Impress Your Reader With Your Message, Not Your Vocabulary

Impress Your Reader With Your Message, Not Your Vocabulary In classic literature, it seemed that critics thought the bigger the words, the better the writer. While the classics certainly have their place in literary history, chances are that your essays, resumes, cover letters, theses, marketing communications, novels or short stories are more likely to be read and judged by a much more targeted, and thus much smaller, audience.Beware the 10-lb. word in a 5-lb. sackWords are wonderful, magical tools for any writer, and there is great temptation to branch out from our vocabulary comfort-zone, to experiment with what we consider to be intellectual or smart-sounding phrases. Your message to your reader will be interrupted by the shock of an ill-fitting word or phrase that is obviously not part of your regular speech but instead, a substitute plucked from Rogets Thesaurus. The teacher, professor, customer or employer reading your document is interested in your message; you will lose their interest quickly if the flow of your writing (and their r eading) is sprinkled with unnecessary multi-syllable or archaic words.Objective editing produces better writingLets assume you have a writing project â€" an essay. You have selected a topic, researched your background material, formulated your opinions on the subject and produced the first draft. Your next three steps are crucial to creating the best essay you can write: 1) Edit the text; 2) Edit the text again; 3) Read the text as if you were a child, and edit the text again. If you find words or phrases that seem out of place or could be simplified for clearer understanding, get your red pencil moving! What seems out of place to you could come across to your reader as pompous and, worse yet, could cause your reader to discount any genuine ideas you may be trying to explain.Write as you speakNaturally, formal writing will be more structured than conversation; nevertheless, everything you write should impart your personality, your intelligence and your sense of humor where appropria te. This is more difficult for English-as-second-language writers, who have a tendency to select grander-sounding words in English than in their own language. As these writers become more familiar with casual English and interact more with English-speaking associates, it is an editors delight to see their written communication become much more natural and less dependent upon big words.Put this tip to work for youBelow is an example from a resume of an introductory paragraph that cries out for simplification. As a practice exercise, identify the roadblocks to understanding and re-phrase as needed without losing the intent of the message. While this is an obviously absurd example, you should approach all of your writing with the same critical eye and the pledge to make your end-product the best it can be.Career Objective: To capitalize on my abundant scholastic and professional sagacity in marketing communications, all the while achieving equanimity between Advertising and Public Rela tions, ensuring my effectiveness and contributory value to my prospective employer.Small words to write byIf you remember nothing else from my writing tips, burn these three words on your brain: Keep it simple. While you should always strive to improve your vocabulary, you do not want your reader fumbling through the dictionary instead of absorbing your message. The best advice for would-be writers is evidenced by successful modern authors â€" their use of words, flow of content, clarity of subject and variety of expressions â€" hence, the more you read, the more you learn about writing, and the most valuable lesson is: Build your vocabulary and improve your writing, but leave the ten-dollar words to Shakespeare!

Choices To Ensure Sameness - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 684 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/05/23 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Giver Essay Did you like this example? This community is perfectly planned out, a place in what seems to be perfect community, In this community from the age of one your life is already planned out. Your childhood will last until the age of 12, this when you receive your job assignments. You will work with no worries about difficult, no choices, or overwhelming emotions or when your time is through.This society, its citizen of choices to ensure sameness, equality and fairness. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Choices To Ensure Sameness" essay for you Create order This is shows the bad side of living in a perfect world, and shows how the little choices you have, and living in the perfect world lacking of choices. The citizen in this society have no choices about anything except where volunteer, this citizen are also stripped of many powerful and irreplaceable emotions and lastly the respect for human life has been completed demolished. Having your life planed out for you is normal but the point where you are have very little freedom to choose, they dont decide what they want to eat or wear, much less what they want to the rest of their life. It is almost as if choosing the wrong shirt could possibly endanger the entire community,This suggest Jonas or the rest of community dont get to decide what they wear. I believe making choices is a significant part of our life. Making choices help develop the sense of responsibility and independence without choices, feelings, happiness, The giver are not truly discover themselves as an individuals. The citizen dont know how to appreciate the joys in their lives because they have never felt loneliness, They also do not feel lonely because they have never appreciated the true happiness of life. In this society everyone controlled the community for those have power. It explains the conflict between the desire to solve the problems of the society and the need for individual freedom.The Giver society being assigned a specific task for life, makes sense and seems for the good of the community. Everyone knows where they fit in, everyone pleased for what they do, what is told of them without hesitation. The giver know that their society needs to change. They have no real choices, so they dont experience true feelings, such as love. They come up with a plan to help the community. The Giver will help the community work through those feelings and show them the value of things that they have taken away, Citizen in this society cant feel emotion like we can. Feeling is very important it help us determine right from wrong and help us truly understand the consequences of our actions.If you do not remember your mistakes, you may repeat them. Jonas undergoes of training and he learns that just that if you feel no pain without memory, there is also no true happiness in your life. Being happy are needed to help us as human beings develop. We need to make choices on our own to learn from your mistake. Feelings are the one of the most important things in our life. Respect for human life, shows us that we need to value other opinions .As for my own conclusion for this book, The Giver Society is not a perfect place but in fact an unpleasant place. The citizens in the society have no choice, they have their feelings ripped away without them even knowing and their respect for human life is gone. It always shows up to them in the most convenient times throughout their life, For me, when there is doubt about who I am as well as the decisions I need to make or have already made. Deciding that all must learn to see colour to feel pain and to show and receive love. We all have regrets. We all smile. We all frown. Sometimes all we need is an encouraging word from others or seeing that someone else is also going through pain to understand ones self. In this book which consist thoughts there are stones in which no one would consider to glance at but also sees a new way to treasure.

Analysis Of William Shakespeare s Macbeth - 1887 Words

Ambition can be good because this motivates people to do but at the same time too much ambition can lead you to disaster. â€Å"Macbeth’’ is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare and is considered one of his darkest and most powerful works. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford -upon -avon, in Warwickshire and was baptized a few days later on 26 April 1566. William Shakespeare was educated at the local King Edward grammar school Stratford and is considered by many to be the greatest playwright of all time.(Bio.) In Macbeth, William Shakespeare used ambition to show us Lady Macbeth and Macbeth and their desire to be powerful which moves them toward disaster. Macbeth is similar to â€Å"Othello† by William Shakespeare . This is similar†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.’’ The witches’ prophecy brings out Macbeth’s ambition after he hears that part of the prophecy comes true. T his also shows how Macbeth is the one who is ambitious, since Banquo stays a loyal man for Duncan. Macbeth knew that the only way to be king was doing the evil of deed of killing Duncan. Macbeth was motivated by ambition to kill King Duncan but knew people would blame Macbeth because Duncan had been a humble leader. We can see in act 1, scene 3 page 21. ‘’ This is a good thing why do I find myself thinking about murdering king Duncan a thoughts so horrifying that it makes my hair stand on end and my heart pound inside my chest.† This time show us that Macbeth think about king Duncan because he believes he can be king. He is scared but still stays firm with his decision. This quote shows us how even though Macbeth knows that is wrong to murder king Duncan, and this makes his â€Å"heart pound† and his â€Å"hair stand on end†, his ambition is stronger and pushes him toward evil actions, like a villain. Macbeth told Lady Macbeth that the three Witches predicted he will be the next king. Lady Macbeth was planning to persuade Macbeth to murder the king. Macbeth wanted to back down because Macbeth was getting support from Duncan and he wanted to enjoy his honor that he earned as a

Iron Crowned Chapter 26 Free Essays

â€Å"So, let me make sure I’m following this correctly.† I sighed and shifted on the bed, knowing Dorian was repeating this conversation mostly because he liked seeing my discomfort. â€Å"Your ‘technology’ can tell you you’re having a boy and a girl, when they’re due, and allow you to hear their heartbeats,† he continued. We will write a custom essay sample on Iron Crowned Chapter 26 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"But some medicine inexplicably totally counteracted the other one you take to prevent pregnancy.† â€Å"Took,† I muttered. â€Å"Seeing as it’s kind of pointless now.† Dorian leaned back in a plush armchair, face expressing overly dramatic pondering. After fainting, I’d been given a guest room befitting my status, a good sign since â€Å"hospitality† simply meant protection and in no way related to one’s accommodations. It wasn’t quite as nice as Dorian’s room, of course, but the mattress was thick and fluffy, and the green velvet canopy coordinated with the heavy brocaded bedding. As sick as I’d felt, I honestly would have been content to curl up on the floor somewhere. I’d been awake for about an hour now, alone in the vast room save for Dorian. â€Å"What a fascinatingly bizarre turn of events,† he mused, stroking his chin. â€Å"If you thought the Iron Crown scared people, just wait until this news spreads. Which, of course, it already has.† I draped a hand over my forehead. â€Å"Isn’t it bad enough that I’m carrying a world-conquering prophecy child? Why all the political fallout?† â€Å"Because you’re carrying a world-conquering prophecy child,† he responded. â€Å"It’s the type of thing people tend to have strong feelings about.† â€Å"I thought almost everyone wanted to conquer the human world.† â€Å"Most,† he agreed. â€Å"But not all. Especially those who – after observing your record thus far – might fear you’ll conquer this world first.† I rolled over to my side, giving me a better view of him. Since the earlier spectacle, Dorian had masked whatever personal feelings he had about my pregnancy, switching into cunning ruler mode. â€Å"But not you,† I said. â€Å"You’ve always been in favor of this – fulfilling the prophecy.† â€Å"I’ve never made a secret of that,† he agreed. â€Å"From the moment we met.† That was true, at least. He’d sat on that desire while we were involved, but I’d always known it lurked. â€Å"You’ve just kept other secrets instead,† I blurted out. He didn’t answer me right away, but those green-gold eyes weighed me thoughtfully. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I have. Secrets I now regret.† That silenced me for several moments. I hadn’t expected any kind of apology. Something in me softened toward him. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"If I hadn’t deceived you about the Iron Crown,† he explained, â€Å"we would still be together.† I could only stare. The piece of me that had never stopped loving him tentatively reared its head. It was hard to believe he was here confessing his feelings, admitting that what we’d had had been more important than his scheming. It gave me a new insight into him, one that astonished †¦ yet pleased me. â€Å"And if we’d stayed together,† he continued, â€Å"I would have been the lucky beneficiary of this medicinal slip.† So much for new insight. I groaned and turned away. â€Å"Of course. Of course that’s the real source of your regret. You don’t get to lead the revolution.† I heard him get up and sit on the bed beside me. A few seconds later, he actually had the audacity to lie down. I wiggled over to make room. â€Å"It’s more than revolution,† he said. â€Å"I also told you the first time we met that I’d have a child with you, regardless of any prophecy.† â€Å"I’m not convinced that the ‘with me’ part was so relevant.† Dorian touched my cheek and turned my face toward his. â€Å"Do you really believe that? Do you really believe my feelings for you were so small that your being the mother of my child wouldn’t have meant the world to me?† I started to snarkily correct him with worlds, but it seemed petty. â€Å"I don’t know what I believe,† I said honestly. â€Å"I don’t even know if I have the energy or motivation to analyze our relationship when I have this going on.† I rested my hand on my stomach. Dorian’s eyes followed that motion, utterly captivated. â€Å"Despite your foolish fathering choices, this †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He reached toward my stomach as well, then pulled back. â€Å"This is a miracle. This is a prophecy fulfilled. This is life. And really, Kiyo is no longer relevant. He’s given up any claims to these children. They are yours and yours alone now.† My fingers tightened on my stomach, not painfully, but more in a possessive type of way. My gaze grew unfocused. â€Å"I still can’t believe that. I can’t believe that he’d dismiss his own children so easily. That he’d dismiss me so easily †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I doubt it was easy. You aren’t that easy to get over.† A small note of bitterness there. â€Å"But his opposition to the prophecy was too great. Just as my support is great enough to take you in – despite your betrayal – and embark in the madness to come.† Betrayal? I started to tell him he was the last one who should accuse anyone of that – but held back. â€Å"Will people think you’re crazy to do it?† â€Å"Hardly,† he snorted. â€Å"Most will think they’re my children anyway, ironically enough.† No one except Jasmine had heard my brief paternity exchange with Dorian in the hall. I frowned. â€Å"I think sometimes Kiyo does too.† â€Å"They can be.† My first reaction was that this was some sort of joke of his, but all humor had disappeared from his face. â€Å"I don’t think you fully understand genetics.† â€Å"I understand that parenting is more than just blood,† he said, still deadly earnest. â€Å"And as I said: he’s relinquished any claims. You are in control, and if even he and others question the children’s parentage, then so much the better. Simply declare me the father. Have it recorded, and by our laws, the children will be mine for all intents and purposes.† Something about that set off my alarms. â€Å"What do you mean ‘intents and purposes’?† He shrugged – a bit too casually. â€Å"Titles. Prestige. Protection. Inheritance – if either is strong enough to hold my kingdom. Which, according to the prophecy, your son should be.† â€Å"I don’t know,† I said. There might be some safety benefits to this sort of gentry â€Å"adoption,† but I had a feeling that Dorian wasn’t telling me all of them – particularly things that benefited him alone. He was still upset with me. He didn’t like Kiyo. There was no reason that I could see for this. â€Å"I have to think about it.† â€Å"Think fast,† Dorian said. â€Å"Things will be in motion soon, particularly once we get you back to your own lands.† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Why would you want to claim someone else’s children? I mean, I get your wanting to see the prophecy come true, but you don’t have to take that extra step.† â€Å"Maybe someone else’s children are better than no children at all,† he said. It was another odd statement from him, a surprising one. Both philosophical and touching. Yet, I still believed there was a deception here. This wasn’t out of love for me. Not anymore. His hand moved toward my stomach again and he didn’t pull it away this time, though he made sure to keep away from my hand. â€Å"Let me ask you a question,† he said when I made no response. â€Å"Why did you choose to keep these children? Do you fear the unholy procedure your people use to end life? Were you unable to live with your daughter’s blood on your hands?† My mind rewound back to that day at the doctor’s. That day? Hell. It had only been earlier today. So much had happened since then that weeks might have gone by. My horrible ordeal with Kiyo had blurred the memories, but now, the ultrasound came back to me, the sights and sounds as real and vivid as though I were experiencing them all over again. â€Å"I heard their heartbeats,† I said at last. â€Å"And I saw them.† Well, kind of. Those blurs still didn’t look like much to me, but the point was irrelevant. â€Å"And when I did †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groped to explain my feelings. â€Å"I just †¦ I just wanted them. Both of them. None of the rest mattered.† A slow, strange smile spread across Dorian’s face. â€Å"That,† he declared, â€Å"is the most gentry thing I’ve ever heard you say.† Normally, I would have mocked him for using â€Å"gentry† instead of â€Å"shining ones.† It was a slip he sometimes made around me. His words’ content, however, was of more importance. â€Å"That’s ridiculous.† â€Å"Not so. Humans overthink things. They throw away life heedlessly. Honestly, after all this time, I was beginning to think you were more human than shining one.† â€Å"I hate to tell you, but I am,† I said. Dorian made himself more comfortable, and the hand on my stomach moved so that his arm lay over me, almost – but not quite – an embrace. It was possessive, like I was a prize that had fallen into his lap. â€Å"Are you, my dear? You’re expressing philosophies very like my own. You’re carrying a child that will allegedly conquer the human world – a world you can’t go back to for a while, seeing as it would give the kitsune an edge. You’re safer here in this world where, I’d like to add, you rule not one but two kingdoms. That,† he declared triumphantly, â€Å"makes you, by my reckoning, more like a gentry than a human.† I looked away, not meeting his eyes – because I had a crazy feeling he was right. How to cite Iron Crowned Chapter 26, Essay examples

Outsider viewpoint Essay Example

Outsider viewpoint Essay This essay aims to explore two theories of identity, in particular how insider and outsider viewpoints have been used while researching these theories. A short discussion of what identity means is followed by an explanation of what insider and outsider viewpoints are. This distinction is then illustrated using two different identity theories and the studies that were used in their research.  Identity is a broad concept, therefore several theories have been proposed for different aspects of identities. Many types of research have been used to explore the topic the aim being formation of theories that explain what identities are, and how they form (Phoenix, 2002). To understand how this research into identity has made use of both insider and outsider viewpoints, it is important to be clear on what these terms mean. An insider viewpoint is subjective, and focuses on the experiences of particular individuals. This could include a persons emotions, beliefs, reasons and motives. Therefore the data generated from research taking an insider viewpoint usually falls into the category of inner experiences. To gain access to these experiences, the individual concerned must be able to explain them to the researcher and put them into words interviews and questionnaires are common methods when operating from an insider viewpoint. As we will see later it is also possible to take an individuals inner experiences and look at them in a more distant way using an outsider viewpoint. Taking an outsider viewpoint means looking at the subject from outside this approach is not concerned with the inner experiences of a particular individual. When taking this approach the aim is to be objective. This viewpoint favours data obtained from experiments (termed material data) and observations of behaviour. The outsider viewpoint is seen from the researchers point of view, rather than that of the participant (Phoenix and Thomas, 2002). We will write a custom essay sample on Outsider viewpoint specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Outsider viewpoint specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Outsider viewpoint specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When considering research into identity, both insider and outsider viewpoints have been used. Some theories may favour the use of one viewpoint, whereas others may approach the subject from both angles. An example of this can be seen in the research of psychosocial identity theory. The psychosocial theory suggests identity is influenced by personal and social factors, and that our identity is a bridge between our core selves and the social context (Erikson, 1968). Psychologist Erik Erikson founded the psychosocial approach and formed his theory mainly through clinical and naturalistic observation of people. This would have encompassed both an insider viewpoint hearing about his patients inner experiences and an outsider viewpoint using information gained by observing others (Phoenix, 2002). James Marcia also took the psychosocial approach and used the Identity Status Interview a semi-structured interview to research identity in many adolescents, expanding on Eriksons ideas. The semi-structured interview allows a set of questions to be asked in a flexible manner, allowing participants to answer freely in their own words, whilst still ensuring that the relevant topics are covered (Phoenix, 2002). Marcias aim was to explore to what extent adolescents took active choices from different possibilities before committing to particular roles which then became part of their identity. He used the semi-structured interview to discuss issues such as religion, politics, careers and relationships. The interviews were recorded so that the responses could be listened to and analysed later. This is an example of research from an insider viewpoint the result was personal accounts of individuals thoughts and experiences, told in their own words. Marcia also used the participants responses to categorise them into one of four stages of identity development (Marcia, 1966, 1980, 1994). This categorisation of responses by Marcia meant that the data was also looked at from his own perspective an outsider viewpoint. Another approach to identity is Social Identity Theory (SIT) which is concerned with group identities. SIT aims to explain how people identify with certain social groups and separate themselves from others. The theory proposes that our social identities arise from the labels that we give ourselves which are derived from the social groups that we feel a part of. SIT also proposes that there are power struggles between different social groups and this is what leads to prejudice and discrimination (Tajfel, 1978). The research methods that have been used to investigate the claims of SIT are very different from those used in psychosocial identity research. Henry Tajfel conducted the classic minimal group experiment this is a clear example of research being done solely from an outsider viewpoint. The experiment involved teenage boys separated randomly into two groups firstly thinking that they were being separated according to a preference for one of two artists. By asking each boy to select one of three sets of points to be allocated to the groups, Tajfel was able to assess which was most important to each boy total points achieved by the group, or maximising the difference in points between the two groups. He found that the boys were more concerned with maximising the points difference between their group and the other. The experiment was repeated and this time the boys were aware of the fact that their group allocations were completely random but the result was the same. This indicated to Tajfel that being placed into arbitrary groups is enough to generate favouritism towards the ingroup (ones own group) and discrimination towards the outgroup (the other group). Tajfel explained these findings in terms of individuals needing to feel part of groups that have high status compared to other groups hence we try to maximise the differences between our own group and others, to maintain a positive social identity (Tajfel et.al. 1971). Using an outsider viewpoint, Tajfel was able to investigate the dynamics of social groups, achieving results which support his theory. Looking at the situation from an insider viewpoint would not have been helpful since individuals may not be aware that they are seeking to improve the status of the social groups to which they belong, or why they would want to do so.  In looking at psychosocial theory and SIT it is clear that both the insider viewpoint and the outsider viewpoint have an important part to play when researching identities. Studying identities from both the participants point of view and that of the researcher allows different facets of the concept of identity to be explored, leading to a better knowledge of how identities are formed both personally and socially.

Ray Tomlinson Invented Internet-Based Email

Ray Tomlinson Invented Internet-Based Email Electronic mail  (email) is a way of exchanging digital messages between people using different computers.   Email operates across  computer networks, which in the 2010s, pretty much means the internet. Some early email systems required the writer and the recipient to both be  online  at the same time, sort of like instant messaging. Todays email systems are based on a  store-and-forward  model. Email  servers  accept, forward, deliver, and store messages. Neither the users nor their computers are required to be online simultaneously; they need to connect only briefly, typically to a  mail server, for as long as it takes to send or receive messages. From ASCII to MIME Originally an  ASCII  text-only communications medium, Internet email was extended by  Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions  (MIME) to carry text in other character sets and multimedia content attachments.  International email, with internationalized email addresses, has been standardized, but as of 2017, not widely adopted. The history of modern, global Internet email services reaches back to the early  ARPANET, with standards for encoding email messages proposed as early as 1973. An email message sent in the early 1970s looks very similar to a basic text email sent today. Email played an important part in creating the Internet,  and the conversion from ARPANET to the Internet in the early 1980s produced the core of the current services. The ARPANET initially used extensions to the  File Transfer Protocol  (FTP) to exchange network email, but this is now done with the  Simple Mail Transfer Protocol  (SMTP). Ray Tomlinsons Contributions Computer engineer Ray Tomlinson invented internet-based email in late 1971. Under ARPAnet, several major innovations occurred: email (or electronic mail), the ability to send simple messages to another person across the network (1971). Ray Tomlinson worked as a computer engineer for Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN), the company hired by the United States Defense Department to build the first Internet in 1968. Ray Tomlinson was experimenting with a popular program he wrote called SNDMSG that the ARPANET programmers and researchers were using on the network computers (Digital PDP-10s) to leave messages for each other. SNDMSG was a local electronic message program. You could only leave messages on the computer that you were using for other persons using that computer to read. Tomlinson used a file transfer protocol that he was working on called CYPNET to adapt the SNDMSG program so it could send electronic messages to any computer on the ARPANET network. The Symbol Ray Tomlinson chose the symbol to tell which user was at what computer. The goes in between the users login name and the name of his/her host computer. What Was the First Email Ever Sent? The first email was sent between two computers that were actually sitting beside  each other. However, the ARPANET network was used as the connection between the two. The first email message was QWERTYUIOP. Ray Tomlinson is quoted as saying he invented email,Mostly because it seemed like a neat idea. No one was asking for email.

11 Things You Must Avoid During SAT Practice Tests

Things You Must Avoid During SAT Practice Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you preparing for the SAT by taking practice tests? Awesome! You’re on the right track! How can you ensure that you’re getting the most out of each practice test you take? You need to make sure you’re taking each practice test underrealistic testing conditions. What’re you doing (maybe subconsciously) that’s ruining your realistic testing conditions? #1: Not Timing Yourself You need to stick to the exact timing of the SAT.If you’re not following the timing, you’re not going to be prepared the day of the test.You need to time yourself on your SAT practice tests so that you get used to the pacing of the test. It’s like training for a marathon. Don’t show up to a marathon without timing your practice and expect to place!The SAT is amarathon. Time yourself. Get used to the pace, so you don’t have issues on test day! Not sure the exact time you’re allowed for the SAT?On the SAT, the time allowed for each section is listed on the first page of that section of the practice test. See below: If you want more guidance, thencheck out our guide to SAT timing. #2: Using Your Phone But, Dora, you just said to time myself, and if I can’t use my phone, how do I time myself?I recommend that you use a watch instead of a phone.If you get used to timing yourself with your phone, you may feel lost the day of the test when you’re not allowed to use your phone. (NOTE: you’re not allowed to have your phone out at all during the test even during breaks). Instead, buy a cheap watch such as this one which you would be able to use the day of the test.Start using it during your practice so that you get used to pacing yourself with the watch. What if I use my phone in airplane mode?Don’t do it!Yes, it’s better than using your phone not in airplane mode, but you’ll still have the same issue: you’ll be so used to relying on your phone to pace yourself that you may feel confused using a normal watch/clock the day of the test. What if I’m using my phone as my calculator?No!!!Your phone will not be permitted the day of the test, so make sure you buy yourself an approved calculator and use it during your SAT math calculator section practice, so you get used to it. #3: Using Your Calculator On All Sections Speaking of calculators, remember that you’re only allowed to have your calculator out for one part of the test: the SAT math calculator section.You can’t have your calculator out for the Reading, Writing, or non-calculator Math test.During your practice, you should only use your calculator on the one math section that allows you to use a calculator. Do not use your calculator on the non-calculator math section.You need to practice your mental math so that you’re prepared to do mental math the day of the test.If during your practice, you use your calculator instead of your brain, you’ll be tempted to do so the day of the test. #4: Watching TV, Listening to Music, and/or Wearing Ear Plugs For some students, watching tv and/or listening to music while you take your practice test will serve as a distraction, making them score worse because they can’t concentrate.For other students, watching tv and/or listening to music can serve as an aid, helping them maintain their focus, artificially increasing their score.Either way, you cannot have the TV on nor music playing during your practice tests.You need to get used to taking the test in a quiet environment. That being said, do not wear ear plugs during your practice.Some students like ear plugs because it cuts out all background noise.However, the College Board does not allow the use of ear plugs during their tests.You need to get used to hearing background noise while you take the test because on your test day, you’ll have background sounds of paper rustling, pencils scratching, erasers rubbing, and more. Not during practice tests! #5: Eating and/or Drinking You will not be allowed to eat or drink during the test.You’ll be allowed to eat and drink outside of your testing roomduring the scheduled breaks. Don’t eat or drink while taking practice tests (exception: you can eat and drink during the break).This may sound silly, but it is important.If you're trying to eat and test at the same time, that can be a problematic distraction. Also, your body gets an energy boost when you have a snack or drink water.If you eat and drink non-stop during your practice, you’ll likely get an energy boost, and the test may seem â€Å"easier.†Then, the day of the test you might be surprised when the test seems â€Å"longer† and â€Å"harder† because you don’t have the added energy from the food and drink. As I’ve said, the SAT is amarathon.Train for the SAT as such.During your practice, only grab food or drinkduring the scheduled breaks. #6: Taking Unscheduled Bathroom Breaks Just as you won’t be allowed to eat or drink during the test, you also won’t be allowed to leave the room to go to the bathroom during the SAT.You’ll have to wait to go to the bathroom until the schedule breaks.Practice this during your practice tests. You need to get used to only using the restroom during the scheduled breaks.The last thing you want on your test day is to be thinking about how badly you need to pee while trying to take the test. I highly recommend using the restroom immediately before the test begins (or you start your practice test). #7: Not Sitting at a Desk Where you take the test is important, don’t sit on your couch or your bed!You need to get used to sitting upright.If you lounge on the couch or bed while taking your practice tests, you might feel thrown the day of the test when you’re put in a new, uncomfortable desk. Set up your practice test environment like the actual SAT test environment.Sit at an empty desk or table with nothing on it other than your practice test booklet, pencils, erasers, and calculator (when allowed). NOOOOOO! #8: Splitting the Test Over a Few Days Remember how I said the SAT is amarathon?Well, runners aren’t allowed to split up a marathon across several days.You need to practice sitting for full-length SAT tests.While you might not have 4 hours every day to sit for a full-length practice test, you need to make sure you sit for at least two full-length practice tests before you take the real SAT. On the days where you cannot sit for a full-length practice test, you should, at least, complete a full section of the test.For example, sit for the full 25-minute non-calculator math section without taking any breaks.The same rules mentioned in this article apply when you sit for just one section of the test: no food/drink, no music/tv/ear plugs, etc. #9: Not Bubbling In It’s easy to forget about the scantron and just to circle the answers in your practice test.However, using a scantron can be confusing, so you don’t want your first time using one to be on the day you take the SAT/ACT. During your practice tests, practice bubbling in answers as you work through your practice test.You want to get practice bubbling in so that you don’t accidentally bubble in wrong answers the day of the test.If you have time, I recommend double checking your scantron answers with your booklet answers at the end of the section, so you make sure you didn’t accidentally bubble any incorrectly. #10: Using Pen Since you need to practice bubbling in, you also need to practice using a pencil and eraser!You’re required to use a pencil on the SAT. NOTE: You cannot use a mechanical pencil. You can only use a regular #2 pencil. I recommend bringing at least 3 sharpened #2 pencils with you to your test center. Also, you should have a basic pencil sharpener and a big eraser. Take your SAT practice tests using these supplies.The day of the SAT you want to walk into your test center feeling confident and comfortable.To do that, you need your practice to mimic the real testing environment as much as possible!Get used to having these supplies on your desk. Get used to sharpening a broken pencil with your hand sharpener! If you’re anything like me, any little issue can spike your nerves during a big test.Practice with pencils, erasers, and a pencil sharpener, so you don’t get nervous using them the day of the test. Get your pencils ready! #: Using Any Support Material Do not use any extra materials during your practice tests.As I’ve mentioned, the day of the test, you won’t be allowed to have anything on your desk except for your test booklet, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, and your calculator (only during the calculator math section).Only use those materials during your practice! Do not use a formula cheat sheet (other than what’s provided in the SAT math section if you’re taking the SAT), and do not use a dictionary to look up words!During the test, you will not be able to use any outside resources, so do not incorporate them into your practice. If there are words you don’t know during your SAT practice test, try to figure out what they mean by using context clues(use the words around that word to figure out what the word means).Try your best to answer the questions without looking the word up.Circle the words you don’t know so that after you finish your practice test, you can easily find those words and look them up in a dictionary. Summary: How to Get Realistic Practice All of the above can be summarized simply: obey the rules of the test during your practice!Realistic practice will prepare you the best to ace the test and make you feel confident and comfortable the day of the test. Still unsure of how to get realistic practice? Check out our guide to making your practice test just like the real thing. What’s Next? Not sure whether the SAT or ACT is right for you? Let’s help you pick the right test for you! Not sure where you’d like to go to college? Figure out how to find your target school. Interested in attending Harvard or another Ivy League school? Check out our guide to getting in! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: