The PSAT From a Freshman’s Perspective

You’ve probably heard of the SAT. The infamous test that millions of students around the U.S.A. take yearly, and a test that may very well determine if you are or are not ready to go to college. That’s not even the worst part for some students, a bad score may blemish your future career direction, as some colleges take this test very deeply into consideration, along with other factors like GPA, Sports Participation, and School Community Involvement. The PSAT is a practice variant that students use in order to get a feeling for the pacing and layout of the test.

At Oak Lawn Community High School, the PSAT is being distributed the week of April 11th and students have mixed feelings about it. As a first time freshman at Oak Lawn Community High School, I had a seed of doubt planted in my mind. After all, the PSAT, while not being taken as a grade, is still considered by an assortment of colleges and universities. With this in mind, I did what I believed was best. I resorted to using practice resources to get a feel for the layout of the test. Khan Academy’s SAT Prep is one that I wholeheartedly recommend for students who want to brush up on their skills, while also preparing the correct way. Developed with CollegeBoard, the company that created the SAT, PSAT, and AP (Advanced Placement), and the appeal of this resource is as clear as day. Doing this helped me with a few things; I got a feel for the pacing of the test so that I could determine how quickly I must answer each question- without running out of time. This is not the only resource that can be used however, there are also multiple books that can be bought to help prepare, however according to various past students I’ve asked and online reviews, these books do not have the best results for some students because each student has a different preference for studying. Honestly, just use what works best for you, and take advantage of all of the resources you are given at school. After asking a few questions to various students, I concluded that even though students were anxious about participating in these tests, the feeling of nervousness sort of disintegrated into thin air. Leaving no doubt in their brain that they will achieve success with proper precautions and preparations.