how to start studying Forum

[rachelberry*]

i just finished my freshman year in college, and with not much to do this summer i figure i should get a head start on prepping for the lsat. which books are the best? i've been reading the forum a bit and it seems like kaplan and princeton review are generally frowned upon, while powerscore is favored, but i'll take any advice about where/how/with which books to begin. i don't think i'll take a course for another year or so (if at all), so how would you recommend i start? thanks!

[09042014]

i just finished my freshman year in college, and with not much to do this summer i figure i should get a head start on prepping for the lsat. which books are the best? i've been reading the forum a bit and it seems like kaplan and princeton review are generally frowned upon, while powerscore is favored, but i'll take any advice about where/how/with which books to begin. i don't think i'll take a course for another year or so (if at all), so how would you recommend i start? thanks!

Wait three months before the test then do this: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =6&t=41657

[rachelberry*]

i just finished my freshman year in college, and with not much to do this summer i figure i should get a head start on prepping for the lsat. which books are the best? i've been reading the forum a bit and it seems like kaplan and princeton review are generally frowned upon, while powerscore is favored, but i'll take any advice about where/how/with which books to begin. i don't think i'll take a course for another year or so (if at all), so how would you recommend i start? thanks!

Wait three months before the test then do this: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =6&t=41657

thanks, great advice, but i'd rather not wait until 3 months before i take it. anyone else? someone's got to have something to say, this topic has gotten nearly 50 views and only 1 reply so far

[RayFinkle]

You're a rising sophomore in college during the summer. Go drink and don't waste these precious, precious days.

[anthropologieaddict]

I agree with the previous replies. However, if you want to at least know where you stand you could always take a full length diagnostic (make sure it is an LSAT that is actual and has been given in the past, not an example.) But enjoying life should probably be you first priority.

[stintez]

I agree with the previous replies. However, if you want to at least know where you stand you could always take a full length diagnostic (make sure it is an LSAT that is actual and has been given in the past, not an example.) But enjoying life should probably be you first priority.

+1000000000000000000000000

[balzern]

Take a diagnostic and then start Junior year. Have fun with friends, go to the beach, buy a gold fish, watch the World Cup, dance in the rain, see a rainbow, watch the sunrise. Then start LSAT studying and realize that you will not see these things for another 8 months.

[LSAT Blog]

I agree with previous replies in that it's too early to be seriously studying and that you should just enjoy your free time this summer.

(However, many people want/need to spend more than 3 months prepping to get their desired score, so I wouldn't necessarily wait until 3 months before the test date to get started.)

At this point, if you really want to do something that will help you get familiar with the type of thinking the LSAT requires, read a book or two on informal logic, but you don't need to read anything LSAT-specific this early in the game.

[lifestooquick]

While I do agree with the above, I also don't necessarily see early preparation and enjoying life as mutually exclusive. I'm also a super-planner who likes to prep as much as I can.

I wouldn't do any particularly rigorous studying at this point, but familiarizing yourself with the test would definitely be a benefit. Also, you could go ahead and work through the Powerscore Bibles. There's a good chance you'd want to review them again much closer to taking the actual test but PLENTY of people on here have done the books at least twice. It definitely couldn't hurt you, that's for sure. I wouldn't really do any PrepTests because there's a limited number of them and you'll want them for your prep within 3-5 months of the test. You should also increase your reading comprehension by regularly reading especially dense material. The more you are comfortable with these things before you start studying hard-core, the better you will be. Oh, and do the logic games in puzzle books! I know they are significantly different than the ones on the test, but I swear my success with logic games was in part because I'd been doing the ones in puzzle books since I was like 6 years old.

See, plenty you can do already and still have time for life!

[09042014]

i just finished my freshman year in college, and with not much to do this summer i figure i should get a head start on prepping for the lsat. which books are the best? i've been reading the forum a bit and it seems like kaplan and princeton review are generally frowned upon, while powerscore is favored, but i'll take any advice about where/how/with which books to begin. i don't think i'll take a course for another year or so (if at all), so how would you recommend i start? thanks!

Wait three months before the test then do this: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =6&t=41657

thanks, great advice, but i'd rather not wait until 3 months before i take it. anyone else? someone's got to have something to say, this topic has gotten nearly 50 views and only 1 reply so far

Anything more than 6 months is too far in advance. You'll just end up wasting the finite test material you have access to.

[katiem]

I took the LSAT earlier than most people (I'm a rising junior and just took the June test), but I still think you should wait to start studying. Maybe start reading dense/boring stuff and some informal logic books. But don't do much real studying until 6 months before the test at the most. Just relax and watch the Glee reruns on Thursdays

[Philo38]

There are generally two very important factors in law school admissions: 1) LSAT 2) GPA, now is the time to focus on the GPA part. Forget the LSAT for a little while.

[Jack Smirks]

Next semester take a formal logic class, the semester after that take an advanced formal logic class and as many critical reasoning classes you can. In fact, switch your major to philosophy. Also, disregard all this "its too early" nonsense. If you've already taken an interest to law and have chosen it as a career path you have clearly accepted the fact that life is meaningless and should be spent indoors, consumed by long hours of reading tedious details and soul debilitating subject matter. Congrats and welcome to the club!

[BigA]

Next semester take a formal logic class, the semester after that take an advanced formal logic class and as many critical reasoning classes you can. In fact, switch your major to philosophy. Also, disregard all this "its too early" nonsense. If you've already taken an interest to law and have chosen it as a career path you have clearly accepted the fact that life is meaningless and should be spent indoors, consumed by long hours of reading tedious details and soul debilitating subject matter. Congrats and welcome to the club!

nice

[rman1201]

Since you're likely an overacheiver and will disregard all advice and start studying now anyways, I'd advise using the PrepTest books of 10. Just keep going over those, try the problems out, and review each problem you get wrong. A couple days later, review the same problems again and again. Don't touch the individual (newer) tests though as you'll need those for your simulated testing closer to the exam, and as mentioned they're finite.

[hax123]

I think starting early is a good idea, and I know it significantly helped me on the LSAT.

The most important thing for you to do is to read a lot. You should try to read good, challenging prose for at least one hour every day. Reading is important because it's the only real preparation for the reading comprehension section.

If you want go further, you should read and complete the LSAC's guide to the LSAT: http://www.lsac.org/pdfs/LSATPreparationweb.pdf.

After you complete this guide, you might want to consider completing the two free practice tests untimed. They are here: http://www.lsac.org/pdfs/test.pdf and http://www.lsac.org/pdfs/SamplePTJune.pdf

[Canarsie]

The second semester of my sophomore year I took a free Kaplan test proctored at my school. I'd say if that's available why not take it? It gave me a readout of my score and strengths/weaknesses and made for a good diagnostic. Maybe in the meantime you can read some of the logic and networking books recommended all over this forum. And as another poster said-- work on that GPA!

Then as junior year approaches, decide when you are going to take the LSAT. June is probably ideal for early applications. I'm giving myself ~4 months to study for the LSAT, some do 3, some do more, etc. Figure that out and start from there!


What I am using:
Powerscore LG and LR bibles
LSAC SuperPrep
Most of the practice tests

and I am following the 4 month LSATblog schedule (with modifications of course).

[1991]

What I did:

Junior year fall: took two full-length diagnostic exams and registered for the Princeton Review course
Junior year spring: took the Princeton Review course (all of spring semester)
First month of "summer": did practice questions and practice exams

Do I think I should have started earlier? A little bit. I kind of wish now that I took the course earlier on so I'd have time to practice a lot. But sophomore summer is unnecessarily early. I doubt you could get that much out of prepping earlier.

I highly doubt that my score would have been higher if I were to take it again in October and have time to study for it.

P.S.: this reminds me of all the much younger people of College Confidential. Ah, memories.