Long Island SAT and ACT Prep

Over the years, many students and parents have asked us why we don't offer SAT and ACT review courses.  The answer is pretty simple.  As full-time high school teachers, we work with the New York State Regents material everyday.  So we focus on what we're good at: we take the Regents course content and skills that we teach throughout the school year and create intensive, one-shot, six-hour review sessions.  We leave the SAT/ACT prep to those who specialize in that type of tutoring.  That being said, if you're looking for a local, experienced tutor and are not interested in wasting thousands of dollars on Kaplan or Princeton Review, then check out these Long Island companies:

Long Island Test Prep with Gregg - For the past 8 years, Greg Zehentner has tutored hundreds of students from all over Long Island.  Here's what he has to say about his services: "My specialized approach and experience enable me to target any student's weaknesses and provide the strategies, tips, and tricks that will help raise his or her score to the level it should be! In addition to the many students I have assisted over the years, I have also developed content for SAT and ACT review websites, written an SAT study guide for a national review company, published an SAT book and taught prep classes across Long Island. I know the SAT and ACT inside and out!  Rather than a teacher who moonlights as a tutor, I am a full-time standardized test tutor who has cultivated his targeted methods over years of practice. You can check out my website at www.litestprep.com."

SAT, ACT, and GRE Tutoring with Mr. Eisenberg - Jeffrey Eisenberg has been tutoring students for over 20 years.  In addition, he is a social studies teacher at East Meadow High School.  Jeff says, "I help students in Long Island to succeed on the SAT, ACT, and GRE and work with students to demystify the exam, lower stress levels, and apply real-world strategies for mastering the test.  Students who embrace my techniques and practice them as assigned typically improve their scores significantly.  I look forward to discussing with you how we can work together towards this goal."  Visit his site at www.longislandtestprep.com.

Long Island Regents Prep announces 2012 review class schedule

We are happy to announce our Regents Review courses for this June.  As in past years, we've worked with the New York State Regents Examination schedule to provide students with one-day, six-hour Regents review classes that coincide as closely as possible with the actual Regents test dates.  In addition, to accommodate rising demand and to keep our class sizes small, we have added a third day of courses at Farmingdale State College.

Saturday, June 9, 2012
Global History and Geography
Integrated Algebra
Earth Science

Sunday, June 10, 2012
Global History and Geography
Integrated Algebra
Earth Science
United States History and Government
Physics
Living Environment
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
Geometry
Chemistry

Saturday, June 16, 2012
Living Environment
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
Geometry
Chemistry

Online course registration will begin on March 21st.  You may also register by mail or by phone.  Feel free to contact us at info@liregentsprep.com or (516) 847-1265 for more information.  We're looking forward to another successful year of providing students with the highest quality, most affordable Regents review classes on Long Island.

Tips for dealing with test anxiety

For many students, the end of the school year brings a combination of excitement and anxiety. As the days grow warmer, students look forward to their two-month summer break.  But, before fleeing to the beaches or to summer camp, they must first pass their finals, Regents exams, and, perhaps, take the SATs and ACTs. School can be stressful enough without the added pressure of standardized exams, but test anxiety is becoming increasingly widespread in our test-obsessed age of accountability.

According to the Penn State University Learning Center, symptoms of test anxiety can include insomnia, loss of appetite, panic, confusion, hopelessness, anger, and depression.

There are ways of dealing with these symptoms. Georgetown University's Counseling and Psychiatric Service website lists helpful tips for reducing test anxiety. Before the exam, students should get a good night's sleep, eat a modest meal, avoid other students who are stressed, and arrive early for the test.  During the exam, students might consider budgeting their time wisely, answering the easiest questions first, and making a brief outline of ideas.

In addition, Georgetown psychologist Wayne Hurr recommends relaxation techniques.  He writes, "If your mind is blocked by tension during an exam, close your eyes, take a long, deep breath, and then let it out slowly. Concentrate on your breathing and actually feel or hear yourself breathe. Don't allow yourself to worry about the time, test, or tension.  Repeat this twice, then return to the test."

Finally, researchers at the universities of Colorado and Chicago have found that writing down feelings shortly before an exam can reduce test anxiety and improve exam scores.  Perhaps students should jot down some of their summer vacation plans to help offset the stress!

This article was originally published on http://farmingdale.patch.com.

Check out our Regents blog posts @ the Farmingdale Patch

Long Island Regents Prep is now blogging for the Farmingdale Patch, a local news site.  We'll be contributing occasional pieces about the NYS Regents Exams, and will include discussions about news, issues, and test-taking tips.

Read our most recent blog post here!

Take practice Regents Exams online, for free!

As the end of the school year approaches, you might want to start studying for your final exams and taking some practice Regents tests.  Fortunately, you don't have to go out and buy review books to prepare.  There are plenty of practice questions online, in all subjects, and they're free!

To access every New York State Regents Exam that's ever been given (they go back to the 1930s), check out the NYS Education Department website.  There you can find exams, answers, and scoring rubrics, so you'll know exactly how the tests are graded in June.

If you're interested in studying course content and practicing Regents questions, then check out http://regentsprep.org, which is run by the Oswego City School District.  This is a wonderful, nonprofit service that offers help in every subject.

We hope that you find these sites helpful.  Good luck as you prepare for the end of the school year!

The June Regents Exam schedule is available (finally!)

Well, it's been a while since our last post, but we've all been waiting anxiously for the final version of the June 2011 Regents Exam Schedule, which you can access here.

The release of the exam schedule has allowed us to finalize our 2011 Regents Review classes.  The courses, which are listed below, will be offered at Farmingdale State College on June 12th and June 18th.  You may register for classes at any time by visiting http://www.liregentsprep.com/register_now.php.

June 12
Global History and Geography
United States History and Government
Comprehensive English
Geometry
Integrated Algebra
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
Physics
Earth Science
Chemistry
Living Environment

June 18
Spanish
Geometry
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
Chemistry
Living Environment

Charging schools for Regents Exams?

Due to the current budget crisis in New York State, the legislature may decide to charge schools for each Regents exam that they administer. The cost to school districts would be approximately $6 per student. While there are no plans to charge students directly, the districts could conceivably pass the expenses to taxpayers. Watch the video below, or check out related articles in Newsday and the Daily News.