On a bet from her son, Sue Shellenbarger took the SAT again after 41 years to see how a 57-year-old mom would do:
Life for teens is indeed harder, my experiment taught me, but not in the way I expected. Aging took a toll on my mental abilities, to be sure, but I was able to erase most of the losses by studying. What surprised me more were the psychological hurdles. Coping with the ramped-up expectations and competitiveness that infuse the SAT process — a reflection of our entire culture — sent me into a tailspin of adolescent regression, procrastination and sloppy study habits, all the behaviors I’ve taught my children to avoid. What I learned will make me a more tolerant parent.
Her diary entry from April 24:
I am far behind my original study plan, completing only five of the Study Guide’s eight practice tests. My study habits have gone down the tubes. I started out working in a disciplined way at our quiet, well-lighted kitchen table. But I’m becoming frustrated with this thankless process. After learning a math concept one night, I’ve forgotten it by the next; my brain seems to lack a holding bin. Anxiety over functions and formulas is ever-present. Slicing a grilled-cheese sandwich diagonally, I find myself pondering the length of the hypotenuse.I abandon the bright, orderly kitchen table and kick back on the couch. With the TV babbling, a snack in hand and my feet on the coffee table, I leaf through the Study Guide lackadaisically. My inner parent rages: “Turn off that TV! Put away those chips! Don’t you realize the SAT is only a week away?” But my inner teenager ignores her. The studying is so taxing, I realize, that I’m yearning for small comforts.
She didn’t do too badly, for all her talk of mental decay:
