ACT Test & "no snacks"...are they serious?

[klfrech]

No snacks or drinks here for either Sats or Acts. My dd is taking the Acts for the second time tomorrow. She took the Sats last week for the second time as well. She's entering her senior year, has her heart set on a very competitive nursing school. She scored a 29 on her first Act and an 1840 on her first Sat attempt. She's hoping for a bit of a score improvement. Ideally she'd like to apply to her dream school before summer is over, with an answer coming about a month later. She has studied endlessly, and has taken lots or practice tests.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

 

[PrincessBelle09]

Being a bit young, I did this fairly recently and was not bothered by the no snacks rule for the ACT plus writing. Yeah, I was hungry by the time it was over, but it was not detrimental to my performance. Just make sure she gets a good breakfast (oatmeal is perfect), and she should be fine. Best of luck!

 

[Disfan3]

I am a HS teacher and have proctored many times and YES...they are VERY serious!!!

Also DO NOT allow her to even think about taking a cell phone in there! I had to instruct the students that their test will be thrown OUT if they are late from break, have a cell phone go off, cause any disturbance what so ever, EVER!! It is a major deal and they are very particular in their rules. All bags, purses, etc must be left in the front of the room, etc...

maybe the school will have drinking fountain there...but I suggest a nice breakfast in the morning and hopefully a drinking fountain will be around as will a restroom as there is EXACTLY 5 minutes for a break, not more, not less!! To the second.


Keep in mind how competitive college admissions can be and ARE. The testing center has to keep their test as sacred as possible for that reason...people can find a million ways to cheat and that is so unfair...I think your dd would rather be safe than competing with some cheater because water or soda was wanted Good luck to her!!!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I took a 4-hour teacher's exam a few years ago. We were allowed to take breaks whenever we wanted to but we still only had 4 hours for the test. If you stayed away too long you would lose valuable time to finish your test. We weren't allowed to eat in the testing room but we were allowed to take our purses to the bathroom. I ended up taking a granola bar in my purse and eating it quickly during my one and only bathroom break. I got a quick drink from the fountain and went back to my test. It worked out great because I passed!

 

[MushyMushy]

It was like that when I took all my Praxis exams too. I am never without a bottle or glass of water, so I wondered how I would do, but I was so focused and intent on taking the tests that it didn't matter.

I think with the short breaks, she'll be fine.

 

[tinkerbowler]

I took a 4-hour teacher's exam a few years ago. We were allowed to take breaks whenever we wanted to but we still only had 4 hours for the test. If you stayed away too long you would lose valuable time to finish your test. We weren't allowed to eat in the testing room but we were allowed to take our purses to the bathroom. I ended up taking a granola bar in my purse and eating it quickly during my one and only bathroom break. I got a quick drink from the fountain and went back to my test. It worked out great because I passed!

This is the test I am taking tomorrow. I forgot how the ACT and SATs were so different then this test.

Good luck to everyone who is taking tests tomorrow

 

[Imzadi]

just make sure she has a good breakfast.

Make sure it's a high protein breakfast. you do not want her burning all her carbs 25 minutes into the test. She will be nervous at the beginning and yes, she can lterally burn through all her carbs and be left with a low blood sugar dip and be mentally slow.

Wow, that's ridiculous. I'm glad that they didn't require that for me when I took it, because I have to eat every 3-4 hours or my blood sugar drops and I pass out.

I'm hypogycemic/pre-diabetic. I get really mentally fuzzy if I don't eat & my blood sugar dips. I know the signs now. Adult onset diabetes runs in my family, so I wasn't tested as a teen, since back then children & teens didn't get adult onset diabetes, like they do now. Adult onset diabetes is simply called type 2 diabetes, because of it.

I took the SATs twice. The test scores between the two times were soooo dramatically different, it was remarkable. My teachers and guidance counselor were shocked. No one could figure out why back then. It wasn't until years later that I realized I probably ate Twinkies or some bad, high carb snack

before the first test and had a blood sugar dip, and was in a slow mental fuzz. Whereas, the second time, my dad literally forced me to eat a good breakfast he made, and I lasted through the whole test.

 

[Christine]

My DD took the ACT plus writing also and yes it was a LONG test. She didn't take any snacks and was pretty hungry, tired, and grouchy when she got out. Knowing my daughter, she probably didn't even have breakfast beforehand because she gets an upset stomach if she eats too early. I don't think she got any opportunities for a snack. Maybe between the regular ACT and the "plus writing" portion (I will ask when she wakes up). I think if you are taking the plus writing portion, they should allow a small snack at that point. I know the I would be feeling it at that point and probably wouldn't do my best at the writing portion if I had a hunger headache and starving.

 

[loveadobie]

No snacks or drinks

Just a short restroom break.

They probably want to limit how often the students get up.

 

[Imzadi]

If they give a restroom break, make sure she has a protein bar she can have discreetly tucked into one of her pockets. I've chowed one down while waiting for the bathroom line. Whey one is hypoglycemic, you learn to sneak food when you can, while keeping whatever is going on moving forward.

 

[golfgal]

DS didn't have a problem with taking the test and not having food-and being a teenage boy, he eats non-stop usually .

 

[dejr_8]

It may be time to cut the apron strings. I am sure they will survive for 5 hours without food and water. If this is the biggest worry about the ACT then I bet they will do very well. Good Luck.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

Look, I am so far from having a snowflake and hate helicopters in every parenting sense of the word *but*

See, even you knew all this worrying about your child's hunger and thirst for a few hours was snowflakey behavior. I think a High School student should have no problem going without a snack for a few hours. I can understand the worry if there is a medical condition, but that doesn't sound like the case.

 

[PatsGirl]

I don't see the problem and maybe there's just a bit of "helicopter Mom" going on here even if you are doing your best not to be overprotective. (Hey, we can't help ourselves sometimes).

Thinking WAAAAY back, I vaguely remember going to school at 7:30 am, having lunch at noon or so and getting home at 3:00 with one short break for lunch. We survived for many decades like that. It wasn't until the late 80s, early 90s that snacking throughout the day and water bottles on your person at all times became the norm. Probably healthier, but then again, I'm doing just fine in middle age!

Good luck to your daughter on her test

 

[punkin]

Make sure it's a high protein breakfast. you do not want her burning all her carbs 25 minutes into the test. She will be nervous at the beginning and yes, she can lterally burn through all her carbs and be left with a low blood sugar dip and be mentally slow.



I'm hypogycemic/pre-diabetic. I get really mentally fuzzy if I don't eat & my blood sugar dips. I know the signs now. Adult onset diabetes runs in my family, so I wasn't tested as a teen, since back then children & teens didn't get adult onset diabetes, like they do now. Adult onset diabetes is simply called type 2 diabetes, because of it.

I took the SATs twice. The test scores between the two times were soooo dramatically different, it was remarkable. My teachers and guidance counselor were shocked. No one could figure out why back then. It wasn't until years later that I realized I probably ate Twinkies or some bad, high carb snack

before the first test and had a blood sugar dip, and was in a slow mental fuzz. Whereas, the second time, my dad literally forced me to eat a good breakfast he made, and I lasted through the whole test.

Here's my recipe for a pre-test breakfast. Two eggs over easy (not too much salt). Whole wheat toast with butter (two slices). Fake bacon (we don't eat the real stuff) and a cup of tea. This is only for before tests and I will actually wake up early and make it, unlike what I do on a regular day.

Also, if you have a documented medical problem (like diabetes) you can definitely get testing accommodations for the ACT, but that does not apply to OP.

See, even you knew all this worrying about your child's hunger and thirst for a few hours was snowflakey behavior. I think a High School student should have no problem going without a snack for a few hours. I can understand the worry if there is a medical condition, but that doesn't sound like the case.

Worrying about my child's hunger is absolutely not "flaky" behavior. It was on the list of duties I got when I gave birth. Didn't you get your child's manual?

 

[DeluxePrincess]

Worrying about my child's hunger is absolutely not "flaky" behavior. It was on the list of duties I got when I gave birth. Didn't you get your child's manual?

Yes worrying about your child's hunger is part of being a parent, but I would imagine a High School student can get through a few HOURS without his/her "wittle, speshul snackies".

 

[allison443]

See, even you knew all this worrying about your child's hunger and thirst for a few hours was snowflakey behavior. I think a High School student should have no problem going without a snack for a few hours. I can understand the worry if there is a medical condition, but that doesn't sound like the case.

I agree, I think OP's dd will be fine. However, OP just sounds like a concerned parent and at least she checked the test instructions the night before....there was a thread recently about kids showing up to take the SAT without the required ID and not being able to take the test! And the instructions say in BOLD letters to bring identification.

 

[punkin]

Yes worrying about your child's hunger is part of being a parent, but I would imagine a High School student can get through a few HOURS without his/her "wittle, speshul snackies".

Wow, I don't know how you managed to glean that from the OP's perfectly normal question.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I agree, I think OP's dd will be fine. However, OP just sounds like a concerned parent and at least she checked the test instructions the night beforetake the test!

Definitely! Big props to OP for reading the directions. I don't have High Schoolers yet, but most events my children are in seem to have clueless parents who don't read the material then complain when they are denied something.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

Wow, I don't know how you managed to glean that from the OP's perfectly normal question.

No, I was joking in my respone about "Snowflakey" to OP. The "wittle, speshul snackies" was meant for you.