Here’s a problem they don’t teach you about in school: overpreparing for the ACT or SAT.

So-called “test prep experts” are always telling you to sleep 10 hours, eat eggs for breakfast and triple-check that you have your calculator in your pocket before you take the tests.

To all that, we say “what-EV-er!”

Just as many of us have stayed up late the night before, skipped a morning meal and barely remembered our pencils. And you know what? We did just fine.

Here are some true tales from high school seniors who want teens everywhere to know that while they may have to take the SAT, they don’t have to sweat it too much:

“I’ve already taken the ACT, and I’m about to take the SAT. I made sure that I got a lot of sleep and ate healthy food the week before the test. I didn’t actually study specifically for the test. I just tried to stay focused on school. I thought the ACT was pretty easy. My score was higher than I thought it would be. I actually took it twice, but I got the same score both times.”

300 dpi 4 col x 10 in / 196x254 mm / 667x864 pixels Dennis Balogh color illustration of a woman taking a test. Akron Beacon Journal 2005

KEYWORDS: test stress anxiety testing sat psat gmat lsat lsat entrance exam drivers school desk student learning pencil krteducation education krtnational national krtworld world krtfeatures features krt educacion prueba examen women mujer escuela estudiente lapiz illustration ilustracion grabado aspecto aspectos ak contributed balogh coddington 2005 krt2005 standardized testing

– Kendal Forio, LHS senior

“I bought a CD with a bunch of practice tests on it to prepare, but they were too easy, and it didn’t prepare me for the actual test. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I found myself running out of time on some of the sections. My score was OK, but I was hoping to do a little better. It was good enough to get me into KU. That’s all I’m worried about.”

– Collin Watgen, FSHS senior

“I used a test prep book for the SAT. Both the ACT and SAT were pretty much what I expected. There weren’t any big surprises. I was satisfied with my score. I think I did fine. I don’t think that it’s really that important among all of the other things that they look at on college applications.”

Chris Hansen, FSHS senior

– Chris Hansen, Free State High School senior

“I prepared for the test (ACT) by answering questions through e-mail and briefly reading a prep book. The test wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did fairly well. I got a 25, so that’s decent. I thought I had done a lot worse on the science section than I did.”

– Shelby White, Lawrence High School senior

“There are a huge selection of books in the school library with some diagnostic tests that I used to study with. I think people make it sound harder than it really is. As long as you study for it, you should be fine. I ended up with a 22. It was enough to get me into college, but I’m planning to take it again.”

– Kenneth Stowe, LHS senior

Shelby White, LHS senior

“I studied for the test on an ACT prep Web site, and I studied the packet that they send you when you sign up to take it. I thought it would be more difficult, but I prepared for the worst. The first time I took it I got a 24, but I wanted to see if I could do better. I was disappointed that I only got a 25 the second time because they say that you can usually raise your score by three points if you take it again.”

– Nikki Cox, FSHS senior

“I had a party at my house the Friday night before my SAT.

My girlfriends spent the night, and we stayed up until about 3 a.m. watching movies and talking; I finally went to sleep before them all and was awoken periodically by laughter and screaming.

Even though I only had like four hours of sleep, I still did fine.”

– Jamie Doak, Joshua High School, Joshua, Texas

Katrina Schmerold, 16, of Chesterfield, Mo., tries to answer a question during an SAT prep test. Students offer varied advice on how to prepare for standardized tests, and that includes not stressing out beforehand.

“For starters, I didn’t go to any prep classes or study for the test or do any of that boring stuff. I’m not the smartest guy, but I find all of that to be kind of pointless because the SAT isn’t all that big a deal.

The night before my Oct. 8 test I went to a haunted house with some friends, and we didn’t come home until 2:30 a.m.

The morning of the SAT, I left my calculator in my car and didn’t realize I didn’t have it until I was in my seat ready to take my test. It was too late to go out and get it, so I just had to deal.

It wasn’t that bad at all, and I was satisfied with my scores.”

– Alex Cerda, Bowie High School, Arlington, Texas

“I took the SAT twice. The first time I went to the Princeton Review, did all the homework, reviewed the night before, and scored a 2240.

Nikki Cox, FSHS senior

The second time, I had senioritis, wanted to sleep and hated school. For the weeks leading up to it, the only preparing I did was write down the address of the place where I was supposed to take it. The night before, I opened a review book, closed it, and then went downstairs to watch TV and eat. I went to bed around 2 a.m.

I got a score of 2330.”

– Elaine Wang, Lamar High School, Arlington, Texas

“The first time I took my SAT, I prepared as much as I could. I took notes, reviewed from a study guide, and even took practice tests.

I was really nervous, and I had nightmares about making a low score a week before I even took the test. I didn’t sleep well the night before and of all things, I forgot my ID. In the end, I came out with a pretty good score.

I took it a second time but ended up doing worse.”

– Katherine Crutcher, Northwest High School, Justin, Texas

Kenneth Stowe, LHS senior

“I prepared for the SAT by taking a six-week, $350 prep course. I went three days a week, and on the days I didn’t go I studied with a study group. Also, every Saturday I met with a private, $10-an-hour tutor from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The night before the test, I went to bed at 9 p.m. and got a perfect eight hours of sleep. I woke up and ate bacon and eggs, drank orange juice and took a multi-vitamin. I left an hour early so I could get there in plenty of time, with a bag I had pre-packed the night before complete with all my supplies and a healthy snack.

All of this hard work, and I wound up with a mediocre score.”

– Kizanna Alexander, All Saints Episcopal School, Fort Worth, Texas