In this LSAT Diaries compilation, I picked 7 tips from blog readers who achieved significant LSAT score increases.
On their LSAT prep journey, they picked up some valuable tips and shared them in LSAT Diaries.
Enjoy, and if you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please email me at LSATUnplugged@gmail.com. (You can be in LSAT Diaries whether you've taken the exam already or not.)
1. "I began to think like an LSAT writer, to get inside the head of the LSAT. I would start to pick up on nuances in wrong answer choices such as absolutes...or wrong answer choices that didn’t refer back to the sources cited in the argument...If you can start to have an eye for small things like this, something will click, and the LSAT will soon become a little bit simpler." - Anne, improved from 150 to 159 to 164 on LSAT retake (LSAT Diaries)
2. "Obsess over the test...I learned the history of the LSAT, the purpose, its importance, its trickery and any other minutiae I could find. I day-dreamed about ending up at a “reach school,” or getting a high enough LSAT to have a reasonable shot an Ivy League school. I drove my friends nuts with LSAT trivia and the nuances of the law school application process...How did this help? Simple—it allowed me to stay motivated for LSAT prep." - Brandon, improved from 150 to 170 (LSAT Diaries)
3. "What improved my score the most...was the habit of writing out each question I got wrong. I would write out an analysis...that explained to me why my answer choice was wrong and why the correct one was correct. Not only did this allow me to understand where I had gone wrong and to correct my faulty reasoning, but it also provided me with a mental framework, a process that I used with each logical reasoning question as I talked myself through the wrong answer choices." - Dan, improved from 141 to 168 (LSAT Diaries)
4. "Give yourself enough time, stay consistent, and always correct your mistakes. Even if you have to complain about a single LR question to anyone who will listen for days until you get it, make sure you understand every missed question. Above all, relax: you're not your test score." - Caleb, improved from 161 to 171 on LSAT retake (LSAT Diaries)
5. "I initially took my practice exams in the afternoons. After my initial score, I changed my strategy, waking daily around 6:00 am and beginning my studying between 8:00 and 9:00, and I took all practice tests around that time from then on. When your mind is geared to perform at that level at that time of the day, it makes a big difference." - J, improved from 157 to 166 on LSAT retake (LSAT Diaries)
6. "Every morning for a week before test day, I'd walk through this park and sit and listen to the birds and squirrels...Sometimes I would just sit with my legs dangling from the bridge and watch the water run over the rocks at the bottom of the small river. It was this sort of mind-clearing time that I really needed in order to focus."- Anthony, improved from 140s to 161 (LSAT Diaries)
7. "[L]eading up to test day, I took the two days before the test off of work to focus, and most importantly to relax. I did activities during the day that were not test-related, and wouldn't tire me out, ensuring a good night's sleep. I woke up the morning of the test, with my ziplock bag already packed, went through my normal morning routine, and headed out the door. I arrived at the testing center over an hour early, just to ensure that time would not add to my already existing nerves." - Brad, improved from 167 to 179 (LSAT Diaries)
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I had a 18 point increase. I would contribute it to two things; the LSAT Blog Schedule and the first time I took the test I read the question after the premise; the second time I read the question before the premise. I think those two are very critical!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! Might be strange, but I am kind of looking forward to my second stab at this test in Oct. Your words keep me encouraged!
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