junior, what should i read while prepping? Forum

[partypajamas]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but im a junior and planning to apply to law school. Ive started looking through practice books/tests slowly, and was wondering what content i should be reading to improve my general LSAT skills. I have heard the economist is one of the best things to read, but what else can i read?

Thanks!

[Jeffort]

For plenty of arguments filled with conflicting points of view and flawed reasoning, read a major daily newspaper such as the New York Times or Los Angeles Times. The OP EDs are a goldmine of readers arguments about current topics that are largely based on assumptions and various flawed methods of reasoning just waiting for critical logical thinkers to rip into shreds! This type of material is good to help sharpen and keep logical reasoning/critical reasoning/argumentation skills in shape for the LSAT LR section.

Publications with much more dense/detailed, academic writing styles of the type you find in RC passages includes The Economist, Scientific American, National Geographic and many other higher intellectual level focused sources that cover a wide area of different topics.

[partypajamas]

what is OP's ED's? sorry my message board abreviations arnt up to date

[potted plant]

Op-ed isn't a message board abbreviation. It's a newspaper term. It means Opposite the Editorial page. They're opinion articles that traditionally appear in a newspaper opposite to the editorial page, hence the nickname.

[cc.celina]

Honestly, read what you enjoy. If you really want to improve your LSAT reading skills, read RC passages from prep tests. For most people, understanding the passages is not the hard part; it's understanding what the questions are asking. That said, reading the Economist and Scientific American is good for life, so go for it. But if you hate Scientific American and you force Scientific American down your throat for the sole purpose of improving your reading comp score, you're doing it wrong. Read about things you're interested in for the sake of reading, and do LSAT passages for the sake of improving your LSAT score.

If you are really eager to start improving your score RIGHT NOW, consider taking the LSAT earlier than you'd planned. It's never too early to take the test, and trust me, not having to worry about the test as you head into your senior year is a huge load off the shoulders.