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Related Discussions
Day before the LSAT Cram?
beganthenotsovegan
Member
So I'm taking my first LSAT in February, and I do work a full time job but plan on taking the Friday before the lsat off in order to have one last day of study. Now I usually study 3-4 hours Mon-Thurs and 12-16hrs on the weekend. But I want to get some advice on what I should be doing the day before the lsat. I was thinking about practice tests but I don't want to be burnt out either. So what should I study or do in order to give me a better chance for the lsat the next day.
Comments
Relax the day before. There's no need to cram because by the day before the test, what you know is what you know, and what you don't is what you don't. You won't make any appreciable gains the day before.
I advocate for relaxing the day before!
@TheMikey is 100% correct. He and I have both taken the LSAT multiple times, and the thing that becomes evident fast is that the work you do months before is what matters on the test. Burnout is also real, and test nerves can really dig their nails into you. So I second this advice to relax.
You want to do things that will make you less stressed and give you a good night sleep for the test.
So definitely do not study. LSAT is one of those things that is a test of understanding and good form. Cramming is helpful for a test based on memory, its just not something thats going to be helpful for LSAT.
One of the things you could do is go for a run. Tire yourself out so you could sleep peacefully during the night. A good night sleep can do wonders for LSAT and help you score your potential. A lot of people can't sleep the night before and that can hamper the performance.
Also, do something that makes you happy. Go for a hike, eat your favorite (not junk) food. The day before my test I had lunch at my favorite Indian Restaurant and dinner at my favorite mediterranean restaurant. Good food to me = happiness. Happier people tend to perform with less stress and therefore have a better chance of scoring in their potential.
So in general, I would just look at the things that make you happy and healthier and will give you a restful sleep and just do that the day before the test.
One change that I made for December LSAT that helped me sleep better was I snuggled at night with my dog. I usually fall asleep next to her every day but for September LSAT I got someone else to watch her as I was in a hotel and I barely slept the whole night. I specifically remember that I was awake at 4 am and could not go back to sleep. This time around I did not know if having my dog would be helpful but for the sake of continuity and knowing that I love it when she falls asleep next to me while I read a book in bed I decided that I was going to bring my dog with me to the hotel. The night before the test, I remember I was again having trouble falling asleep but my dog put her arm over me and just snuggled with me -I immediately felt relaxed and fell asleep. I do think this helped me feel less stressed this time around as I had a better sleep compared to September LSAT.
I didn't study for two weeks before my exam, but did some untimed work and reviewed completed work the night before the test. The day of the test, I woke up, did a light workout, ate, then did an untimed LR section and an untimed LG. I didn't do any RC work other than some brief review the morning of the test, which is something I regret. While waiting to go into the test room, I reviewed a completed PT and stretched/meditated occasionally.
Honestly I was going to study, I even watched a couple of games videos but then I stopped and just took time out to go to the test taking center, scope out where I was writing, got all my essentials in a plastic ziploc bag because they don't provide you with one. I also did yoga to help me relax and destress and most importantly I went to sleep early after preparing a balanced breakfast for the next day. My advice to you is not to study, just get everything ready to go.
The reality is that what you do the day before is probably unimportant.
My anectdotes: The first time I had only been studying for three weeks so I wanted to use every bit of time to study that I could and I took two PTs the day before. I got a good night sleep and scored a 1 point under my PT average. The second time I had just come off studying for three months so I was planning to mostly rest the day before, but spent it coughing and puking with some variation of the flu. Needless to say, I slept fitfully. I scored a couple points above my PT average equaling my personal best.
So what would I recommend? Probably whatever lets you sleep at nighy despite the fact that I did better when I didn't sleep at night. Don't kid yourself with the illusion that you can make up for having studied less than you wanted to by studying more the night before. The test seems to do an admirable job of resisting cramming. You need at least a week to make even a slight difference, not a day. But if studying soothes your nerves, then study some.
Agree with everyone above - the day before the test is better spent resting, making yourself happy, and sleeping well so you can perform your best. I took the day off work before the December test and went out to my favorite breakfast, ran a couple errands, went to an afternoon movie, made dinner, prepped my ziploc bag and went to bed early-ish. That allowed me to wake up early enough feeling refreshed and relaxed and that's going to do more good for you than any amount of studying the day before.
I actually recommend physically tiring yourself on the day before because it would help you sleep better at night. There is nothing you can cram on the day before the LSAT.
I went for a long walk on the day before the December test, so I was able to have a better sleep compared to September LSAT.