j_jaervinen wrote:I'd appreciate your help/advice/tips for what I should do in between now and test day in October. This will be my second time taking it (scored in the 150's when I took it this October...
) and I don't really know what to do in order to get my score up by then.
I'm a full time (20 units) undergrad so I don't have a lot of time in between now and June, so I was planning on waiting until then to resume studying. I did a Kaplan course over the summer but didn't really get much from it. I felt they taught you the "tricks" without getting into the actual mindset/logic of the test... I got more from taking PTs and youtube than I did from the class.
1) Should I just spend my time doing more and more PTs?
2) Should I do a prep course?
3) Is it a horrendous idea to wait until June to devote my time to LSAT prep?
1) Doing preptests isn't going to be much help until you get a firm grasp of the content of the test, so no. I would focus on learning how to approach each section and solve each of the question types. If you weren't happy with your last prep course, you could take another one, or get some prep books and teach yourself the material using them and internet resources. It's only after you've learned the material that you should do preptests, especially full ones.
2) A prep course will be more comprehensive, and might give you motivation to show up and work on the LSAT consistently. Self-teaching requires more discipline and motivation, but it can be more efficient, as you won't have to retread the parts that you are comfortable with. It's really up to you and your personal preferences. If you want to start from scratch and can invest the time/money, a prep course is definitely not a bad idea.
3) Even though you're really busy between now and June, I don't think you should stop doing LSAT completely. That might undo a lot of the work you've put in up to this point. Even if you can only put in a few hours per week from now until then, that time will add up. Your brain will also have more time to digest everything, and you'll get a good sense of what you need to improve at by the time June comes around.
If you want my personal suggestion, I would probably invest in a prep book or two and start fresh, putting in a few hours a week while focusing on doing well in school. Then, you can plan on taking a prep course next summer, during which you should ideally be putting in several hours of prep a day. Or, if you feel fairly comfortable with the material by then, you can invest in private tutoring, and work with an expert on your specific weaknesses.
If you manage your time well, plan ahead, and keep at it, there's no reason you can't improve significantly by next October. Good luck!
