SAT, a standardized test high schoolers need to take to get into college. Many people find it to be very excruciating to the soul and mind. But for some weird reason, I have an uncanny liking to this test. To me, this test is like riding a roller coaster or skydiving. You know how people get a rush while doing these things, I get that rush when taking the SAT. Much like going on a roller coaster that 50,000 feet in the air waiting for someone like me to die, the SAT is a 4 section long test with 154 precarious questions waiting for someone to fail. Of course, there are hazards of going on a roller coaster; you could die, something could go wrong, or worse you could get pooped on or maybe...just maybe survive and feel good about it. The SAT is similar in the sense that you could end up getting a bad score, a bad test, or worse get a bad curve or it could go just right.

When you're in the line waiting for your turn to get on the roller coaster ride, you prepare for a long time much like the SAT. Unless you're an exception. You know, the ones that use a fast track thing. The ones that are already prepared for this dangerous, perilous journey you are about to embark on. And when you're ready, you're there. In the front. You've seen the people before you get off. Some so happy and thrilled by the outcome, while others disillusioned and filled with agony. Now, it comes down to you. Oh, the horror. The dread. The misery. The excitement. The thrill. Just as the people are getting off, your heart beats faster and faster until you reached the seat and then you know there’s no going back now. You sit. You look down at your seatbelt, and you realize it’s not there because there are no safety precautions on the SAT. All you see is your number 2 pencil, your calculator, and the test. You’ve been waiting for the longest time and now you're here. With all this preparation. You look to your right and of course, you see a girl who is wearing her math club hoodie. Smart. You know she is going to get the perfect score. The way she sits, the way she looks at her paper, the determined eyes. She’s the one. Now you just hope for the best. The test coordinator says you can start the first section. As you're going up the roller coaster, you are thrilled. Energized. Ready for this. You open to page number one. “I got this,” you think. Then you read the passage and then the question and the passage and the question and you repeat this several times until you know you’re stuck. You're at the top of the roller coaster. And from there, all you can go is down because you can’t stop now. You just have to enjoy the ride because it's still the beginning.

The test coördinator says, “5 minutes” and you're still on question 40. Now you're heart races faster than ever. You're going the fastest you've ever been with the possibility of risking your life as you go down the roller coaster. You excel at that speed. You encounter twists and turns where you can’t choose. You take a sharp turn as you're finishing up the last few questions bubbling arbitrary answer choices. Then the test coördinator says “stop.” You stop and sigh in relief that you're done with the first section. It becomes calm but you know somethings coming. You start on the next section. Your heart is equally as fast as during the first section. But you know this section is not as bad as the last. You then realize you're going up again, but this time instead of being frightened, you glance around and see the beautiful view. The city's below you and you realize that you're on top of the world. This is you. This where you’re at. You go down. But you enjoy it. You realize this may be the last time. You mark the bubbles with the utmost enthusiasm knowing that what you're choosing is correct. You breeze by it briskly and have reached the next section. This section is the fastest of all but you need to go faster because there is a larger margin for error in this section. This section is going straight in a roller coaster, faster than ever envisioned, and backward and forward and backward in a continuous cycle. Your mind is filled with the numbers in your head. And you're checking every last question until you know it's all right.
As your finishing up for the third section you hear a noise. Someone tapping, distracting you and stopping you from preparing. It’s your mom yelling, “picture” on the roller coaster. You glance at the clock. 2 minutes. You're done with the third section and ready for next. There it is right in front of you. The loop. You can see it coming but as you're on it you still get shocked by how fast it is. Times running. But you go fast and then you reach the math free response part with a calculator. The without calculator was all easy but this...this is different. You know there's going to be something but you don’t know what. What is it that's going to trick you? You keep going. And there it is. The trickiest question. The last one. You get stuck, and that's when you're sprayed with water because you don’t know how to do it. You're wet. They've sprayed water. Its come to a stop. Your heart calms thinking about the question over and over again and then, you get it. Relief. Relief is the first thing you feel. Not the same relief as before. A different one. An overcoming of a fear of some kind. Your eyes are filled with joy, and the test coördinator says, “Your time has come to an end.” You're happy. You've survived. You've either done your best or filled with regret. You see your parents on the side waiting for you. They ask, “How was it?” You respond with the usual nod, avoiding their eyes. You look at the people around you. Their expressions. Some disappointed. Some happy. Now you get off the roller coaster. You and your parents go to the picture booth. Now roller coasters are fun, but the best part is knowing whether your pictures turned out well or not. Is it ready to go on social media? Is it ready to go to colleges? Is bad? Is it good? Is this my last time or will I have to do it again? Of course, you don’t know right away but once you know you're either filled with joy or excitement. Because when it turns out good, you appreciate it and move on. But when it's not there yet, you smile and do it again.