Test Prep

ACT & SAT: Are They Winners’ Games?

I didn't expect Farnam Street to relate so directly to college admissions, but it does, and in a way that is as important as it is deep. According to the post linked above, the outcome of a "winner's game" is determined mostly by the actions of the winner; the outcome...

Test Anxiety

Students suffering from test anxiety often make things worse by misunderstanding the nature of successful preparation work. They think: "my goal is to have new knowledge and new techniques." But that's wrong. The right goal is to have new habits. Under pressure, all...

“Test Day Jitters”

"Test day jitters" manifests as "the problems were hard!" when what's really going on is "I'm not quite as capable when I'm nervous / amped up / in the spotlight." The biggest barrier to addressing this issue is misunderstanding what's really going on.

Math Under Pressure

This outstanding TED Talk by Barnard's president is mainly about choking under pressure. But how interesting that the example Professor Beilock spends most time on is girls' learning math. One of the excellent points she makes so well is that there's a difference...