As seniors, there are many things that stress us all out -- especially the ACT! Right now, that is my major stressor. In the past, I have not prepared for it by reading the ACT book or taking any ACT prep courses. But for the December ACT I am doing both. There is a teacher at my school who is a genius when it comes to this test. She knows every trick in the book, and hopefully she can help me raise my score.

If you are having trouble with your score, my advice is to find a teacher in your school to help. There are always teachers who would love to help a student raise their score. Many of my friends did not have to prepare themselves for the ACT, and they just pulled out a 29 or 30; but if you are like me, you are going to have to study and get some test-taking tips.

I know that if I do not study and my score doesn’t come up it will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I will always regret not doing well. My counselor today gave me some good advice that helped me relax.  She said, “The ACT doesn’t determine what you are going to do in life; there have been many students who couldn’t get over a 20 who are now successful in the medical field.”  Wish me luck on my studying – I have four weeks!