> But I wonder how many others had similar life experiences which led
> them, allowed them, (forced them?) to those areas which would
> require verbal skills over others?
The experiences that prepared me for the SAT (in my opinion) were
probably reading the Bible in devotions when I lived with an older
couple during the 2nd and 3rd grade and continued extensive reading
(though not mainly of the Bible) through high school. I would carry
a satchel of books home from the public library so heavy that it hurt
my arm. Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the Happy Hollisters, and the
"You Were There When" historical accounts were the kinds of books I
liked.
The test is called Scholastic Aptitude yet it seems like it has to
directly measure certain types of experience. If I never saw one of
the words in an analogy, how could I reason about the use of it? (I'm
not saying that there's no way to deal with such a question. The
parts of the word and the alternative words may help.)
> I enjoyed your prep-ing for the SAT; I spent my prep time in my
> car, which ran out of gas the night before. I slept in it and went
> to the SAT the next morning. I was lucky enough to have about the
> reverse of the scores you indicated. I'm sure it was impacted by
> the experience as a younger person. I wonder then, if the results
> of testing instruments such as SAT are really attributable to those
> causes which might be popular with the reviewers in Princeton? In
> other words, are the good scores the result of hard work in
> school, studying under the lamp til midnight, doing all the
> homework assignments, etc., or something else entirely?
I attended the PSAT (preliminary) with a friend without having heard
what the test was about. When the school counselor gave out the test
results some time later, she mentioned to the group that I had
received the best score that year in that high school. That was my
first known, verifiable success and it really went to my head. It's
possible, even very likely, that it and related experiences (in high
school!) give me a sense of capability almost 20 years later. I
studied preparation books for the SAT that year and made a good score
and then took the test the next year and did better. I don't know of
any of my classmates practicing or preparing for the test. It was
hearsay that one couldn't study for it.
I learned that the time it takes to fill in the dots needs to be
managed. I found the explanation (probably in one of those
preparatory books) that if even one answer could be excluded from the
possible answers, that guessing would be advantageous. Probably
without realizing it, the process of taking timed practice tests
acquainted me with the test environment and the effort that was
required to complete the test.
One of the administrators at the University where I work, when
reviewing my transcript a few days ago, acknowledged the results of
those tests even though my transcript really doesn't convey the same
idea :)
My opinion is that people's scores could likely be raised at least
100 points with strategy information, and more reading experience
would probably also raise scores.
That still doesn't account for the fact that sharpness of wit is not
the same in every person. More training will not make everyone
calculate the same way.
I think back about my years in high school before the PSAT (really!),
and it seems like I spent them asleep to things that were going on.
That test turned something on inside of me that hasn't proven to be
very productive. Getting stamped "You're smart" has possibly been a
curse. It's evident that it has affected my life and view of self.
What a less assuming individual I would have been :) It may be like
God's question to Adam and Eve - "Who told you you were naked?"
Before that, it wasn't in the forefront of their minds. Because I
thought I was smart, I began to want to tackle what I thought were
the smartest subjects around and the most renowned minds. Probably
"tackle" conveys the fact that I didn't consider myself to be on the
same team! College was not very pleasant.
Thinking about learning organizations or imagining working for a
learning organization, I don't want to be tested and then credited if
I do well on the test. It would be nice if the things that have been
acquired at some cost could be used for the benefit of others and
myself also.
Have a nice day
John Paul Fullerton
jpf@myriad.net
--"John Paul Fullerton" <jpf@mail.myriad.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>