Study tips Forum

[deputamadre]

I blew the Dec. LSAT and plan on taking it again in June. I have 4 months left and dont feel it necessary to study as rigorous as I did before (2.5) tests a week. Any suggestions on a new study schedule? I was thinking 2 sections a week, not timed, while concentrating on technique.

[BriaTharen]

You can do the untimed for a while, practicing a technique- but at least a month or two before the test you need to start timing yourself again

[aether]

I blew the Dec. LSAT and plan on taking it again in June. I have 4 months left and dont feel it necessary to study as rigorous as I did before (2.5) tests a week. Any suggestions on a new study schedule? I was thinking 2 sections a week, not timed, while concentrating on technique.

You didn't say specifically what happened to you during the December test. It's difficult for us to give you good study advice when we don't know what went wrong last time. Depending on what weaknesses you plan to address, you might need very different study plans!

[deputamadre]

I blew the Dec. LSAT and plan on taking it again in June. I have 4 months left and dont feel it necessary to study as rigorous as I did before (2.5) tests a week. Any suggestions on a new study schedule? I was thinking 2 sections a week, not timed, while concentrating on technique.

You didn't say specifically what happened to you during the December test. It's difficult for us to give you good study advice when we don't know what went wrong last time. Depending on what weaknesses you plan to address, you might need very different study plans!

I pretty much got around -9,-10 on every section. My practices tests before hand were hovering around 159 160 but completely failed during the real test. How many sections should I do a week? A LG and LR for one week straight and then the following week another LR and RC? Something like that?

[Neelio]

2 sections a week won't cut it... 2 sections every 3 days is probably more like it. plus 1 test (timed) every other week. flash cards on formal logic too.

[aether]

I pretty much got around -9,-10 on every section. My practices tests before hand were hovering around 159 160 but completely failed during the real test. How many sections should I do a week? A LG and LR for one week straight and then the following week another LR and RC? Something like that?

Actually, no. Now that I understand your situation better, I think your ideas are exactly backwards.

You are planning to focus on untimed technique... but you scored much lower on the actual test than on your PTs, which suggests that you didn't properly apply the techniques you knew during the test. Presumably you had some kind of issue related to the testing process itself, such as test-day anxiety or test fatigue?

If so, then switching to short untimed sections and pure technique is exactly the wrong thing. You need to do some full-length PT's under simulated test conditions. Do five-section (not four-section!) PTs, do them under a strict 35-minute clock with only one break, and do them in a public place such as your local library where there are some mild noises and distractions. Do them at the same time of day as the real test. Learn to focus and apply your techniques despite the length of the test, even while distracted.

Learning technique is good too -- but make sure you can apply your techniques fully on test day!