On Oct. 11, the dull skies coated the walls of the upstairs circle at HHS as junior Sabrina Ligeza sat down to take the Preliminary SAT.  With an envious mindset, because the seniors did not attend, she knew this test was a pivotal turning point in possibly defining her future.

The PSAT began at 7:30 Wednesday morning and ran until about 11 a.m. Beginning with the reading section and leading onto grammar, it concluded with math. The math was divided into two parts, a non-calculator and calculator section. For Ligeza, there was a clear difference between the two.

“The questions were easier on the calculator part,” she said. “It [was] stuff I [knew] how to do.”

The questions were more Algebra-based and had fewer higher level equations. The grammar component was a stage of testing Ligeza also referred to as the easiest part because “it just basic things we know.” 

Comparable to last year, the reading and grammar sections brought satire across social media platforms; each 45-minute section had meme provoking qualities. The humor from classic meme characters engulfed the internet, and it was shedding light on a not so wonderful morning.

A popular meme was a GIF of Kanye West rolling his eyes as the caption read, “When the #PSAT gives you all the Geometry formulas but all the questions are Algebra.” With 2,292 likes and 493 retweets, you could say a lot of students agreed.

Back to equations and unnecessary letters, the non-calculator segment was geared more towards math classes the average junior or sophomore would not take, like precalculus. Ligeza preferred the calculator portion because the questions easier to answer, even though the students were given only 35 minutes. Ligeza said she “hop[ed] to improve from last year,” but her stress is still there.

To ease a struggling student’s mind, the school will be providing SAT preparation classes in the winter, closer to the official test day in the spring. While the classes may seem like a bore, senior Hayley Horner disagrees on the negative response.

“[The classes and test] benefit you,” Horner said. “It is boring, but worth it.”

Around noon, students were off campus and left to enjoy the rest of the day, if they were called out. Another year, another test. Now is the time to start preparing, or procrastinate and scroll through Twitter memes.