K-12    

How to prep the night before the SAT or ACT exam



Calm your nerves and enter the testing site with confidence

How to prep the night before the SAT or ACT exam

Taking the SAT or ACT exam is the culmination of months of test-specific preparation, and in truth, years of schooling. While knowing that can feel like a lot of pressure, there are steps you can take the night before the exam to calm your nerves and enter the testing site with confidence:

1. Pack your essentials: Going to bed knowing you’ve packed everything you need to succeed during the test will help you sleep soundly and make the morning less frenzied. Your packing list should include an official, currently valid photo identification, your admission ticket to the test, No. 2 pencils (be sure they have erasers), a snack and water bottle (staying fueled is essential), a sweater (testing sites are often chilly and being uncomfortable can throw you off your game), and of course, a calculator. The best exam day calculator is one that’s easy to use and has an intuitive icon menu, such as the fx-9750GIII graphing calculator. While you won’t need all of its 2,900 functions during your test, or its programming capabilities, this Casio calculator is a great companion for high school juniors and seniors as it can support high-level STEM learning in the classroom, as well as go into exam mode for use during the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and other major standardized exams, like AP and SAT subject tests. To familiarize yourself with the calculator and its interface, be sure to use the same calculator for test prep as well.


2. Eat right: Proper nutrition and cognition go hand-in-hand. The night before your exam, fuel yourself with brain foods containing a mix of antioxidants, protein and Omega-3s. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, beans, whole grains, tofu and lean meats are all great choices. Try to avoid food unfamiliar to you, as you don’t know how it will settle and it could cause a stomachache. You should also forgo overly sugary or processed treats, which can lead to an energy crash. Being thirsty during your test is not only distracting, dehydration can actually impair cognition and brain health. Be sure to drink plenty of water the night before your test to keep the mental juices flowing.

3. Sleep tight: It can be difficult to settle in for a night of sound sleep before an important event. Reduce the chances of tossing and turning by putting down your devices at least an hour before bed, as blue light can suppress melatonin secretion and impact sleep. Instead, read, journal or do another quiet, enjoyable activity. On that note, avoid a last-minute study session or practice exam. The night before the test is not the time to cram. It’s a time to relax so your mind is fresh when it counts. If you do have trouble falling asleep, don’t panic. Resting quietly with your eyes closed can be beneficial too, and may help you doze off eventually.

By checking a few pre-test tasks off your to-do list the night before, you can be fueled, rested and geared up for your college entrance exams.

(StatePoint)
PHOTO SOURCE: (c) smolaw11 / iStock via Getty Images Plus


Other articles by HVP News Reporters


  • Resume tips for job seekers with disabilities

    Some of the most important things to keep in mind

    For the most part, writing a resume as a disabled worker involves the same best practices as writing any type of resume. Some of the most important things to keep in mind include: read more »
  • Five key tips to follow when turning the car keys over to your teen

    The clearer parents are in establishing driving rule, the safer teen drivers will be

    The key to letting teenagers drive solo is ensuring they know all that they’re getting into… as well as your fears. Boys Town of Nebraska lists 5 key tips to keep in mind when turning over the keys to your teen. read more »
  • Teaching your kids life skills

    Five suggestions for parents to try

    A balanced life requires practical skills, not just the academic learning kids get in school. Mothering.com suggests teaching children these five important life skills. They can be introduced slowly and adapted to any age level. read more »
  • Essential life skills every eight-year-old should have

    It's not to late to teach these, if you haven’t yet

    While it is amazing what kids can do on social media and with complex video games, it’s also sadly amazing what they often cannot do. Now’s the perfect time to remedy that. read more »
  • Get your kids interested in birding

    Great spots you can watch birds in the Hudson Valley

    NYS has hundreds of species of birds. The Hudson Valley has lots of places where you and your family can observe them. See this list of places to go and what you may see. read more »
  • Calling all birdwatchers

    Check out Birdability which promotes birding for everyone

    Through education, outreach and advocacy, Birdability works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody. We focus on people with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing or who have other health concerns. In addition to current birders, we strive to introduce birding to people with disabilities and other health concerns who are not yet birders so they too can experience the joys of birding. read more »
  • Lucky mint brownie perfection

    A twisted combination of mint and sweet chocolate

    How lucky you must be to come across this recipe just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. This one is a twisted combination of mint and sweet chocolate that’s sure to have almost anyone’s taste buds screaming “yum.” This dessert might just be the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow this year. read more »
  • The connection between your heart and kidneys

    There are many links between these two organs

    While people may think about heart disease and kidney disease as two different health problems, there are many links between them. read more »
  • New developmental milestones for children ages birth to 5 from ASHA

    Checklists will help parents track their child's development

    The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announces today the free, online availability of new checklists that detail communication (speech, language, and hearing) milestones for children ages birth to 5 years as well as feeding and swallowing milestones for children ages birth to 3 years. These milestones provide parents and caregivers with a roadmap of what to expect during their child's early years of life—and can alert them to the early signs of a potential developmental delay or disorder. read more »
  • A better-for-you way to begin the day

    Consider this sweetpotato breakfast bake

    Starting a journey toward better health and wellness can begin the same way you can (and should) start each day: with a nutritious breakfast. A morning meal loaded with nutrient-boosting flavor provides the foundation you need not only for the day at hand, but for a sustainable long-term eating plan, as well. read more »