The junior class was asked questions based on their thoughts toward the upcoming ACT. The majority of questions were based on internal factors. Discussions of how nervous they are and how stressed they have seen others due to the ACT. The students talk about their feelings toward the importance of this standardized test.
The initial question that was asked was if the juniors were nervous about the ACT. As anticipated, many students do feel test anxiety but at different levels. The fear of not doing good is a lingering thought in their minds. The students are aware that the ACT has specific time limits. Due to this limited time, it promotes the fear of not having the proper amount of time for the test. If a test score is not achieved, certain classes are not eligible for you to take. Despite the stress they are under, the juniors are aware that this test is retakable and essentially not the end of high school or your career.
Students display their concerns with the ACT.
¨My concern is not getting a good enough score for the classes I want to take,¨ says Riley Guy.
The second prompt they were asked was a yes or no question: whether or not they anticipate doing good on the ACT. The majority of juniors agreed that they had confidence in doing good. The most appreciated subject was not determined due to the equal distribution of answers among the juniors. Their only lack of confidence came from the least popular subject that is required to be tested on. Math was sought to be the most struggling subject.
Juniors worry about their weakness in math.
“In English, we are constantly preparing for tests and ACTs, but in math we only learn it topic by topic,” says Guy.
While the juniors are concerned about not reaching their full potential on the ACT, they are aware that there are multiple different ways to prove to colleges that you are a good student. Most of the students agree that others over exaggerate the true importance of the ACT. It serves as a good overall placement test but does not define your overall knowledge. Students have witnessed others being overly stressed for the ACT. Test anxiety was considered amongst the juniors and validated.
The students acknowledged the immense anxiety the ACT can cause.
“They depend their whole future on it, but there is so much more to getting into college,” says Livia Waback.
The ACT provides a supportive transcript of your knowledge for colleges. If the test does not work out in your favor, it is not the only way you can get into the college you are invested into going to. Juniors explain how they have seen past students get into their sought after colleges without a high ACT score. Although it can stand as a good incentive for money, there is more that is looked for than just a test score. Trying your best and continuously working to get better is the responsible action.
The juniors know the importance of doing the best you are capable of achieving.
“I can see people with diverse scores that did not depend on the colleges they got into,” says Waback.
“It’s about trying your best and continuously improving from there,” says Julie Briggs.
