Category Archives: Advice for Freshmen

4 Tips to Properly Study for an Exam

exam stress

Exam season is buckling down. Before you go haywire on studying, let us teach you how to study efficiently. Believe it or not, many students waste precious hours of study time by studying the wrong way for their exams. Knowing how to properly study for an exam is the first step in acing it. Follow our strategies and be ready for those dreadful exams. 1. Preview Your Notes Before You Begin Studying Before you dive right into memorizing every single page of your notes, first briefly skim them so that you get a general overview of the material that you … Continue reading

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Ask Test Masters – Work Experience & Resumes

Work Experience

You ask and we answer! Do you have question about college admissions, applications, entrance exams, or anything pertaining to college preparation? Drop us a line at Ask Test Masters, and we will answer your question in an upcoming post! Question:  I am working on my college resume, but I don’t feel like I have enough to fill the page. I haven’t received an award and I don’t have any work experience what should I do? Answer: A resume is meant to show off your strengths, not highlight your weaknesses, so there are ways to spin your resume to work for … Continue reading

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Healthy Brain Food for Test Day

Food

It’s testing season! Whether or not it’s the SAT, the ACT, AP Exams, and/or even your final exams, it is important to make sure you have a healthy test-taking diet to fully get your mind prepared for what lies ahead. Here are a few suggestions as to what you should include in your meals so that you can boost brain function for test day.       PROTEIN This includes eggs, ham, sausage, bacon, salmon. They contain the brain-healthy nutrient choline which boosts brain cell function, which in turn boosts brain productivity as well as memory. FRUITS Berries are considered … Continue reading

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SAT Vocabulary Word of the Week: Abrasive

ABZV

Each week, College Compass offers a vocabulary word that will help prepare you for the SAT and PSAT. We aim to give you not only the best words to study, but also the most accurate information so that you remember these words. Knowing these words will help lead you to the correct answers on the verbal section, thus adding to your score…which is the whole point of learning the vocabulary, right? THIS WEEK’S WORD ABRASIVE [uh-brey-siv] adjective Overly aggressive; Coarse; Harsh EXAMPLE: Although it may not be the best way to be, one way to be PERSUASIVE is to be … Continue reading

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A Chat with a Perfect Scorer

Joan Zhang with Test Masters Scholarship

In January 2012 Joan Zhang bubbled her way to SAT perfection. This is no small feat, as each year less than .02% of high school students earn a perfect 2400. I had the pleasure of talking with Joan about her success and her preparation with Test Masters. Through our chat, I discovered something unexpected – she is just like any other high school student. That’s right, Joan isn’t a hybrid teenage robot who magically computes every correct answer on the SAT. Many people put perfect scorers on an idealistic pedestal laced with stereotypes – Perfect scorers know what they are … Continue reading

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SAT Vocabulary Word of the Week: Placid

Unknown

Each week, College Compass offers a vocabulary word that will help prepare you for the SAT and PSAT. We aim to give you not only the best words to study, but also the most accurate information so that you remember these words. Knowing these words will help lead you to the correct answers on the verbal section, thus adding to your score…which is really the whole point of learning all this vocabulary in the first place. THIS WEEK’S WORD PLACID [plas-id] verb Pleasantly calm or peaceful; tranquil. EXAMPLE: Sitting on the dock overlooking the beautiful lake might just be the … Continue reading

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SAT Vocabulary Word of the Week: Hamper

hamper

Each week, College Compass offers a vocabulary word that will help prepare you for the SAT and PSAT. We aim to give you not only the best words to study, but also the most accurate information so that you remember these words. Knowing these words will help lead you to the correct answers on the verbal section, thus adding to your score…which is really the whole point of learning all this vocabulary in the first place, right? THIS WEEK’S WORD HAMPER [ham-per] verb To hold back; hinder. To interfere with. EXAMPLE: HAMPER the HAMSTER is always making a mess and … Continue reading

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Summer Programs for High School Students

Summer Program

There are thousands of summer programs designed to provide challenging and diverse experiences for high schools students. Whether through a university or through a well-known organization, summer programs can be great resume boosters and valuable experiences that expose students to different interests and independent, college life.  Why Choose A Summer Program? It Allows You To Explore Potential Majors Summer programs cover a wide variety of topics with narrow and broad scopes. Take an architecture program like University of Texas Summer Architecture Academy that allows you to explore the specific culture of architecture studios or Penn Engineering’s Summer Academy in Applied … Continue reading

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5 Tricks for Acing Your Final Exams

STRESS

We are getting close to the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Yes, that’s right, final exam season. Ease the stress with our five study tricks so you can ace those dreadful final exams. 1. Come Fully Prepared for Your Exam Get a good night’s sleep the night before, eat a hearty breakfast that morning, and pack yourself a nice lunch with extra snacks for during the exam. And don’t show up without your test-taking materials! Be sure to have plenty of sharp pencils, erasers, a watch that doesn’t beep, and a calculator with working batteries! Having everything that you … Continue reading

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SAT Vocabulary Word of the Week: Cacophony

Cacophony

Each week, College Compass offers a vocabulary word that will help prepare you for the SAT and PSAT. We aim to give you not only the best words to study, but also the most accurate information so that you remember these words. Knowing these words will help lead you to the correct answers on the verbal section, thus adding to your score…which is really the whole point of learning all this vocabulary in the first place, right?   THIS WEEK’S WORD CACOPHONY [kuh-kof-uh-nee] noun Harsh discordance of sound; unharmonious; dissonance EXAMPLE: The baby on the airplane let out a CRYING … Continue reading

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