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Rising undergrad Junior, International Relations Major, Economics Minor, 3.2 overall, 3.6 in major.
Aspiring law school student.

Anywho, about the LSAT...

Simply, I need advice on the best way to study for this test

First, let me begin by explaining my issue. Although I am very confident in my abilities, I wouldn't describe myself as particularly "smart". I cannot think in simple terms, although I can recognize how to think simply. Ill try to explain what I mean with this simple problem:
John and Jess start at the same point. If John traveled North at 50 mph and Jess traveled South at 30 mph, how far apart will they be after two and a half hours?
The answer to this question is simple: (50 x 2.5) + (30 x 2.5) = 75 + 125 = 200 miles apart.
However, had I not known how to solve this problem simply, I would have drawn it out or thought of some other ridiculous way of solving it. Eventually, I would have figured it out but I would have wasted a lot of valuable time.

I am particularly worried about the questions that involve conditions, such as Item A comes before Item B, but Item C must be succeed Item B, etc.....

I know that if I do not learn how to think in these simple terms, I will not do well on the LSAT.

I'm hoping someone can provide me with insight on how to master these simple questions, whether that be from their own experiences or from a LSAT study guide/text book.

Thank you in advance,

Joseph

Post removed.

in a nutshell

You need:
prep books (Manhattan or Powerscore)
Cambridge packs that include a bunch of questions. (vol. 1and/or2)
PTs 40-newest.


You will complete the books (theres 3 of them) then after you are done with the books start practicing completing questions until they become easy for you. After that take practice tests (PTs) and work on your weaknesses.

I think you're a perfect candidate for The LSAT Trainer, which has the type of holistic focus that would help your approach. Also check out the often recommended Manhattan LSAT books for a more mechanical strategy.

No one really thinks this way naturally, so don't worry about being abnormally "abstract." Learn to think the way the test wants you to. Good luck!

There are also some great guides on this forum, including this famous one by Pithypike.

Thank you for all your recommendations! Looks like Pithypike's thread has been rather helpful. I'm looking forward to beginning my test prep.

SVINTVNS wrote:Thank you for all your recommendations! Looks like Pithypike's thread has been rather helpful. I'm looking forward to beginning my test prep.

Some further advice, a 3.2 GPA is not going to cut it. Put great effort into bringing up your GPA as much as possible. With an International Relations major, this shouldn't be exceptionally difficult.

PourMeTea wrote:The great thing about the LSAT is that there are prep books that will teach you how to solve these problems simply.

Agreed. If you want to make the investment, an LSAT prep course may also be a great fit (the disciplined and personalized instruction is something to look into for those who prefer).

You also hinted to having problems with conditional statements, again you'll learn how to master these statements(as well as simple diagramming for these statements, which you indicated may help). Just stay motivated. Start with understanding the concepts, perhaps in a diagram, until you feel confident enough to tackle the problems in a more efficient manner.