Done correctly, preparation for the SAT/ACT cultivates essential skills not fostered in class yet vital to success in academia and beyond. One of these is the ability to generate robust, energetic concentration and deliberate, laser-like "winning focus.”
Highly intentional attitude lights up the brain like a Christmas tree, enabling students to think quickly and cleverly, solve problems creatively, and make the utmost of what they already know about mathematics. Maintenance of a sharp, energetic. mindful “winning focus” throughout the test is critical. This is so important that, without such attentiveness, almost nothing else matters.
Creating and sustaining optimal energy is vital to maximal success. Test taking is a competitive activity, and just as is the case in athletics or the performing arts, lagging attention and lackluster commitment won’t cut it.
Following are six “concentration hacks” that, in my work with students on SAT/ACT test prep over nearly five decades, have proven to be effective in developing students’ focusing skills.
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Good Questions Asking a good question automatically initiates an internal quest, pointing and propelling the mind in a productive direction. “Good questions” lead us toward the goal; “bad questions” lead away from it. “What am I trying to find in this problem?” That’s a good question! “Why do I always mess up?” That’s a bad question. Asking and answering good questions is the best way I know get on track and stay there.
Verbalizing By this I mean the process of discussing math internally, deliberately talking-out every step and calculation, mentally conversing with oneself about what one is doing and why at every moment. Verbalizing makes thinking conscious, draws out and connects ideas, exposes errors, and keeps the mind precisely attuned. For students not already in the habit, verbalizing can be trained.
Point and Trace A visualization technique just as useful as verbalizing, “pointing and tracing” refers to pointing at and tracing each object mentioned in a geometry problem as one reads or thinks about the question. This makes key features of figures and diagrams stand out, allowing thoughts and ideas to gel and creativity to flow freely.
Tracking The SAT and ACT are long hauls, and one of the first shoes to fall is reading comprehension. “Tracking" (physically pointing a finger or pencil at text as one reads) revives awareness and makes thinking “louder” and less likely to ebb. Point to get the point!
Thought Experiments In these self-created multi-sensory imaginative experiences, students fully immerse themselves in the scene of an SAT/ACT word problem, mentally play it out, and closely observe what happens. Believing the question at hand to be an urgent matter (not just some arbitrary, boring word problem), the mind is compelled by the realness of the simulation to quickly find the right answer.
Get into it!
Enthusiastic engagement fuels concentration and creativity. The mind has a hard time telling the difference between a good act and factual reality, and, done convincingly, artificial excitement can generate the real thing. Fake it till you make it. Get psyched up. “This is great! I love this! What’s next!” Odd as it sounds, this actually does work.
Dream School
Write and underline the name of your “dream school” in large capital letters at the top of your scratch page, and return to this note whenever your energy starts to flag. Remember the reason you’re taking the test in the first place. This will automatically stimulate inspiration, motivation, and stronger focus. For extra effect, add an “!” point each time you do so. Employing this strategy repeatedly during practice testing has a cumulative effect, maximizing its impact on test day.
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Copyright © 2006-present: Christopher R. Borland. All rights reserved.
