This Saturday concluded my second time writing the SAT Reasoning Test. Recalling the hours used to practice essay writing, to read passages and to solve math problems brings a sense of wasteful nostalgia. Yet after all the countless hours of labour and pain, it is difficult not to reflect and complain.
The purpose of writing the SATs was to gain admission into American universities. In applications for undergraduate and graduate studies, SAT scores are crucial requirements for successful admissions. I am no exception. My intent streams from a desire to attain admission.
The SAT Reasoning Tests are composed of ten sections. The first section is made up of a 25 minute session to write an essay based on a prompt. The next six sections are all 25 minutes long. Out of these seven sections, two are on reading, one is on writing and two are about mathematics. Furthermore, one other section is on reading, writing and mathematics and is a practice section for future tests. Furthermore, the next two sections (eight and nine) are on reading and mathematics and are both 20 minutes. Finally, the last section is a 10 minute writing section testing grammar. Meanwhile, the SAT Subject Tests are only 60 minutes tests on the subject concerned.
The overall stretch of the SAT Reasoning Test including breaks is over four hours in length. The duration of three subject tests also approaches three hours and thirty minutes. The tests are really mental marathons in which the test writers are tested on both endurance and ability. So far, I have probably done at least eight SAT Reasoning Tests and 12 SAT Subject Tests, both including practice versions. Generally, the ordeal has been a compilation of suffering that might not even be rewarded. Even if I am admitted, the staggering costs of tuition may negate any rewards gained from the SAT tests.
Nonetheless, the journey has come to an end. I can finally wave goodbye to the SATs. Sometimes I question my own decision to tackle such an undertaking. I frighten myself with the prospect of being denying admission and with the idea of so much wasted time. Overall, the process was painful and tedious, but I can see the light at the tunnel. I believe that hard work will be rewarded and compensated for.
