170+ During Undergrad?

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• 1 Like

  lady macbeth Alum Member

  February 2018 edited February 2018 894 karma

  I absolutely deprived myself of any social life I had. I was in the library from the moment I finished eating breakfast to 11pm at night everyday. I only left the library to go to class or get a coffee. I'd pack heavy snacks and lunch to the library. In retrospect, I don't think what I did was healthy but it helped me progress a lot. On my 21st birthday, I studied for the exam all day then went to dinner with my friends. I ordered only one drink just to get affirmation that I'm finally 21 now but the woman didn't even card me so it wasn't satisfying. Mind you, all my friends were turning 21 as well and this was the year everyone would have their big birthday bashes. I'm not afraid of any sense of FOMO after that period of my life lol. Anyways, I made my class schedule so that I'd have fridays and thursdays off (I graduated a year early and has AP credits from high school so I had a lot of breathing room throughout the semester) I was very clumsy cause school and lsat studying are hard together lol but I'd put my schoolwork in the backseat and somehow still managed to maintain above a 3.6 each semester. My work would either be done last minute or a day or two right before.

  Honestly now with the added test of July, I would take the July instead of the February because can really dedicate yourself all semester, but then finals week is gonna come to try and fuck you up in May, but then you go home and take June to really hone in and take the exam in July. Cutting off social life during the whole semester is hard. This is when all the formals are, everyone's taking their coats off, running around, drinking and you're sitting at your desk trying to figure out who if Joey gets picked 3rd and who gets picked 2nd if Mary gets picked 6th (LG joke lol).

  Ultimately I think what really helped me was cutting down my social life. My friends knew what I was up to and understood. You have plenty of time to hangout, worry about lsat & homework first! And your job, if you have one
• 1 Like

  LindsMitch Alum Member

  February 2018 589 karma

  @"lady macbeth" said:
  This is when all the formals are, everyone's taking their coats off, running around, drinking and you're sitting at your desk trying to figure out who if Joey gets picked 3rd and who gets picked 2nd if Mary gets picked 6th (LG joke lol).

  I did not take the LSAT during undergrad so I have no real value to add to this thread but this made me laugh hahah.

  Anecdotally, all of my friends who studied for the LSAT during undergrad did end up retaking it during the summer. Of course there are a million variables, I don't remember any of them being truly dedicated to studying (understandably so, lots going on your junior/senior year), so I am sure it is very possible to study for it, do well, and keep up with all your other responsibilities, just depends on what your priorities are. My brother did light studying during the second semester of junior year, took all his finals, and then crammed for about a month before taking in June and ended up with a 169, for what it's worth. In hindsight, he says he does regret this, as all the questions he missed on the LSAT were in LG, except for one LR question. His score (and scholarships) could have been insane had he had access to 7sage LG methods at the time.

  Anyway, good luck to you! I admire any and all who are committed and disciplined enough to keep up with a strict study schedule during undergrad.
• 2 Likes

  Seeking Perfection Alum Member

  February 2018 4423 karma

  @"jacob.humphrey" said:
  I'm curious as to how many of you 170+ scorers took your test while in school? My first real test was in December and I'm gearing up for February right now and let me tell you... Classes and LSAT Prep do not mix well!

  I'm asking more out of curiosity than anything else.

  I'm graduating in May. I got a 172 last February and studied for a retake last September where I recieved a 180. I mostly studied during summer break though where I had my part time job, but no classes.

  I do think that the difficulty of studying to a very high LSAT score while in undergrad is part of the reason why the top schools are composed so significantly of people with work experience. The experience is valued a little, but the additional time to study is even more valuable from an admissions perspective.

  It is just hard to gather the resolve to study for the LSAT when you already are busy studying other things. That said, I don't think that the time commitments of the typical undergrad student even with a part time job like me is significantly greater than those of people with actual jobs. In fact, I bet we have more spare time.
• 1 Like

  sn11_________ Alum Member

  February 2018 103 karma

  I started studying in June, finished up most of my learning/drilling in August, and then PTd 2-3x a week every week until Dec and got a 178.
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  sn11_________ Alum Member

  February 2018 103 karma

  I agree with @"Seeking Perfection" that college students have more spare time. Sure, it sucks to have to learn stuff in addition to your classes and I spent very little time with my friends, but I definitely was able to work a study schedule in without having to get up really early before work or stay up late after work taking PTs. I did my learning while I was interning full time over the summer, and that was taxing. My class schedule gave me more flexibility in being able to take PTs at a normal time of Day regularly throughout the semester
• 1 Like

  JPJ July2021 Core Member

  February 2018 1532 karma

  @"jacob.humphrey" I'm also studying during undergrad to hopefully get a 170+. I read the LSAT Trainer and just started 7Sage around two weeks ago. I'm brand new to studying for school and the LSAT at the same time so I can't offer much insight. However, I like to really plan out my time so I know what I'm going when. I'm lucky though because I take a mix of physical and online classes, which is really common at my school. I don't agree with the notion that it's harder to study for the LSAT in undergrad because arguably one has more free time in undergrad than someone who is working full-time. It all depends on the individual person though. I know with absolute certainty that I want to go to law school so I see no point in delaying. I wish you luck on the February test and I'd love to know if you have any tips for balancing everything!
• 1 Like

  ezrafezra Alum Member

  February 2018 47 karma

  I sympathize with your post – I'm also a senior at a university and studying for the LSAT. It's hard; most of my time is spent studying for the test and doing school work. But I find that the structure of a school quarter is helpful in focusing my studies. I manage to clock in roughly 3-4 hours daily with a PT every Saturday and use the rest of the weekend to go over wrong answers. I began with a 155 and am now consistently scoring in the170-171 range. I think it takes time though. I began studying in September and will take the test June 2018. Hope this helps. And good luck!