Tips for Your Homeschooled Child in Prepping for College Entrance Exams
By Ryan Hickey, Managing Editor of Petersons & EssayEdge
Every student knows that they need to prepare for the college entrance exams. With parents, educators and friends constantly reminding them, there’s really no way not to know. However, what we well-meaning adults sometimes forget is that prepping for these exams is a specific skill that is different than studying for other exams. This can be particularly true if we have self-motivated homeschooled kids who are accustomed to managing their study time well.
Here are 10 tips to help your child get organized, take off some of the stress, and begin the process of studying for their college entrance exams.
1. Start now
Even if your child is still a couple of years away from taking the exam, encourage your child to start thinking about what they will need for exam such as when and where the exam is offered as well as finding out the fees. If your child is within a year of needing to take the exams, start with making a tentative schedule. Let your child know that these exams are an important part of their education process and not something to be done when there’s ‘extra’ time.
2. Help your child figure out what they’re really up against
What is the test really like? What are the percentages for each subject? What scores does your child need in order to qualify for their colleges of choice? How does your child’s current academic level for each subject compare with what will be needed to score well on the test? Taking a pre-evaluation exam, like the PSAT, can provide solid feedback to help your child make a concrete study plan.
3. Find necessary resources
College entrance exams are designed to be challenging, and your child will benefit from significant practice. In addition to resources that are specific to a particular college entrance exam, also look for resources that provide opportunities to practice that are not geared towards the exam or taken from previous exams. Using a broad variety of resources can help your child generalize a concept instead of just memorizing answers.
4. Plan to take the time to reevaluate progress
A plan is just an outline. Only the actual studying will let your child know what needs the most attention. Maybe your child was initially apprehensive about the reading portion of the test but found that it was actually the writing portion that is challenging. In addition, a reevaluation can show your child that progress is, indeed, being made and that your child should celebrate their accomplishments thus far.
5. If possible, take a practice exam in a similar setting
Taking a test in a big room full of other students is a very different setting than the warm study environment that most homeschooled students know. The testing environment can seem cold and intimidating, which can interfere with your child’s ability to focus on the content of the exam. Conducting a practice exam, proctor and all, can help your child’s mental preparedness for the test.
6. Focus on weaknesses
There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to college entrance exams. Regardless of how much your child actually knows about math, there is a top score possible on the test that your child cannot exceed. Sad, but true. Therefore, it is better to spend more time on weaknesses to improve the overall score. This is especially true for homeschooled students as a balanced score reflects a well-rounded education background.
7. Practice + A Good Night’s Sleep = Perfect
Learning is not magic. It is a physical process that requires certain conditions, like sleep. A full night’s rest makes an evening of study long-lasting. Even if the deadline is near, let your child know that budgeting enough time for sleep is as important as budgeting enough time for practice problems.
8. Help your child understand their personal learning style
Just because the test is standardized doesn’t mean that they study process needs to be. Whether it is graphs and charts, audio files of vocabulary or using blocks and pipe cleaners to visualize geometry problems, show your child how to use their unique learning style to their advantage in preparing for college entrance exams.
9. Trust your child
The noise may bother you, but maybe your child really does learn better with the music on or the TV in the background. Some children need solitude for effective studying while others learn best in pairs or a small group. Instead of trying to micromanage the study process, let your child make some choices on where, what, and how much to study.
10. Cut yourself and your child some slack
Things are not going to go exactly as planned. Be the role model for your child and don’t panic when an unexpected event arises that takes time away from test prep. Help your child see that making new arrangements and juggling multiple responsibilities is just part of life. The point is to get back on track as soon as possible.
Ryan Hickey is the Managing Editor of Peterson’s and EssayEdge and is an expert in many aspects of college, graduate, and professional admissions. A graduate of Yale University, Ryan has worked in various admissions capacities for nearly a decade, including writing test-prep material for the SAT, AP exams, and TOEFL, editing essays and personal statements, and consulting directly with applicants.