LSAT newbie

basma.moustafa8

Hey guys, I started my LSAT journey about a month ago with 138 diagnostic and now hitting somewhere between 148 and 150. I understand that it's progress, however, at times I seem discouraged by my score still. I'm only through about 25% of the material, mostly on logic games, and I only started LR last week. Would you recommend that I go through the lessons first then take practice tests, or should I continue doing both. Also, any tips on how to work on focusing during taking the questions, my mind seems to get bugged down with so much details that feel crippling at times. TIA and good luck with your LSAT journey!

Matt Sorr

I recommend going through the lessons before PTing. In my view, if you haven't even gone over a section in the curriculum, testing yourself on it doesn't mean much. Sure, you may intuitively be good at some things, but testing yourself on a section you haven't studied won't show your full potential. Conversely, you may find certain concepts difficult without having studied those concepts. In that case, testing yourself on that concept will make you think you're worse at the concept than you have the potential to be. That isn't to say you can't take any PTs during the curriculum; I think taking a PT every time you complete, say, a few large chunks of the curriculum may be worth it. I chose not to, but I understand that seeing progress through PTing can be a great motivator.

As for your focusing struggles, if you're struggling to stay engaged with the material, I like to do a couple of things. First, I like to treat each game/LR question/RC passage like a challenge. Almost like it's my opponent and my goal is to beat it. Doing this helps me view the test almost like a sport and it keeps me engaged. Second, I like to occasionally remind myself that the LSAT can make or break your acceptance or scholarship potential at most schools. I don't do this to put pressure on myself, but rather to put things in perspective. Focusing on a test for a few hours doesn't seem so bad when I think about the massive upside of a good score.

If by focus issues you mean you're having trouble following the stimulus for certain questions (because the stimulus is too complicated), I'd recommend you practice skipping things that are stumping you. Return to skipped questions with fresh eyes after you've attempted all of the others. There's a good chance the question will be easier to follow on your second pass through. If you still can't seem to follow the question at all, it's likely you'll miss it but you probably wouldn't have gotten it during your first attempt, either. The questions that stump you that badly are good for extensive review afterwards.

I hope this helps!

basma.moustafa8

@"Matt Sorr" thank you a lot for all the tips you have mentioned in your comment. It was a relief reading it to be honest. I will definitely implement the majority of it! thanks again for taking the time to respond, truly appreciate it!

Matt Sorr

@"basma.moustafa8" I'm glad to hear it! With consistency you can make a ton of progress!