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5 Ways to Make College Prep as Exciting as College

Posted on Feb 01, 2012 - 06:00 AM | SAT Prep | Comments (0)

It doesn’t take long to find out what many students think of your typical SAT prep course, or college prep in general. Just look at these comments we spotted on Twitter a few days ago:

“SAT prep is like a joke”

“SAT prep class is so pointless”

“Pretending to take notes in cp lit. collegeprep is a joke.”

We wonder if it’s the student’s motivation or the prep courses themselves? It’s obvious most of them want to go to college or they wouldn’t take SAT prep or college prep courses. That leads us to believe that these classes aren’t involving and exciting the students.

But what if college prep could be exciting?

Ways to Improve College Prep Programs:

Study when you want. Part of the problem students have with SAT courses if you have to be in a classroom at a certain time on a certain day. Students enjoy the process more when they can study at a more convenient time. If you’re truly motivated to go to college, this won’t be a problem. You will log in and hit the proverbial “books.”
Study at the pace you want. Students are also troubled by the pace of the class. Sometimes it’s too fast; sometimes it’s too slow. An online course allows you to move at your own pace so that the answers and test-taking strategies sink in. Learning at someone else’s pace can be frustrating.
Study at your level. Structured classes start everyone at the same level, which can be frustrating for students who are either ahead or behind their fellow students. Using a program that measures a student’s current SAT or ACT level then lets them start their, makes the course more interesting and effective.
Incorporate activities into your education. High-school activities are often the most fun part of the school week, but they frequently have little to do with college prep. They might look good on a college application, but are they really preparing you for college? If an activity relates to your college and career plans, it will make college prep more exciting. It might not feel like you’re doing in at all!
Give your college prep a goal. Too often, college prep is learning for the sake of simply getting into college. It has no larger goal aimed at finding a major or impressing a particular college. Give your college prep a goal. Know why you’re working so hard to get ahead. And if you’re unsure of a particular major or college, take a personality test for direction. Perhaps that will give you some perspective on your goals, allowing you to target your college prep accordingly. Knowing the big picture definitely makes college prep fun and rewarding.

College prep and SAT/ACT prep become boring when it becomes a chore; when it’s not what you want the way you want it. The first thing you need to do is escape that mentality. Stay motivated, then, when you know what you’re working toward, starting making it fit your plans – when you want, how you want,