Surviving the ACT: BHS Juniors Share Their Experiences

On February 24th, all the juniors attending Beavercreek High School took the ACT. Before taking the test, many students were nervous and unsure of what to expect, and worried about how they would perform. A couple of students at BHS shared what their experience taking the ACT was like and why it was an unpleasant experience for many of them. When questioned if the students felt prepared enough before taking the ACT, a resounding “no” was the answer to all. Brooklyne Allen, a junior at Beavercreek, stated, “No, I did not feel prepared for the ACT because I did not study at all for it.” Similarly, BHS junior Cameron Paddock said, “No, I was not prepared enough for the ACT because I did not have time to study before taking it.” Other students mentioned how even studying did not help their experience. Evelyn Vogel, another junior attending Beavercreek, stated, “No, because even though I had studied, I only looked at the English portion a little and did not study any of the right things for the math section, so it barely helped me.” BHS junior Morgan Drummond also had a close experience to Vogel’s and said, “No, I did not feel prepared enough for the ACT even though I had studied some before. What I had studied was just not enough.” Students also shared what they felt was the most difficult part of the test for them, whether it was managing the time or a certain section. Allen stated, “The hardest part of the ACT was having a short amount of time to finish each section of the test because I felt like I was running out of time,” while Drummond said, “I had a difficult time staying focused because the test was so long.” Other students like Vogel and Paddock struggled more with the actual parts of the test. Vogel stated, “I had a hard time with the math section because I didn’t study enough for it,” and Paddock said, “The hardest part on the test for me was the science section because I just didn’t study at all.” If these students decide to retake the test, they will have a clearer idea of what to expect and what they will do differently. Vogel stated, “I would have the test not on my birthday because I was so excited it was my birthday that I kept waking up throughout the night.” Allen, Paddock, and Drummond agreed that they would study more for the test overall and focus intensely on the sections they struggled with most, whether that was math or science. The ACT is certainly not an enjoyable time for students, but for any student who needs to take it in the future: study, study, study!