35 Signs you are studying for LSAT
Exam: LSAT Test - Law School Admission Test: Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reasoning
I am sure whoever is reading this article is eithera friend or a family to or the person himself studying for LSAT. LSAT is an entrance exam for admission to law degrees at colleges. But how would you really be studying for LSAT…how would you know that you are on the right path to fulfilling your dreams? Well in order to succeed you must live it too.
1.Start Early
Cracking LSAT’s actual test requires months of training in vocabulary, time management, exercising your brain and making it to do exactly what you want. Starting early will help you create your own environment, which can be structured and organized as per your needs.
2. Studying in a planned manner
Getting through an official LSAT is not a joke and one cannot crack by luck! Planning up your schedule is very important, as you would not want to score 130 and end up as an 8th percentile where you will be marked as “Unqualified” in the law schools.
3. Expanding your Vocabulary
Reading daily newspapers, going through books like “Word power made easy by Norman Lewis” or “High School English Grammar and Composition’ by Wren and Martin” are possible sources to building your vocabulary.
4. Mastering comprehensions
Reading comprehensions requires a student to use mental energy, sustain what has been read, processing and finally comprehending the most important detail or concepts in a passage. Making reading as a habit and practicing comprehensions from the past test papers for an hour daily can do wonders for you.
5. Taking blind LSAT Practice Test
Taking blind LSAT Practice Test without preparation will expose you to your strengths and weaknesses. By solving practice tests available in the “Princeton Review book” or others will greatly help you to make necessary improvement and taking actions. If you score 150 you are an average and if you score below 150, a lot of improvement needs to be made.
6. Analytical Reasoning
Solving LSAT Analytical Reasoning Practice Questions for two hours thrice a week can make you prepare for your actual test.It is just like practicing a piano, at first you start with one song and you play it again and again until your fingers are moving automatically, that’s how logic games work. For Analytical Reasoning you can rely on books by MK Pandey or RS Agarwal.
7. Logical reasoning
It is one of the trickiest section to prepare for as it requires you to think in a very different way. You will get to see a lot of arguments and you would be required to break them down in a way you probably haven’t in real life. Taking a lot of notes while solving LR and writing down why the answer choice is right/wrong. When you are done check your answer right away, that way you can fix your mistakes or reward yourself for good logic.
8. Experimental section
This section carries finely tuned questions, which can destroy your confidence. By splitting them up into individual sections you can give them individual attention thus forcing your inner self to work harder as you score your prep tests.
9. Take a class or get a private tutor?
If you learn bestin-group studies then you better opt for classes and if you are seeking individual help on specific topics, you should call for a private tutor. But private tutoring can be really expensive as compared to any good class; also a class can cover more topics in a short span. So the best advise is to join a class and get a little private tutoring on the side.
10. Purchasing LSAT books
LSAT prep books are expensive and the truth is, you’ll need a lot of books even if you are on money constraint. Highly recommended are “LSAT Study Schedules/Plans Guides”,”LSAT Prep Test Explanations”, “20 LSAT Prep Tests”
11. E-books
Other recommended sources apart from books are e-books, which are a lot cheaper than purchasing books. Here is a link to a free pdf: http://www.lsac.org/docs/default-source/jd-docs/sampleptjune.pdf
12. Physical activity
Studying for long hours require high mental performance. Regular exercises like jogging, yoga will not only keep you fit but will also help you build mental energy. Too much of coffee or drinking alcohol may hinder your performance.
13. Time management
Exercising your brain to practice reasoning exercises for at least two months is important to win and save time on a particular question. Without wasting too much time on one question it is prudent to move to the next one. It has been seen that the students appearing for the LSAT scoring 180 have successfully managed time.
14. Past LSAT papers
It is highly recommended that past papers which are available on the LSAT website should be purchased and solved.
It helps every law aspirant to know the kind of questions appearing in each section and improving you weak points.
15. Study Plan
To crack LSAT it is important that the study time should be consistent and should include eight hours of studies daily for at least two months. Variations and having more than two subjects a day can be a good exercise to reach your targeted score.
16. Artificial Timeline
Give yourself the ample time to master the LSAT. Short unrealistic timeframes can bring failure to your doorstep. Only geniuses, which include 4% of the people, can really crack LSAT in a short span of time.
17. Strategizing
Every preparation varies depending on an individual’s capability. Keeping in mind your capability, adapt the strategies to fit your strengths. One cannot be 100% sure of any plan, having a back-up plan is always a better strategy.
18. Preparatory books-waste of time
After your first LSAT official prep tests you learn that you have the basic LSAT skills. Rather going through the preparatory books, which explain various question types, it is highly recommended to focus your attention on practice tests.
LSAT advanced focuses on the hardest types of questions, which might make efficient use of your study time.
19. Meditation
During this period your mind is evolving at a very fast rate and it needs to be controlled. Breathing exercises and doing any kind of meditation helps you to take control on your body. More than 90% of people have reported that breathing exercises has benefited them.
20.Full Length tests
Once you are well versed with the different sections you should concentrate on full-length tests. A 35-minute section compared with full-length test proves to be more challenging and will help you tackle LSAT under stressful conditions.
21. Studying consistently
Set up a time when you will be practicing your tests daily, it would be like a meeting that you cannot miss. This will determine how much you can deliver in a give time frame and which level you are on. “It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
22. Online discussion forums
Some experts form online forums and make themselves available for the students for solving their queries. Joining some of these forums will expose you to the expert’s opinion and solutions to the student’s queries. Widely known, available and developed communities can be found on Facebook.
23. Reviewing your work
Evaluating the questions that you got wrong and understanding is a key to success. Failure to do so will make you do the same mistakes again and again on similarly framed question. Assessment and hard work always go hand in hand.
24. Getting Queries solved
It is important to consult an expert who can help you with clearing doubts. You can hire a private tutor for getting answers to specific questions that you might have missed in the class.
25. Notes
Making quick notes as you go through the books allows you to later recall what you have studied. It will save you that extra time and effort, as you do not have to go through all the pages of the book. It has been observed that people cracking LSAT do prepare personal notes.
26. Discarding unnecessary books
Time is an important factor when you are justdays away from the actual official LSAT. Throwing away useless books might just help you save both time and energy.
27. Getting applications on your mobile
Getting LSAT applications on your mobile phone helps many to keep track of their work and time. Taking a look at “LSAT Max” , “LSAT Trainer-Nerd Coach”, “LSAT Proctor Anywhere”, “LSAT Triangle” might just help you in your journey.
28. Appear for online LSAT test
There are many websites that provide free online LSAT test. Following websites provide you free LSAT tests:
www.princetonreview.com/free-lsat-prep
www.petersons.com and many more.
29. Help
You may ask any of your family members or friends to help, who could stand for you when you are busy and hold you accountable for not studying. This will give you extra boosting energy.
30. Excuses
Making LSAT your hobby can not only help you save from making excuses but also help you focus better. If you want to win admission offers from respected law schools do not let pressure impact your performance.
31. Minimizing stress
Overcoming your nervousness on the actual official test is a challenge. Thinking too much can be led my anxiety which is a poor way to prepare for the test. Being optimistic and solving test preps daily can prepare you well and keep your stress levels stable.
32. Motivation
No goal has ever been reached without motivation. Attending seminars held by men you secretly wish to be, reading motivational quotes and articles may direct you to the journey you want to reach.
34. Conversing with people who have already cracked LSAT
Discussing with people who are presently doing well and have cracked LSAT. By doing this you gain access to their knowledge and modify it as per your requirements.
35. Entertainment
And finally keeping oneself entertained is important but overdoing it may just create a problem. One must be able to balance between work and entertainment.