Preparing for the ACT and SAT tests can be a daunting task. The most tried and true method to ease apprehension and anxiety is through practice and breaking the test sections down into manageable chunks. Exposure to different test topics can reveal where students excel and where they need to do more work.
To help students prepare, Diane Broberg, JK-12 Math Department Chair, and Travis Menghini, Upper School Math and Science teacher, held several ACT and SAT sessions over Zoom for students covering two topics: Statistics Primer and SAT/ACT Tips & Tricks for the TI-84. The main goal of these sessions was to help students prepare for the ACT and SAT by exposing them to the basic statistics knowledge on the exams and learning how to effectively use the Texas Instruments TI-84 calculator to save valuable time on the exam.
The ACT/SAT sessions were well attended, and students asked questions throughout their time together and were encouraged to ask further questions of Broberg and Menghini if they needed more assistance.
A portion of the content covered was used with permission from Dr. Gary Moss, a St. Louis-based SAT, ACT, math, and science tutor. Dr. Moss graciously included a calculator program to help students organize and tabulate information during these exams.
The ACT and SAT exams are college entrance exams that aim to test students’ understanding of English, reading, math, and science. The MICDS College Counseling department recommends students take the exam as early as October to December of their junior year. Before their junior year, MICDS students take practice exams to help them understand any possible deficiencies or gaps in their understanding and knowledge to better prepare.
“The prep class was insanely helpful! I never knew all of those apps and programs were even on my calculator, but in as little as 45 minutes, I had learned so much. All of which is now so useful for the SAT/ACT and everyday math classes! I thank Ms. Broberg and Mr. Menghini so much for taking the time to teach these lessons. I know everyone there was super appreciative and knew how much it helped.” – Anna Scott Baur ’22
“The prep session was very informative and we learned a lot of new skills in order to use our calculators more efficiently. Mrs. Broberg and Mr. Menghini were super helpful!” – Cate Cody ’22
“I felt that this class really helped me get a sense of the calculator more. Being able to learn the little tricks to using it is so beneficial when trying to solve some of the problems on the SAT. I think that it is super helpful and should be done again in the future!” – Alexandra Johnson ’22
Although the sessions were tailored for juniors, all students at MICDS were welcome to attend. Thank you, Mrs. Broberg, Mr. Menghini, and Dr. Moss, for assisting our students in this important way!