elliootsmeuth: PSAT Tomorrow

wham49 10.19.16	remember how the questions are worded and the types of questions asked, then study those types in SAT practice books. Your teachers should be giving you lessons on how to manage those types of questions and the test. but if not take many of the practice tests books
NordicMindset 10.19.16	it does not matter
hal1ax 10.19.16	sm0k
TVC15 10.19.16	The new version of the SAT (in turn the PSATs as well) are a ton easier than the previous one. I personally do well in my academics and got like a 1420/1600 on it (I don't recall but just about) and that was without studying. But yeah otherwise what wham49 said Also does anyone got any tips for when I take the ACT this weekend? Would studying for the SAT help at all for when I take the ACT? I couldn't find a free online practice ACT unlike for the SAT and my teachers haven't actually done anything to help us students prepare or study for either of the two (taking my SAT next month)
Sowing 10.19.16	god I do not miss high school
calmrose 10.19.16	god I do not miss high school [2]
Rolling Girl 10.19.16	Practice your cursive
PatientlyDead 10.19.16	Just a little bit of studying will go a long way. I took a PSAT my freshman year (I'm a junior now) and It was supremely easy. Don't stress yourself, this is just practice. You'll do great! :)
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	Thanks for all the advice and encouragement, it's appreciated.
FullOfSounds 10.19.16	Good luck
onionbubs 10.19.16	PSAT's in 10 minutes God im not excited
SandwichBubble 10.19.16	Bless you guys. I can't even remember my scores for those high school exams. Still, do your best.
blacklightjer 10.19.16	whats PSAT?
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	blacklightjer, it's a test used as a projector of how well you'll do on the SAT and the PSAT scores are are used to select semifinalists to win a National Merit Scholarship. If you score high enough on the PSAT you then have to write an essay on the merit of which you may or may not be chosen to win one of the scholarships.
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	"Practice your cursive" Gives me ptsd, that's honestly the worst part of the SAT/PSAT
AlexKzillion 10.19.16	So easyyyyy Especially the calculator part
Feather 10.19.16	The ACT was easy, all you do is take a bunch of practice tests a few days prior and go for it.
DarkSideOfLucca 10.19.16	Good list And yeah man, breakfast and 8 hours of sleep. You'll be fine, man.
blacklightjer 10.19.16	so what's SAT? sorry american way of life confuses me
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	Scholastic Aptitude Test. It's one of the two primary tests you take in high school to qualify for college, along with the ACT (doesn't stand for anything anymore). The SAT is graded out of 1600, with English at 800 and Math at 800 (I think). America is confusing.
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	It wasn't too bad. I'm thinking like a 1300 or something. The first section of math was a bitch, tho.
onionbubs 10.19.16	"First section of math was a bitch" [2]
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	Just wait until you get to college my friends.
DrMaximus 10.19.16	Move to Canada, these superfluous tests don't matter here
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	They're far from the be-all end-all in the US too despite what people will tell you.
AlexKzillion 10.19.16	Didn't study at all and got ~7 hours of sleep, think I got ~1200.
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	They grade the PSAT on the same scale as the SAT now?
AlexKzillion 10.19.16	Is 1200 even considered good? @boney I have no idea, just going off what everyone else is saying.
climactic 10.19.16	dont use a calculator or ur a bitch
TVC15 10.19.16	1200/1600 is way above the national average which is 1000
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	Obviously everyone has different definitions of "good" of course
TVC15 10.19.16	Even if Alex is an overachiever or generally much smarter than that, a 1200 is a score anyone should be proud of
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	Obviously everyone has different definitions of "good" of course He was wondering if it was considered good in general. He has no point of reference at all if 1200 is good or not, so it's not really possible for him to form his own definition of good
DisdainfulChemist 10.19.16	psat doesnt matter, nothing matters. 10th grade is useless
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	True, true @TVC, smeuth
AlexKzillion 10.19.16	"1200/1600 is way above the national average which is 1000" If that's so then I might be pushing it a little lol.
Dylan620 10.19.16	The SAT is out of 1600 now? When I took it as a HS senior three years ago it was out of 2400 Had to do a double take when I saw TVC's comment about the national average
AlexKzillion 10.19.16	I remember watching Perks of Being a Wallflower with my sister one time and Emma Watson's character got like 950 on it and made it to Penn State off that score.
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	10th grade is useless I'm in 11th
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	The SAT is out of 1600 now? When I took it as a HS senior three years ago it was out of 2400 Yeah, they changed it March of this year, I believe.
brainmelter 10.19.16	as far as I know, its up to 2200. my girl got a 1650 and she was disappointed on her scoring
DisdainfulChemist 10.19.16	foolish tests
TVC15 10.19.16	"10th grade is useless" Colleges look at your GPA from both 10th and 11th grade so I mean
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	He means PSAT from 10th grade.
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	But PSAT has nothing to do with colleges anyways.
TVC15 10.19.16	Ooh PSAT that makes more sense
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	@brainmelter, the SAT has never been out of 2200, only 2400 or 1600
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	But PSAT has nothing to do with colleges anyways. The PSAT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Honors Society Scholarship, which is a pretty big deal for college.
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	That only has to do with scholarships, it has no bearing on whether you get accepted to a school. Schools don't even look at PSAT scores.
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	Ah okay, I see what you're saying. Yeah, that's true.
AlexKzillion 10.19.16	I thought the PSAT was just a practice SAT and nothing more, lol @ me
elliootsmeuth 10.19.16	Most people do too. I didn't know about it being the NMHS qualifying test until shortly before.
theBoneyKing 10.19.16	To be fair only the top like 1% become NMS semifinalists so for most people it is just a preliminary SAT
NordicMindset 10.20.16	I got 1430/1520 last year
Minnesota 10.20.16	yea take the act
TVC15 10.20.16	How does the ACT compare to the SAT?
Minnesota 10.20.16	colleges actually give a shit about it BC sat hasn't been rewritten for a while compared to the act
Minnesota 10.20.16	if yr talking difficulty idk
DisdainfulChemist 10.20.16	college is useless
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	Yeah I mean what's the point of being an educated member of society? Totally useless.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	For what it's worth I remember everyone's PSAT scores had little bearing on their ultimate SAT scores, which is all that actually matters. If you wanna jack up your SAT score buy one of the books that has a bunch of real tests from previous years and just go through them all under timed conditions. Don't pay for a class or try to do any other nonsense. Take real tests.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	"educated" is hardly something I'd say about a lot of college graduates, though. Let's be honest, what you study and how much you invest means the world. There are plenty of highly educated individuals who never attended college and plenty of people with advanced degrees who know fuck all.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	But theoretically the point of college is to become educated, obviously not everyone who goes to college comes out educated and people who don't go can still be some of the most intelligent people in the world but if used properly college I would say is certainly a great way to become educated.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Saying this as someone who has a postgraduate degree, college and beyond is largely about signaling. You're telling prospective employers, "Hey look at me, I can complete this workload under these time constraints at this level of quality." Excepting, of course, things like nursing, medical school, engineering, or actual skill classes that you will directly use after you graduate.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	The low cost of an internet connection and the occasional textbook rental off Amazon can get you an equivalent education to that one can obtain at Princeton or Stanford, where their distinguished professors' TAs will likely be teaching the classes anyway while they spend their time chasing grant money.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	As a first year undergraduate I obviously don't necessarily have an accurate sense of how college actually applies to the "real world" but I'm a proponent of the liberal arts methodology. Undergraduate college is more about becoming an educated person and not necessarily about preparing for the work force. You go to graduate school or beyond to truly specialize. Maybe that's naive but it's still how I feel.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Just wait till you emerge from the womb three years later and a good chunk of your friends realize that they are educated enough to be extra special baristas.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	But there's also the aspect of being surrounded by a diverse group of people who are discovering the world at the same time as you. You can't get that experience from books.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Not trying to shit on your optimism here but just be very specific about how you choose to tailor your studies while there. It's a fun time but very costly and unfortunately necessary to really get ahead in today's credential obsessed society.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	I'm a physics concentrator, a fairly useful subject, certainly compared to something like philosophy for example, so I should not have too much trouble finding a job once I graduate. Of course, I plan to go to grad school as well. And also I will have a network of people from school and as you say the merit of showing that I went to a reputable school which will certainly help me find jobs. If you're going to get a real job, you can be self-educated, sure, but that's not going to help a whole ton when you're looking for jobs. College may not be the perfect path for everyone but as I see it it certainly is good for a majority.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	I just think you can get a useful education and a worldly education at the same time. And that comes from both the book learning and from actual experience.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	"you can be self-educated, sure, but that's not going to help a whole ton when you're looking for jobs" My exact point --> "unfortunately necessary to really get ahead in today's credential obsessed society"
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	A lot of it comes down to CYA on the part of those responsible for hiring. If you chose to hire the guy who has a degree from Harvard and he turns out to be a fuckup that will not bite you nearly as hard as "gambling" on the guy without the piece of paper and then having him not work out.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	But the sole purpose - and, I think, the primary purpose - of college is not to prepare you to get a job. It's part of it, sure, but not the be-all end-all of going to college.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	I understand that very well. But I seldom see any educational benefits that can be obtained exclusively via campus learning.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	I guess I'll just have to wait and find out how I feel in five years' time.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Out of curiosity what school are you attending?
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	I do think the benefit of campus learning varies by school. If you're going to a state school you're not going to get as special or unique a cultural experience as in an Ivy Leage school of course, but I do believe the campus environment has some inherent benefits.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	I go to Harvard. To be fair, that might make my point of view make a little more sense.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	I kinda suspected Ivy, yeah. Your opinions fit the mold for sure haha. Would I also be correct in presuming your tuition is already paid? Trying to go 2/2 here but maybe I'm wrong.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	What do you mean by "tuition already paid"?
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Scholarships, parents, etc.
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	Oh, then yes, basically. My parents are paying tuition, though they encourage me to get as much as I can from scholarships as well so in that sense I am covering some tuition, albeit indirectly, and I am responsible for all my personal expenses.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	2/2 yea boiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	Lol
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	Alas now I must stop defending the merits of my education so that I can realize them by working on a problem set at 1 am and hope it's all worth it in the end.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Yeah, for your individual case you'd be a chump not to go to college but I'm just trying to convey to you that there is a substantial swath of the population for whom that is absolutely not the case. For many it means negligible (if any) educational benefit, massive debt, and four years (or more) of forgone income, experience, and education done the good 'ole fashioned way: real world style.
SitarHero 10.20.16	"I'm a physics concentrator, a fairly useful subject, certainly compared to something like philosophy for example, so I should not have too much trouble finding a job once I graduate." I majored in both those subjects, and my advice is, have a plan. Although, being in Harvard probably helps.
TheSpaceMan 10.20.16	the environment you're talking about isnt nurturing, its actually encouraging a lifestyle that isnt real outside of your campus. assuming of course you are living on campus and arent working part time, which is the majority of college students.
TheSpaceMan 10.20.16	lol sitar thats a sick plate of courses imo. metaphysics!
SitarHero 10.20.16	Yeah, I went to college intending to be a physicist, started taking philosophy classes and ended up with enough credits to major in it. I was a only a few credits short of minoring political science and math too. :D
SitarHero 10.20.16	And to be honest, my philosophy major has been more useful, because after having to read Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Kant and Nietzsche, legal text doesn't faze me.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 10.20.16	yeah definitely just sm0nk
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Sitar who's your favorite Supreme (past or present) wrt writing ability?
theBoneyKing 10.20.16	Fwiw I'm actually taking a philosophy class in addition to physics right now myself.
SitarHero 10.20.16	Ghost, I'm Indian so I'm not terribly familiar with US SC Judges. But from what I've read, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Brandeis were definite stand outs.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	Ahhh. Yeah, they're both staples of the profession for sure.
SitarHero 10.20.16	Being that India is a common law country we often cite US and UK cases, for academic reasons if nothing else. I've definitely cited Brandeis in Olmstead v US several times. Wendell Holmes is just the most fun to read.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 10.20.16	He's great. For modern judges I actually prefer the seventh circuit boys to any of the nine (eight, RIP). Posner and Easterbrook can write with the best of 'em.
elliootsmeuth 10.21.16	Why the fuck is this at 100 comments?
HeckToPay 10.23.16	kill yourself so you don't have to take it
elliootsmeuth 10.23.16	I have much better reasons to kill myself, Ty.