Studying for the LSAT isn't something you can cram. It is more than memorizing facts. Learning anything complex takes time and there isn't always a linear relationship between the time you spend and the results you get. That can be incredibly frustrating. That doesn't mean you can't plan, or that dedication and a regular schedule doesn't help immensely, but sometimes you hit plateaus in your score or have persistent struggles with one question type or another.
That means you shouldn't be so obsessed about tracking your progress that it interferes with your learning. It also means that progress comes in bursts sometimes because something finally clicked.
My favorite real-life example was learning to use chopsticks. When I was a kid I struggled with them and no amount of practice seemed to help. Then someone explained them to me in exactly the right way and suddenly I was doing great. I wish I could remember what that person said.
Does anyone have similar LSAT moments? What particular piece of advice helped you understand some aspect of the test?
Eureka Moments Forum
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objctnyrhnr
- Posts: 1521
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:44 am
Re: Eureka Moments
I’ll bite.
I spent a ridiculous amount of time at the games. I drew pictures for every question for every game. Then at some point when I was practicing at maybe 168ish, the pictures were suddenly no longer necessary. I had seen every type of game that, even for unfamiliar games, both the pictures and the input/outputs for every question would regularly come together in my head and I realized I no longer needed to draw. It was at that point that I started regularly practice testing at 174-180 (all points off on RC, always), and I knew I was ready.
This was after 1 year of kind of studying, 1 year of real studying, and 2 actual administrations where I scored mid 160s and knew I could do better.
I ended up going to the school that had started as my target/reach, that then subsequently became the lowest usnwr-ranked school to which I applied. I ended up attending with a very very significant merit package, one year after in my “plan” I had wanted to.
To all 0L’s, believe me it’s worth it.
I spent a ridiculous amount of time at the games. I drew pictures for every question for every game. Then at some point when I was practicing at maybe 168ish, the pictures were suddenly no longer necessary. I had seen every type of game that, even for unfamiliar games, both the pictures and the input/outputs for every question would regularly come together in my head and I realized I no longer needed to draw. It was at that point that I started regularly practice testing at 174-180 (all points off on RC, always), and I knew I was ready.
This was after 1 year of kind of studying, 1 year of real studying, and 2 actual administrations where I scored mid 160s and knew I could do better.
I ended up going to the school that had started as my target/reach, that then subsequently became the lowest usnwr-ranked school to which I applied. I ended up attending with a very very significant merit package, one year after in my “plan” I had wanted to.
To all 0L’s, believe me it’s worth it.
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Blueprint LSAT
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:43 pm
Re: Eureka Moments
I definitely agree that once you have a good foundation, the more you practice the fewer individual questions you will need separate diagrams for. You start to realize how the rules interact and can look for common sources of answers less methodically.
Also, yeah, definitely worth it. People don't realize how much leverage a high percentile LSAT gives you. It can literally be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition and even more in prospective salary. You spend four years on your GPA for less value. I
Also, yeah, definitely worth it. People don't realize how much leverage a high percentile LSAT gives you. It can literally be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition and even more in prospective salary. You spend four years on your GPA for less value. I
