My Journey with the ACT, and Why I Think It's a Good Idea to Take it Early

Peace, Serenity, and Balance:

That's what I gained from taking the ACT in February and getting it done.

I do not plan to take it again, and even if I did, I think I gained a lot from starting the process as early as possible.

I took an ACT course at my school, which was once a week after school for just over a month, and offered two full-length, proctored practice tests on two weekends. I think this course prepared me well, and I am glad that I did not go overboard and stress myself out more than I needed to. Overworking to do well on standardized tests is often very detrimental - I have noticed this in my friends and in myself.

Now that I am aware that the ACT is struck off of my list of responsibilities, I feel much happier and I am much more capable of focusing on my schoolwork. I think that this decision is possibly the best one I have made to feel better for the remainder of my junior year and even this coming summer. I recommend taking this early approach to anyone who is wondering when they should schedule their test, whether it's the ACT or the SAT.

Taking action and taking initiative on your own to get these things done builds a lot of confidence, and I am happy to say that I was able to find that confidence in myself. I feel much freer to do what I enjoy, focus on schoolwork, and expand my social environment. Taking the ACT early in the year was the right move for me, and might be for others as well.