6 Things You Must Know Before Taking a SAT Prep Course
By: Joel Lee
Submitted: 2009-12-04 00:23:23 | Word Count: 512
So you are considering enrolling into a SAT prep course after receiving another mediocre score in your last SAT practice test. But what are the important points you need to consider before making your decision? Well, read on to find out about the 6 things you should know before deciding to take a SAT prep course.
1) Costly courses may be worth it
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Choosing the right prep course, no matter how expensive it is, will be worthwhile if you achieve a good SAT score at the end of the day. After all, a good SAT score will allow you to enrol in your desired university and eventually lead you to a high paying job.
Research has also shown that those who have decided to take up SAT prep course have shown a significant improvement in their scores, and those with personal tutoring showed the greatest improvement.
2) More expensive courses doesn’t always mean better
Even if you are feeling desperate, don’t immediately choose the most expensive SAT prep courses available just because you assume it means guaranteed results. The fact is that most courses mainly teach the same stuff to their students. The only difference is probably the type of techniques the teachers used.
3) Good teachers are the most important
Although most teachers teach the same stuff, a very good teacher will be able to tell you the most important and valuable learning points. This will not only instil confidence in you to excel, but also saves studying time. Finding a good teacher is not easy however. Plenty of teachers just read out of the book. So it’s crucial that you ask questions about your teachers to ensure they are worth the fees you are paying for.
4) Take note of the course duration
Don’t assume that a course that claims to be 40 hours long translates into 40 hour worth of actual classroom instructions time. In fact, this 40 hours long duration includes time spent taking practice tests or time spent silently studying and reading. So remember to enquire about the number of hours of actual classroom instructions. Don’t spend money doing things that you can do for free at your own home.
5) Courses don’t teach everything
Although the teachers might give you helpful lists of vocabulary to memorise, they might not teach you how to memorise them effectively. They may also not teach you how to handle test anxiety. No matter how well prepared you are, if you are too nervous or anxious on the test day, you might still not do as well as you should.
6) Read fine prints
Most courses don’t offer you money back guarantee if you don’t succeed. In fact, they simply offer you to retake the course again for free. But if it doesn’t work the first time, why should it work the second time?
So consider the points above while you decide if you should enrol for a SAT prep course. Taking up a course might not guarantee you instant success, but you should definitely see an improvement in your SAT score.
Author Resource:-
Joel Lee is an independent test preparation consultant (http://www.icon-plus.com/) specializing in SAT preparation, with over 8 years of experience. Apart from helping candidates to improve their scores through a customized SAT course, he actively contributes to websites related to SAT test.
