Building a study plan- please advise Forum

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Rupert Pupkin

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Building a study plan- please advise

Post by Rupert Pupkin » Sun May 01, 2016 6:36 pm

Hi all,

My goal for LSAT is to score 170+. I have done a good amount of research on courses and read various threads in this forum, however, my concern is that some of these threads reviewing courses and study plans is outdated (since they are from 2008-2012). Is this true?

I am trying to figure out if I should take an online course ( and which one) for an initial foundation or just self-study from the beginning. I am comparing Manhattan's Interact LSAT course, TM online course, and Powerscore online course. On the same note, is the money worth the investment or should I just do self-study with the books from the beginning. If I do the online course, my goal is to gain a foundation and then after taking the course, reading more books and PTing like crazy. Additionally, if i do not do the online course and start with the books, which one of the above is best (TM, Powerscore, Manhattan).

If I do take one of the three courses, would it be counterproductive for me to purchase a different company's prep books after and reviewing those. For example: taking the Manhattan course and then going through the bibles.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

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Blueprint Mithun

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Re: Building a study plan- please advise

Post by Blueprint Mithun » Sun May 01, 2016 7:05 pm

Any study plans from that era are still as relevant as they were back then. The LSAT has not changed significantly in the past 10 years (it's hardly changed in the past 25 years, honestly).

I can't speak on which course you should take, but I can give my two cents on making a decision between self-studying and taking a course. Self-study can be extremely effective and save you a lot of money, given that you are disciplined. This means doing at least some LSAT practice every day, and sticking to your long-term study plan. I'd advise you to think of studying for the LSAT as a part-time job where you're your own boss. Meaning that if you skimp out on a day or two, it's on you to make up for that.

So if you're serious about doing well., capable of being disciplined about putting in the time, and you're halfway decent at book-learning, self-study is a strong option.

A lot of people opt to take a course because it gives them something structured that they have to attend a few times a week. It pressures them to stay on track, and provides a study plan itself. You also get access to an instructor, so you'll have someone to bounce questions off of. The pace of a class varies depending on which course you take, and the level of the other students in the class, so it's pretty hard to predict that beforehand.

I don't see how switching prep books could be counterproductive. You'll get a slightly different perspective, and some of the approaches/terms may vary, but most of it will just be review for you at that point.

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