Told by successful attorney not to study for LSAT too much. Forum

[dutchstriker]

Um. Study/practice for the LSAT. A lot.

[IAFG]

No, I understand that people study for and consequently do better on standardized tests. My point was more that I have never understood why studying helped them. For me, the only problems I ever have are with simple mistakes like misreading the question/answer choice or perhaps with questions where I disagree with what the best answer is (very rare). I don't understand what it is that people are gaining from study, or rather why they can't figure them out on their own, maybe other than increasing your speed, which makes a lot of sense.

good for you? for the rest of us, we have to LSAT-gun

[MTal]

Maybe he told you not to bother because you're destined for failure anyway.

[rv11]

He must not like you.

[notanumber]

My point was more that I have never understood why studying helped them.

While increasing speed was the big factor for me, I also needed to develop and implement a workable analytical reasoning diagramming strategy. This necessitated extensive practice. But even that, I suppose, was mostly about time. I also found that extensively practicing the LR questions let me 'get in the head' of the folk who wrote the test and figure out what kind of particulate logic they were looking for. That was a useful skill come test time.

questions where I disagree with what the best answer is (very rare).

I still think that I'm correct about one of my LSAT RC "incorrect" answers.

[notanumber]

He is absolutely right. Working every waking hour of every day will not allow you to maximize what you get out of your studying. In order to study efficiently and effectively, you must be in the right mental state. If you are distracted, tired, stressed, etc, then you will not be at your peak of focus and performance. To try and do practice tests or sections when you aren't in the right mindset will only lead to lower-than-usual scores. These scores tend to make people stressed and even less confident. Thus, it creates a self-perpetuating cycle. You most certainly need to set the LSAT stuff aside from time to time. Take a day to relax here and there so that you can clear your mind and start fresh. It is especially important to do this when you feel particularly overwhelmed. What I'm sure that lawyer meant is, don't study every waking minute. Take some time to relax and get your head in the right place. You will ultimately come out ahead if you do so.

This is generally good advice but I would suggest occasionally practicing when you're sick, stressed, hungover, pressed for time, or otherwise preoccupied. You never know if you'll be facing any of those situations come test day (I did), and it will be helpful to have run through some practice tests under less-than-ideal conditions.

But don't start to do that until you've already gotten to where you need to be on your "ideal condition" practice tests.

[IAFG]

He is absolutely right. Working every waking hour of every day will not allow you to maximize what you get out of your studying. In order to study efficiently and effectively, you must be in the right mental state. If you are distracted, tired, stressed, etc, then you will not be at your peak of focus and performance. To try and do practice tests or sections when you aren't in the right mindset will only lead to lower-than-usual scores. These scores tend to make people stressed and even less confident. Thus, it creates a self-perpetuating cycle. You most certainly need to set the LSAT stuff aside from time to time. Take a day to relax here and there so that you can clear your mind and start fresh. It is especially important to do this when you feel particularly overwhelmed. What I'm sure that lawyer meant is, don't study every waking minute. Take some time to relax and get your head in the right place. You will ultimately come out ahead if you do so.

This is generally good advice but I would suggest occasionally practicing when you're sick, stressed, hungover, pressed for time, or otherwise preoccupied. You never know if you'll be facing any of those situations come test day (I did), and it will be helpful to have run through some practice tests under less-than-ideal conditions.

But don't start to do that until you've already gotten to where you need to be on your "ideal condition" practice tests.

lol if you go to the LSAT hung over...

[Fark-o-vision]

Yeah, I think the economy has changed everything. My friends older sister graduated from Santa Clara five years ago near the middle of her class (above median, I think, but I know it wasn't by much). She locked in a 100K gig immediately (though not through OCI) and within a year was partner in the company she was serving as legal council for. Within two years she was debt free and on her way to her first million. She can't understand (and this only five years ago, mind you) why my buddy and I are killing ourselves over this thing.

Edit: Maybe seven years? Time goes too fast.

[TOMaHULK]

Maybe he told you not to bother because you're destined for failure anyway.

WTF?!

[honestabe84]

Yeah, I think the economy has changed everything. My friends older sister graduated from Santa Clara five years ago near the middle of her class (above median, I think, but I know it wasn't by much). She locked in a 100K gig immediately (though not through OCI) and within a year was partner in the company she was serving as legal council for. Within two years she was debt free and on her way to her first million. She can't understand (and this only five years ago, mind you) why my buddy and I are killing ourselves over this thing.

Edit: Maybe seven years? Time goes too fast.

I think you're right that the economy has made things more competitive. However, I doubt your friend's older sister was a TLS rat. The people on here are much more obsessed with prestige than general applicants.

[Fark-o-vision]

Yeah, I think the economy has changed everything. My friends older sister graduated from Santa Clara five years ago near the middle of her class (above median, I think, but I know it wasn't by much). She locked in a 100K gig immediately (though not through OCI) and within a year was partner in the company she was serving as legal council for. Within two years she was debt free and on her way to her first million. She can't understand (and this only five years ago, mind you) why my buddy and I are killing ourselves over this thing.

Edit: Maybe seven years? Time goes too fast.

I think you're right that the economy has made things more competitive. However, I doubt your friend's older sister was a TLS rat. The people on here are much more obsessed with prestige than general applicants.

You are certainly right. Boards like this are part of the process that she just doesn't understand. Of course, she was also one of those people who never intended to practice, always meant to segway into business, and probably just got really lucky.

[BruinsFan]

For many older attorneys the LSAT wasn't what it is today. I've heard 10 or so older attorneys talk about how they didn't really prepare for the lsat, because Kaplan/test masters/ whatever didn't exist. There wasn't the crazy amount of materials, preptests, classes and books available to spend every last waking our readying LR questions.

Definitely take this advice with a grain of salt and prepare how you feel best. Unless, of course, you are just looking for an excuse not to study.

I prepared a good amount and raised my score 8 points on test day and 13 points on my best practice tests.

[Knock]

A lot of people simply don't know what is up with the LSAT, especially if they took it before it changed.

I talked to an extremely impressive professor for a T-14 LS, and he didn't even know what good LSAT scores were nowadays or what it took to get in there anyways. In fact, he complained to me that one of his favorite students from that UG got denied to LS there because his LSAT was too low, and seemed to think lowly of the test in general.

My dad is a successful lawyer, and he doesn't know jack shit about the LSAT to be frank.

[Ragged]

He said that it's an aptitude test and that studying when I'm tired/have worked all day will do me no good.

Generally I would hear something like this and disregard immediately, however, this guy is actually pretty successful and leads a thinktank/teaches at a law school.

I know a bunch of people that have raised their scores 20+ point by practice test/practice test/practice test.

Thoughts?

He is an idiot or a bastard for telling you this, cuz he either doesn't know what he is talking about or is trying perpusfully screw you up. LSAT can be crucial to your entire legal career. Study, study, study.

[hiromoto45]

I was told the same thing by some lawyers. They told me not to worry about the LSAT but worry about the bar. Given these lawyers were 15+ years out of law school. The game has changed so don't take too much stock in what people say about law school admissions in the present.