Photo courtesy of OnToCollege

  The PSAT took place last Tuesday, February 22 in the small gym, and many sophomores showed up to take it. The window to check in to take the test began at 7:45, and ended at 8:00 when the test started.

  The PSAT is divided into two reading and writing sections, and two math sections. The entire test is expected to last around three to four hours. However, in this specific circumstance, students were forced to delay their test, cutting into their lunch time due to a fire being reported on campus.

  This brief interruption may have disturbed the bulk of test-takers, but on the bright side, this test was just the PSAT, and not the real SAT. 

  Many take the PSAT and SAT very seriously, and study for hours on end. Though many do not take the PSAT as seriously as the SAT itself, some did still study for the PSAT, like sophomore Aiden Eagon.

  “I took the practice tests, and it made the PSAT significantly easier since I had some foreknowledge,” said Eagon.

  CollegeBoard offers certain SAT prep books, so if you are interested in studying for the SAT or PSAT, these are the books to check out. These books also contain a number of SAT practice tests, which may also be useful.

  “The practice tests for the PSAT had the exact same format and type of questions as the actual PSAT that the sophomore class, including myself, took on Tuesday,” said Eagon. 

  On the other hand, many sophomores also feel that the PSAT itself is already like studying for the SAT, and are much more laid back about these tests than others.

  Approaching the SAT from both of these extremes can be harmful, so finding a medium between seems like the best option. Studying too much and stressing yourself out can definitely be harmful to one’s mental health and stress levels.

  On the other hand, not taking the SAT seriously is also a very bad decision. Though many colleges may not actually require SAT scores to be entered in applications, the SAT is still a very important test and crucial part of school.