As freshmen geared up for their first PSAT, the mood was a mix of nerves, humor, and heavy flashcards. Some said they prepared by reviewing sample questions in reading, writing, and math. Others reported looking over standard material and becoming more familiar with the tests format.
Many freshmen said they were focusing on feeling out how the test is formatted and dialing in on ways to be prepared for higher grade level material, whereas others like Bryce Comboni, mentioned how he is unbothered considering this is just a practice test. This camp will just put one hundred percent effort into the topics they know.
According to freshman Max Parakilas, “studying might be hard for the PSAT’s because I need to do other classwork.” Like many students, Max is juggling multiple assignments, sports, and club activities, which makes finding extra time to study a real challenge. In opposition to this, other students were confident in their ability to manage time and fit studying in somewhere.
Feedback came from freshman Piper Barter, who said, “nerves don’t directly come from the test itself, but also the fact that it’s challenging to sit still and focus for such a long stretch of time.” Her comment captures what many freshmen are feeling — that test-day endurance might be harder than the questions themselves.
Teachers have been reminding students that the PSAT isn’t about perfection but practice. It’s a stepping stone toward future standardized tests like the SAT, and it helps students identify their academic strengths and areas to improve. And overall feedback from the freshmen suggest a good score is important to the students but during the second half of the test they might start feeling tired and less motivated to do their best work. Then again, this year’s freshmen feel like they should focus on getting a good first taste of standardized testing and stay calm.
