Need Study Strategy Advice

hi,

first off, i hear ya. like really truly i hear ya. the LSAT is one of those beasts where sometimes you feel on top of the world one day, and then the next day you hate the damn test so much you can't bear to hear the word. so, be kind to yourself. regardless of all this, here is some advice i wish someone gave me.

1) sometimes, your score is stagnant for a WHILE. some people boost their scores quick, some don't. don't make it a comparison game, or you will drown in frustration. I was one of those people who took forever to boost my scores, even though similarly i felt like i really understood the test more. it is frustrating and it is okay to acknowledge that. but a lot of the times, that improvement is just around the corner. try to think of core themes of poor habits in each test you take while reviewing. did i hesitate too long to pick the answer even when i knew it and wasted time? did i get caught up in the pretty language of one answer choice? did i narrow it down to two questions and then hated both answer choices, but didn't re-look at the ones i eliminated to revise my standard? did i not understand the structural integrity of the stimulus? did i get burnt out by section 2? analysis of how i take the test definitely helped me boost my score. after you finish reviewing the test, write 3-5 bullet points of themes of poor habits. read it before the next test so you really focus on breaking those tendencies.

2) take sections/test without any timer. I feel like this made a big differerence. If you are getting the same questions wrong you would timed vs. not timed, it becomes clear there is a structural issue at hand. you don't understand the underlying principles of what is being asked (not necessarily meaning drill the question structure because a lot of the time it is not the question type that confuses you, but some unique factor of the question, for instance, quantifiers used in stimulus/answer choices). once you start improving your scores without time, start adding a time principle. you can even start with 1.5 times for a bit, if you really wanna ease into the speed.

3) keep a detailed wrong answer journal. in review, every question that you flag or get wrong, review. i don't do blind review because i feel like it gives me a false sense of confidence that i'm scoring higher than i actually would. BUT it can be helpful. i think the key about the blind review and doing wrong answer journal is about reviewing the test twice. for each wrong answer, do the question again without showing actual take, just it clean. take your time breaking it down to really try to see if you're understanding it better. after, see what question you picked and which one is right. NOW, before watching the oh-so-handy 7sage explanation videos, break it down yourself. go through each question. why is A through D wrong? why is e right? this is really key. 7sage has so much resources it is easy to rely on their explanations as to why something is wrong or right, and it is easy to feel that you are learning from that. but the truth is you genuinely are not, or at least not as much as you would if you figured out what was wrong yourself. if i'm really stuck in understanding why a question is wrong/right, i watch the explanation videos, look at discussion, look at alternative websites, etc. make sure you genuinely understand what is right and what is wrong to the point where it feels so obvious it annoys you. i also like to add what my thought process in answering this question led me to this position.

4) make sure you are in the best possible physical and mental state before taking a test. sleep well. eat a hardy breakfast. go on a light jog (it's snowing where i live, so i just do jumping jacks in my room, or do 15 mins yoga, meditate before taking the test and literally picture yourself getting the score you want, what that attitude looks like, etc.)

5) set standards for time marks in the test. for example, try to get the first 10 questions done in 10 minutes (some people even do first 15 in 15 mins). make sure you are damn near always getting these ones right. these are the points that are the worse to lose.

6) don't burn yourself out. don't sacrifice 3+ hours of somewhat distracted studying for an hour of true focus. set a stop watch when you study and every time you check your phone or go to the bathroom, stop it. make sure you are actually hitting the amount of studying you want to.

7) lastly i know this one might come off as annoying, but find a way to nerd out on the test if you haven't already. get excited that you are learning about topics you probably would never learn about otherwise. the reading comprehension sections are real published texts of law, economics, history, science, etc. treat the logical reasoning like mind riddles you like for fun. if you are too caught up in a negative attitude with the test, it is easy to never improve. you have to truly invest your mind. you can even make it fun --> my friend and i made a drinking game out of it lmao.

i really hope this helps. best of luck, my friend!!!

2 comments

Scamplejohn
Edited Monday, Dec 15 2025

hi,
first off, i hear ya. like really truly i hear ya. the LSAT is one of those beasts where sometimes you feel on top of the world one day, and then the next day you hate the damn test so much you can't bear to hear the word. so, be kind to yourself. regardless of all this, here is some advice i wish someone gave me.
1) sometimes, your score is stagnant for a WHILE. some people boost their scores quick, some don't. don't make it a comparison game, or you will drown in frustration. I was one of those people who took forever to boost my scores, even though similarly i felt like i really understood the test more. it is frustrating and it is okay to acknowledge that. but a lot of the times, that improvement is just around the corner. try to think of core themes of poor habits in each test you take while reviewing. did i hesitate too long to pick the answer even when i knew it and wasted time? did i get caught up in the pretty language of one answer choice? did i narrow it down to two questions and then hated both answer choices, but didn't re-look at the ones i eliminated to revise my standard? did i not understand the structural integrity of the stimulus? did i get burnt out by section 2? analysis of how i take the test definitely helped me boost my score. after you finish reviewing the test, write 3-5 bullet points of themes of poor habits. read it before the next test so you really focus on breaking those tendencies.
2) take sections/test without any timer. I feel like this made a big differerence. If you are getting the same questions wrong you would timed vs. not timed, it becomes clear there is a structural issue at hand. you don't understand the underlying principles of what is being asked (not necessarily meaning drill the question structure because a lot of the time it is not the question type that confuses you, but some unique factor of the question, for instance, quantifiers used in stimulus/answer choices). once you start improving your scores without time, start adding a time principle. you can even start with 1.5 times for a bit, if you really wanna ease into the speed.
3) keep a detailed wrong answer journal. in review, every question that you flag or get wrong, review. i don't do blind review because i feel like it gives me a false sense of confidence that i'm scoring higher than i actually would. BUT it can be helpful. i think the key about the blind review and doing wrong answer journal is about reviewing the test twice. for each wrong answer, do the question again without showing actual take, just it clean. take your time breaking it down to really try to see if you're understanding it better. after, see what question you picked and which one is right. NOW, before watching the oh-so-handy 7sage explanation videos, break it down yourself. go through each question. why is A through D wrong? why is e right? this is really key. 7sage has so much resources it is easy to rely on their explanations as to why something is wrong or right, and it is easy to feel that you are learning from that. but the truth is you genuinely are not, or at least not as much as you would if you figured out what was wrong yourself. if i'm really stuck in understanding why a question is wrong/right, i watch the explanation videos, look at discussion, look at alternative websites, etc. make sure you genuinely understand what is right and what is wrong to the point where it feels so obvious it annoys you. i also like to add what my thought process in answering this question led me to this position.
4) make sure you are in the best possible physical and mental state before taking a test. sleep well. eat a hardy breakfast. go on a light jog (it's snowing where i live, so i just do jumping jacks in my room, or do 15 mins yoga, meditate before taking the test and literally picture yourself getting the score you want, what that attitude looks like, etc.)
5) set standards for time marks in the test. for example, try to get the first 10 questions done in 10 minutes (some people even do first 15 in 15 mins). make sure you are damn near always getting these ones right. these are the points that are the worse to lose.
6) don't burn yourself out. don't sacrifice 3+ hours of somewhat distracted studying for an hour of true focus. set a stop watch when you study and every time you check your phone or go to the bathroom, stop it. make sure you are actually hitting the amount of studying you want to.
7) lastly i know this one might come off as annoying, but find a way to nerd out on the test if you haven't already. get excited that you are learning about topics you probably would never learn about otherwise. the reading comprehension sections are real published texts of law, economics, history, science, etc. treat the logical reasoning like mind riddles you like for fun. if you are too caught up in a negative attitude with the test, it is easy to never improve. you have to truly invest your mind. you can even make it fun --> my friend and i made a drinking game out of it lmao.
i really hope this helps. best of luck, my friend!!!

4

Discussions

Need Study Strategy Advice

Confirm action