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Hi! This is my first post on TLS!

I took the October LSAT after completing the Score Perfect (what Testmasters goes by in Texas) course. Unfortunately, my dog had been very ill the night before my test and I was in the veterinary emergency room until 3 AM. I had been scoring a pretty big range on my practice tests, but was hitting 170s on my best days. Unfortunately, I KNOW that I did not hit a 170 on Saturday. Not only was I exhausted and stressed, but I could tell from my performance that it just wasn't happening. So, I cancelled my score and I'm retaking it in October.

Luckily I'm not starting from ground 0, but I am doing an internship in Spain this summer. I am hoping that I can study, but even if I do (doubtful) I know there's no way I'm going to be able to keep up with the level of studying I should be doing. I ordered two of the books of 10 practice tests and got the LSAT trainer. I do not plan on taking a course again. I'm super busy with leadership positions in school and my job and none of the courses offered in my college town, because it's a tiny town, are apparently that great (we only have Kaplan). With the Testmasters course I took over the fall and winter, I really hated relying on videos of lectures. I could have read much more quickly and absorbed the same information and I felt like it was a huge waste of time that I couldn't read the information in the book but had to watch it in the video.

I want opinions and advice on my study plan for the rest of the semester and beginning of next year. I'm going to focus on getting a strategy base this semester going into my summer of basically no studying. Hopefully I'll take ten practice test before the summer, isolating what I'm doing wrong as I go (already have an idea- timing on Logic games and losing focus on Reading comp and second half in general) and really focus on the strategies that the LSAT trainer gives me. Then, when I get back from Spain I have a month and a half. I'll take another diagnostic test starting off and then isolate what I've forgotten over the summer. Hopefully I'll just need to do light reviewing from the LSAT trainer, and then just drill, drill, drill on question types, taking one practice test a week in mock testing situations (taking the test at 8:30 am, having the 15 min break, etc)

Does anyone have advice for my study plan? Has anyone had to study like this; with a huge break in the middle of studying and them coming back from that break with very little time? Do you recommend I take it in December? (I really don't want to do that- I want to apply early and I need to focus on finals) Also, are the LSAT bibles worth the money in order to drill isolated question types, or are there cheaper books that focus on each question type individually?

Thanks!!

You should use Cambridge for drilling. I'm not sure what you already have or how much money you're able to spend, but a Cambridge Bundle was definitely worth it for me.

The only Bible worth getting is the LG one, IMO.

Also, I don't understand why you can't continue studying while in Spain.

I'm confused. Why not take the June sitting?

And: MH LR is good. PS LGB is good. Nothing is great for RC, but I found MH RC much better than the RCB. Haven't tried the Trainer yet for comparison.

For your question specifically on the timeline: having a month and a half to prepare when you're already scoring some PTs in the 170s + will have some time dedicated to LSAT work weekly for the next 6 months doesn't seem to be a particularly challenging position.

Post removed.

msp8 wrote:I'm confused. Why not take the June sitting?

And: MH LR is good. PS LGB is good. Nothing is great for RC, but I found MH RC much better than the RCB. Haven't tried the Trainer yet for comparison.

For your question specifically on the timeline: having a month and a half to prepare when you're already scoring some PTs in the 170s + will have some time dedicated to LSAT work weekly for the next 6 months doesn't seem to be a particularly challenging position.

I'm leaving in May.

You could take it abroad. I'm sure they offer it in Spain. Unless you're in the middle of nowhere it may just be a short trip. If you were able to study until May you may not lose anything taking it lighter in the final month with a practice test here and there.

MeganCQ wrote:

msp8 wrote:I'm confused. Why not take the June sitting?

And: MH LR is good. PS LGB is good. Nothing is great for RC, but I found MH RC much better than the RCB. Haven't tried the Trainer yet for comparison.

For your question specifically on the timeline: having a month and a half to prepare when you're already scoring some PTs in the 170s + will have some time dedicated to LSAT work weekly for the next 6 months doesn't seem to be a particularly challenging position.

I'm leaving in May.

Right, so take it in Spain. I'll be taking June sitting abroad as well.

OP here, again.

I'm going to go ahead with the study plan I already posted. I have thought about taking it in Spain, but there's only one location offered in June and it's 600 miles from where I'll be staying. Realistically I'd rather just take it in October here. Knowing myself and how stressed I get and how much sleep and relaxation I'm going to need the day before the test so that I can be at the top of my game the day of, traveling 600 miles after I get off work on Friday and then waking up at 6 am the next day to take the test will not work out well for me. In my experience in college and taking other high-pressure standardized tests (I took the GRE to gain admission to a simultaneous grad/undergrad program at my school) if I don't sleep really well the night before I might as well have just not studied. My performance is affected that much by sleep (or maybe I just psych myself out because I know I didn't sleep)

To all the people asking why I don't study in Spain: I will do some studying, but I know that there is no way I will have the time to study as extensively as I can during the semester. Additionally, I'm spending quite a bit of my own hard-earned money to go to Spain for an unpaid internship and this experience is required for me to graduate (I'm international studies and hispanic studies double major.) I know that people here tend to get tunnel vision and think the LSAT is more important than life itself, but I plan to appreciate my time in Spain and not waste my money to travel to a foreign country and simply study every night. The opportunity to travel abroad relatively cheaply and spend large amounts of time in another country is one that is unique to students and that I may not get again for many decades, if at all. So I don't want to waste that gift. I realize that this adversely affects my preparation, but it is the choice I've made and I accept that.

Thanks for all the advice, and if anyone's curious/cares at all, I'll probably update with how I feel about my studying because it sounds like this is a pretty novel study plan.