Zen in the Art of the Sat : How to Think, Focus, and Achieve Your Highest Score

How do you prepare for a test? Study the material, of course. But studying for the SAT is differentknowing facts is not enough. On the SAT, basic information is presented in tricky new combinations, and getting the right answers depends less on what you know than on how you think. Zen in the Art of the SAT, written for those in grades 912, can help you achieve your highest score on the new SAT. Learn to let go of worries and fears, calm your mind, and bring your attention to the present moment. Explore the main obstacles actual students have faced and how they overcame them. Assess yourself: know what role anxiety plays in your test-taking and learn how to change reading habits that may be limiting your success. Create a study plan that will work for you. Find out how your parents can support you best. Discover your minds hidden natural ability to solve problems. The techniques in Zen in the Art of the SAT were developed through years of work with students in New York City, one of the most competitive test-prep markets in America.

How do you prepare for a test? Study the material, of course. But studying for the SAT is different—knowing facts is not enough. On the SAT, basic information is presented in tricky new combinations, and getting the right answers depends less on what you know than on how you think.

Zen in the Art of the SAT, written for those in grades 9–12, can help you achieve your highest score on the new SAT.

• Learn to let go of worries and fears, calm your mind, and bring your attention to the present moment.

• Explore the main obstacles actual students have faced and how they overcame them.

• Assess yourself: know what role anxiety plays in your test-taking and learn how to change reading habits that may be limiting your success.

• Create a study plan that will work for you.

• Find out how your parents can support you best.

• Discover your mind’s hidden natural ability to solve problems.

The techniques in Zen in the Art of the SAT were developed through years of work with students in New York City, one of the most competitive test-prep markets in America.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-This book takes a rather unusual approach to a topic of perennial interest, but it's not particularly effective. Bardin and Fine look to ancient philosophy to help teens take an academic test. Zen is discussed and then test-taking strategies are explored. Some of the material just doesn't gel and feels forced. The section entitled "The Buddha and the SAT" is particularly obtuse. There are some helpful tidbits, though, such as the chapter called "Some Things You Must Know," which covers the Big Ten in grammar, the basics of timed writing, and math strategies. Also, there is a chapter on dealing with one's parents including recognizing damaging remarks made by well-meaning individuals. Overall, though, there are better books out there to help students prepare for the SAT.-Laura Younkin, Ballard High School, Louisville, KY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

The Nature of the Test In a Foreign Land Walk Through the Open Door The New SAT at a Glance Thinking The Key to Better Thinking: Skip and Come Back When to Skip and When to Come Back Beginner's Mind: How to Come Back Reasons Not to Skip and Come Back (and Why They're Wrong) An Example: Erica Works the Test From "I Can't" to "I Can" Anxiety The Buddha and the SAT Anxiety and the Present Moment Breathing Basic Meditation: Managing Anxiety Assessing Your Anxiety Anxiety Examples Reading Challenges Reading Habits That Get in the Way and How to Correct Them Reading Assessment How to Raise Your Reading Level Critical Reading Strategies Some Things You Must Know The Big Ten: Grammar and Usage Math Strategies Math Basics Math Quiz The Basics of Timed Writing Parents Taking Your Parents Down Memory Lane Seven Damaging Remarks Well-Meaning Parents Make The Five Characteristics of Supportive Parents Your Plan Organization: How's Your Brain's CEO? Just Twenty-five Minutes You Can Run a Marathon: Creating an SAT Study Plan Getting-Started Checklist Life Lessons A Crisis Is a Critical Opportunity Feelings Are First, but the Mind Leads Beginner's Mind (Reprise) The Myth of Genius (and Stupidity) Vocabulary. You have just finished the first semester of your sophomore year in college, and you're on a plane heading to Paris for what you anticipate will be the best two-week vacation of your life. Introduces a method for test taking, showing readers how to learn to let go of worries and fears, calm the mind, and bring one's attention to the present moment.