Just took the SAT

[Technochicken]

I took the SAT for the first time today...my brain is now a barely functioning pile of mush. Whoever though it would be a good idea to make 16-18 year olds sit in an uncomfortable chair for four and a half hours, while answering hundreds of unbelievably tedious questions, was out of their mind. Maybe someone here can enlighten me, but how is this in any way related to the real world?!

[crenn]

If it was like the GAT I took, it's meant to say what skills you're good at (english, maths, science), but I could be wrong

[Technochicken]

Yes, I get that, it is just that the situation they put you in does not seem like anything I would ever have to do outside of the test.

[OvRiDe]

LOL.. well depending on what you want to do with the rest of your life.. you could be in a cubicle with an uncomfortable chair for 8 hours a day answering hundreds of tedious questions 5 days a week.

:P

In all reality, school is not all based in the real world, but it is a means to an end. School gives you a base knowledge set, BUT it mainly teaches you how to learn. How to think a situation through, and then lastly how to put that knowledge to use no matter how tedious or uncomfortable the situation is. The SAT is somewhat of a measure on where you are on that scale. Those that can power through and tough it out, demonstrate that they are willing and able to apply themselves and thus are more appealing to colleges and/or employers in the professional realm.

Hope you did well, and congrats on your next step to adulthood.

[Lothair]

Does only lifting weights keep you healthy and in good physical condition? That's sort of the idea.

Education is not entirely about a person learning specific skills that they can then turn around and use throughout life to better themselves and their position in modern day society. That's just part of the equation.

For example. I'm sure you've met people who are really good at something, but are not exactly the brightest bulbs around, right? Those people have learned specific skills but aren't well rounded in their educational exploits.

That's pretty much the point of learning many things, most of which you'll probably never use throughout your life. Although you might, so there's that benefit as well.

You have to have a well rounded education to exercise all parts of your brain so that you can actually be an intelligent person and not be good at just one or two things.

That said. The American education system is poorly designed and is overall ineffective. The things we learn and have to go through are easy compared to many other countries. We have it very easy here. Which is probably why it's more difficult than it should be or would otherwise be to many foreigners. Now don't get me wrong, education is difficult regardless of where you are in the world. I'm just saying what we have to learn and have to go through should not be considered difficult and isn't considered to be difficult by our more advanced counter-parts systems found elsewhere in the world. Japan for example has an excellent education system. They also have an excellent primary source of food, which is mostly fish. They don't call it brain food for nothin'!

By the way, did you get any stretch or fresh air breaks during the four and a half hour period? Even I would say that you should have gotten at least one break of a duration between 15 minutes and 30 minutes. That would have decreased stress by a considerable amount and resulted in over-all better grade averages. I mean c'mon people, we're not robots. :p

[BuzzKillington]

90% of it is meaningless. Most of that knowledge you'll never use which means you'll end up forgetting it soon after. Then you get to relearn it in college and forget it again! Everything you learn in math, history and science is use it or lose it but if you study properly you'll retain a lot more. Don't take this the wrong way though, if you take school as "I'll never use this crap anyway" you'll only be hurting yourself.

[x88x]

Maybe someone here can enlighten me, but how is this in any way related to the real world?!

It's not. :P And tbh, once you're accepted to a college (assuming that's the route you're going), nobody really cares what score you got...it is so disproportionately important in that 1-2 year span though...

I forget who, but someone once told me what I think is about the best explanation as to why a lot of employers require a college degree. It's not that they expect that degree to magically grant you certain skills or knowledge. It's that the fact that you earned a degree means that you are willing to put up with a lot of stupid s*** in order to achieve your goals.

That being said, I had a lot of fun in college and wouldn't trade that time of my life for the world. :D

[PauL]

It's not. :P And tbh, once you're accepted to a college (assuming that's the route you're going), nobody really cares what score you got...it is so disproportionately important in that 1-2 year span though...



Pretty much. The SAT is really only used for admissions directly into a 4-year, after that its pretty meaningless.

I took the SAT and never put the score to use because I went the community college route. When I did my transfer applications, they never even asked for my SAT score.

I want my 4.5 hours back from taking the SAT :D

[billygoat333]

I took the ACT not the SAT, and used it to skip a few generals classes :D saved me some time and money. thats about the only thing good about it.

[Technochicken]

By the way, did you get any stretch or fresh air breaks during the four and a half hour period? Even I would say that you should have gotten at least one break of a duration between 15 minutes and 30 minutes. That would have decreased stress by a considerable amount and resulted in over-all better grade averages. I mean c'mon people, we're not robots. :p


You get 3 5 minute breaks in total, approximately every hour (after two sections of test).




I took the ACT not the SAT, and used it to skip a few generals classes saved me some time and money. thats about the only thing good about it.

I had no idea you could do that with the ACT. That's what AP courses are for (if you do well enough on those tests).

[x88x]

I had no idea you could do that with the ACT. That's what AP courses are for (if you do well enough on those tests).

Sometimes community colleges (maybe 4-year's two, idk) will let you bypass some of the crap base courses (like EN101, for example) if you have a high enough score on the verbal portion of your ACT or SAT. You are right, though, AP and CLEP tests are a much more versatile way of bypassing low-level courses.

[knowledgegranted]

Hey I took it also!!


You had the essay about idealistic vs practical approaches right?

[Kayin]

My ACT score got me a free ride to college, as well as a few classes I could skip. CLEP tests were my best friend...

[Technochicken]

Hey I took it also!!


You had the essay about idealistic vs practical approaches right?

That's the one. I felt pretty good about my essay. I managed to fill every line, and I used too many pretentious sounding words, which is what they want.

I hope it went well for you!

[x88x]

Hahaha, I laugh at you and your essays! :P I graduated the last year that they did the old version, before they added the essay portion.

[diluzio91]

lol, i remember when i took the ACT all my friends were stressing and studying... i showed up on the day of the test, no prep at all, treated it like a game, and got a 28.... i got a LOT of evil looks...