For those who score 170+, warm-up or no warm-up?

btsao650

I was curious if any of you high scorers out there usually do a quick LR/RC/LG warm-up before taking a PT.

I think warm-ups are a good idea if you're still a little shaky on some of your fundamentals, but after a certain point of expertise I feel like warm-ups can do more harm than good in the form of psyching yourself out the morning of (in case you get answers wrong) and draining mental energy. Thoughts?

Sami

@btsao650 said:
I was curious if any of you high scorers out there usually do a quick LR/RC/LG warm-up before taking a PT.

I think warm-ups are a good idea if you're still a little shaky on some of your fundamentals, but after a certain point of expertise I feel like warm-ups can do more harm than good in the form of psyching yourself out the morning of (in case you get answers wrong) and draining mental energy. Thoughts?

You should try both and see what works for you. If you feel that it drains mental energy and you do better without warmup then don't do it.

As far as me and people I know we all do warmups. Nothing too much -1 game, 1 RC passage, and 6-8 LR questions.

The point of warmups is not to brush up or think about fundamentals, its to get your brain juices flowing.

I remember one of JY's RC videos he talked about how he was unusually slow in the first RC passage because he didn't warm up. It can make a difference between what should be a 6.5 minute time on a passage and instead spending 8 minutes on that passage. So not warming up can cost you the time for two or more LSAT questions. I have felt the same way as well.

Seeking Perfection

I did, but you shouldn't do it right before the test since you can't replicate that on the actual test. Instead do the warmup at least half an hour, but maybe more like an hour or so before the test to simulate the test day experience as closely as possible. You don't want to give yourself an advantage on PTs if you don't get it on the real test.

btsao650

@Sami @"Seeking Perfection" Thank you guys! Great advice.

shicks220

As I studied, I compiled all of the logic games that gave me trouble and, in following JY's advice, printed out a bunch of copies and drilled them. I would usually do 2-3 of those before PT's and also did so the morning of my actual test (I took it in June so it wasn't until the afternoon).

Owning a few LGs that had once baffled me was a great confidence booster before the test.

tylerdschreur10

I never did warmups before PTs, but perhaps I should have for consistency. On actual test days I would do 1 RC passage, 1 game and a dozen LR questions. All "easy" ones that is seen before to boost confidence and avoid fatiguing myself unnecessarily

hello1002

I'll briefly close my eyes and meditate for a minute or two, but I tried not to get into the habit of "warming up."

I think doing so makes you feel as if you can't perform unless you've gone through the warm up routine you've set for yourself

kimpg_66

@tylerdschreur10 said:
I never did warmups before PTs, but perhaps I should have for consistency. On actual test days I would do 1 RC passage, 1 game and a dozen LR questions. All "easy" ones that is seen before to boost confidence and avoid fatiguing myself unnecessarily

This was also my experience. I didn't warm up before my PTs, but on the day of I picked a random LG from 1-29, a random RC from 1-29, and drilled the easiest group of flaw questions. I'm shakiest on flaws, so getting all of those correct (even if they were 1 stars) was a great boost