)

I haven't done the ACT at all. I would have but due to financial reasons I haven't taken it. Good luck on the upcoming one.
--Jami

You fail it.