the following ten posts regularly receive high traffic on the magoosh high school blog. i’ve organized them into three sections: sat & act resources, sat resources, and act resources. click the image corresponding to each post to check it out.

happy studying and happy summer!

sat & act resource

1. act to sat score conversion

the sat and act exams use different scoring systems, which makes comparing one score to the other unnecessarily complicated. this post can help make that process a whole lot easier.

sat summer prep resources

2. full-length sat practice tests

this resource is worth its metaphorical weight in gold. it contains links to sat practice tests that are free, official, and full-length. learn to love this post, because if you aren’t sitting down for regular timed tests, then you’re not going to meet your full potential on the sat. oh yeah, i went there.

3. what’s a good sat score?

out with the perfect 2400 and in with the perfect 1600! with the complete overhaul of the sat exam came a complete change in the answer to the age old question: “is my sat score good enough?” read to discover what this means for you.

4. sat essay prompts

the sat essay is no longer required, but that does not mean that you should skip it. this list of sample essay prompts will help you prepare for the new assessment.

5. average sat scores

let’s aim to be better than average — at least on the sat exam. but first, let’s talk about what that really means.

act summer prep resources

6. how to score a perfect score on the new act essay

this isn’t your older sibling’s act essay. the new act essay is a bit more complex, but this post will give you all the help you need to prepare.

7. act raw score conversion chart

take a full-length 2022世界杯入门名单 and what do you get? a raw score. use our handy chart to convert your raw score into a scaled score and find out how you performed on the act’s 1 to 36 scale.

8. the real act prep guide, 4th edition aka the official act guide 2016-2017

act finally came out with a new act prep book!! it’s official, it’s up to date, and we have some strong feelings about it. read this before shelling out any money. trust me.

9. average act score by state

well done, connecticut and massachusetts. your average composite act score is looking pretty good. hawaii … you’ve got some work to do. see where your state ranks and what this means for your score.

10. full-length 2022世界杯入门名单s

see “full-length sat practice tests” (#2) above. this resource is better than any prep book on the market because it contains free, official practice tests to help you prep for the act. set aside some time to do one of these a week, and you’ll improve your score in no time.
 

that’s all i have for you!

let me know what you think of these resources by leaving a comment below.

the post 10 best summer prep resources appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

picking your major is an exciting process. there really is no wrong choice, and your decision depends entirely on your own strengths, interests, and dreams for the future. read on to:

• use our fun infographic to figure out which major is right for you.
• understand more about college majors and how they work.
• learn the four most important things to keep in mind when choosing your major.

what should you major in?

use this flowchart infographic to figure out what you should major in! then comment to let us know what you got.

click the infographic to enlarge the image:

why are majors important?

a major is an area of study that you will specialize in during your time in college. most of your courses (about 1/3 – 1/2) will be related to your major.

at most four-year colleges, you must declare your major by the end of your sophomore year, or when you’ve achieved the number of credits typical of an incoming junior. this means that students have two academic years to take prerequisite courses in different disciplines and figure out which areas of study they find most interesting. that’s a lot of time!

in fact, many universities require undergraduate students take general education (ge) requirement courses in multiple disciplines, so that students have a broad understanding of the university’s offerings.

ges provide a great opportunity for students to experiment with disciplines that they didn’t study in high school (things like cognitive science, anthropology, biochemical engineering, environmental systems, linguistics, regional studies … the options are fairly endless).

some students opt to double major, or major in two different fields. some choose to have a major and a minor (a specialization with fewer course requirements), and some even create their own major with the help of university faculty.

college will probably be the first time in your life that you get to choose the majority of your classes. take this opportunity to learn fun new things, discover more about your own interests, and explore your university’s unique offerings!

4 things to do when selecting your major

1. experiment and take risks
   take courses that seem interesting and choose topics that motivate you to learn more outside of the classroom. you want to be pretty confident that you can do well in the class, while also being willing to take risks.
2. think long-term
   some majors (like nursing or engineering) teach you how to perform a trade. they’ll prepare you to begin a specific career once you graduate. other majors (like international studies or english) often teach you more theoretical skills that can be applied in many ways after graduation. consider which type of major you would prefer, and what type of career you might ultimately like to have.
3. remember that you can change your mind
   most students change majors once or twice during college – and that’s completely okay!
4. consider what you love
   people are predisposed to enjoy, and excel at, certain disciplines. use the flowchart above to see how your interests and skills align with possible majors!

best of luck in college!

the post what should i major in? appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

submitting college apps is a double-edged sword. on the one hand, you no longer have to spend countless hours perfecting personal statements, re-typing extracurriculars, entering numbers into forms, etc. that agony finally reached its end.

on the other hand, there’s the waiting.

the realizing that you are not in control of your destiny. the uncertainty.

it’s okay. as tough as it is to just wait it out, my recommendation is that you do everything in your power to enjoy this in-between time. there’s something very freeing in knowing that you’ve done your best and this big life decision is out of your hands for a couple of months. you’ll have other tough decisions to make when you get your acceptance letters, and decide which college you’ll ultimately attend. but, for now, you can relax and enjoy senior year.

remember … second semester senior year is what dreams are made of. the sat? over. your hardest finals of the year? over. college apps? over. yeah, you should study and try to stave off senioritis, and you probably have some ap tests to look forward to in the spring.

but you should also enjoy your last few months of high school. so, stop reading and go do something fun! tell your teachers that magoosh gave you permission.

the post living with the uncertainty of college applications appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

you know what i’m talking about. you go online to check facebook for 2 minutes, and 30 minutes later you’ve delved deep into a friend of a friend’s pics from 3 years ago. a 20-minute break to watch a quick episode of something becomes a full-on netflix binge. don’t even get me started on the black hole that is youtube. or pinterest. or instagram.

realistically, this can happen whether you’re studying for the sat online or with a prep book. this procrastination is only half fun and it’s killing your study momentum. stop this madness!! i’ll help.

sat studying life hacks

let’s start with apps. i figure, if technology is the problem it might as well be the solution too.

selfcontrol

price: free

here’s the deal: this app works for mac, and allows you to block certain sites on your computer for a set period of time. for example, imagine that i commit to studying for the sat online with magoosh for 2 hours. i can set selfcontrol to block facebook, youtube, tumblr, pinterest, instagram, email, etc. for two hours. after i click “start”, i can’t access those sites no matter what.

a word of warning: this app is harsh. once you’ve activated it for a certain period of time, you can’t deactivate it even by restarting your computer or deleting the application. (harsh, but brilliant.) for a less-severe alternative, try concentrate ($29). it has similar options, but you can unblock sites by restarting your computer.

stayfocusd

price: free

here’s the deal: like selfcontrol, stayfocusd allows you to block distracting and addictive sites. the cool thing about it is that it’s a free chrome extension, and therefore can be used by both mac and pc users. just download google chrome! this extension allows you to pick how much time you’re willing to spend on distracting sites each day. you pick which sites are distracting you (it lets you get really specific), and once you’ve used up all your procrastination time, those sites become blocked for the rest of the day.

i-am-studying blocker

price: free

here’s the deal: this chrome extension is not nearly as strict as the two apps mentioned before. yes, you can block distracting sites, but i-am-studying allows you to “snooze” your study time and browse your blocked sites for 10 minutes every hour. the app collects data on your browsing habits and lets you know which sites you waste the most time on (*cough* … reddit … *cough*). if you’re not strong-willed, this is probably not the solution for you.
 

time-management strategies

let’s step away from apps for a minute and talk about a solution that actually improves your study and time-management skills.

the pomodoro technique

tools needed: one ordinary kitchen timer, a pen, paper.

here’s the deal: this technique is all about time-management. the idea is to thoughtfully choose a task that you need to complete and then to break the time it takes you to complete this task into 25-minute intervals, called “pomodori” (the plural of “pomodoro” which means tomato in italian). you set your kitchen timer for 25 minutes, and when the time is up, you take a short (3-5 minute) break. keep a piece of paper handy and write an “x” every time you complete a pomodoro. then, after four pomodori, take a longer break (15-30 minutes).

the cool thing about this method is that you can keep yourself organized by planning your study sessions, tracking and recording your progress, and prioritizing tasks using an estimation of how much effort (how many pomodori) they will take to complete. also, you get to take breaks which allow your brain to process and retain information! win-win.
 

takeaway

life is distracting. one second you’re studying your heart out and the next you’re sidetracked by the music you’re listening to, tv, social media, a shiny object… and these distractions are ruining your sat practice.

be strong! find a system that works for you. maybe you combine the pomodoro technique with an anti-distraction app, or maybe you just use your awesome willpower to stay away from addictive sites on the internet. either way, commit to your technique and you’ll start to see your focus improve.

(for more unexpected study techniques, check out our sat lifehacks infographic!)
 

share your study life hacks

have you mastered time-management and learned to study online without getting off-track?

share your story and your tips by leaving us a comment below!

the post how to study online without getting distracted appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.