The word phlegmatic means “unemotional” or “apathetic.” It’s a good SAT vocab word. But so is sedulous (“diligent”). And eclectic (“varying widely”). And alacrity (“swiftness”).  And every other word you get when you Google “SAT vocab”. If you lived outside the space-time continuum, learning all these words that could show up on the SAT would be a good idea. But it’s not a good idea, because:

1) you do not live outside the space-time continuum.

If you live out here, don't worry about the SAT.

It’s a misconception that you need a great vocabulary to do well on the SAT. The only “vocab questions” on the test are Sentence Completions—and there are only 19 of them, about 6 of which (the last 1-3 in each set) involve high-level vocab. Ergo, studying vocab is not the best way to increase your Critical Reading score.

But surely knowing words is more helpful than not knowing words! Surely, but there are thousands of “SAT vocab” words, so it’s highly unlikely that any particular word you study would actually show up on the test. And studying thousands of words would require an enormous amount of time that could be much better spent practicing critical reading, essay outlining, tricky math, etc.

Another reason not to go overboard with vocab is that you can often get the right answer to a Sentence Completion without knowing all the words. For example:

The mayor’s speech was full of _____ ideas, ranging from building a waterpark in the community center to guaranteeing free dental work to all citizens.

(A) soporific

(B) deleterious

(C) nostalgic

(D) grandiose

(E) bucolic

Instead of plugging each answer choice in and reading the sentence five more times, we can just anticipate our own word for the blank: a waterpark and free dental work sound like extraordinary ideas. Now all we have to do is eliminate answer choices that don’t at least come close to the meaning of extraordinary. Some of these words (soporific, deleterious, bucolic) might be unfamiliar. But that’s okay—leave them aside and focus on the words you do know. Does nostalgic (“hearkening back sadly to an earlier time”) go with extraordinary? Not really. So we cross off (C). Does grandiose (“impressive” or “pretentious”) go with extraordinary? They don’t mean exactly the same thing, but yes, they’re close enough. So we pick (D), which is right. And it doesn’t matter if we don’t know the other three words.

Another example:

Dale found the beauty of the sunset _____; he could think of no words to describe it.

(A) misconstrued

(B) ineffable

(C) lethargic

(D) spontaneous

(E) docile

You can probably eliminate (E) (docile means “tame”), (D) (while the sunset might be spontaneous, that has nothing to do with why Dale can’t think of any words to describe it), and (C) (lethargic means “lazy”). (A) and (B) might be tougher; if they’re equally unfamiliar, you can look at the mis prefix on (A), which always indicates something negative (e.g., misfire, mistake), so you can probably cross off (A). Which means the answer has to be (B), even if you have no idea what it means (ineffable means “indescribable”).

In sum, don’t make studying vocab a huge part of your SAT prep. Even if you had the time to study every single word that could possibly show up on the SAT, you’d probably only gain yourself a few extra points—and that’s assuming you remembered each and every word you studied. And if you don’t think that would be hard, what does phlegmatic mean?

Told you.

Boomie Aglietti is a real estate novelist; he never had time for a wife. And he’s talking to Davy, who’s still in the Navy, and probably will be for life. Also, he’s a Revolution Prep instructor who enjoys the absurdities of history and a rousing bout of Charles Dickens.

Not a grammar guru? You don’t need to be one to do well on the SAT!

Grammar may seem random and untamable, but it’s actually a lot like math—a closed system with specific rules (if you’ve ever taken Latin, you have a good sense of the structured ways in which various parts of speech function and relate to each other).

Great, so then grammar is just about memorizing tons of annoying rules? Nope! You read, hear, and speak English every single day, so you already have a pretty good internal sense of these rules, even if you’ve never shaken hands with a gerund or gone foraging for misplaced modifiers. The tricky part is that you’re used to hearing incorrect grammar all the time—and SAT grammar questions are designed to take advantage of this fact—but if you can clear out the garbage and focus on the core of the sentence, your natural grammar instincts will kick in and save you.

Example #1:

A large group of birds are sitting on the balcony.

Anything sound wrong to you? Probably not. (If so, prizes for you!) But a lot of the “garbage” in SAT grammar questions is in prepositional phrases. You remember prepositions? Those little words that indicate where or when something is happening, such as at the school, down the street, before midnight, into the woods, etc. Cross out these kinds of phrases, as they’re just there to confuse you.

So let’s simplify the original sentence:

A large group of birds are sitting on the balcony.

Or, more cleanly:

A large group are sitting.

Anything sound wrong to you now? Hopefully! Once you eliminate the prepositional phrases, it’s a lot easier to hear that the subject group, a singular noun doesn’t work with are, a plural verb; your natural grammar instinct tells you that the simplified sentence should read A large group is sitting. (A group may have many people, but it’s still just one, singular group). And adding of birds back in doesn’t change the underlying grammar: A large group of birds is sitting. Notice how much easier it is for your instinct to kick in when you clear away the distractions in the sentence.

Example #2:

The teacher gave him and I a project to finish.

Anything sound fishy? If not, it’s because people say this kind of thing all the time. But if you break the sentence down into simpler parts, you might notice something:

The teacher gave him a project to finish.

Sounds fine, right? But how about:

The teacher gave I a project to finish.

No chance you’d ever say that! And you know the pronoun I is wrong (and how to fix it) without having to cite any complex grammar rule: The teacher gave me a project to finish. As in Example #1, adding back in the words him and doesn’t change the underlying grammar: The teacher gave him and me a project to finish. And, as above, notice how easy it is to hear the error once you’ve simplified the sentence.

These examples represent just two of the common SAT grammar error types (specifically, subject-verb agreement in #1 and pronoun case in #2). Not every error is going to be quite so easy to locate just by crossing off prepositional phrases and/or trying a pronoun by itself, and there are some rules you’ll want to study to help you catch more subtle errors. But your overarching approach to prepping for SAT grammar should be about SIMPLIFYING—making it easier for yourself to hear the kinds of errors the SAT likes to test you on.

Boomie Aglietti is a real estate novelist; he never had time for a wife. And he’s talking to Davy, who’s still in the Navy, and probably will be for life. Also, he’s a Revolution Prep instructor who enjoys the absurdities of history and a rousing bout of Charles Dickens.

SAT reading passages are a challenge for most students.

So you’re on board with SAT prep. You’re taking a practice test. It’s time for another dreaded long reading passage, and…

Scenario 1:

You’re reading and you’re reading and you finally get to the bottom of the page and then it hits you – you totally just read every word of the passage, but you have no idea what it’s about.

Scenario 2:

You finally take a deep breath and start to read the dreaded long reading passage, and all of a sudden – boom. “Single Ladies” is stuck in your head — on repeat.

Scenario 3:

You’re starting to read yet another long, boring passage late in the test: One of the features that distinguishes traditional Pueblo pottery… Seriously? Pueblo pottery? …from other types of clay art… this sucks… is that absence of machinery from all parts of the creative process. (Like this test — all parts of the creative process, definitely absent.) The clay is gathered, processed, and shaped by hand. Instead of using a potter’s wheel to create Pueblo vases … Why would I ever care about Pueblo pottery?

Does this happen to you? Have no fear! Your hand is here!

Your brain is capable of focusing on two things at once. This is why you can read and think about other things at the same time. To make your life easier (and your score higher), focus that other part of your brain with written tasks. If you are reading and writing simultaneously, there’ll be no brain space left for drifting off, and the “checked out” part of your brain can focus on what’s important in the moment – the passage.

Here are some bonus tips on using your pencil during the reading passages to give yourself a leg up on the questions:

1. As you’re reading, hunt for and underline adjectives/tone/emotion words that might help you discover and define what the author/narrator’s tone about the subject is. There can be as many as 3 tone questions for each long reading passage.
2. At the end of each paragraph, quickly write a 2-3 word summary of what you just read. Don’t spend too much time here. These paraphrases will give you a refresher for when the line reference questions send you back to that part of the passage.
3. At the end of the essay, write a less-than-one sentence summary of the whole essay. If you do this well, this summary can be used as your anticipation to the inevitable “This passage is best described as…” question.

Don’t let your head get the better of you; let your hand lead the way.

Happy reading!

Knowing how to take a test is a vital skill that all serious students must practice. There are many types of exams that you will be required take to over your academic career. The following guide can be applied to all types of tests, from everyday subject tests in school to those pesky standardized tests. Take notes on the methods that are summarized below and try out these techniques on your next exam.

Scan. When you open your test, start by familiarizing yourself with the material. Scan the entire test immediately and evaluate the importance of each section. Note the amount of points each section is worth and estimate how much time will be needed for each part.

Read. Slowly read the directions and underline key words. It can be agonizing to lose points when you knew the material, but misread the directions. If the directions ask for one concise paragraph for your answer, write exactly one paragraph! Occasionally directions will state that you should answer only some of the questions (“pick eight out of ten questions to answer”). Discovering this after answering all ten questions is not only irking, but also takes away precious time from other parts of the test.

Write. Write down helpful facts that you memorized for the test so you do not worry about forgetting them and can refer to them during the test.

Answer. Start by answering the shortest questions first. This gives you the experience of success and prepares your brain for the harder questions.

Increase recall. What happens if an important fact slips your mind? First try to think of something similar. Start from the general and move to the specific. If you are still floundering, try writing a brief mind map to stimulate your memory. (This should not take more than one or two minutes. If so, cut it loose and move on to the next question. You can always come back to it at the end if time permits.)

Leave extra space. Whether you are writing your answers in sentence form or crunching numbers, leave extra space between answers. You will often recall an additional fact while completing a different problem, prompting you to add to a previous answer. Moreover, your instructor will appreciate the extra space when grading your test.

Look for answers elsewhere. It is common for answers to show up in other test questions. A date, equation, or other fact that you cannot remember may appear in the test itself.

Use your gut. For quick-answer questions such as true/false or multiple-choice, pay attention to your instinct. Never change your answer unless you are absolutely confident in your second choice.

Blake H. is an instructor and tutor for Revolution Prep. Blake attended Cal Poly –SLO as an undergrad and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Architecture at California College of the Arts.

About Revolution Prep: Revolution Prep offers ACT and SAT test prep group courses,  a hybrid course which includes test prep tutoring,  SAT / ACT software, ACT / SAT test prep tutoring and academic tutoring for finals, SAT Subject Tests, AP Exams, and more.  Revolution was named one of the fastest growing private companies nationwide on the Inc. 5000 list and was also recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the fastest growing private companies in Los Angeles.

The semicolon is an underutilized form of punctuation that can be a valuable tool for students who are uneasy about using it. It has two primary uses: its use as a soft period and its use a “super-coma” in a long list. Memorize these two simple rules and you will never question your semicolon use again.

1. Semicolon used as a soft period. The semicolon can be used to bring two separate but closely related statements together into one complete sentence. For example, “This could be one complete sentence; this could be another one.”

A common mistake is to put a comma where the semicolon is. This is called a comma splice and it is an error that all students must be able to recognize. SAT/ACT exams always have questions that test knowledge of the comma splice error. Students often get confused and put a comma instead of a semicolon because the second clause does not really look like a complete sentence. For example, “Fifty-two weeks are in one year; only eight remain.”

One exception to this rule is if there is a conjunction between the two clauses. If there is a conjunction such as “and” or “but,” a comma is used. For example, “this could be a complete sentence, and this could be another one.”

In each of these examples, a period could be used instead of a semicolon; however, a semicolon is preferred because it gives continuity between the independent clauses.

2. Semicolon used as a “super-comma” in a complicated list. A sentence containing a ton of commas can be really confusing. When writing a list or multiple clauses containing commas, use semicolons to separate each.

For example, “San Francisco, California; New York City, New York; and Boston, Massachusetts have the highest percentage of college degree holders of all American cities.”

The semicolons used above help the reader recognize the major groupings and bring clarity to the sentence overall.

That’s it! There are some other minor rules for using semicolons (which you should research on your own), but the two rules above will cover the majority of your semicolon use. Remember that punctuation is a powerful tool and slight changes can have a great impact on the meaning of your words. Understanding the basics of punctuation early in your academic career is important because it will make your future work clear and your readers happy!

Blake H. is an instructor and tutor for Revolution Prep. Blake attended Cal Poly –SLO as an undergrad and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Architecture at California College of the Arts.

About Revolution Prep: Revolution Prep offers ACT and SAT test prep group courses,  a hybrid course which includes test prep tutoring,  SAT / ACT software, ACT / SAT test prep tutoring and academic tutoring for finals, SAT Subject Tests, AP Exams, and more.  Revolution was named one of the fastest growing private companies nationwide on the Inc. 5000 list and was also recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the fastest growing private companies in Los Angeles.

Benefits of Service-Learning

We are all familiar with the concept of volunteering. You have probably planted trees or picked up trash in your community as a volunteer for a day. But are you familiar with service-learning? In short, it is a “learn by doing” experience where students complete projects to help communities. Those receiving the service receive much needed help while those performing the service gain real-world experience and a deeper understanding of societal issues. If you are unfamiliar with service learning or are unsure if it is right for you, here are some reasons to give it a try.

There is a Chinese proverb that goes: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand”. Service learning provides innumerable opportunities to explore your interests and help you grow as an individual, all by doing hands-on work. For example, students interested in bringing more trees into their community would not only organize the planting of trees, but also create a long-term plan to green the entire community. This is when volunteering becomes service-learning.

Service-learning allows you to work with new people, which can lead to new partnerships, job opportunities, etc.  These experiences also look great on a resume, demonstrating initiative, leadership skills, and ability to work hard.

For those interested in traveling, international service-learning projects are a great option. Students learn about new cultures, languages, and traditions through collaboration, and get a more well-rounded education than those who stay in the classroom.

Reflection

A major component of service-learning is reflection. Reflection time, whether it is keeping a journal or discussing your experiences with fellow students, is what distinguishes service-learning from community service.  Examples include:

Artistic Expression: Drawing, music, and theater are fun and useful outlets for reflection.

Reading and Writing: Reading a breadth of material with differing viewpoints on your area of focus will provide a solid foundation for journaling.

Journaling: Writing about your observations and how they relate to issues such as communication, privilege, and conflict is a helpful way to make conclusions and move forward in your studies.

Studies show that altruism is one of the largest contributors to overall happiness levels in people. If you have any interest in gaining life experience, helping others, and getting academic credit, get involved in a service-learning program soon!

Blake is an instructor and tutor for Revolution Prep. Blake attended Cal Poly –SLO as an undergrad and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Architecture at California College of the Arts.

About Revolution Prep: Revolution Prep offers ACT and SAT test prep group courses,  a hybrid course which includes test prep tutoring,  SAT / ACT software, ACT / SAT test prep tutoring and academic tutoring for finals, SAT Subject Tests, AP Exams, and more.  Revolution was named one of the fastest growing private companies nationwide on the Inc. 5000 list and was also recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the fastest growing private companies in Los Angeles.

Join us on the Revolution Prep Facebook page for our SAT Office Hours Wednesday from 5-8pm PST and Thursday from 6-9pm PST to get your last minute SAT questions answered by a live instructor.

Our expert instructors are happy to help you with any questions that come up while you prep for the SAT. Simply log on to our Revolution Prep Facebook page, “Like” the page, and post your test prep question on our wall. An instructor will answer your questions for you right there on the page, absolutely free during Office Hours.

Don’t have a specific question in mind?  That’s OK — our instructors will be posting SAT and ACT questions of their own, and working through the solutions to help you prepare.

SAT Test Prep

Whether you’re just starting high school, entering your senior year, or well beyond your high school years, everyone knows just how daunting the SAT test can be. You can be a straight-A student and still not necessarily perform as one would expect…not to mention the average student’s performance.

Revolution Prep gives students the tools and techniques they need to take on the SAT test with confidence. We created our Next Test Prep Star Challenge so you can follow real students through their SAT Class and/or SAT Tutoring as they prepare for the October 1 SAT test.

How it works

We chose 12 students from applications all over the country to take the challenge.  Each of these students started out by taking the SAT test on their own (with no preparation) at the beginning of the summer.  Then they started their one-on-one SAT prep tutoring, Hybrid Course (a combination of tutoring and the group course), Premium Instructor Online course (group course taught live online), or on-campus SAT Course with Revolution Prep (link to: www.revolutionprep.com )

Throughout the course of their study, they not only attended study sessions and completed personalized homework assignments, they also took practice tests to gauge how they were doing along the way.  They logged their progress via video posts (viewable at www.revolutionprep.com/star).  The progress that each of them has made is remarkable.  Follow their progress.

Pulling it all together

Each of our Next Test Prep Stars have learned various SAT prep strategies and tips for success from their SAT tutors (link to tutoring) as they have they have matriculated through the program.  As they continue to take the practice tests and increase their scores, they’re able to see how it all comes together.

The Big Day

We designated October 1^st as the day that each student would take the official SAT test again.  As the day draws closer and closer, our Next Test Prep Stars are nervous but excited to see how their SAT test score has increased.

Balancing school and this rigorous course is no easy feat but these Stars have done well, and we’re confident that each of them will meet their ultimate goal.

Join our instructors as they answer SAT test questions live on Facebook this week

Our expert instructors are happy to help you with any questions that come up while you prep for the SAT (or ACT). Simply log on to our Revolution Prep Facebook page and post your test prep question on our wall. An instructor will answer your questions for you right there on the page, absolutely free. Revolution will host “Office Hours” on Tuesday, September 27^th from 6:30 – 9:30 PT and Wednesday and Thursday, September 28^th and 29^th, from  5pm – 8pm PT to help with any last-minute questions you may have before the October 1^st SAT test day.

Don’t have a specific question in mind?  That’s OK – our instructors will be posting SAT and ACT questions of their own, and working through the solutions to help you prepare.

Test prep experts are also available at 1-877-738-7737 to answer any questions about the SAT or ACT process in general.

All students have problems with writer’s block at some point in their academic careers. There are innumerable causes, ranging from anxiety to lack of sleep to fear of not writing well. Fortunately there are strategies to help get back on track.

Get your pencil moving

The most difficult part of writing is the start. The worst thing to do is stare at the blank paper and do nothing. It is better to write a mediocre sentence than nothing at all, so turn your critical brain off when starting and get ideas down on the paper. There is always time to edit later.

Outline

Start by listing general ideas related to your topic. This short “brain purge” is meant to get all ideas on the page without being too critical or selective. Once you have a collection of content to work with, start marking up the page by circling, highlighting, and crossing out words. The goal of this is to draw draw parallels between ideas and brainstorm more specific examples. These details will be the essence of your writing.

Think out loud

For novice and expert writers alike, one of the most challenging aspects of writing is the process of  transferring thoughts to page. Record yourself speaking your thoughts, then play back the recording to find key themes.

Write don’t type

A cold, ominous computer screen can hinder your creativity.  Switch to pen and paper for a while and physically write out your ideas.

Get inspired

Take a break and read other material to get inspired. Read blogs, magazines, newspapers, or other enjoyable sources, and let your mind run free until you have gathered new ideas.

Sleep on it

Students often get stuck on an assignment because they are too tired to stay focused. If you find yourself in this situation, go to sleep and wake up early to write. Sleeping recharges the mind and elucidates previously confusing subject matter.

Mix it up

Prevent boredom by switching between multiple assignments. For example, if you are working on three assignments, devote one hour per day to each, rather than trying to complete them individually. This will prevent burnout and allow for your creative ideas to spill over to other projects.

Blake Hudelson is an instructor and tutor for Revolution Prep. Blake attended Cal Poly –SLO as an undergrad and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Architecture at California College of the Arts.

About Revolution Prep: Revolution Prep offers ACT and SAT test prep group courses,  a hybrid course which includes test prep tutoring,  SAT / ACT software, ACT / SAT test prep tutoring and academic tutoring for finals, SAT Subject Tests, AP Exams, and more.  Revolution was named one of the fastest growing private companies nationwide on the 2010 Inc. 5000 list and was also recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the fastest growing private companies in Los Angeles.