Best Strategy to approaching Study for the LSAT

CRSTOVALL

What are some examples of how you start to prepare to study for the LSAT? Do you go over a lot of questions with the hopes of eventually getting them right? Do you use some of the strategies that you were taught from LSAT review courses? I'm trying to get some direction on the best way to start? Any suggestions?

Sami

Hi @CRSTOVALL,


I have heard of people doing questions and finding their own strategies, but I think in the beginning its faster to use the already proven and effective strategies. For one, the foundation of LSAT is pretty much the same. A course that gives you a very strong logic foundation is going to be more helpful. Two, finding your own strategies when you are just figuring out different questions types and logic can take up a long time. Sadly, If you want to score a 170 or above, you are in the long haul process probably six months or more. So, taking more time on things when you can go faster could result in studying for LSAT longer. The goal of studying is to understand comprehensively, with speed. So why not use the work that has already been done for you so you can move on to the next step of evaluating your weaknesses etc.

I think in the beginning it is helpful to learn the strategies that are already proven but as you work through them and you find something else works for you, you can always chose to do it that way.

I would suggest starting out with 7sage core curriculum and LSAT trainer, both of which I have found to be very useful in giving me a good foundation to logic and a solid approach to the questions.

Oh and welcome to LSAT studying

Not Ralph Nader

@CRSTOVALL

@"Not Ralph Nader" said:
this is a really broad question if you take a diagnostic test or give some information about your current score people can give you great tailored advise. I try to give you some very basic and generic suggestion to improve your score

First sign up for 7Sage course and finish the core curriculum. The next step would be to take a PT and Blind Review (BR) it to see what are your weaknesses. After doing all these use analytics to focus on specific question types that give you trouble. One of best advice that I got was to not waste PTs. PTs are there to show you where you need to focus if you do not BR a PT you just wasted your time and a fresh PT.

The good new is that you can improve rapidly on LG without inventing the wheel thanks to 7Sage community. I included some links below that might help you plus my own experience. I hope it would be useful to you. Max out your LG score and come back for LR dosage of advice. just joking I am not qualified to give advice on LR

Have you done the LG Bundle and foolproof all the games from PT 1-35? It is possible to achieve -0 on LG.

My suggestion: after fool proofing LG Bundle, take LG sections of PT 1-35 under time and watch J.Y explanation after completing each section but this time when you watching focus mostly on how he teaches to perceive the right answer choice (instead of brute force) and try to implement his suggestions on the next section.

Do not get bog down on one question (take a hint if possible) but if you find one super difficult and you are confident about your master game board, skip the question answer others in that particular game then come back to it use your other set ups you drew; if nothing works finish the section and if you have extra time come back to it. The ultimate goal is to be able to systematically answer any questions so when under exam pressure you just follow your system. You need to develop a system that works best for you. The system I am trying to follow is like

1- read the question set up the sketch try make obvious inferences
2- check answer choices
3- If still confused take count of the items write them near questions and go through the rules one by one make inferences
4- check answer choices
5- If still stuck, SKIP the question
6- After I have done all other questions I will take another try at it by only checking the question against all of my sketches (I do not try to make inferences again unless I already finished the section)

If you have difficulties to finish LR sections in time use the online stopwatch to build up your internal time clock to get a feel how long 80 seconds really take. You can do so by taking LR sections from PT 1-35 and do them individually while using a timer with loop countdown function. Set the timer on 80 seconds and 25 loops when it is past 80 seconds circle the question choose an answer choice and move on, come back to the question if you got extra time at the end of the section.


The Blind Review: How to correctly prep for LSAT (Part 1)
https://7sage.com/the-blind-review-how-to-correctly-prep-for-lsat-part-1/

Pacifico Logic Games Attack Strategy
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/2737/logic-games-attack-strategy

J.Y fool-proof guide
https://7sage.com/lesson/fool-proof-guide-to-perfection-on-logic-games/

Online Stopwatch with Loop-countdown
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/loop-countdown/

I hope this helps you

Cant Get Right

I wouldn't recommend doing any questions until you've studied the underlying concepts. The LSAT is built on formal logic and dense grammar, and you have to learn that first. Until you've studied the fundamentals, doing questions will be little better than taking shots in the dark. With that approach, it would actually be detrimental to answer any questions correctly because you would almost certainly not understand the full extent of why it's correct. This level of understanding is much more important than whether or not you get questions right or wrong.