Standardized Testing and The College Crunch

Many students are currently under the seemingly never-ending stress of PSATs, SATs, and college applications. Seniors are squeezing in their last SATs, Juniors are beginning them, and Freshmen and Sophomores are taking the PSATs. Whether you are just thinking about them, or you’re in the full swing of things, these tests seem to be on everyone’s minds right now. On top of it all, various standardized tests have been going on in the background. All around, it’s an extremely stressful time for everyone.

When you take it all in, the feat of testing, keeping up with school, participating in sports and activities, and balancing free time all seem very daunting. This is why keeping a clear schedule and staying organized is very important. Many seniors who are choosing to apply to college are needing to keep up with the applications of several different colleges along with school work. Writing essays for your classes in addition to the ones for applications is not easy to manage, but with some organization skills, it makes the entire process a little easier and eliminates a bit of stress. The entire application process is a test of both your school career and how well you can complete the applications. With all the stress of having a perfect application, it is also important to keep your mental health in mind. Taking time to unwind and allot time for yourself will help relieve some anxiety. It is important to keep in mind that your entire life can’t revolve around the “college crunch.” Balance is key to being successful in these endeavors.

For those not in the swing of college applications, staying organized and keeping mental health in mind is also important. PSATs and SATs are incredibly time-consuming tests that come in handy for many college applications in the future. It takes hours upon hours of studying, self-scoring, and practice tests to prepare for the nearly four-hour test that has to be done. Creating good study habits will make this process much easier. When you tackle good amounts of time often to study for the tests you remove the need to cram the night before the big test when you should be resting up. In addition, staying organized with all of your studying materials makes the time where you do need to study less distracting and more productive. This will get rid of stress; leaving you feeling prepared come test day. No one can study all day in school just to go home and study for the rest of the day and into the night. Just like those dealing with college applications, it’s important to take time to do what you like to do. Relaxing is one of the best ways to reduce the stress you have and take a moment outside of the craziness you’re in all day.

Life is very busy for all students right now. Each of us is at a different step in the process of testing and applying for the next step. Regardless, all of us need to find a way to find time for ourselves but also keep organized, because there is nothing worse in a time of stress than chaos in our off time.