How early should I start studying?

I took my first SAT in 6th grade through the Midwest Talent Search and I actually started studying then.  I do not advocate middle schoolers sitting down with lists of vocab studying away.  But I do think early exposure to the words makes them pop out more in everyday life - in the news, in books, and even puerile movies like The Mask (“I’m incorrigible!”).  I started studying more seriously the summer before my 10th grade because I knew I would be taking the PSAT that October. I say for the gunners out there, you should give yourself at least a couple of months to learn vocab and even longer if you have the time.

How do I get motivated to learn vocabulary?

I could lie to you and say vocabulary becomes vital later on in life, or even tell you the same story as before that vocab is a part of your SATs and that your SATs are a part of your college application, and your college application could determine your future.  But none of these really help.  I would say that vocab is the thing that you just have to sit down and learn.  No other way around it.  You can try to make it fun – this is why I advocate cartoons.  You could play games with your friends, where you use SAT vocab words in life.  Bonus points for using them in a ridiculous manner (“I bid you ennui”).  Even get together with friends and learn.  I find that sometimes the most mundane tasks can get done when you and your friends feed off each other’s energy.

So cartoons and other mnemonics help me remember vocab, but how can I “study” vocabulary?

The simple answer is read it and quiz yourself to make sure you know the words for real and not just think you do.  You can do this the same way you study for stuff in school.

If flash cards are your thing then bust out those index cards.  My only problem with flash cards is how long it takes to make them.  Some would argue that the mere act of making flashcards is helpful.  I was a big fan of lists.  I’d have an excel sheet, write the word in one column, definition in another, and then use dictionary.com or an encyclopedia to find the word in context.  This column method was taught to me by my tutor.  The main thing though is to constantly test yourself.  With flashcards its easy – just flip through the cards.  With the lists, I would print an extra copy with the definitions deleted, and then quiz myself at an appropriate time.  The words which I still didn’t know would be put on a separate list.  With flashcards, you can slowly dwindle the piles to study until there are no more words.

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