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Just starting my Law school and LSAT journey and need advice

l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
in General 33 karma

I am 32 and have a associates in Automation/Robotics. I am currently going back to school for my Electrical Engineering degree, and i am planning on then going through to Law School. I know this is as far from one and other than one can get but it is something that i have been thinking about for a while but have not had the financial means to do so. I am about 24 months out from my degree and i would like to start LSAT prep. I haven't taken a diagnostic test but have looked at a few questions in LG and LR, i might have been able to answer 30% or so, which worried me, because i see everyone else with 145-155 diagnostics scores and i feel i would be far from that. It's crazy to me to read everyone testing in the high 150's/160's.... its a bit intimidating. I haven't taken a class in 10 years or so and the questions really pointed out how many cobwebs are in my head (At least i hope they are cobwebs, and not that i am just not cut out for the LSAT.) I'm sure this forum gets this a lot, but i am simply wondering what you guys think i should do as far as prep?

Comments

  • OlamHafuchOlamHafuch Alum Member
    2326 karma

    You can't do better than the core curriculum from 7Sage. You can get it by signing up for the Starter package. You have plenty of time to allow the concepts to seep in.
    With a science and engineering background, I can't imagine that you won't be able to do very well on the test.
    Also, I hope you've considered using your electrical engineering degree to pursue patent law.

  • l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
    33 karma

    Thank you so much for your advice. Yes, that is exactly what i am looking to pursue. Patent law seems like such an interesting career. Thank you again for your advice.

  • 1000001910000019 Alum Member
    3279 karma

    EE myself.
    Way to early to be working on the smaller details like studying for the LSAT.
    It really depends on what school you attend, and whether or not your classes are based on a curve (I don't see how any legit program could avoid having to curve in classes like E&M).
    I found the classes to be a huge time sink. You're juggling your time between classes, and it is unlikely that you've have a lot of spare time.

    The only thing you should be thinking about for the next 2 years is ensuring your grades are great.

    How long have you been out of school? You may want to spend whatever free time you have now working on your mathematics.

  • Felix MendezFelix Mendez Alum Member
    edited November 2019 60 karma

    I have a buddy who just graduated and is doing Patent law. He's very happy, says its a very rewarding field. I wanted to encourage you not to get down on yourself, half this test is confidence. I started at a 143 diagnostic back in January and I'm now at 160. Its been a battle to get this far, but I still have work to do. I might need to go until December for the score I want. With that being said, my suggestions would be to start now to slowly get the fundamentals of the test. IDK if 7Sage would be the best option for you right now because you're 24 months out, and 7sages's top class gives you access for 18 months (true, you could pay to prolong it, but overall I think it would come out to be pretty expensive). So I'd probably start out with the Powerscore Bibles, especially for Logic Games and Logical Reasoning. I'd read the books, learn the fundamentals, come back on here, get a course, go through the CC (Core Curriculum) to brush up on anything, and then just practice, practice, practice through drilling and taking preptests. If you go this route, I have no doubt you can achieve any score you want and get into any law school you want. Best of luck !

    [Admin note: Ultimate+ includes 12 months now]

  • l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
    33 karma

    I've been out of school for 10 years at this point. I think your right about prioritizing my maths. I just can't help feeling inadequate in regards to the LSAT. I can study my maths, I've always been OK at that. I feel like the LSAT is just another beast all together that i should start looking into now.

  • Mellow_ZMellow_Z Alum Member
    edited August 2017 1997 karma

    There exists a sense of bias among those who post about their success and failures on the internet. I can't remember the exact wording of it, but it's almost like a success or selective bias where only those do well will post about it, as the ones who struggle or do poorly are less likely to post their "dark secrets" for all of the internet to see. So, while you might see a lot of people who have diagnostic scores that are outrageously high, remember that

    1. For each one of these people that post about their high scores, there are likely 10s or 100s of people who didn't score this high, and that
    2. They could be entirely fabricated - Maybe they lied outright, maybe they didn't time themselves very strictly, maybe they reviewed their answers after scoring it and said "oh I get why this is right, I wouldn't make this mistake again, I'm going to change my score."

    Anyway, your diagnostic doesn't mean anything. I read somewhere that taking a cold diagnostic LSAT is like taking a foreign language exam for a language you've never studied or spoken before. There's no way you will do respectable on it; you shouldn't, at least. And this isn't something to worry about.

    Take PLENTY of time to study for the LSAT when you get finished with your EE. Do not set a date to take your test, only take the test when you are scoring at your goal. I don't know your outcome, but coming from EE like myself, there's likely a decent change you might be interested in IP/patent law? Depending on your school and career goals, your LSAT will be an important factor in your application, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to succeed.

  • nicholasthomas127nicholasthomas127 Alum Member
    458 karma

    I wouldn't worry about what you get on the diagnostic or what others get on their diagnostics to having any indications on how you will do. The diagnostic is just something to kick-start your prep, it is not meant to measure your potential by any means because your potential is unlimited when it comes to the LSAT (it is an extremely learnable test), it is more of a measure of how much work you have to put in and a motivator to look back to see how far you have come. The Core Curriculum will teach you everything you need to know for the LSAT. As for when you should start your prep, 24 months is an incredible amount of time, however, it depends on how demanding your degree is right now. I say just get your feet wet and try to balance your time between your degree and LSAT studying.

  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    23929 karma

    @"l.givilanczktv" said:

    I am 32 and have a associates in Automation/Robotics. I am currently going back to school for my Electrical Engineering degree, and i am planning on then going through to Law School. I know this is as far from one and other than one can get but it is something that i have been thinking about for a while but have not had the financial means to do so. I am about 24 months out from my degree and i would like to start LSAT prep. I haven't taken a diagnostic test but have looked at a few questions in LG and LR, i might have been able to answer 30% or so, which worried me, because i see everyone else with 145-155 diagnostics scores and i feel i would be far from that. It's crazy to me to read everyone testing in the high 150's/160's.... its a bit intimidating. I haven't taken a class in 10 years or so and the questions really pointed out how many cobwebs are in my head (At least i hope they are cobwebs, and not that i am just not cut out for the LSAT.) I'm sure this forum gets this a lot, but i am simply wondering what you guys think i should do as far as prep?

    I can't recommend 7Sage enough! The Yelp ratings are the best of any LSAT prep company and the value for the price in unparalleled.

  • l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
    33 karma

    Thank you for your time to respond Mellow, you have given me comfort. I appreciate it very much.

  • tanes256tanes256 Alum Member
    2573 karma

    @l.givilanczktv glad to see you decided to check out 7 Sage! I knew I recognized the name. I'm sure you'll love it!

  • l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
    33 karma

    Thank you tanes lol. I'm looking for as much advice as i can get, and your recommendation was what brought me here, so thank you so much for that.

  • sillllyxosillllyxo Alum Member
    708 karma

    Y are you going back to school for an Electrical Engineering degree instead of getting a job in your field and studying for the LSAT?

  • sillllyxosillllyxo Alum Member
    708 karma

    NVM just read that you have an associates. I think that is a great degree to fall back on if anything it will help you become a better candidate instead of the cookie cutter pre law degree - you can totally do this :)

  • 1000001910000019 Alum Member
    3279 karma

    @"l.givilanczktv" said:
    I've been out of school for 10 years at this point. I think your right about prioritizing my maths. I just can't help feeling inadequate in regards to the LSAT. I can study my maths, I've always been OK at that. I feel like the LSAT is just another beast all together that i should start looking into now.

    The math involved in certain classes is absurd, and it is highly unlikely that you've seen it before.

    If you post what your fall / spring schedule looks like, I can give you some more feedback.

  • l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
    33 karma

    I don't disagree with you at all, i think a more appropriate way of saying it is ...I am comfortable with my ability to learn new mathematics concepts, i know that they will be a struggle and consuming. Which is the reason that the LSAT seems even more daunting, because i know the degree plan will take an absurd amount of effort. I'm sorry if i was unclear or dismissive of the work taken for the degree plan. I'll post classes ASAP.

  • tringo335tringo335 Alum Member
    3679 karma

    Congrats on finding 7Sage! It's a great resource. I know 2 years seems like a long way off but when you're studying full time, it may not be. I work full time and already plan on dedicating probably another 10 months or so to studying before I get the score I really want (I've been studying on and off for about 6 months already). So if you're able to keep your grades up (this is SO important in regards to getting into a good school) and starting the Core Curriculum maybe even just an hour or so or night, I say go for it. That way you're not having to cram the LSAT into a few months of study before the test. Unless of course you're OK with taking time off and studying full time for about 6 months post graduation. I don't know your schedule, available resources, etc.

  • tringo335tringo335 Alum Member
    3679 karma

    Oh yea also, don't worry about your diagnostic. I've seen plenty of stories of people who started in the 140s and tested in the 170s ... this test is totally learnable. :)

  • Freddy_DFreddy_D Alum Member
    2983 karma

    Come on in and stay awhile. Like others have said, 7sage is on another level. I can't recommend it enough. Even if you choose another method for prep, you can always come here to get any of your questions answered. Good luck with your studies!

  • l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
    33 karma

    Thank you all for the advice. I feel much better. I will be signing up to 7 sage when the time comes closer. If anyone else has any more advice, please let me know.

  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27809 karma

    Do you have an idea of where you want to go to school? Keep an eye out on schools' GRE policies. More and more are accepting GRE which could be the better test for you if you've got a strong math background. From what I understand, the GRE verbal is a joke compared to LSAT, so would be much easier to conquer if the math is already solid.

  • l.givilanczktvl.givilanczktv Free Trial Member
    33 karma

    I hadn't thought of that at all, thank you. I will be looking into it.

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