Beat Brain Fatigue

Keeping your brain focused during the SAT is a difficult task, especially during the writing portion. Essay responses require you to focus on the same question for a significant portion of time. You might find yourself fighting panic, boredom, or just mental fatigue at various points of your writing time, but don’t worry, that is normal. Below we’re dishing out some tips to help you reign in your brain and stay focused on the prize.

1. Make an outline. Before you start, take a few minutes to make an outline for the prompts you’ll be answering. Include your thesis, your arguments, and key points that will support those arguments (like dates, facts, books you’d like to quote). Having a solid outline gives you something to refer to when you lose your train of thought.

2. Focus on the task at hand. Looking at the entire writing section of the SAT and comparing it to the amount of time you have on hand is grunted to make your heart beat a little faster. Don’t set yourself up for a panic attack. Instead, create a plan, than execute each step. For example; Step One, create my outline; Step Two, write my introduction..... By breaking this large section into small, manageable tasks you can lower your overall stress levels and move through each step calmly.

3. Take a mini break. There is only so long your mind can concentrate before it starts to go a bit… well.. mushy, so don’t try so hard to fight the inevitable. When you feel a wave of panic, listlessness, or exhaustion coming on take a moment to close your eyes, stretch, and count slowly to ten. Picture yourself handing in a completed exam and how good you feel. Now a few more deep breaths, then open your eyes and get back to it.