Don’t freak out when you take the SAT. Sure, the test is important, but many people act as if their entire lives depend on how they do on this one exam. It’s not true! It’s just one test, and you can even take it over again.

On test day, you want to sit down feeling confident and positive. Do what you have to do to get into that mindset—wear a lucky bracelet, do a hundred push-ups, write love poetry—because you need to believe in yourself when taking the SAT. A positive outlook increases your willingness to take an educated guess on a tough geometry item instead of leaving it blank. It helps you trust your inner ear, enabling you to answer a grammar item even though you don’t know the exact grammatical rule being tested. A positive approach to the SAT is more important than any single fact or strategy you could learn. Banish anxiety from your mind, and all the skills and strategies you’ve learned to prepare for the SAT will take its place.