LSAT Diary: Law School Visit, TV, and Distractions

Rosemary's first LSAT Diary gave some tips on getting started with LSAT studying. In this week's LSAT Diary, Rosemary deals with the distraction of watching TV, finds a study space, and visits her first-choice law school.

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.)

Rosemary's 2nd LSAT Diary
Studying this week has gotten off to a slow start but I’m starting to recognize my limitations and address them.

I’m a TV addict. I can’t tell you the countless hours I have spent mindlessly flipping through 150 channels only to end up watching Law and Order reruns. Seriously - they're on all hours of the day and night! Take for example, last Saturday, when I found myself caught up in a three-hour Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon. Unless the LSAC starts asking questions about how to simultaneously kill three vampires, this was a colossal waste of an afternoon.

My solution has been to program my DVR for exactly 4 hours of television viewing pleasure per week. This way I can watch my favorite shows at a time that’s better conducive to my study schedule, and I turn the television off as soon as the show is over. After all, this is the last season of Lost and I need to know what happens each week!

As much as I love studying at home and having easy access to the fridge, if I’m going to get serious this time I have to leave my humble abode and head to the library. Sometimes students need to treat studying like a full time job and commit to specific time schedules for studying or researching. By going to the library, I’m free of distractions and can focus on the task at hand. This is especially true on the days when I have 6 or 7 reading comprehension passages to go through and I can think of a 1001 things I’d rather be doing instead.

The highlight of my week was visiting my first-choice law school school. I got the chance to sit in on a property class, have a tour of the school with a 3L, and sit down one on one with an admissions counselor. If you haven’t visited a law school before, I highly encourage it! The property class was really interesting and dispelled any fears I had about the Socratic Method. The student tour was great because I found out about student employment on campus, daily study habits, and student housing - things you don't find in brochures on the school website.

The best part was sitting down with the admissions counselor. I really got a feel for what type of student they were looking for and I found out the personal statement carries more weight then I originally thought. I left the school energized knowing I really wanted to go there and that by studying hard for the LSAT would just mean I am one step closer!

Photo by finn / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Simugator LSAT Proctor DVD Review

*Update: Free LSAT Proctor mp3 Available*

No matter how much I write about preparing for LSAT Test Day, people still want tips and strategies for dealing with Test Day nerves.

And there are companies that make products to help people deal with those nerves.

No, I'm not talking about the pharmaceutical industry.

I'm talking about the Simugator LSAT Proctor DVD (alternate link / other alternate link).

The DVD simulates what it's like to take the LSAT on Test Day. It contains a video of a classroom where a bunch of people pretend to take the LSAT, and someone attractive pretends to proctor it. It's meant to help you get used to the distractions of taking the LSAT around other people - the proctors and other test-takers. (Perhaps having a hot proctor is intended to be part of the distraction.)

You pop it into your computer or DVD player when you're ready to take a timed full-length practice exam (or section).

The videocamera's set up so that you're facing the proctor and are surrounded by fellow test-takers. The proctor on the DVD gives a 5-minute warning and moves from one section to another without a break, just like the real thing. (Of course, you still get a 15-minute break between sections 3 and 4.)

The DVD has a "Distractions Mode" setting where they increase the annoyingness of the other "test-takers" and "proctor" to help you get used to what you might face on Test Day.

Just like a fighter pilot might use a simulator to practice, this DVD allows you to simulate the Test Day experience.

Does this DVD give you anything you can't get from a friend or a public place? At first glance, not really, but it does have some unique benefits - primarily, the fact that it offers test proctoring "on-demand."


Alternatives to the LSAT Proctor DVD:

Friend
You can have a friend proctor you, and it might be a little more real, but your friend might not always be available, and he/she probably isn't going to proctor dozens of PrepTests without asking for favors in return. Or maybe you don't have any friends.


Library / Starbucks
You can take your practice tests in a slightly distracting and noisy setting like a library or Starbucks, but maybe you're too lazy or those settings are too distracting and noisy. Or maybe you live in a part of the U.S. / the world that doesn't have places like libraries or Starbucks. However, even if you do live near a library or Starbucks, they're not open 24/7, and they don't always have seating available. A librarian or barista isn't likely to proctor your exam and call out a 5-minute warning.


Free LSAT Diagnostic Tests From Prep Companies
Many prep companies offer a free LSAT diagnostic test in a crowded room. This is as close as you can get to an actual LSAT experience. I recommend going to as many of these as possible in the month leading up to your test date. You can bring your own PrepTest and take it instead of using the one they give out. The prep companies don't mind. The downside of this option is that the diagnostics may not be offered frequently enough, and they may not be on your schedule.


So, should you get the LSAT Proctor DVD?
This DVD isn't for everyone. However, it might help you feel like you've been through the "experience" of taking several practice LSATs under test-like conditions.

Coming soon:

For $1000, your future LSAT proctor will come to your house and proctor a practice LSAT for you. He/she will also bring 20 friends to make noise and seduce you while you take your practice tests.

LSAT Test Dates in 2010 and 2011 | Change From Previous Years

LSAC has made the October 2010, December 2010, and February 2011 LSAT test dates a week later than they normally would've been (compared to test dates in previous years). The June 2010 LSAT's test date (June 7) remains the same, though.

(This is a little ironic since the June test date doesn't matter nearly as much, given that applicants can't start applying until the fall).

I'm including historical and current LSAT test dates at the end of this blog post to give you a sense of the shift.

Why This All Matters:

For June Test-Takers
This gives June test-takers the opportunity to submit their applications to some schools as much as 8.5 weeks earlier than October test-takers. June test-takers have never had this great an advantage over October LSAT-takers when it comes to timing.

For October/December Test-Takers
October test-takers can still apply relatively early in the cycle, but every week counts. It's especially important for October/December test-takers to get their applications together while waiting for the LSAT score. Submit everything the moment the score comes back.

For February Test-Takers
Taking the LSAT this late in the cycle was less than ideal already, so you really didn't need it to be a week later. When the LSAT test date moving a week later, the score release date also moves a week later. The February 2011 LSAT's scheduled release date is March 7th, 2011. Even though LSAC generally releases scores a few days early, they don't release February LSAT scores a full week early.

The especially-bad news - some law schools have March 1st application deadlines.

This means a February 2011 LSAT score won't do you any good for that cycle if your desired law school has a March 1st deadline. You need to look into your particular law school's application deadlines to determine this sooner rather than later.

If you're set on applying this cycle (and especially if your school has a March 1st deadline), I'd recommend taking the LSAT in June or October to give yourself another test (October or December, respectively) to fall back on.

The February LSAT's always been late, and now it's even later.



Evidence - LSAT Test Administration Dates Over Time:

June Test Dates
Monday, June 6, 2005
Monday, June 12, 2006
Monday, June 11, 2007
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday, June 7, 2010


September / October Test Dates
Saturday, October 2, 2004
Saturday, October 1, 2005
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, October 9, 2010


December Test Dates
Saturday, December 4, 2004
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Saturday, December 11, 2010


February Test Dates
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Saturday, February 4, 2006
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Saturday, February 12, 2011


Photo by spursfan_ace

Deciding to Take June vs October LSAT | Pros and Cons

I've already covered the benefits of taking the June LSAT instead of the February LSAT.

Generally speaking, I also believe it's better to take June LSAT than it is to take the October and December LSATs (for admissions-related reasons).

(This post is based upon the assumption that you're taking the LSAT less than a year before you intend to apply to law school. If you're planning way ahead, this won't apply to you.)

Benefits of taking the June LSAT

• It's better for your law school admissions chances because it allows you to apply at the beginning of the admissions cycle. Law schools typically begin accepting applications September 1, September 15, October 1, or October 15. Applying at the beginning of the cycle is especially important for top law schools.

• Early birds (June test-takers) have a bigger advantage this year than in previous years when it comes to applying early. This is a result of later-than-usual LSAT test dates for October, December, and February.
  

• You can be done with the LSAT sooner. If the June LSAT goes well, you can be done with it for good and relax this summer.

• You have more chances to retake. If the June LSAT doesn't go well (or if you're sick, have a family issue, someone vomits on you during the test, etc.) and you have to retake, you can retake in October and still apply relatively early in the cycle.

• The June LSAT is the only LSAT offered in the afternoon. No need to get on an early sleep schedule. If you take it outside a city, you may not have to go to the trouble of sleeping away from home the night before.
  

• The June LSAT is the only LSAT offered on a Monday. Normally, Sabbath observers have to take the LSAT on a different date than everyone else, and LSAC does not release Sabbath tests (scroll to bottom). This means Sabbath test-takers never get to see their exam booklet and answer sheet. However, because the regular June LSAT is on a Monday, all test-takers (except those outside North America) get to see their exam booklet and answer sheet. This is useful for planning a retake.
  

Benefits of taking the October LSAT

• Maybe you like getting up super-early, and the afternoon is too late for you to think.

• You don't have to (seriously) begin your studying now.

• Additionally, if you're a college student, consider:
  

* The June LSAT is offered soon after most schools' final exams typically end. You might not want to divide your attention between finals and LSAT studying in April and May.

* The October LSAT allows you the entire summer to study without being distracted by schoolwork (if you don't take summer classes). You still have to get through the first 1.5 months of the semester or so, but things probably won't be too intense that early in the semester. If you use the summer wisely, you can get through the vast majority of your LSAT studying then.

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What do you all think? What's impacting your decision re: June vs. October?

Photo by asmythie / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

LSAT Diaries: The 20-Something Receptionist

This installment of LSAT Diaries comes from Rosemary, a 28-year-old receptionist in Washington, D.C. She has some great advice below on getting started with your LSAT prep.

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.)

Leave Rosemary some encouragement below in the comments!

Rosemary's LSAT Diary:

I have a confession to make...I'm a test retaker. Yep, that's right. Once wasn't enough, so I'm studying for the LSAT again. Sure, I’m not happy to be in this position, but this time around I have a better idea of what I’m getting into and the time commitment that studying for the LSAT entails.

So what went wrong? Honestly I was naïve about the time commitment needed to prepare for the test. I took a well-known prep course and attended all the class sessions, but I didn’t do the homework outside of class. After 15 weeks, my test scores barely budged. By the time I realized my predicament it was too late to change dates, and I had to choose between not showing up for my test or canceling the score. I chose to cancel the score basically because I could experience the test-taking process first hand, which would hopefully help me when I retook the test.

I don’t like the position that I’m in, but my previous experience has made me more determined to take the time to prepare so that I can retake this test in 4 months and move on with my life.

This time around I know that I need to be better prepared from the beginning and the first step is developing a study schedule that fits my life. I’m currently in my last 6 weeks towards my bachelors, taking 2 evening classes while working full time. Since this week I needed to focus on midterms, I decided to get some of the housekeeping out of the way, so I can get off to a good start the first week.

1. Make a study schedule.

I’m using Steve’s 4-month LSAT study plan as a template and making adjustments as needed. I’m using a calendar I can access from my phone and home in order to keep track of the assignments I have each week. Because I still have 6 more weeks of schoolwork, having a master calendar allows me to balance my LSAT study schedule with upcoming papers and exams.


2. Define a study space.

Everything I’ve heard about studying for the LSAT says that it’s best to study in an atmosphere as close to your actual testing experience as possible. I know from past experience that my test site conducts the tests in large lecture halls with tables. I dug out my LSAT prep books, both the ones recommended by Steve along with the practice books I used from my prep course, and set up my dining room as my LSAT zone.


3. Register for the LSAT.

There are only two locations in my area that administer the test and if both of those locations fill up the next closest test site is 200 miles away. So because I like to always be on the safe side I took five minutes out of my day to register and pay for the LSAT at the same testing site that I took the test at last year.

Photo by bdorfman

Best LSAT Prep Books Recommendations

I already have a big list of LSAT prep book recommendations. That list contains what I consider to be the absolute best LSAT prep books.

I also recommend that you get as many real LSAT PrepTests as possible.

However, test-takers often ask me which prep books are absolutely necessary in order to do well. It's an understandable question, since LSAT prep books can get expensive and time is often very limited.

The truth is, you'll need a lot of books, and they're not always cheap.

Keeping in mind you may be under time / money constraints, I've made a concise list of the books I consider absolutely essential for the average test-taker's LSAT prep:

I've reviewed all of the following in my other Best LSAT Prep Books Recommendations post. The below are just a few of my recommendations.



LSAT Study Schedules / Plans / Guides

I've created a variety of week-by-week and day-by-day LSAT study schedules to help guide you during your LSAT prep. If you're looking for specific guidance on structuring your LSAT prep and using the LSAT prep books available, get one of the day-by-day plans.



LSAT PrepTest Explanations

Because LSAT PrepTests don't typically come with any kind of explanations, I've assembled LSAT PrepTest explanations for the vast majority of LSAT PrepTests. Get the ones covering areas where you have particular difficulty (Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, or Reading Comprehension).



20 LSAT PrepTests

If money's your major issue, these exams should be the 10 most recent LSAT PrepTests and The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests.

If time's your major issue, these exams should be just the 20 most recent LSAT PrepTests.

Whichever 20 PrepTests you purchase, you should make the older 10 the ones you use for learning purposes, and make the newer 10 the ones you use for full-length practice tests.


Free PDFs

Aside from including the book recommendations in my Best LSAT Prep Books blog post, here are two free LSAT PDFs on LSAC's website. They are:

Sample LSAT Questions and Explanations (PDF)

June 2007 LSAT - Sample LSAT PrepTest (PDF)

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I want to emphasize that I'm not suggesting that you use only these books instead of the ones in my other best LSAT prep books recommendations post (or in my LSAT study schedules). Those contain what I consider the ideal LSAT prep book shopping lists.

This blog post is for people who are skipping meals and turning tricks to pay for their prep books (or for people working insane hours with incredibly-limited study time).

If you're not one of those people, but you think LSAT prep books are too expensive, consider how much a top LSAT score is worth. Then consider the worth of a night out on the town you'll barely remember the next day.

You'll have plenty of money for bottle service at the club and fancy dinners when you're a big-shot attorney (or after you find a rich sugar daddy/momma while you're saving the world).

June 2010 LSAT Questions and Answers

The June 2010 LSAT might seem far off, but it'll be here before you know it. What would you like to see on the blog between now and then?

Please leave your questions for me (and for each other) in the comments, I'll do my best to answer as many of your questions as possible between now and June 7th.

Quick request: please leave a name rather than posting as "Anonymous." It makes it easier for everyone to respond to specific comments. Thanks!

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Also see previous Questions and Answers posts.

Photo by -bast- / CC BY 2.0

LSAT Test-Taker Survey

I asked the following questions to some blog readers who recently took the LSAT:

What do you know now that you wish you'd known before starting your LSAT prep? What would you have done differently?

Here are their responses:

-I wish I hadn't focused exclusively on the LSAT. My one track mind had a detrimental impact on other parts of the application preparation (getting recommendation letters). I also wouldn't have taken 2 consecutive days off [the week before]. It negated progress to some extent.

-I think your recommendations prepared me very well. The most important thing I learned was to take a lot of practice tests, and that it's all about timing.

-I wish I had started taking timed tests sooner. I only did them in the last two weeks and it was definitely not enough.

-I wish I knew how much harder the newer LSATs are--at least in terms of the curve. I also would have prepared better for reading comp. The newer passages seem to take a lot longer to get through.

-Your LSAT book recommendations! if I had known about them a year ago I could have saved a lot of money on Kaplan classes.

-I took the LSAT twice, but the second time I wasn't sure how much to study. I think it might helpful to set up a schedule for retakers who experience LSAT burn-out the first time from too much prep but who still want to adequately prepare for the second testing.

-I would have approached it less as a "general intelligence" test and more of a set of skills to master, particularly the logic games. I don't know if that would have changed how I prepared, but it would have been a different mindset. I did not take a prep course and still would not have chosen to do so.

-The typical burnout timescale. It freaked me out and almost broke me down until I talked to some other LSAT studiers who happened to be experiencing the same thing at the same time. I wish I would have known it was coming so I could have just pushed through it knowing there was light at the end of the tunnel instead of wasting valuable time freaking out.

-not get stuck on one problem in my logic games lol. I still think about that now. I got stuck on my 3rd game, the colors and toy dinosaurs, remember mauve lol. Anyway, my strategy was to focus on reading comp and games since those were my strongest areas and less on reasoning. I wish I would have know the LSAT will get you distracted on a question to prevent many from getting to the easier questions, like the 4th game with 7 questions.

-I wish I'd known the position of the experimental section. It would've helped prepare me better for a shocker first section on the February LSAT.

-started earlier and read your blog sooner!

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If you've taken the LSAT before (or have been prepping for a while), how would you answer those questions?

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Photo by lwr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

LSAT Logic: Neither Necessary Nor Sufficient

Sometimes test-takers get so wrapped up in formal logic and necessary/sufficient conditions that they forget something very important.

Some things in the world are neither necessary nor sufficient.

Take the relationship between frequent showering and kissing, for example. (Yes, it's a cutesy PG-rated example. Deal with it.)

Let's assume that:

Evidence #1: Some people are rich and/or famous enough that they could get a lots of kisses without showering frequently.

Evidence #2: However, other people shower all the time but still don't get lots of kisses.

Conclusion: Showering frequently doesn't help one get kisses.

The above conclusion is invalid.

The first piece of evidence tells us showering frequently is not necessary to get kisses.

The second piece of evidence tells us showering frequently is not sufficient to get kisses.

So, we've learned showering frequently is neither necessary or sufficient to get kisses. Does this mean showering frequently has no impact on kiss-getting? Of course not.

Showering frequently can help one get kisses without being enough to get kisses. For example, being good-looking probably helps.

Now look at the following two questions from real LSAT PrepTests:

PrepTest 32 (October 2000), Section 1, Question 11 (page 121 in Next 10)
PrepTest 38 (October 2002), Section 4, Question 21 (page 347 in Next 10)

It's worth noting that the first of these two questions (PT32) is not a flaw question. It's simply recognizing the same point as the showering example above and the question in PT38. We could easily turn the PT32 question into a flaw question by adding the following sentence to the end of the stimulus:

"Therefore, prior experience in foreign affairs does not promote successful foreign policy."

We could then accuse the argument of "failing to consider the possibility that prior experience in foreign policy promotes successful foreign policy without being necessary or sufficient alone to guarantee it."

Photo by stevendepolo / CC BY 2.0

Law School Admissions Workshops Online

I've previously interviewed law school admission consultant Ann Levine about The Law School Admission Game, her book on law school admissions. Ann's also shared some general law school admission advice on LSAT Blog in the past.

Ann recently announced she's hosting a series of "webinars" called “Learning the Rules of the Law School Admission Game.” (For the eldery/non-tech-savvy among you, webinars are like seminars or workshops, but over the web). Ann's webinars aren't free, but they're not a fortune, either.

If you're applying to law school in Fall 2011, these webinars look like a great opportunity to learn a bit more about the process, to ask your admissions-related questions, and to ask Ann to elaborate on anything in her book, The Law School Admission Game.

Photo by 41626461@N06 / CC BY-ND 2.0

4-Month LSAT Study Plan / Schedule

Also see the 4-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Premium Day-By-Day Version.

4 months is PLENTY of time if you stick with a regular, but moderate, schedule. I've reviewed all books and PrepTests mentioned below in my best LSAT prep books recommendations post.

This schedule is intense. Follow it only if you're studying for the LSAT full-time, or if you're able to study for several hours each weekend. You might have work/school/life obligations that make this impossible. If that's the case, skip some of the "re-do" and "review" weeks, and complete the rest at a more relaxed pace.

Month 1:

Review my relevant articles on Logic Games and complete this list of Logic Games from PrepTests 52-61 ordered by difficulty during the first 4 weeks.

Week 1: Complete Pure Sequencing, Basic Linear, and Advanced Linear games. Review each game that gives you trouble.

Week 2: Complete Grouping: In-Out / Selection, Grouping: Splitting, and Grouping: Matching games. Review each game that gives you trouble.

Week 3: Complete Combination games. Review each game that gives you trouble. Then complete any Logic Games in older exams of the types that give you difficulty. Complete a few sections of Logic Games under timed conditions, and read A Rulebook For Arguments.

Week 4: Review my articles on Logical Reasoning before completing LSAT questions of each type in PrepTests 52-61 using the LSAT Logical Reasoning spreadsheet (untimed). Complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.


Month 2:
Week 5: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.

Week 6: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.

Week 7: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.

Week 8: Review my articles on Reading Comprehension and complete several sections of Reading Comp from PrepTests 52-61 (untimed). Complete a few sections of Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension under timed conditions.


Month 3:
Week 9: Catch-up and review week. Re-do the Linear / Sequencing games from PrepTests 52-61, then re-do the Grouping and Combination games from PrepTests 52-61. Try to solve them more quickly and make new inferences.

Week 10: Complete the 3 tests in LSAC's SuperPrep (timed) and review the explanations. Although the explanations are technical, it's good to learn how the test-makers think. Identify weak areas.

Week 11: Re-read my articles on Logic Games and Logical Reasoning about question-types still giving you trouble. Use my Logic Games categorizations and/or Logical Reasoning spreadsheet to do question-types in older exams that still give you difficulty. Complete a recent LSAT PrepTest under timed conditions. Review.

Week 12: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests under timed conditions.

Month 4:
Week 13: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Review each exam on alternating days.

For the remaining weeks, use these free Logic Games Explanations, these video explanations, and these other LSAT explanations after completing the relevant exam.

Week 14: Complete another 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 15: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Consider using one section to create a 6-section exam for extra practice. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 16: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. (Again, consider using one section to create a 6-section exam). More thoughts on how to simulate the experimental section in this this article. Review each exam on alternating days.

Finally, rock the LSAT on Test Day.

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Also check out my other sample LSAT study schedules and plans.