From 152 to 166 in one month

Hello all,

After browsing through these discussions boards for hours on end, my LSAT journey has finally come to an end. I have seen so many helpful tips from all of you and so I wanted to give back and leave some of my own.

Background: I started studying for the LSAT in December of 2020 in preparation for the January 2021 exam. I figured that the LSAT couldn't be that hard. I was wrong. In my first month of studying I used bits of the Princeton Review Book, LSAC Prep Tests, and YouTube videos. It didn't work out as well as I would have liked. I felt unprepared for the real test and I ended up receiving a score of 152. I had signed up for the February 2021 exam as a back up plan, and so I had one month to figure things out. I decided to undertake a completely different strategy during the span of this month, which is the one I will late out here. Please note that although this may have worked for me, everyone is different and has their own goals so please pick and choose what may help you!

BIG TIP: You need time. I was an idiot for thinking that I could study effectively in the span of a month for both of these tests. Fortunately, it ended up working out for me but I think that it is best to allocate at least 3 months of serious studying for this beast of a test. Of course, if you don't have the luxury of time it's still possible, just harder.

Study Materials: I personally used the 7Sage Curriculum, LSAT Trainer, and LSAC Prep Tests. In my month of studying to increase my score I spent three weeks going through the 7Sage Core Curriculum, which is an absolute must to get a great theoretical backing behind the questions that will be asked. In week four I spent time working through the LSAT Trainer's discussions on LR and RC. In week five I did as many PTs as I could.

Logic Games: I sucked at logic games. In my first PT I missed about 15 questions, but by the end of studying it became my favorite section and I would only miss about 2-3 questions. To master logic games I followed the 7Sage Full Proof Method. The way that 7Sage organizes and explains the games is unbelievable. Do the games again and again, because frankly THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "UNIQUE" GAME. Ya ya there are some weird ones, but for the most part it's the same reiteration of a type of game. The more you do, the more comfortable you'll get. 7Sage was the only source I used to improve my logic games, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Logical Reasoning: Buy the LSAT Trainer. Seriously. The way the Trainer simplifies this section is fantastic. If you follow the Trainer's Flaw-based model I truly think that you will begin to feel much more comfortable with this section.

Reading Comp: I hate reading comp. It's boring, it's long, it sucks. In my opinion, there is no true way to master it other than read and read and read and read. Develop your own strategies of highlighting, not highlighting, or whatever you feel comfortable with. As you begin to see more and more passages you will begin to see that, although the topics change drastically, the structure of the passages remains pretty constant. The other big thing with reading comp. is mindset. Try to be interested in whatever they are talking about, it makes it much easier.

Final Thoughts: According to 7Sage I put in around 100 hours studying from the January test until the February test. Hard work pays off. But remember, one test does not define who you are or how "smart" you are. Don't let this test own you. Laugh in its face and continue to believe in yourself! You got this.