Since mid-junior year the omen of the all powerful SAT has been looming over my head. Now it’s time to face the future and start to truly get ready for college. There are so many questions: Close to home? Or far away? A huge campus? Tight knit community? Venture to a completely new school? Go to one of my parents’ colleges, or my siblings’?

But before I could answer any of those questions I needed to know where I stood. I needed to battle the beast, the big bad SAT. I first got the bitter taste from the excruciating PSAT, from which I came out unscathed.

However, as soon as senior year began, it was crunch time. My parents enrolled me in a Kaplan SAT prep class. All September and October I spent my Saturday and Sunday mornings sitting in a freezing conference room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Clifton Park, from 9 am – 12 pm or 9 am – 1 pm depending on whether or not I was taking a practice test. It was hours upon hours spent studying and reviewing different math topics and types of reading questions.

All of that preparation led up to the real thing. The first concrete SAT that I took was on the 11th of October, at Saratoga Springs High School. The huge school fit the whole ominous test feel. I felt out place and a little lost even though I was ready to take it. A seemingly short four hours later I was out of there. I felt free to do what I wanted until I thought about all of the what-ifs.

Then my mom and I swiftly registered for the SAT on November 8th. And after that SAT we once again registered for what would ultimately be the final time that I took the test, on December 6th. It was a cold rainy morning, but surprisingly the test wasn’t as bad as the weather foreshadowed it to be.

As of right now I have a received a 1850 overall on the SAT, until I receive my scores from my most recent SAT…not horrible but also not exactly what I wanted. So I am happy overall with what I got. So for all you juniors/soon to be seniors I have a few tips for you guys and gals:

*Register early! The SAT costs $52.50 but if you register late it skyrockets to $80
*Pick a test location close to home with minimum hassle; make that early SAT morning as stress-free as possible
*Don’t “wing it”, it may seem logical but it’s not, you’re wasting $50. C’mon dude.
*Do create a study plan; you don’t have to to study 3 hours per day, just try to study a little every day
*Eat breakfast the morning of the test
*Download the College Board SAT Question of the Day app, it’s a free and quick way to test yourself
*Print a back up Admissions Ticket if you’re prone to forgetting them
*Bring snacks, the testing center will have water fountains, so you don’t need a water bottle unless you dislike public surfaces
*Bring three pencils, only bringing two is for wimps; Nah, I’m just kidding
*But seriously. Bring three, and make sure they’re Ticonderoga

MOST IMPORTANT: When you’re taking the SAT, if you don’t understand a question don’t waste time on it, just skip it and go back to it later.

So, I guess the moral of the story is that the SAT is a big test. There’s no sugar coating it. Sitting down for almost 4 hours is boring, but depending on what you plan to do in the future it may or may not be necessary. That’s for you to decide. The SAT lets us know where we stand on a national scale, but it also gives us a sneak peek into how unhappy college tests will make us all. Take the SAT. Try your best. Then take a nice nap that afternoon.