From my experience preparing for the SAT Math section, I realized that avoiding hard questions only limited my progress. Like many eldest daughters who feel extra pressure to excel, I initially stuck to easy problems for quick wins but quickly hit a plateau. The real breakthrough came when I deliberately started confronting the hardest questions first—even though they seemed intimidating at first. Using Lumist.ai's AI tutor was a game changer for me. It explained tricky problems in clear, digestible steps, mimicking a personal tutor available anytime. This immediate feedback helped me understand where I was getting trapped and why. Having a resource like this meant I didn’t have to rely on others or wait for help, enabling continuous, self-paced improvement. I filtered Lumist’s Question Bank to focus exclusively on challenging problems tailored to my weakest skills—particularly exponential functions and tricky word problems. Through daily practice of about 15 hard questions, I gradually developed problem-solving strategies that boosted both my confidence and score. Despite the initial difficulty, this approach transformed my mindset and results; the points truly came from tackling the questions I previously skipped. For anyone preparing for the SAT, especially under family expectations, I recommend making hard questions your first priority. It’s tough initially but incredibly rewarding. Tools like Lumist’s question filtering and explanations provide structured support, making those daunting problems more manageable. Embrace the challenge, track your progress, and you’ll find that your scores climb steadily, just like mine did—from 680 up to 770. Remember, the key to exam success lies in mastering the hard parts that others might avoid.