You have your SAT preparation neatly scheduled, and the exam date seems to be nearing faster than you’d like. You achieved all your short-term goals and are proceeding smoothly along with your study plan.
Barring some nerves, you are doing pretty well. And yet, you do not feel as confident as you should, and some parts of the SAT are still a bit patchy to you. If you feel like you might not do as well and live up to your true potential, you might want to consider getting an SAT tutor.
- You Aren’t Seeing Results
Conventional logic says that hard work should produce results. The long hours that you have been putting in should translate to higher scores on the practice tests. Going through as much practice material should help you keep getting higher and higher scores.
Yet you see that your test scores aren’t going up. You notice that the test scores are beginning to saturate. You try your best and yet cannot seem to zero in on why you seem stuck. Despite your increased efforts, the practice test scores fail to exhibit your knowledge base.
This might be a sign that you need a bit of professional assistance. Your tutor will analyze your test scores and will be able to spot any patterns or areas of concern that need more attention. Consider SAT tutoring to help you overcome this bump.
- You Don’t Understand What You Don’t Understand
Irrespective of being a student or otherwise, students often don’t seem to understand what they do not understand. It is a reasonably common albeit irritating situation for anyone to be in, especially if you are preparing for the SAT.
Do you get that nagging feeling of answering a practice question and finding out that your answer was incorrect? And have you then sat back and reviewed your error only to end up being more confused? It is a common enough phenomenon that impacts the majority of the students.
But this is also something that you can rectify with proper guidance. A tutor can help you understand this pattern and overcome these issues. It may be that a different approach is needed.
- You Need Motivation
The SAT is a career-defining exam. It takes a lot out of a candidate physically as well as mentally. Many students admit to having experienced panic attacks due to this exam. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost. You try hard and yet seem unable to make any progress.
Motivation plays a vital role at this juncture. A tutor plays an essential role in helping you stay motivated and on track. A tutor is uniquely poised to offer a sense of motivation since they have trodden the same grueling journey.
However, try to understand that this is a two-way street. The candidate needs to have an interest for the tutor to stoke. A tutor can only assist you in understanding why you chose to sit for the SAT. Furthermore, assistance from a parent or guardian can go a long way.
- You Are Already Overloaded
Sometimes, despite having all the motivation that you need, all the materials that you require, you may just not be finding enough time. Balancing an active school life while preparing for the SAT often seems daunting. Students often feel overwhelmed and quit their preparations mid-way merely because they are unable to find enough time.
Running out of time is one of the biggest mental block students come across. If you don’t create your schedule with time management in mind, you will find each passing day growing harder in staying on track. If you think that you need assistance in managing your time better, you need to go for an SAT tutor.
A study schedule that works for you is the number one priority when preparing for the SAT. Different people might have different approaches to this. To help you accomplish your goal, a tutor needs to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Then he or she can help you create a compelling and practical study schedule.
Tutors Aren’t a One-stop Solution
With charges ranging from $50 to $200 per hour, private tutors can be expensive. For some students, it is a worthwhile investment, while it may be out of reach for others.
Talk to your school counselor as some schools offer practice tests that you can use to check your preparedness. Going through your local classified ads might also yield results through college students, retired teachers, or even stay-at-home parents looking to tutor students. Alternatively, you can seek tutoring from nation-wide organizations that specialize in test prep.
Finding the right tutor can make or break your college dreams. So, while looking for an SAT tutor, you need to do your research and zero in on the right fit.
