Author: Brooke

Books I Read in 9th Grade: Ranked Worst to Best

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I love to read, but I don’t have time to read for pleasure as much as I would like to. Luckily, I’ve actually really enjoyed most of the books I’ve read in my English classes throughout high school so far. Since we’ve only read two books so far this year, I figured I would only rank the ones from ninth grade. I know it’s not a lot, but ninth grade is the only year without summer reading, and we also read a lot of short stories (my favorite was A Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe).

5. The Odyssey by Homer – We didn’t read the full thing in class, we only read excerpts from our textbook. I think that’s why I didn’t really enjoy it; if I read the piece as a whole and in order, I could probably connect to it more and make more sense of it. I usually enjoy Greek mythology, but I’d never read a formal work like this. It was also the first thing we read at the beginning of freshman year, so I don’t particularly remember it.

4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – This book just made me sad. That’s pretty much it; I felt for the characters and I thought it was interesting insight into the harsh realities of a working man’s life during those times, but it was too short for me to get really invested. That being said, I can’t imagine writing a meaningful/classic story in so few pages, so I’m in awe of Steinbeck for that.

3. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare – I know it’s a play, but we read it in book form. It’s obviously a classic that everyone knows and I personally enjoy Shakespeare, so this was pretty enjoyable for me. It just didn’t excite me that much since I already had the basic plot points outlined in my head. It was an easy read at the end of the year after we finished A Tale of Two Cities.

2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – This was extremely difficult to understand (shoutout to the Spark Notes line by line translation that I would read alongside my book) but one of the most exciting books I’ve ever read. I wasn’t expecting to like it since it was the most challenging book of the year and there was a lot to keep track of, but I came to love every twist and turn. The ending saddened me a bit, but I think it tied the many plot lines up well.

1.To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – I loved this book. It was the first “classic” I’d read that I actually understood (it was towards the beginning of the year too), and I think it’s important for everyone to read it. I grew close to the characters while reading, and I liked the emphasis on law and the court process since one of my (possible) dream jobs is being a lawyer.

I feel silly ranking these books since they’re all extremely famous classics that you guys probably know and have read as well, but I figured I would give my input in case any freshmen are curious as to what you might read this year, or any middle schoolers are looking ahead. I might make one of these ranking books I’ve read in middle school, as my middle school English teachers actually picked some great books for us to read.

-Brooke

What’s Eating Up Your Time

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Unfortunately, the past week was a really unproductive week for me. I had a five-day weekend (it was supposed to be a three-day weekend, but then California fire season came in full swing) so I spent a lot of time at home and intended to get a lot of work done, but it somehow just didn’t happen. The time slipped through my fingers, and here we are in the thick of another busy week. During busy times like this where I can’t seem to accomplish anything, I have to reevaluate where my time is going. If you’re having similar issues, keep reading- this might save you a lot of time in the long run.

Time-Waster #1: Too much time spent on social media – This is the probably the biggest and most obvious culprit. Even if you think you don’t spend that much time on social media, it’s probably still a sizeable amount. If I know I have a lot of work to do, I usually leave my phone in another room. The only thing that makes this tricky is when I need my phone to check teachers’ websites/look up school related questions, and end up getting distracted on social media. If you have an iPhone, I suggest turning the Screen Time feature on and limiting yourself on social media apps. It’s also eye-opening in general to see how much time you really spend on your phone. If you still want to keep up with your friends, I recommend limiting your daily social media checks to before bed, when you wake up, and car rides.

Time-Waster #2: Having TV or other media on in the background of work – This isn’t always harmful; as I’m typing this post, I have Gossip Girl on my TV in the background. If you’re doing casual work or cleaning, I find watching TV or YouTube videos makes it a lot easier and more enjoyable. However, if you’re trying to study or do homework that requires a lot of focus, this is definitely a distraction. It’s so easy to look up for a second and get sucked into the storyline. I recommend only having media on in the background if it’s music, or if you’re doing non-academic work.

Time-Waster #3: Multi-tasking – Similar to watching TV in the background, this isn’t always a bad idea. Sometimes you need to be doing two things at once, like eating while studying, or cleaning while having someone else quiz you. In these cases, multi-tasking boosts your productivity and can actually help you get more done. In other cases, it just scatters your brain and prevents you from finishing any one task. If you’re working on different assignments/projects in multiple classes, working a little bit on all of them at once won’t actually get you anywhere. It’s best to tackle one thing at a time and finish it completely; the work will usually be better quality, and you can cross it off your to-do-list altogether.

Time-Waster #4: Not having everything in front of you – If you keep having to get up from your workspace to grab tools or whatever you’re missing that you need to finish your work, it wastes a lot of time and continuously disrupts your thought process. For example, if you need to print out a bunch of papers, print them all out before you start working. You wouldn’t want to print out each paper as you go, because that’s just more time going back and forth to the printer. Lay out all your necessary tools before getting started- it will save you time and it will keep you in your focus ~zone.~

Time-Waster #5: Spending too much time “getting organized” – Kind of the opposite of not having all your materials in front of you, sometimes it’s a waste of time to set everything up neatly. Once you’re pretty sure you have everything you need and you know what you need to accomplish, get started right away. I use a planner to track my homework and write important dates/extracurricular stuff in it, but I don’t spend that much time planning out exactly how I’ll execute tasks. I know some people enjoy bullet journaling and hardcore-planning (I wish I did, it’s so aesthetically pleasing) but unless you really love that and it works for you, I think it’s more efficient to just get started when you can.

Time-Waster #6: Too much time researching/looking things up rather than actually working – This happens to me a lot, but it’s often with extracurriculars and not even schoolwork. I’m very indecisive and like to have all the possible information I can find before making a decision to do something/start something, so I spend a lot of time reading random things on the Internet. It’s good/necessary to do some research before jumping into a project or signing up for an activity, but there’s a point where you just need to get started and learn along the way. I’ve spent soooo many hours scouring forums for extracurricular ideas and opportunities, and those hours could have been spent actually doing something or even starting my own project/activity.

I’m not happy with how I’ve been spending my time lately, so I plan on cracking down on some of these things. Keep in mind different things work for different people and some of these “time-wasters” aren’t always bad things to do- only if you’re really pressed for time or you get distracted easily, like me. If there’s anything you think I’m missing that has really helped you save time, feel free to share!

-Brooke

Coping With Perfectionism

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I know I’m not perfect and there’s no reason for me to be (because nobody truly is), yet I constantly pressure myself to reach perfection. In some ways it can be a positive thing since I’m pushing to become the best possible version of myself, but it still borderlines on unhealthy. I often discourage myself from participating in certain activities if I know I won’t be good at them, and I usually don’t enjoy what I’m doing if I’m not talented in some way. Sometimes I feel unstoppable and like I can conquer the world (that’s the ultra-motivated, creative side of me who sees all the cool opportunities out there I want to pursue), and sometimes I feel worthless and untalented in all aspects.

For example, as I’m writing this, I’m thinking about my tumbling lesson I had yesterday and my cheerleading experience in general. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I am a high school cheerleader, but I plan on dropping the sport next year. Yes, it’s the right decision overall for me as it’s a huge time commitment and I don’t enjoy it anymore- but why don’t I enjoy it? One of the main reasons is because I’m not particularly good at it. Yesterday at my tumbling lesson, I was having trouble throwing a certain skill without my coach spotting me. He was encouraging me to do it on my own by saying I was talented and he knew I could do it. This was obviously very kind of him and it kind of helped, but in a way it only made me feel worse- because I’m not really talented at the sport, and I know that.

To me, being a perfectionist doesn’t mean I’m actually amazing at everything that I do- it just means that I don’t like doing anything that I’m not good at, because I want everything I do to be perfect or close to it. Considering I haven’t found my passion/talent or anything I’m particularly good at yet, this means I often feel bad about my personal skills when participating in most activities/things. I’m jealous of all my friends who 1) aren’t perfectionists and therefore aren’t as hard on themselves and 2) actually are involved in things they love and are good at. I can be super discouraging to myself.

Moreover, I often get excited about the idea of trying new things, thinking I might find my true talent and something I’ll love doing forever; that’s how I felt about cheer when I first started. I told myself, ‘This is amazing, I love this.” I soon realized that it wasn’t my hidden talent or passion, and the more time I spent on it, the more sad I got realizing that I wasn’t good at it and I didn’t want to do it anymore. Once I get settled into an activity and come to the realization it’s not really my thing or I’m not good at it, I easily grow tired of it and want to stop. I’ve stayed committed to cheer for a longer time mainly because I didn’t want to be a quitter and there still were some parts of it I liked, but this cycle happens with most activities I do.

I want nothing more than to find something that calls out to me, something that I love to do, something that I’m genuinely good at and have some natural aptitude for. I don’t expect to be an expert right away, but I want something where I can see progression. As I’ve mentioned, I’ll get excited about trying new things- I’ll be really motivated when I start and I’ll feel pretty good about how things are going, but I won’t end up improving/growing/progressing as I put more time into it. Things usually stay stagnant, which frustrates me as I’ll still put the same amount of work in (I try to give everything my all), so I lose motivation and want to stop.

I know my perfectionism prevents me from enjoying things that I might have just liked to do for fun, but I don’t know how to get rid of it. At this point, I really do want to find things that I’m good at just to prove myself that I do have some sort of talent, but beyond that issue, I would like to rid myself of the need to be good at something to feel validated and like I have self-worth. I know your skills in certain fields don’t define you as a person, but I just want to be good at what I do and have some sort of success that I can be proud of myself for. If I wasn’t a perfectionist, maybe I wouldn’t care to feel this way at all.

This may seem like a negative spin on things, but I have a positive example of one area where I’ve managed to negate my perfectionism: this blog. As I’ve mentioned, I normally don’t keep participating in activities that I don’t think I’m good at. I’ve questioned my blogging skills quite a few times, as this blog has remained very small-scale and I’m not the best at coming up with good ideas for posts. My perfectionist brain has told me it’s not worth doing and that I should just scrap it, but I enjoy writing and I like having a space to dump my ideas, so I’ve kept going. It may seem small, and I would still like to make my blog more successful in the future, but it’s a big step for me.

It’s hard for me to step back and analyze my perfectionism since it is such a big part of me and my motivation to do things, but I hope I can put more of a positive spin on it in the future. It has given me a more ‘all in’ philosophy in life since when I jump into something new, I come in with full motivation and effort to do the best I can with it, which can come in handy. Honestly, I’m just a high school student as lost in the world as everyone else; however, I have hope good things are coming, to me and to all of you.

-Brooke

Letting Go of an Activity You Love

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I am learning first-hand how difficult it is to discontinue an activity you’ve participated in for a long time. As I’ve mentioned multiple times on this blog, I’m a cheerleader at my school and it’s my second year on the team. I also did competitive cheer for a year in middle school. Football season is now officially over, and I don’t plan on continuing cheer junior year (nothing’s set in stone yet- we still have basketball season and next year’s tryouts won’t be until March, but I’m 99% sure I won’t be doing it). Basketball season is a lot more lowkey, so I’m coming to terms with the fact that the bulk of my last cheer season is over.

Three years (and technically only two of my current team) may not sound like a lot, but these have been the most impactful years of my life so far and a lot of my time has been spent doing cheer, so it makes sense that it actually would’ve had a huge impact on me. Going into high school, I felt like being on the cheer team was a part of my identity- not in a snobby, popular/stereotypical way, but because it was something I was involved in at school and it was pretty much my main/only extracurricular activity going into freshman year.

Because it took/takes up so much of my time and has been such a crucial component of my school experience, cheer has become part of my identity. At first this was a positive thing, but as I’ve gone through this season, it’s been tinged with a more negative connotation. Now that I have a lot more on my plate and classes are harder in sophomore year, practice is just one more block in my busy schedule, making the days even longer. I’m at school almost twelve hours a day some days, I have to wear my uniform at least once a week (at least for football season) to school, and I’ve realized I’m not actually very good at the sport.

All this has attributed to me slowly growing out of cheer. I still take weekly tumbling classes at the gym I cheered at in eighth grade, and I find myself mainly returning for the nostalgia, rather than the actual cheer classes. It’s almost like I can’t bear to quit the classes because once I do, I know I’ll probably never return to the gym and that’s another part of my life that will be gone forever. I know, it’s a little dramatic; some of my friends have suggested that I try and get a job at the gym coaching little kids at some point in the future, but I’m definitely not qualified enough. I’ve never actually been a superstar cheerleader- it’s just something I used to love doing.

I haven’t really felt those same nostalgic emotions regarding school cheer yet since I’m just so burnt out from it and waiting for this season to be over. That being said, I know I will start to miss once I’m removed from the current reality of it- I may not be best friends with everyone on the team, but there is a certain special bond to be had with any sports team, and I’ll miss having that relationship with a group of girls. Practices are rough and game days are long, but the fun moments inbetween like blasting music in the bus and cracking jokes while carrying our 50 pound cheer bags make me question my decision to quit.

I know it’s the best decision for me- it’s not something I prioritize anymore, it takes up wayyy too much time (I want to get a job in the future and there’s other volunteer/extracurricular opportunities I’ve been cutting back/holding back on trying out because of having cheer everyday), and I’m not actually that good at it. Regardless, after giving three years of my life to this sport, admittedly the most time I’ve done a sport or activity continuously, it’s hard to say goodbye. It was the first time I had gotten really passionate about an activity since I was little and experimented with all kinds of sports, and I thought I might do it for the rest of my high school career.

The most important thing in these cases is to appreciate the experience while you still have it. It’s been very difficult for me to do this in the moment, but it does help put a frustrating practice or day in perspective when I remember it’s one of my last days/games/etc. as a cheerleader. I know this decision is what’s best for me at the time, and will allow me to move onto bigger and better things that will give me more personal fulfillment. When something isn’t serving you anymore, it makes sense to cut it out of your life- time is too precious, and you never want to give yourself any extra burdens.

That being said, just because you’re going through a rough patch or a period of unmotivation with a certain activity doesn’t mean you’ve completely outgrown it or should quit right away. This is just my experience where I’ve weighed the pros and cons- it ultimately has to do with what is going to make things easiest for you and keep you happy. Life’s too short to stick with something you don’t like, especially when there’s so much out there to explore and so many other things you can try.

-Brooke

Why Happiness is Linked to Productivity

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I recently read an interesting little article detailing a study that linked happiness to productivity in the workplace. Researchers at the University of Warwick found that happiness led to a 12% increase in productivity, while unhappiness led to a 10% decrease. One can conclude from this that being happy makes you more productive. But why? Should we all just walk around with huge smiles on our face in order to be productive? Keep on reading to find out.

Although I think walking around with a smile on your face is a great thing to do just in terms of being friendly, that’s not exactly the answer here. Happiness is also associated with creativity, which allows people to solve problems faster and come up with ways to work better/more efficiently. If employees are happy, that generally means they care more about their job- they will pay more attention to detail when getting things done.

I can attest to this first-hand- when I’m in one of my mopey stress moods, it’s hard to me to get anything done (even when I really need to). If I channel my energy into being more positive or something cheers me up, it makes it so much easier to start working and completing tasks. The study I’ve been referring to was on employees in the workplace, but it can definitely apply in other situations. They suggested that companies investing in employee satisfaction/happiness will make work more productive; if you apply this to yourself, it means you should invest in your own happiness.

Being tough on yourself and turning the pressure on will only make you unhappy and less productive (unless that’s the environment you work best in- go you!). Try to remain optimistic and see work as a positive thing, picturing the rewarding feeling you’ll have when you get everything done. It’s something I need to work on as well, but it can improve both your mental health and your productivity!

-Brooke

Why Teens Should Care About Politics/News

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Have you ever wondered why politics, the news, and other “adult” topics of discussion even matter? I’ve definitely been in your shoes. Up until high school, I honestly was stuck in my own little world. I think the key turning point was reading more. It started out with the infamously unreliable Snapchat news stories and Buzzfeed (I still love a good Buzzfeed quiz), and soon I was actually watching the morning news when my parents would leave it on every day.

If you’re in a similar boat and have remained ignorant of these topics for a while- it’s still okay! We’re obviously young and everyone matures differently- these are more serious topics that might not hold everyone’s attention yet. However, if you’re starting to hold an interest in politics, I HIGHLY recommend taking action to pursue it. Here are a couple reasons why, if you need some extra convincing.

  • In a few years, you’ll be eligible to vote – Depending on your age, this might be sooner rather than later. Voting is habit-forming according to lots of different studies, so it’s important you vote in your first election that you’re eligible to. You’ll want to be educated on the candidates and make an informed decision, so you have to learn a little about politics first. This is a super important duty as a US citizen, so if you’re not convinced by any of the other reasons below, think of this one.
  • It’s useful to be in the know for conversing with adults – This is a little silly and superficial, but it’s still true. If you can hold your own in some political banter between adults, you’ll come off as a lot more mature. Also, it might just be nice to know what the heck your family members are talking about, or what’s actually going on when the evening news is on in the background.
  • We are the generation new laws will mainly impact (and generations to come) – The current political climate is the political climate we are going to inherit. Again, it’s important to be educated on what’s going on in the country you live in once you’re an adult, so why not start now? We are the ones with the power to shape the future, but you can’t shape the future without studying the past/present.
  • There’s so many scary developments in our world – Between climate change, gun violence, and everything else, it’s a scary world out there. It’s important to be aware of these issues since they’re constantly hot topics of conversation and have recently blended into pop culture/the media.
  • You have a voice, so why not use it – Teens can and do make a difference in the world; just look at some of the activists out there killing it, like Greta Thunberg! You never know what will happen if you start utilizing your freedom of expression and making your opinions be known. I honestly wish I was more outgoing with this, but maybe I can inspire some of you to be.

It’s totally okay if you’re not super into politics or current events, but I still think it’s an important topic for every teen to try and inform themselves a little bit about. I have mad respect for the kids out there who know every political candidate and attend all these conferences/debates/etc.- I would love to be that involved, but I’m just not there yet in my involvement or knowledge. If you’re still unsure- start small! I didn’t really do anything related to government and politics until joining Youth and Government this year, and it’s been a great decision.

-Brooke

How I’m Quitting My Bad Habit (After 8 Years)

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

In my “Get to Know Me” post from a couple days ago (go check that out if you haven’t already!), I mentioned that I have a bad habit of picking the dead skin off of my lips. I’ve been doing this since I was in second grade- I’m not exactly sure how I started. Everyone picks the dead skin off their lips at some point, but I would pretty much do it all the time- during class, while watching TV, before I went to bed, literally all the time.

I tend to do it a little more frequently when I’m really stressed. I’ve tried to stop a few times, but it’s never worked out. It’s practically an unconscious habit; when I catch myself doing it, I’ll tell myself to stop, and then find myself doing it again.

However, this week, I challenged myself to try and quit once and for all. I think making it a challenge powered my brain into its competitive mode and made it into a game that I really wanted to win- I’m proud to say that so far, I’ve made it through at least a full week.

If you’re wondering how I did this, here’s the two main things that have helped me along the way:

  • When realizing I was about to start picking, I let myself sit with the feeling and think about the action – Being more conscious of my movements and actions was a big step to start with. If I could catch myself before I started picking, it was much easier to stop myself.
  • Letting myself run my fingers along my lips instead of picking – If my hands still needed to stay busy, they would reach up to lips. I would stop myself from picking, but I would still let my fingers have that sensation of at least touching my lips. It also motivated me to keep going with my goal of quitting since I could feel that my lips are a lot smoother than they normally are when I’m picking at them.

This is just the beginning of my journey with this, but I’m proud of myself for starting. I’ve let this habit go on for way too long, and I’m looking forward to finally getting rid of it. Let me know if you have any bad habits that you’ve broken, and what helped you do so.

-Brooke

5 Ways To Start Your Day Off Happy

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

This year, I’ve been working a lot on myself and trying to be more positive. I’ve found that a key component of having an optimistic perspective is starting your morning on a good note. Depending on what gets you in a good mood, there are plenty of ways you can do this. Today, I decided to share a few of my favorites with you.

  • Eat a healthy/delicious breakfast – You know what they say- breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Taking the time to make a nice breakfast (something healthy, if you’re into that) elevates the start to your day so much, and you won’t be super hungry during class leading up to lunch. I like to have scrambled eggs with some fruit and a bagel, but eat whatever you prefer!
  • Wear something that makes you feel confident – Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you look great, and make sure to smile! It sounds cheesy, but it’s a confidence and happiness boost- I promise. Wear one of your favorite outfits to put a little extra spring in your step.
  • Get up a little earlier so you have more time to get ready – Waking up late and being in a frenzied rush to get out the door is one of the worst feelings and will definitely get you in a bad mood. If you get up even just ten minutes earlier, you can get ready in a more relaxed fashion, and possibly enjoy it more since you can take your time.
  • Have your alarm be a peaceful sound/one of your favorite songs – I know this doesn’t work for some people, but it’s nice to wake up to the sound of something you like. It’s also definitely a lot less harsh than the standard alarm song.
  • Listen to your favorite music or a podcast while you get ready – This is another way to relax yourself while getting ready for the day. Some people love podcasts, but I personally haven’t found one that I can really get into yet. You can also watch TV or YouTube videos, I just find music more relaxing for myself.

All of these tips have one thing in common: they’re just little guides to making your morning more relaxing and enjoying the little things in your day. Mornings can be rough, but they’re still a whole portion of the day- put in the effort to make them as enjoyable as possible for yourself.

-Brooke

How to Study Smarter, Not Harder (5 Tips)

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Are you tired of spending hours at your desk “hitting the books?” Are you looking for a better way to get your work done and still succeed? Are you trying to maintain your sanity but at the moment losing it? If any of these apply, keep on reading- there’s a better way to do things.

You’ve probably heard “study smarter, not harder” at some point, maybe from your teachers or parents. If you haven’t, then that’s cool too- you’ll still be able to reap the benefits of this strategy. The goal isn’t to spend the most time possible working; it’s to be as efficient as possible with the time you do have. Spending hours in the library or reading a textbook doesn’t necessarily equate to the best grades or the most success.

Here are the best tips to employ this strategy of doing less work in less time, all while still getting the necessities done and achieving your academic goals:

  • Work in chunks of time and take scheduled breaks – Set a mini schedule for yourself: work hard for 30 minutes then take a break for 5, etc. If you’re working in shorter chunks of time, you will stay focused and accomplish more within that period. The break helps you recharge for the next chunk- I promise this saves time.
  • Give yourself breaks!! – I know this is part of the working in chunks of time thing, but I can’t stress how important this is. If you don’t take breaks or you take them for the wrong amounts of time, you won’t be motivated enough to go back to working hard. Find the right length for you (5-15 minutes depending on the situation), and once you’re done with work for the day, give yourself the rest of the night off to recharge.
  • When you’re confused, don’t just struggle with it- go straight to the teacher (or the Internet if the teacher isn’t available) – It’s important to clarify any confusion or questions you may have. Stay after class to talk to your teacher if you’re having trouble, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. This can save you a lot of time in the long run- if you get your question answered before you even leave the classroom, it won’t be a problem you have again!
  • Study without distractions or interruptions – People definitely work differently in different environments, but if you really need to get things done quickly, I think it’s best to work alone. Listening to music, having some background noise, etc. is up to personal preference, but find a comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted and you can grind out the work.
  • Work actively, not passively – Don’t sit back at your desk on your phone in the middle of doing work- I know we’re all guilty of doing this (some more often than others), but this is a time KILLER. If you use the focused chunks of time method, stuff will get done so much faster and then you will be free to go on your phone. It’s so important to be intentional in how you spend your time, as it’s too valuable to waste.

I was introduced to this strategy by a couple YouTube videos and articles online, but the person I found who explained it best was Cal Newport. If you want to read his explanation or more of his articles (he has a lot of great stuff on productivity, etc.), check it out here: https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2007/09/13/three-ways-smart-students-reduce-study-time/

This strategy takes some adapting at first since it might be really different from what you’re used to, but the payoff is great. I hope you give it a try and it works out for you! Keep in mind you don’t have to use any single study method all of the time- if your current method is a little time-consuming but you’re still partial to it, you could save this for days where you’re in a bind.

-Brooke

ICYMI: ACT will let you retake individual sections

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Yes, I know- I’m a couple weeks late. But for my fellow underclassmen, you may not have heard this. The ACT will allow you to retake individual sections in order to increase your superscore, starting in September 2020. I believe this feature is only rolling out with the online version of the test/at test centers that do online testing, but they are also going to be expanding the amount of online test centers and allowing students to choose between online and paper.

Being able to take one of the four sections of the test individually can help a student focus all their energy on raising the score of that section. People have expressed that this update will grant an unfair advantage to middle-class/wealthier students who can afford to take the different sections as many times as necessary to get a high score.

Lastly, many believe that this change will push schools to change their policies to test-optional. If there’s some sort of advantage for supposedly “standardized” tests based on a person’s socioeconomic status, they shouldn’t hold as much weight in the college admissions process. I’m just waiting to see how the College Board/SAT counters this.

If you want to read a bit more about this, check this New York Times article out: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/us/act-test-superscore.html

I’m not sure if I plan on taking the ACT vs. SAT yet, but their significance is definitely about to change. Let me know your thoughts and which one you took/are planning on taking!

-Brooke