SAT/ACT Test Day Leadup: Importance of Digital Detox
Osama Neiroukh, PhD
Osama Neiroukh, PhD has been tutoring SAT and ACT for several years, has scored 770/800 on both sections of the SAT, and some of his students have scored in the top 1%. He tutors in Detroit metro area.
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You have to understand. Most people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured and so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it
One of the biggest challenges I see with my students, my kids and even myself is that our brains are being rewired in ways that lack the ability to hold focus. I do not claim to be a human behavior expert, but I can testify from my own experiences as well as those of others that digital detox leading up to test day can be extremely helpful for your success on the test.
When our brains constantly engage with social media and the Internet, we tend to shift our focus constantly in tweet-size bites, jumping rapidly from one topic to another. Some of us may even have another wo or three threads of thought all going on at the same time.
Succeeding on the SAT demands that your brain focus exclusively on the content in front of you for extended periods of time, and ability to silence every other fleeting thought fighting for attention.
My suggestions:
- Start at least a couple of months before the actual test day
- Slowly cut back on your smartphone/social media, monitoring time and pickups
- Introduce entire days of no-phone. Let your friends and family know
you are not going to be instantly accessible over your phone. Don’t
carry your phone with you
Takeaways:
Mental endurance on SAT requires extended periods of focus. Digital detox leading up to test day can help you attain and keep that focus.