June 7 LSAT - - just starting to study - - advice please :) Forum

[philip.platt]

I am really starting to get serious about this exam. I have not been able to study in the past because of work, a non-profit I am starting, much traveling, and a few other things.

I am a mid-level career person with 4 years experience and may resign May 7th and then will have May 9th to June 5th to study. I plan to take June 6th as a relax day.I think I might be able to study 2 hours per day from 4/13/10 - 5/7/10, with some extra hours on the weekend.

I have read all of the Powerscore logical reasoning bible. I have read 30 pages of the logic games bible. I also have the reading comprehension bible, which I have not read yet. I am thinking of getting one or two more Powerscore resources - - those books that break down an exam problem by problem.

I read every single person's advice on the 165+ thread and really liked some of the feedback on there. I read two logic books before reading the LR bible. Also, my initial PT scores were around 150 . . . I think now they are around 160 - 170 untimed, but I would like to break into 170 - 180 timed by June 5 and would appreciate any advice or concepts to focus on.

Thanks and good luck with the studying as well!

[lawfuture10]

Wait until October. LSAT studying is something that you can not do when tired after coming home from work. One month devoted time is not nearly enough, especially if you hope to score in the 170-180 range. Time management is by far the toughest aspect of the exam, and it takes months of practice, preferably years. If you think you will be happy with a score in the 161-164 range, that is attainable. IMHO, of course.

[FuManChusco]

You think you're in the 160-170 range? That's a huge difference. Finish the LGB. Start taking 2 timed PTs a week. Review mistakes extensively. If you're scores aren't where you want them to be, which I think is likely, then hold off until October. Having a score near the 150s range, hoping for a 170+ and studying for less than 2 months is not a good combination.

[philip.platt]

hmmm i hope 170 - 175+ will not be unattainable if i study 40-50 hours per week for 4 weeks. i guess high 160s might work for my apps, but that would be a long shot.

the low first PT was mainly because my mind is highly different than a normal person's mind. i have bad common sense and don't see things as others see them . . . my IQ is good though and I am a quick learner . . . and can study for long amounts of time

[philip.platt]

Wait until October. LSAT studying is something that you can not do when tired after coming home from work. One month devoted time is not nearly enough, especially if you hope to score in the 170-180 range. Time management is by far the toughest aspect of the exam, and it takes months of practice, preferably years. If you think you will be happy with a score in the 161-164 range, that is attainable. IMHO, of course.

ouch october - - i can't work that into my schedule - - i already signed up for june 7 and need to hit this target - - i am probably going to sign on another corporate job early june and need to focus on that hardcore in the summer / fall to build solid political capital

[dlac]

Sounds like you have a lot going on in your life, but let me (not be the first to say) that you should really consider prioritizing the LSAT, especially if you want to hit the 170-180 range. Unless you were PTing in the high 160s-low 170s, you won't be able to get a 170-180 score through one month's study. Most people in my prep course who PTed in the 150s were nowhere near the 170 mark after a month's study.

Definitely try not to work if you can help it. I worked FT during my LSAT studying phase and really regret it, I had no choice either but I would've given myself an extra 1-2 months preptime. I stayed at the office till 11 PM most nights after a full day of work to take PTs, read the LGB, LRB etc. and it was the most miserable time of my life. I ended up getting an adequate score (for T6) but feel like I could've scored in the HYS range given the extra time to prep.

[hyunseoki]

Is it bad to be taking 3 PTs a week if you're on a full-time job? Not being satirical/sarcastic - this is what I'm attempting to do, and am wondering what people have to say about the long-term effects of pursuing this study regimen.

[dlac]

Is it bad to be taking 3 PTs a week if you're on a full-time job? Not being satirical/sarcastic - this is what I'm attempting to do, and am wondering what people have to say about the long-term effects of pursuing this study regimen.

It depends on what kind of work you do. If the work isn't too intense or demanding then it should certainly be possible.

I would say it's fine, but that's because I have a high threshold for pain, lol. I really think that time spent doing PTs is time well spent. Studying the methods and guides are all helpful, but personal improvement is really from taking and getting used to the timing/format of the test. This was solid advice I received from a former Dean of Admissions at Boalt (who happened to be my LSAT instructor). I think it's a good idea to do 1-2 PTs a week a couple months before the exam, then ramp it up to 3 PTs a week for the last month. Leave yourself 1 week to rest/recover prior to the test. Burnouts are real.

[philip.platt]

You think you're in the 160-170 range? That's a huge difference. Finish the LGB. Start taking 2 timed PTs a week. Review mistakes extensively. If you're scores aren't where you want them to be, which I think is likely, then hold off until October. Having a score near the 150s range, hoping for a 170+ and studying for less than 2 months is not a good combination.

thanks fu man

how much can one study in one week max for this exam? is 60 - 70 hours per week out of the question?

[nick637]

I would advise against studying 65+ hours a week at this point. You should only be hitting this amount of hours two or three weeks from game day then drop your hours a week or so before. At the 65+ hour a week burnout is a major factor. You will start to make mistakes that you never thought you would make and a strong LSAT score partly depends on having the right mindset. I think the op should take the October test if possible, LSAT prep is a marathon not a sprint for many reasons. Use tls to establish your study schedule, do the work, and knock that shit out. Good luck

[invisiblesun]

My best advice is just to take a ton of PTs. Many test prep courses attempt to teach you a method that aims to circumvent or simplify many of the questions, but from my experience these methods are often one-size-fits-all and may not fit the way you naturally think about the questions. By practicing many full tests, you develop your own strategies and tackle the questions in a way that feels efficient, natural, and intuitive for you. The exception to this recommendation would be logic games, where it is particularly helpful to understand the different types of games and what types of diagrams contribute to the most efficient solution of the problems. However, for LR and RC, I found that the best method was to develop an intuitive and effective strategy through simple repetition.

[lsatgenius]

if you are only giving yourself a month, plan on studying 20-40 hours a week. just saying because most people study 10+ hours a week for 3 months. even then it's hard to cram everything into a month. i would register for june try studying for 20-40 hours a week and see where you are. if you aren't hitting your targets, wait till october.

[shoop]

"160-170 untimed" means squat. I could get a 178-180 THIS AFTERNOON if I could take all the time in the world.

[chicagobullsfan]

1 month - LG Bible, LR Bible
2 months - PTs

That's how I have done it so far. If you can find a way to condense, good luck but it will be tough. I think you need a month to cover the bibles and get the concepts and question/game types to sink in.

[JJDancer]

Is it bad to be taking 3 PTs a week if you're on a full-time job? Not being satirical/sarcastic - this is what I'm attempting to do, and am wondering what people have to say about the long-term effects of pursuing this study regimen.

If you can handle it then fine. But here's something to consider -- your scores might take a beating if you are doing the tests when tired after work.
Try taking a test only on a day when you are not working (one day a week) for 2 weeks then take 3 tests in the third week and see if there is a difference in your testing experience or score.

Another thing is how many do you normally miss per test? If you are scoring 140-160 then you will need much more time to review the whole test rather than if you are scoring 165-175.
If you are scoring lower than 160 - I would definitely say do only 1-2 tests per week and the rest of hte time REVIEW the tests and DO TIMED PRACTICE SECTIONS.

GOod luck.