Why You Don’t Need A Giant SAT Prep Book To Study

Most SAT prep books are NOT worth the time or effort to completely digest its whole content, personally. 

Sure. They’re big and extensive, but it’s TOO MUCH. INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Do you really want to painstakingly sift through hundreds of pages without a guarantee? Not to mention, those books are costly. Look. There are inexpensive, more direct ways to approach studying for the test than resorting to an SAT prep book. 

Additionally, most prep books, though there are a few exceptions, are made with the sole purpose of making money. You benefiting from their book is merely a side effect or cherry on top. Why else do these corporations keep pumping out new renditions and revisions to their supposedly “complete” study guides each year? And every year families fall into the same trap of buying and gifting these soulless books to their helpless kids. I’m no different. I literally have five of these books just laying around my house, yet none of them were of use.

Debunking The SAT Prep Book Mentality

Let me say this loud and clear, owning an SAT prep book or ANY resource will not magically change your life without action. I’m not against these books, but I don’t like the mindset they bring about. SAT books are a resource and a tool, and much like any tool you need to apply yourself, using the tool to gain any benefit. Too many people believe just owning one will boost their score. SAT prep books won’t teach you how to identify your weaknesses. They won’t teach you how to think critically and adopt an autodidactic mindset or as I like to call a “figure it out” mindset. 

I want to stress to you that growth will only come from active effort. You can’t passively improve your score, and most of the time that idea of passive improvement stems from owning high tech resources. Think of the studying process as cooking a meal. Sure, you can go out and buy the best ingredients available (i.e tutors and SAT prep books), but those ingredients only account for one step of the process. You still have to prepare and season the food (build a study plan to effectively use your resources), then cook it (put your plan into action).

With that being said, I believe it isn’t necessary to devote most of your attention to collecting the perceived best ingredients. Instead, focus on building and executing the study plan. If you’re interested in building your own solid study plan, then click here and fill out the form at the front page to gain access to my free video mini-course on “How To Start Studying For The SAT.”

Why The Internet Is Superior To The SAT Prep Book

While the internet is not inherently intuitive and wasn’t solely designed for SAT practice like SAT prep books, it outperforms SAT prep books greatly when utilized correctly. 

We are fortunate enough to grow up in a time, where the internet is such a powerful data bank. The internet is free, supplies you with all the necessary tools to study, and even serves as a platform for numerous online study groups who’ll support you. In fact, I actually talk about the importance of “Finding Your Support Group” where you can check out on my home page by clicking here. The only downside of the internet is its vast access to information. It wasn’t solely designed for SAT practice.

I will admit that SAT prep books are good in the sense that they hold your hand and walk you through the test taking process. There aren’t any pop up ads or inherent distractions. You know that from start to finish that studying for the SAT is the focus. On the other hand, the internet provides the same and better study material than books. But it can only be maximized with strong discipline, work-ethic, and a rigid plan as it’s extremely easy to get sidetracked. It literally takes two seconds to reach youtube, twitter, reddit, instagram, or whatever entertainment website.  

Studying using the internet is more convenient and efficient than SAT prep books. The internet What is accessible wherever you are. What accelerated my growth was understanding that I could replace dead minutes or time, which I otherwise would’ve wasted, with SAT studying. There is always dead time. You just have to find it. What do I mean? For me if I was caught up in classwork or in a boring class, then I’d pop up my phone and start a math section, answering and reviewing 10 questions at a time. Or if I was practicing writing or reading that day, then I’d read a passage, without worry of time, and try to understand the passage and answer the questions accordingly.

Some might argue that this study environment is not ideal compared to an isolated, quiet zone. To that I say, awesome! It’s not meant to be ideal. If you’re able to endure the tough working environment and focus with the unrealistic noise levels and distractions, then the actual test focus-wise will be a joke. That kid sniffling next to you for the WHOLE test won’t even get under your skin, assuming you don’t get sick haha.

Look, I want to help you prepare for the SAT. So if you’re interested in learning how to start studying for the SAT, by building a plan, then check out my free mini-course by filling out the form on the front page or on the right.