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I wanted to know if i'd be worth it to take a prep course

I have around five months to improve my score by hopefully 10 points

I have been scoring pretty consistently at 168 before when I was last studying for the lsats (which means pretty much last year)

When I took a mock lsat (i think it was one of the 2006 tests) at my university (early this year) I got a 166, but I didn't have a watch the entire time (and the room didn't have a clock) so i think i lost points by just rushing through a lot of problems because I felt like I was chased for time when I really wasn't

I'd love to get a 180 (but who doesn't) but I'm really aiming for 175+

I think I can push myself to get a perfect score in the LG if I just practice harder because a lot of mistakes I'm making is just things like reading the questions wrong, etc. when I'm feeling pressed for time, and right now I'm only losing a couple of questions on LG sections

My real problem is sometimes LR (I generally do really well on one section and bomb the other...) and RC

My mom is suggesting that I take a prep course. Do you think that taking a prep course for October will be helpful to bring me up to a 175 or is my time better spent doing this stuff by myself?

At that score level, you'd be near the top of the class. A class might be helpful (I think I could help a 168-scorer in one of my classes), but at the extreme end, it's a little more hit or miss. Self-study or a tutor might be a better bet. Self-study first, followed by work with a tutor if necessary, is probably what I'd recommend.

I was (briefly) employed by Kaplan as an LSAT prep course teacher, and they hired me with a 164. You'd likely have a higher score than the instructor, so it sort of seems like a moot point. If you're near a Testmasters or Powerscore course, you might consider them: they require instructors to score in the 98th or 99th percentile (usually 170+).

I think at this point, you're better off finding a self study plan (try lsatblog.blogspot.com) and sticking to it. Get a tutor only if there's a specific thing you're hung up on or if you don't self-motivate it well. Good luck! I'm taking the test in October too