Is writing the exam by hand a disadvantage? Forum

[omninode]

I held up the LSAT because it took me so long to write the verification statement (I don't do cursive - no one told me I could print). I would have been dead if writing was required.

HAHA, this was the most stressful part of my LSAT experience. If I remember right they told us cursive was required. My statement looked like a dyslexic blind man wrote it. It was really embarrassing, and I considered somehow law schools would see it and deny me.

I was all nervous about getting it right. I think there was some warning that your test would not be processed if you didn't do it EXACTLY right (at least that's how I interpreted it) so I kept double-checking to make sure I didn't miss any words or punctuation. On top of that, I was afraid my statement wouldn't fit in the space provided because my handwriting is kind of big and loopy. At my test they didn't ask if everyone was done before they moved on, so I was scrambling to finish this part while everyone else was filling in their LSAC number or whatever. To my sleep-deprived brain, this was the worst moment of my life.

Why can't they just have us check a box and sign our name like everything else in the world?

[abudaba]

Full disclosure: im a 1L half way through my finals so no quantitative results yet

I taught myself to type before I came to LS because I was concerned about the possible disadvantage come exam time. I was also worried about the extra time it would take to put an outline together by hand.

In UG I did everything by hand and had a successful system of organization developed over the years.

Cons of switching to computer:

- lots of time spent learning to use onenote
- time spent developing an effective organization system at outstart
- extra focus spent at the beginning of the semester during class because I was practicing typing while taking class notes (didnt really matter because I didnt know whats important anyway at first)

Pros

- developing a skill that is absolutely necessary that will be useful beyond LS
- can get much more down in class which translates to better outlines -> better exam prep -> better grades -> ??? -> profit
- SO much more effective at synthesizing material on a computer
- can write a TON more during the final (I started at 25 wpm at the start, now I'm at about 65-70)

Id say learn to type. No reason not to at least give yourself options. Ans its so satisfying the first time you do a google search using the home row and realize it

if I think of more ill edit it in later. hth

[Ty Webb]

I would say that it depends upon the class. Two of my professors proudly proclaimed that they had "put in more than you could possibly do in the time frame." That may be true, but it tells me that speed is definitely an important factor in success.

On other exams, where there are fewer issues and the quality of argument is the bigger key, I don't think it would be as big of an advantage. Still, you can easily modify typed exams and you don't have to worry about your handwriting getting sloppy when you're tired. For most people, it's more tiring to the hands to write than type.

Credited on hand-writing forcing you to be more concise, but that also means your stuff better be air-tight. When I'm typing 9000 words on a 2.5 hour to your 4000, there's much more of an opportunity for me to go in depth.