The surprising thing about microdosing and LSAT prep

I'm constantly buying books and courses, reading articles, watching lectures, etc. I'm curious to learn new skills and gain new insights I can apply - not just to the LSAT - but to all areas of my life.

One thing I've been hearing about a lot over the past few years is microdosing...

so I looked into it.


In case you haven't heard about it, some people take tiny amounts of LSD (or psilocybin mushrooms, etc.) and claim to get all kinds of benefits like increased cognition and creativity, anxiety reduction, etc.

So, despite the fact that they're illegal with rare exceptions, more and more people are experimenting with them in a variety of different ways.

There are a LOT of big claims around this practice. People are getting overexcited and overselling it.


And given that I'm all about the LSAT, I'm a pretty skeptical person.


So I looked to see where the evidence was to support these claims. After all, if microdosing is safe and effective, I might be interested in trying it for myself (once it's legal, of course).

But it turns out that there hasn't been a single major scientific trial to support any of these claims!


There's a little something these people are forgetting called the placebo effect.

If you take something you think will help you, you might feel better just because you expect it!


When one researcher did a rigorous microdosing self-experiment, here was his takeaway:

"No beneficial effects reached statistical-significance and there were worrisome negative trends. LSD microdosing did not help me."

Aside from that, there's also the fact that it's not legal.


There's a lot of positive news these days around psychedelics in general. At higher doses, they've been shown to have beneficial effects in controlled therapeutic settings. But that doesn't mean microdosing gives similar benefits.

So, whether these substances should be illegal (classified as Schedule I drugs) is another question, but the bottom line is they are.

And having a criminal record with drug charges won't do you any favors for law school admission, passing the bar, etc.

Don't take the risk.



There are plenty of other ways you can boost cognition and increase your LSAT score. In fact, here are a few right now:

* getting enough sleep
meditation
* reducing or cutting out marijuana and alcohol


When it comes to your LSAT prep, there's no such thing as magic smart pills, whether legal or illegal.


It's ultimately up to you to invest yourself in your LSAT prep - to make it such a powerful force in your life that it will have a lasting impact into law school and beyond.

Instead of looking for shortcuts, think about the aspect of LSAT prep you dread the most, the area you KNOW you should be working on, and start there.

Stay tuned,

LSAT Steve


P.S. If you want to know more about psychedelics without all the sensationalism, journalist Michael Pollan wrote the #1 NYTimes best-seller How to Change Your Mind. I found it fascinating - Well worth a read.


how to ace LSAT Logic Games like Elle Woods

In Legally Blonde, Elle Woods (played by Reese Witherspoon) went from being a total airhead to rocking a 179 on the LSAT and getting into Harvard Law.
Elle Woods in Pink with Dog

The Logic Game she's trying to solve at 0:38 in this clip --


Elle Woods YouTube clip
IS ONE OF THE HARDEST LOGIC GAMES OF ALL TIME!!!!


But it's important because the concepts it tests come up in TONS of other Logic Games.

They involve a little something called Conditional Reasoning.

I wrote an article to help you solve games like that one. And a lot of previous LSAT-takers found it helpful.


Click this link to find out how to solve these games:


Steve


P.S. Want more LSAT Test Day motivation? Check out my playlist here.

P.P.S. I feature live LSAT coaching and law school admissions coaching sessions on the LSAT Unplugged YouTube channel and podcast. Email me if you'd like to participate.


Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. Logic Games Explanations
The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer.

3. Mastering LSAT Logic Games
This guide to Logic Games is by a former writer of actual LSAT questions! Enough said.


why I secretly enjoy (ok, LOOOOVE) Logic Games

I'm constantly getting hate mail from the few of you who LOVE whining about the LSAT.



(Speaking of which, if you're one of those people, PLEASE JUST GO AHEAD AND STOP READING RIGHT NOW. I only want people reading this who actually want to CONQUER the LSAT. Not COMPLAIN about it.)


Ok now that I have the ranting out of the way and we've gotten rid of the haters, I'm going to share FIVE reasons I love Logic Games.


5 Reasons I LOVE Logic Games:


5.) They're like sudoku.


4.) It's oddly satisfying to make a solid diagram and then quickly answer the questions. (If you're not there yet, this will come with time. It took me MONTHS.)


3.) Although the topic never matters, it's fun to make fun of the games' goofy topics (clowns getting out of cars, really?!).


2.) After jumping from one question type to another in Logical Reasoning, it's nice to finally have a bunch of related questions.


DRUMROLLLLLLLLLLL......




1.) It's the easiest section to learn. Really.

Don't believe me on that last point? High scorers often get PERFECT scores on Logic Games. (Click here for an example.). They typically lose their points on Logical Reasoning and Reading Comp.


***

What this means for you:

If you want a top score, you need to master Logic Games.

And mastering something involves developing an appreciation for it. Even LOOOOOOVE.

That's how you go from being scared of impending doom  --


Ned Stark



to being a top-level LSAT scorer.

Barney Awesome LSAT Scores
To find out how to love Logic Games (and start getting awesome LSAT scores), check out the story of....

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Logic Games ---->

Forever yours in LSAT love,


Steve


P.S. It might sound nerdy and a little weird, but the reason I'm so serious about loving the LSAT is that in order to truly master it, you need to have a real appreciation for it. That's going to help you MUCH more than just saying it's "stupid" and "doesn't test anything."


P.P.S. In the meantime, check out my YouTube videos on Logic Games. One of the most popular has been LG Basics Explained in 10 Minutes.


Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. Logic Games Explanations
The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These don't just fall back on "out of scope," but actually tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer.

3. Logic Games Cheat Sheet
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.



3 surprising discoveries about LSAT prep

Today, I'm going to do something different. Something other LSAT pros don't typically do.

It'll be my gift to you - a "thank-you" for choosing to invest your time with me by continuing to read my articles.

I'm going to share three surprising discoveries that helped me gain a deep understanding of the LSAT mindset. 

Here's how I developed the critical thinking skills necessary to improve my score from the low 150s to 175:

Surprising Discovery #1: It's All About the Review


Back when I was studying for the LSAT, I took exam after exam, trusting in the saying "practice makes perfect.

Turns out, there's much more to it than that.

And when it comes to LSAT prep, the more you "practice," the more your score might drop!

After all, burnout is real. And taking exams without learning from mistakes is worse than doing nothing because you waste time studying that you could've been using productively. It also uses up valuable practice material.

Think about the last time you took a full-length exam. How long did you spend reviewing it? And what did you get out of the process?

What do you think most people do? And what do they learn from taking exams, aside from how much "room for improvement" they have?

When everyone else zigs, you have to zag. That means doing the deep work necessary to understand the test from the test-makers' perspective. My improvements came after I took fewer exams and reviewed them in more depth.

Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.



Surprising Discovery #2: Action over Perfection

After getting discouraged by my repeated low scores, I'd fall into procrastination traps and stop doing questions altogether. Instead, I'd just read random blogs and forums, hoping for the one key insight that would change everything.

It turned out that the key insights - the ones that skyrocketed my scores into the 170s - didn't come from page 11 of some message board thread. They came from mastering the process of test preparation. Not being afraid to fail.

In fact, I started seeing my low scores and incorrect answers as learning opportunities to deepen my understanding. To see the patterns in my mistakes. To spot all the tricks the test-makers use.

The more questions I got wrong, the more I learned.

Action over Perfection.



Surprising Discovery #3: FUN

Studying for the LSAT doesn't have to be boring. And it doesn't have to make you feel stupid. In fact, I found myself more engaged - and even excited to study when I started treating it like a joke.

Of course, I took the preparation process seriously, but I found things about the exam to laugh at. Like the ridiculous names and topics they use in Logic Games. Or the weirdly flawed arguments that no one would ever make it real life.

Once I started to notice that the LSAT's test-makers are basically trolling us a lot of the time, I started to ENJOY studying because it gave me a chance to call them out on their BS.

So I made a fun little quiz where I put LSAT and Kanye quotes side by side --
LSAT vs. Kanye
And ask you to tell who said each.

Because, let's face it, sometimes the LSAT says things that make you go, "Uhhhhhh.....WTF?" 

And so do politicians and celebrities (like Kanye)!
Believe it or not, getting a perfect score on this isn't as easy as it might sound at first. (A lot of people got #8 wrong.)

Kanye wasn't the only one making flawed or strange statements, though.

I even started noticing flawed arguments that my friends and family made! At first, I made the mistake of pointing this out and causing some unnecessary conflicts, but I learned to keep some of these thoughts to myself and save those insights for my LSAT prep.

As part of my review process, I started looking at LSAT arguments and making analogies to real-world situations.

Once I started seeing the exam that way, I began to enjoy the LSAT prep process(!), and my score started to rise.

Do you see how this could totally change how you study for the LSAT?

What would change for you if you started to legitimately have fun studying for the LSAT during those the 5, 10, 15, or 20+ hours a week you're investing?

What if you could make real-world analogies to the crazy arguments the LSAT contains? And what if it got to the point where you actually enjoyed studying?

When you focus on the stuff that truly makes a difference in your prep, and have fun doing so, you'll get results that surprise everyone, including yourself.

These subtle mindshift shifts are where the magic happens. It's not about memorizing some company's trademarked "trick" or unique diagramming style. It's all about a few subtle mindset shifts:

First, you can take exam after exam. But it doesn't matter if you don't learn anything from your mistakes. So you'd better figure out what you're doing wrong so you can fix it and improve for next time.

Second, browsing forums with all the other procrastinators else kills motivation and wastes time. Ask yourself what insights you're gaining from your time online? What if you had to justify your time spent to your boss? If you don't have a good answer, it's time to adjust your approach.

Third - and this is my favorite - you can ENJOY the process and learn to love the LSAT. It's a complete rewiring of how we typically think about the exam. But it makes all the difference. Once you look forward to studying, everything will change for you.

So, you have a choice today. I’m not going to beat you over the head telling you the dozens of reasons to join the LSAT courses.

I could tell you how what I offer is different than any other prep course out there. I could also show you all the tactics, tools, and strategies I use to help students achieve 15+ score increases and break into the 170s, even for the toughest cases.

But here's the one thing that matters:


You’re reading a 1,000+ word article about the LSAT.



There are a million other things you could be doing right now. But you've chosen to keep reading my articles for a reason.

If you choose not to join, that's ok -- I’ll still keep sharing free material that’s better than what you'll find in anyone else’s paid courses.

You could try to do this on your own and do what most students do. Buy a few books, hit the library, and give it your best shot.

But here's how I think about it......once you’ve decided to commit to improving your LSAT score, wouldn’t you want to give yourself every advantage possible? Wouldn't you want to get all the help you could?

And when you’ve made the decision to learn and improve, wouldn’t you want to learn from the person whose material you’re reading right now?

If so, I’d like to invite you to join.

Click here to join and improve your LSAT score today.

-Steve



P.S. As a member, you'll get the tools, tactics, and strategies I've previously shared with only my one-on-one students - including the exact step-by-step system I've used to help thousands increase their scores into the 160s and 170s. You'll also get early exclusive access to my premium materials as I create them. Join now.

P.P.S. Joining the courses is 100% risk-free. That means you can try them out for a month, then decide if they're right for you. If you don't love them, just let me know and I'll refund all your money. But I'm confident they'll help you improve your LSAT score and get into the law school of your dreams.


How I finally started studying for the LSAT

Studying for the LSAT is really hard.

And, because it's hard, other things always seemed to "get in the way."

I spent days crossing off all the easier things on my to-do list.

There was always my email to check, news feeds, and another episode or three of something to binge-watch.

Even cleaning my room seemed more appealing. At least it didn't make me feel stupid.

It took me MONTHS to go from:

THINKING about studying --------------------------------------------> ACTUALLY studying.
Somewhere along that arrow is what separates people CAPABLE of getting high scores from those who actually ***GET*** high scores.


Here's how I did it:

* I put my cell phone on Airplane mode.

People were not allowed to contact me (and I was not allowed to contact other people) during "study time."


* I turned off my computer's WiFi (or didn't even bring it with me).
I'd typically go to the library or a cafe, and I would pre-load whatever websites / PDFs I "needed to study."

Even better, I PRINTED OUT what I needed aside from physical LSAT books and left the computer at home. The Internet has more non-LSAT distractions than actual useful LSAT stuff.


* I gave myself small rewards during study breaks.

A lot of the LSAT books I read were really, really boring. And my brain needed a break from doing LSAT sections every once in a while. So I promised myself rewards for getting through a chapter of a book, or a section of the LSAT.




Some people reward themselves with junk food, 1,000+ calorie lattes, or alcohol.

Sure, I probably had a bit too much of those back when I was studying, but I usually picked a different "poison..."


I rewarded myself by...............

watching an episode of Chappelle's Show.
Chappelle's Show

Remember Dave Chappelle?

It might sound silly, but I really got a kick out of watching him as a break from my studying. I just needed something light after all those boring and serious questions about heart disease and dinosaur extinction.

So, give it a try sometime. If not that, maybe the Kardashians?

Anyway, I'll leave you with one of my favorite skits from Chappelle's Show. (Totally NSFW, yet hilarious!)


http://www.cc.com/video-clips/iuegla/chappelle-s-show-charlie-murphy-s-true-hollywood-stories---rick-james-pt--1---uncensored


Peace,
Steve


P.S. I also used these EXACT strategies years later when I wrote over 1000+ LSAT explanations. That's how well they worked.


P.P.S. Check out my YouTube playlist to get some of my best LSAT motivation videos.


Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.

3. LSAT Cheat Sheets
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.


how to do timed LSAT practice tests

Steve here, and I'm going to share some tips on how to do timed practice tests.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the LSAT study schedules, I recommend you include extra sections when you're doing your full-length practice exams.

Why would I recommend such a cruel and difficult task?

Because LSAC uses test-takers as lab rats.

Or maybe they ARE lab rats.
LSAC Lab Rats
The bottom line:

They include an unscored experimental section on the LSAT and don't tell you which one it is.

Because if you knew which one it was, you'd probably take a nap to recuperate between the sections you care about - the scored ones.

So, instead of practicing with 4 sections like you see in your LSAT exams, practice with 5 sections.

But which extra section do you use, and where do you it in your practice test?

Two main approaches:

1. Rotate the type of "extra" section you use.

2. Make the extra section(s) the one you like the least.


For most people, a combination of the two is probably best.


But if you want to get REALLY CRAZY...
Add in 2 extra sections, making it a total of 6 sections.

Don't do this too often because you don't want to burn out.

But, for some of you crazies (and people pushing for super-high scores), it could be helpful to build endurance by doing one section more than you'll do on the actual test.



In case you haven't guessed, I've thought about simulating Test Day a LOT. It's why made an entire series of LSAT and Test Day Checklists.

It's because I want to make sure you're thinking about these things. The checklists include all the little items and details students don't usually think of. They hold you accountable and help you make sure you're not missing anything.

In my next email, I'll share the techniques I used to stay motivated back when I was studying for the LSAT.

-Steve


P.S. If you want to find out more about how to prepare for Test Day and make sure you're not missing anything, get the LSAT and Test Day checklists now. Nobody thinks it'll happen to them, but people experience significant "test day drops" ALL THE TIME.
LSAT Test Day Drop
LSAT Test Day Drop
LSAT Test Day Drop
Most "score drops" are due to at least 1 of 2 major factors:

1. Nerves/anxiety

2. Failure to properly simulate Test Day conditions

And both of these are completely preventable!


Until next time,

LSAT Steve