Many parents come to me with frustration and anxiety, worried that their student is not going to do well enough on the ACT test to get into the college of their choice or qualify for scholarships to help pay for them.
My answer is always the same; sometimes less is more. The more you stress out about your student's ACT test score, the more they will feel pressured. That is never a good thing with a test as important as the ACT.
Two ways that parents try to help their students that actually end up hurting them are: spending a lot of money on ACT prep courses and badgering them to study.
The reason that spending a lot of money on ACT prep courses is such a bad idea is that it just raises the stakes, and the pressure, on your student. Keep your expenses on ACT prep lower, at least at first, and let your student see some return on investment. Only then should you consider spending more.
The other way that students have trouble with increased anxiety is with their parents reminding them constantly to study. It is actually the most beneficial to study for shorter periods of time more frequently. When feeling hounded by their parents, students tend to put in marathon study sessions, although only once in a while, to get their parents off their back. Marathon study sessions are not very effective, and they are dreaded by most students anyway.
The best way for a parent to help their student get a high score on the ACT test is to back off and be confident that they will do their best. This confidence can come from a brief, inexpensive online video course like that from College Exam Tutor that will keep the pressure low, while strategically positioning your student for a dramatic increase in ACT test score.
