152 - 173 Working Full Time | Tutor | LSAT & Extracurricular Tips You Should Know

Hey guys, my name is Isaac and it took me over a year to get from 152 to 173. I know that's not as impressive as many of the "4 months from 157 to 178" posts you see on Reddit or in various success stories, but I got there while working full-time as a paralegal and have probably made the same mistakes most of you have. I'm sharing some tips for the LSAT, as well as other material that helped me on my LSAT journey. I am also offering one-on-one tutoring if that's something you're looking for.

LSAT Tips:

Plan Your PTs

This is my No. 1 tip because I see students wasting their PTs all the time by starting to drill and do sections with 140+ only to end up left with mostly the 130s for full PTs. DON'T DO THIS. Instead, plan based on your goal score and timeframe. Generally, I advise 145+ for full PTs, 130–144 for sections, and the 110s to 120s for drilling, with the caveat that pre-110s should only be used for RC drilling, as those LRs are very different than modern ones.

Make a Routine

This is super underrated, but especially important given that testing has moved in-person. Create a routine and stick with it every day. It's the only way for you to normalize PTing and get to treating the official test as just another PT. For me it was Mon and Tues drilling, Weds and Thurs sections, Fri wildcard (drill or section based on results that week), Sat full PT, and Sun PT BR. Routinize what you eat and drink on test day by doing the same thing week by week on your full PTs. I worked full-time, so what works for me might not fit your schedule.

Find a Study Buddy

No matter what level you're at, explaining a difficult LR question is a great way to test if you fully understand it. Being able to explain the LSAT in plain words to someone who never took the test is a great way of confirming your own understanding.

Staying Fit Physically and Mentally

A lot of people ignore this, but the LSAT is both physically and mentally exhausting. I highly recommend incorporating working out into your daily schedule, as there's extensive research on the benefits of exercise for cognitive ability. Also, be in the mindset of treating the LSAT as a marathon and not a sprint, you complete a marathon through consistent training of both body and mind.

Approaching LR

There's tons of material and books covering this, so I'll go over it briefly. Find the conclusion and predict the answer, that's the main gist of solving 80% of LR questions. Even for weaken and strengthen questions, coming up with an example ensures that you understand the argument, which in turn makes it easier to identify the correct answer.

Approaching RC

Do short recaps for each paragraph and engage with the author throughout reading. Ask the author questions and summarize their idea after each paragraph. I treat my recaps as mind-map anchors, where I can quickly come back to a paragraph and locate supporting details that might be relevant to a question. In general, spend more time reading the passage than answering the questions.

Extracurricular Tips

This is something that isn't talked about very often, but reading outside the scope of just the LSAT is extremely beneficial. Since the LSAT tests you primarily on reading and secondarily on logic, the only way to improve your reading is by READING. Just as there's no shortcut to becoming a great writer, there's no shortcut to becoming a great reader. Here are some helpful websites where you can spend 20 minutes a day reading on topics you absolutely hate on the LSAT (I know there's paywalls but I'm sure you can also google how to deal with them).

Reading:

• Science Articles: Scientific American, Quanta Magazine, Nature (if you dare)

• Economics: Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Project Syndicate

• Humanities: New York Times, The New York Review, The Atlantic

• Law: SCOTUSblog, law school law reviews, Lawfare Blog, judicial opinions (lawyers' end boss)

Another great source for getting your head into the law world is podcasts. I commute almost two hours each day, and you should be utilizing all that otherwise wasted time. I really enjoyed listening to Advisory Opinions and Divided Arguments, since they're hosted by YHS grads who either became commentators or academics sharing their opinions on recent federal and Supreme Court rulings. It's especially comforting to hear sane, civil discussions on heated topics — rare in the world we live in.

Podcasts:

• 7Sage LSAT Podcast (LSAT learning and admissions)

• I Am the Law (great for future lawyers)

• Advisory Opinions (updates in the judicial world)

• Divided Arguments (taking law classes before law school)

• Supreme Court Oral Arguments (litigators' end boss)

If people are interested I can post another more detailed post in general outlining the above sources and what my experience of them are like 😊 .

That said, these are the tips I wish someone had told me before I started my LSAT journey. It took me over a year to get to 173, and I hope it doesn't take you as long. If you'd like to see my practice journey, you can also check my profile.

Everyone's journey or process is different, but the common factor is that this test is learnable. I offer one-on-one tutoring and have had great success with many students. If you're interested, leave a comment or DM me and we can set up a free consultation.

If you found this helpful, please upvote so others can see it too!