Monday, September 14, 2009

ACT Appreciation

For many people, the ACT is simply another dreaded standardized test, meant to cause a lack of self-esteem, an inevitable brain exhaustion, and an increase in the amount of stress already placed on high school students. This was my perspective on the test- I even referred to it as ACT Agony- until I took it for the third time on Saturday morning.

When my alarm clock went off at 6:30 on Saturday morning, I literally felt like cursing it and possibly even tossing it out the window. I'm a firm believer in sleeping in on weekends, and I was none to happy to rise at such an early hour, especially since I had been out late the previous night. If someone were to ask me my opinion of the ACT at that point in time, I would have told them to forget about raising my score, to forget about the test, to forget about college in general. However, a few short days later I have an appreciation for the 8:00 starting time. If the test had been any later, I would not have been able to concentrate at all-the weather was too perfect for that. While I may have developed this appreciation, I doubt my fellow test-goers would agree.

Not only do I despise early risings, but I also have a hatred for learning useless information. You know, the mathematical, scientific, or historical concepts that make you think "...and why am I ever going to need this? How will this ever benefit me in any way, shape, or form?" These thoughts typically hit me when I'm sitting in pre-calculus, or last year while I suffered through chemistry. It's no wonder, then, that the math and science portions of my ACT score suffered the most. However, Saturday morning I was shocked to find that both my pre-calculus and chemistry skills had come into play. They were finally doing something worthwhile- they were helping me get into college. Because the ACT test creators had included these once useless skills, I have now developed an appreciation for the once hated writers.

The ACT may have once be seen as agony, but now- at least in my eyes- the ACT is something worthy of appreciation, and perhaps even praise.

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