Tips to Study for the LSATs
Start untimed: I can’t stress this enough! Its such a huge mistake to start out timed. Take one exam timed to see where you’re at and then do individual sessions untimed. The worst thing you can do at the beginning of a long journey is to oversaturate yourself and in the end not learn from your mistakes. The LSAT is a thinking game in which you need to analyze what the best answer is and they WILL try to trick you. Take it slow and answer every question, as you keep on doing sessions you’ll see improvement.
Study for at least an hour daily: This might seem like an obvious one but make sure to study daily. Like everything practice makes perfect, and studying daily will help you see an improvement in your score. Even if its just a session or two per day and you increase as the test approaches, consistency is key.
Go over the questions you got wrong: As you start practicing more and more you’ll begin to identify that there are specific question types that will seem very similar from previous tests. If you see that you’re struggling in a specific type of question, become aware of it and pay extra attention when you come across it on an exam. Especially during those untimed sessions this is an absolutely crucial aspect of your learning process. Not all questions take the same amount of time, every test taker is different; know your strengths and weaknesses.
Don't be disappointed over a low score!: This is one of the most debilitating factors when attempting to study for such a mentally challenging exam as the LSAT. There is a lot of pressure on your shoulders to succeed and even though your initial score might be low, there is a lot of room for improvement. As long as you stay consistent and analyze your mistakes there will be improvement.
Don't worry about plateaus: Like in everything in life, you are likely to plateau in spite of constant work and effort. This is absolutely normal. If you see you are stuck in a particular score range for a section, try to do it more slowly and see WHY you’re getting them wrong. Don’t just go into it thinking, damn, its the logic games section, I’m going to get ten wrong. Analyze what you’re doing and stay away from autopilot. You’ll see eventually you’ll shift away and really make way toward progress.
DONT! RUSH!: TjEven if you’re doing timed sessions, never rush to try and race the clock. This makes you be more aware of the time than of the questions. More often, you’ll be better off by paying attention to every question and doing it more slowly, than rushing and not paying attention. With such a mentally tough exam, its important to pay attention to every single question.
And last but obviously not least, keep a positive mentality: Remember its a marathon, not a sprint! Keep your head up high and remember why you’re doing this! This is only the beginning of the journey, and from what I hear from the lawblr community its not about to get any easier. Enjoy your pre-law school life and always go into practicing thinking you’re going to improve. Its important to realize that this is still just a test. Perseverance and passion can take you farther than you’ve ever imagined.
Good luck with your studies! We’re in this process together and if you’ve got any questions feel free to send them over.