By: Deirdre Tan
Over the past few months, I have been studying for the LSAT. By sharing the resources I have been using along with my overall experience, I hope that I can help anyone who is currently studying for the LSAT (or planning on doing so) feel less intimidated by the process.
Materials I Used
The LSAT is divided into three sections: Logical Reasoning, Logic Games, and Reading Comprehension. Although there are some connections between these sections, there are generally different strategies used to approach each one. When I first started studying, I took more of an unstructured approach because I was still learning about what kind of content I was supposed to expect. I started by trying Khan Academy’s free LSAT prep materials. Through their platform, I was able to take a past exam for free (which is also available through LSAC), see my score, and get structured practice which prioritized the types of questions that I needed to improve on the most. However, after about one week of using Khan Academy, I felt that their program and content weren’t suitable for my learning style because it was hard to see my progress and although all the material was always available, I didn't like that I couldn't change the practice schedule made by their algorithm.
Since I wanted to minimize costs, I chose to switch to 7Sage because their payment schedule is on a monthly basis and it is cheaper than other options I had seen. I have stuck with their program because it was easier to see your progress in each section and create your own study plan. This really worked for me because I don’t always study for the same amount of time each day, and I don't like to be stuck on the same subject/question type for too long because it makes me feel burnt out faster. I also found that the explanations were easy to understand and apply when doing practice questions, which helped me improve my performance. Overall, the interface is easy to use and it has worked really well for me.
After about a month, I decided to buy the PowerScore LSAT Bibles as a supplement to the information I was learning through 7Sage. When researching for the best study materials, I saw many people giving them good reviews, and I thought it would be good to have two different resources to deepen my understanding and learn a wider variety of strategies. I found that the Logical Reasoning textbook was the most useful because it provided more in-depth explanations for how to approach each question type compared to the videos by 7Sage. By reading the textbook chapter, watching the 7Sage videos, and then doing drills, I noticed an improvement in my performance compared to before.
The Importance of Scheduling
Regardless of what other commitments you have or how long you plan to study for the LSAT, it is crucial to make a study plan to hold yourself accountable, especially if you do not choose a prep course with live classes and are doing self-paced study. Using Notion, I implemented two things to create a structured study schedule.
Daily Planner: Each day, I write out exactly what I plan to study and create a rough schedule for me to follow. This helps me create and see my goals so I don't feel overwhelmed and prevents me from wasting time on other tasks. This can be done on any digital or physical calendar!
Task Organizer: I used this to track my progress according to each section and question type in the LSAT. By labelling them as either Not Started, In Progress, or Completed, along with the specific date range that I studied for them, it was easier to see my progress and the gaps I needed to fill. In addition to these labels, I also added notes about my confidence levels so I could come back to the question types that I was the weakest at and spend more time practicing.
Useful Tips
Don't study for too long at a time! This is especially true for the Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension sections, because doing too many practice questions at once can make you feel burnt out and your performance will decline.
One of the most helpful strategies I learned from 7Sage was to always Blind Review, meaning that after you have taken any practice set or PrepTest, you go over each of the questions and correct your answers until you feel confident before revealing the correct answers. This helps you see what questions you really need more studying for, and which ones you might just need to be better at answering under timed conditions.
Don’t take too many practice tests in the early stages of your studying - you are still learning strategies on how to answer the questions, so your score will not likely be improving by much. Be patient if you aren’t seeing much progress, especially in the beginning. Over time, as you listen to and/or read the explanations and do more practice questions, it will become more familiar and it will be easier for you to apply the logic you have learned.
Finally, everyone learns differently. The resources that worked for me might not work for you, so don't be afraid to try out various learning strategies to find what best helps you understand the material (textbooks, video explanations, live classes, tutors, etc.).
Resources:
LSAC LawHub (4 free official PrepTests and more): https://www.lsac.org/lawhub
Khan Academy (free LSAT prep course): https://www.khanacademy.org/prep/lsat
7Sage: https://7sage.com/
PowerScore LSAT Bibles: https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/publications
Notion: https://www.notion.so/
Good luck to anyone taking the LSAT soon!
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