Post
by halfwaygone » Sat May 22, 2010 11:36 am
My experience: My goal was to take the test one time and break 170. I got a 172. My first practice test score was a 165, however, so my improvement was only 7 points above that, FWIW. My highest practice score was 180, and by the end I was only missing 1-2 questions (with 2 perfect practice tests).
What I did wrong: I expected to drop for the test date, because I had to travel 2 hours the night before, didn't really sleep at all because my hotel was a crap motel, and I knew navigating the building where the test was would take possibly 1-2 hours since I'm in Korea and even easy things become difficult with the language barrier. But I dropped a lot, if you think about it. So, I would say: Sleep, eat breakfast, and know where -- exactly -- your test site is beforehand. It probably cost me about 5 points in focus.
What I did right: As I said, I feel like I pretty much "mastered" the LSAT through practice.
*I practiced for 9 months. I needed that time to decide I really, truly, absolutely did want to go to law school. I work 52 hours a week and live in a foreign country, where little things (like a haircut) can take all day, I do have a social life, and I have to keep up with everyone back home, so I practiced in small doses throughout that time. But still, I think a little bit at a time helped me A LOT more than if I'd crammed since the LSAT is skill-based. I took 2 diagnostics, then practiced individual sections, then did full exams. I had lists, schedules, and strategies 'cause that's what I do.
*I actually LIKED my LSAT practice. Those silly logic games? I used to do those for fun as a kid, and I remembered and was all, "Cool! These are fun." Reading obscure passages and trying to answer those questions? I'd totally do that for fun. I approached it like a game, like Scrabble or a crossword puzzle, or some other nerdy-game endeavor. I feel like making it fun really helped me improve.
*I read complicated stuff, and I also taught reading strategies. Teaching reading strategies to kids (I'm a teacher now) really made me more aware of my own reading strategies. I don't think you have to *teach* it to be aware, but if reading comprehension is one of the thorns in your side, reading a few Ed. articles/books on reading comprehension might make you more aware of your own reading style. Reading complex texts that make you want to tear your hair out (science articles, user manuals for complex machinery, even some Faulkner) and understanding them can also help organically.
*I really studied the "reason" for every right answer, including the ones I got right. When I marked an answer, I made a mini-case in my head for why I'd marked it. Then, I saw if that matched. Even when I was answering a question right, I was making sure that I was getting it right for the *right* reason. I particularly did this when I was breaking the test into sections and studying the sections, which is when the majority of my improvement occurred. By the time I started taking full practice tests again, I'd improved 5 points above my diagnostic and never dropped below a 170 again.
*I gave myself LESS time on practice tests than I knew I'd get during the right test. I was giving myself 5 minutes less on practice tests by the end of my studying cycle. That helped me immensely on test day. While sleeplessness plagued me, I did finish everything early and never felt rushed. I also practiced in "distracting" places (park, coffee shop, etc).
