Math SAT Tip - Mind and Body
by Larry Shiller
This Math Tidbit marks our first foray into helping students ace the math SAT. It is excerpted from my new book 100 Days/100 Ways to Ace the New Math SAT.
Inseparable...
To take care of your mind you must take care of your body: Think of your SAT test as a sports event for your brain and you will realize that mind and body training start well before the test.
In the week prior to the test do not make any major changes to your lifestyle, clothing or hair styles, sleep habits, eating habits, etc. Such changes often cause stress, and your objective is to keep stress at a minimum. That said, with the exception of aspirin or drugs prescribed by your doctor, do not put anything into your body that affects your brain, including caffeine, alcohol, or artificial sweeteners. Do drink copious amounts of water, which flushes poisons from the body, and of course get a good night's rest before the test.
The morning of the test, wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and comfortable shoes, preferably your favorite sneakers. Drink lots of water starting one hour before the test. You want your mind and body to be at peak efficiency; water is the single most important substance towards that goal. Between 30 and 60 minutes before the test eat several ounces of a high fat, zero carb, and moderate protein food. Carbs generate insulin, which makes you hungry. You do not want to be thinking about eating while taking this test: Stay away from carbs like potatoes, pasta, bread, and rice. Fat is slow digesting, so it sits in your belly making you think you are full for a long period of time. Protein helps your brain work. The perfect pre-test food combines fat and protein without carbs: E.g., eggs, peanuts or peanut butter without the bread. Other good choices are soybeans, fish, olive oil, and nuts. Foods to avoid include fruit, fruit juice, milk, grains, pasta, rice, potatoes (including potato chips), sugar of any kind, cereal, granola.
Fifteen minutes before the test, gently stretch your body starting with the major muscle groups and ending with the fingers so your pencil grip can be in fine form. If you do your stretch properly you will feel slightly dehydrated when done; drink some water just before going into the test. By the way, if you think you're going to look silly doing stretches you're probably right! Just remember that your SAT could go up by 15-30 points.
Take a break during the test. With all that water you've been drinking you will likely have to go to the bathroom during the test. This is not only OK, it is recommended: Taking a break and using your muscles - especially the big ones in your thighs that help you walk - puts chemicals into your bloodstream and into your brain that help you think. When you take your break, let your mind wander while realizing that what you are doing is helping you get a better test score. You'll come back refreshed and ready to ace the SAT!
Reprinted with permission from Larry Shiller’s newest book 100 Days, 100 Ways to ACE the New Math SAT. Excerpts can be downloaded from his web site http://www.shillermath.com.
Bonus: Math Humor
Conventional Wisdom
#1. Good mathematics is 50 percent formula, 50 percent proof, and 50 percent imagination.
#2. An engineer knows that equations approximate reality, a physicist knows that reality approximates the equations, and a mathematician doesn't know or care.
#3. Old mathematicians never really die; they just lose some of their functions.
About the author:
Larry Shiller is founder and Publisher of ShillerMath, whose mission is to help kids learn – and enjoy – math. During the course of his career, Shiller published award-winning educational CD-ROMs for schools and libraries and is the author of Software Excellence (Prentice-Hall). A father of three, Shiller has a math degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is an OPM graduate of the Harvard Business School. Do you have questions for Larry? Email him at: larry@shillermath.com
