ON FEBRUARY 28, juniors at Granger High took the ACT. It started at 7:30 a.m. and ended at 11:00 a.m.  First try was free, and after their first try, students not pleased with this score may try again it by paying the $42.50 fee for every retake.

Now that being said, it’s OK to freak out when the ACT is right around the corner. It’s only natural to feel stress. The ACT is not just this horrible, ugly test that all juniors have to take. Everyone has a different point of view.

Some may see it as a horrible living nightmare, some could see it as helpful. Some use it to know what they are good at or as a wake-up call to start opening books more often.

Many Lancers have some way to deal with stress. Many also have no idea on how to cope. Or it’s not even stress they’re feeling. It could be sadness, curiosity, or fear. Tests can kick up many emotions inside of students.

“One word to describe how I feel about the ACT is ‘nervous’ all because I don’t have ACT Prep,” Claire Sagendorf (11) said.

Many tests cause stress for students. Other Lancers don’t really worry so much about the ACT. They know that, by taking the ACT, it’s easier to see what can be improved.

“For starters I feel confident in English, but in the other stuff I’m doomed. I’m not too stressed, but I do like to listen to music to relax and feel a bit better,” Bran Hester (11) said. “A good side of taking the ACT is that you can see what your strongest points are and your weakest points.”

Confidence is key when taking any test. But practice makes perfect, taking an ACT prep class is the best way to go if Lancers really want to nail the ACT in their first try. Lancers are not in this alone. Ms. Taylor is encouraging juniors to do their very best, helping them in every way possible.

“I’m helping the juniors by teaching strategies. I also teach content like grammar rules, and give lots of practice tests,” Ms. Taylor said. “The juniors are my favorite to teach. I have high hopes for them to do well and to get the score they desire. I always tell them that confidence is key. They all have improved since the beginning of the year.”

Some Lancers didn’t seem to mind taking the ACT.

“To be honest I don’t mind taking the ACT. I’m not even stressed, but when I am stressed, I like to read and take my mind off everything. Also, I think that everyone freaks out about the ACT, but you can just retake it again: it’s not big deal,” Masen Martin (11) said.

Now with all this information to take in, the main message is to not stress. But to simply try, to encourage the sophomores to not be afraid about the ACT. The ACT is there for a reason and has its good uses. Some students may not have earned the score they wanted. Perhaps they think that the world is on fire because of it.

Don’t worry, just retake it.